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[YTN Radio] Metropolitan Dating with the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee chairman Il-Sik Hong
The Sunhak Peace Prize, the Korean Nobel Prize, will spread its vision of peace.The chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee is Il-Sik HongMC:The awards ceremony for the Sunhak Peace Prize will be held on August 28. We invited the chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee, Il-Sik Hong, to further explain what the Sunhak Peace Prize is and its meaning.Chairman Hong, could you please explain what this prize is? Chairman:Yes, it is an international peace prize which will be awarded for the first time this year. It honors individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to peace. Particularly, the Sunhak Peace Prize has a concept of peace for future generations and we are focusing on people who make efforts to bring peace to the world. This year’s theme is ocean. We announced our inaugural laureates on June 9 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., U.S. The awards ceremony will be held this coming August 28 in Seoul. MC:What does “Sunhak” stand for? Chairman:Similar to the Nobel Peace Prize, it is after the founder’s name. ‘Sunhak’ is composed of the first names of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, who have devoted their lives for the peaceful vision of one family under God. MC:If the Sunhak Peace Prize starts this year, then will it be awarded annually? Chairman:Yes, each year we will focus on a particular peace theme. MC:Since this is the first awards ceremony to be held, as the chairman you must feel a heavy responsibility.. Chairman:Yes, I feel a very heavy responsibility as the first chairman of the committee. Especially, in Korea, there are many people who do not know much about the Sunhak Peace Prize yet, so I have the responsibility to publicize it and make it well known. I’m very dedicated to this task. MC:Who else is involved in the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee.? Chairman:Various kinds of people in the world are involved in our committee. Including the former Secretary General of the United Nations Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former Japanese Defense Minister Ohno Yoshinori, and the Big Chief monk of Bulguksa Temple, Jogye Order Venerable Seong-Ta, there are 15 committee members who are representatives of politics, media, education and religion. MC:You mentioned the theme of this year is the ocean. Is there any reason for this? Chairman:Yes, so far we have a stereotyped thinking that peace is the opposite meaning of wars. But in fact, there are a plethora of catastrophes which bring more serious worries and misfortunes to human societies and we thought we have to change our perception of peace. In the 21th century, not a war but climate change like the tsunami phenomenon happened in 2009 is more severe threat to future peace. The El Niño phenomenon and environmental disasters due to energy depletion are the main issues. Oceans cover 71% of the earth. There are vast resources and ocean regulate climate. This being so, the Committee decided on the ‘Ocean’ which is an alternative solution of peace for human beings and a treasure house for future generations as the theme for the inaugural Sunhak Peace Prize.MC:You mentioned the Committee already announced the laureates, President of Kiribati Anote Tong and Indian Dr. Modadugu Gupta as the dual recipients. Would you like to tell us the reason for the selection of President Anote Tong? Chairman:First of all, the Republic of Kiribati is an unfamiliar country so many people do not know about it. Kiribati is an island country located on the vicinity of the equator in the South Pacific. The citizens have not done anything wrong, but due to global warming, their land is in danger of being submerged. H.E. Anote Tong is the president of this small island country. He raised awareness of the importance of climate change and sought action by the international communities. He gave a warning to the wealthy countries emitting lots of carbon dioxide and urged the international communities to take action to protect the people struggling at the frontline of climate change. Furthermore, Pres. Tong is a global leader who devoted himself to passing down a clean earth to future generations. MC:Would you like to introduce the other laureate, Dr. Gupta?Chairman:Yes, he is a professor at Calcutta University and he has dedicated his whole life to leading a Blue Revolution by developing aquaculture techniques as an alternative solution to future food crises. The Blue Revolution is the significant increase of aquaculture production due to innovative techniques while the Green Revolution is the rapid growth of agricultural output. Dr. Gupta has been a pioneer of the Blue Revolution since the 1960s. He taught his aquaculture methods to the extreme poor in Southeast Asia, in places such as Bangladesh, and in Africa. He improved the nutritional status, the rights of women, and the self-resilience of those living in poverty through his training.MC:Will the laureates will receive cash prize? Chairman:Yes, the laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize will receive the Sunhak Peace Prize medal, a certificate and a cash prize of Korean \\1 billion (~USD $1 million).MC:What is the distinct characteristic of the Sunhak Peace Prize? Chairman:Most peace prizes award the peace dedications of the past. However, the Sunhak Peace Prize focuses on the contributions for future peace. Future peace may seem a bit distant, what the current generation has done will negatively or positively affect future generations. That is why the future is always up to the people who are preparing. God never gives future glory to those who are not preparing. The Sunhak Peace Prize focuses on climate change based on this peace vision. The Sunhak Peace Prize will continue to search for individuals and organizations that have contributed to the peace and create a peaceful civilization for future generations.
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[Hankyoreh] Climate change, those of us on the frontline can survive?
