Scholar committed to safeguarding all forms of life to receive the Niwano Peace Prize
The award goes to Venerable Shih Chao-hwei in recognition of her work in building peace through safeguarding all forms of life, promoting gender ethics and gender equality, and her approach to open-minded dialogue with different religious leaders and social groups.
Tokyo (AsiaNews) – The 38th Niwano Peace Prize will be awarded to Taiwan's Venerable Shih Chao-hwei in recognition of her work in building peace through the safeguarding of all forms of life, promoting gender ethics and gender equality, and her approach to open-minded dialogue with different religious leaders and social groups.
For the Niwano Peace Prize Committee, the venerable provides fearless leadership in promoting sustainable and viable peace based on her Buddhist faith.
Born in 1957 in Yangon, Myanmar, Venerable Shih Chao-hwei moved to Taiwan in 1965. She is a professor at Hsuan Chuang University where she teaches religious studies; she also serves as dean of graduate studies at Hong Shih Buddhist College.
In 2004, she founded the Research Centre for Applied Ethics in 2004, She is also the founder of the Life Conservationist Association, which promotes animal rights legislation.
She received the 48th Chinese Literature and Art medal for outstanding contributions to intercultural dialogue.
She was also awarded the Outstanding Women in Buddhism International Medal in 2009 and the Person of the Year Award for Social Movements in 2012.
Together with the Dalai Lama, she was appointed spiritual mentor and patron of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), founded by Thai Buddhist reformer Sulak Sivaraksa.
Venerable Shih Chao-hwei is the author of more than 25 books and over 70 research papers, including numerous manuscripts on nature conservation.
The Niwano Peace Prize was established by the Niwano Peace Foundation to honour and encourage people and organisations that contribute significantly to interreligious cooperation, thereby promoting the cause of world peace.
Through its work, the Foundation hopes to improve understanding and interreligious cooperation as well as encourage more people to commit to working for world peace.
The award is named after Nikkyo Niwano, the founder and first president of the secular Buddhist organisation Rissho Kosei-kai.
The award ceremony will take place in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, 2 June at 10:30 am. In addition to an award certificate, Venerable Shih Chao-hwei will receive a medal and ¥ 20 million (US$ 188,000).
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21/02/2022 13:10
01/03/2011
