PeaceJam Foundation Announces Winners of its One Billion Acts of Peace Hero Awards
DENVER (PRWEB) May 22, 2015 -- Today, the PeaceJam Foundation announced the winners of its One Billion Acts of Peace Campaign Hero Awards. These awards recognize the importance of action in helping to change the world.
“One Billion Acts of Peace is creating a new generation of young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities, and the world around them,” said Dawn Engle, PeaceJam Foundation co-founder and executive director. “We couldn’t be prouder of the positive impact made by all of our volunteers and are thrilled to recognize these participants as a small tribute to their immense contributions.”
The winners were selected for demonstrating exemplary public service in five categories:
• Best Youth Act: Ghana Health Campaign
o The goal is to help eradicate cholera in West Africa through community-based actions. Participating youth showed tremendous courage in the face of huge risk to make a monumental difference in West Africa.
• Best Business Act: WoofTrax: Walk for a Dog
o A community based mobile app that raises funds for local animal shelters. The group’s socially conscious model and innovative technology offers a successful role model for businesses.
• Best Non-Profit Act: ASANA
o The goal is to preserve the natural ecosystems of Costa Rica. Local citizens took a comprehensive and hyper-local approach to protect the environment.
• Best University Act: Stratford University
o Students aimed to address extreme poverty within their own communities. College students created an Annual Backpack Drive to collect school supplies, which they donated to more than 50 schools in the area.
• Best Up and Coming Act: Promotora Mexicana de Valores Deportivos A.C.
o The group provided much needed medical supplies to those affected by violence in Mexico’s conflict zones. Participants worked hard to address conflict resolution and help heal their local community.
To view videos of the winners and for more information on the Hero Awards, please visit: http://www.1billionacts.org/hero-awards/
Winners will be officially recognized at the Hero Award ceremony on June 14, 2015 in Monte Carlo. This year’s award ceremony will be hosted by Nobel Laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel of Argentina, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1980 for his leadership in human rights and democracy for the people of Latin America.
The campaign, spearheaded by 13 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates like Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the 14th Dalai Lama, works to inspire average citizens around the world to become agents of change and serve their communities by doing simple acts of peace. All of the high quality projects eligible for the awards addressed one of the 10 core issue areas facing humanity designated by the Nobel Peace Laureates, such as rights for women and children, access to clean water for all, global climate change and alleviating extreme poverty. This year’s Hero Awards recognize projects completed since June 2014.
"We applaud all of our Hero Award nominees for taking the first step, for recognizing some of the challenges and inequities in their own communities, and for having the courage to stand up and do something about it,” said PeaceJam Foundation President and Co-founder Ivan Suvanjieff. “Their work will serve as an example and as an inspiration to citizens around the world."
For more information on the One Billion Acts of Peace Campaign, visit: http://www.1billionacts.org/
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The PeaceJam Foundation is an international organization whose mission is to create young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities and the world through the inspiration of Nobel Laureates who pass on their spirit, skills and wisdom. The PeaceJam Foundation was launched in February 1996 by co-founders Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff to provide the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates with a programmatic vehicle to use in working together to teach youth the art of peace. To date, 13 Nobel Peace Laureates, including the 14th Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, President Oscar Arias, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Betty Williams, José Ramos-Horta, Aung San Suu Kyi, Sir Joseph Rotblat (Emeritus), Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi and Leymah Gbowee serve as Members of the PeaceJam Foundation.
Suzi Owens, Blanc & Otus, +1 415-856-5125, [email protected]
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