Kiribati is located in the vicinity of the equator and the population is more than 105,000. It is considered very vulnerable to rising sea-levels because it consists of small islands with an average altitude above sea level of 2m. President of Kiribati Anote Tong has led the country since 2003. He has been speaking out the expected threat of his country people should leave their land by 2050 and sough for action by the international communities. President Anote Tong has been consecutively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Last month, Indian biologist Dr. Modadugu V. Gupta and Pres. Tong have been selected the first dual laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize through recognition of their sacrifices for peace. I met President Anote Tong in Kiribati with the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee and heard his thoughts on climate change. The interview took place at President Tong’s private house 10 minutes away from the office of the President in the capital Tarawa.Interview with President of Kiribati Anote Tong- I heard that Kiribati stands at the forefront of global climate change. What kind of practical effects have surfaced?“Villages are disappearing due to coastal erosion and the seawater has contaminated the freshwater and destroyed the crops. Earlier this year in March, we had the cyclone Pam which hit Vanuatu. Kiribati has never been subject to cyclones. We are on the hurricane-free belt on the equator so we should not be seeing these events. So these things are happening more frequently and it’s an experience totally new to us.- Please explain the current efforts and future plans of the Kiribati government and its citizens in response to the climate change situation. “We are hoping that the international community will assist in building our resilience so that after what arises, we will be able to continue to survive on these islands. But at the same time, we’ve got to be realistic that it is very highly unlikely that the international community will come up with the level of resources that would be required to raise all the islands. So whilst we are committed to ensuring that our islands, in one way or another does not disappear, that we remain as a nation, a viable nation in the future in whatever form, we have to accept the reality that some of our people would also have to be prepared for migration. We cannot build our resilience on our own, because we do not have the resources. If the international community does not come forward, then we are talking about our entire population having to relocate.”- I think that is why you are preparing the ‘immigration with dignity.’ So please explain what ‘immigration with dignity’ is and what some of the challenges in preparing for it are.“What I don’t want is for our people to become climate refugees. I reject the notion of refugees. It’s degrading and undignified. It is not because we have mismanaged our economies, our politics. We would have lost our homes, but we do not want to lose our dignity as well. We would prepare our people to migrate as trained and skilled people, people who when they migrate to whatever community they do, will come in as citizens with skills, worthwhile citizens who will make a contribution to the community they are coming to. They will not be a burden to whichever society they decide to go to. They will go as dignified people. Not as second-class citizens in the countries they go to looking for special consideration.”- How have you been using the purchased land in Fiji up until now? And what are your future plans for this land?“The way I\'ve been explaining about the land is that it is an investment. It’s an investment in establishing some degree of food security in the future. I’m often asked by many journalists, “so you’re going to relocate your people to Fiji?” and my answer has always been no. Why I say that is because I am fully appreciative of the political sensitivities with this large number of people migrating to one area. Somebody else might make that decision in the future. The Fiji government has expressed their willingness to accommodate our people if and when it becomes necessary. And this is the kind of humanity that I’ve been challenging the international community to come up with. - Is there any technological solution such as the method to elevate the islands that will allow the people to continue to live on the islands of Kiribati despite the rising sea-levels?“I have no doubt that the solutions are there. In fact, I’ve asked the Korean government to assist on this and we’ve had technical people come to visit to do assessment. But we cannot do it on our own; we do not have the capacity to do it. We need supports from the international community. Kiribati needs a special approach because our problem is very urgent and serious. Otherwise, we have no other choice except to migrate.”- What is the future of Kiribati as a sovereign state? Please share your opinion.“I can assure you that we have made a commitment that we will continue to have a nation, in whatever form, in whatever scale. If it’s just a piece of land, it’s important that we have this. It may not be able to accommodate everybody. But it’s got to be able to provide somewhere to be pointed to and say “that is our country.” And we will do whatever it takes to maintain our sovereignty over the seas that are part of our Exclusive Economic Zone because there are huge resources there. So yes, we will continue to exist as a nation.”- Do you believe that the global community will emerge victorious in the war against climate change eventually?“The entire destruction of the planet is not an acceptable option. So we have to win this war, but the question is those people who have the ability to make the most significant impact, are they going to be willing to sacrifice their welfare and luxuries, in order for those of us on the frontline can survive?”- How would you evaluate the UN in the international community’s response to climate change thus far?Well up until now the rate of progress under the negotiations have been very disappointing. We don’t have to think of it from a national perspective. We have to regard ourselves as global citizens with a single planet, a single home. But if we continue to talk about our GDP, what will happen if we agree to do this. What will happen to our GDP? These are unfortunately what guide much of the discussions. No matter what level of greenhouse gases are agreed in Paris, no matter what Celsius degree we agree for the temperature rise, it will not make a difference to us. What I’ve been asking is that we need special progression for that. Don’t say that it is too late for you. No, that is not acceptable.- Out of the 196 nations in the climatic change convention, the Republic of Korea is a nation with the 7th highest output of carbon dioxide emissions. In the quantity of its green-house gas and the emissions per capita is greater than twice the global average. Is there anything you’d like to say or request to the Korean citizens?“Climate change is not entirely about its impact on the environment. We’ve gone past that. Now it’s about survival of nations like mine and other nations that are very vulnerable on the front-line. The issue here is the corporations are thinking in terms of their profit and loss statement and they are not thinking about people. But I understand we have very different circumstances. Korea is a country with extreme weather conditions. Very cold, you need energy in order to survive the winter and we don’t. We should be trying to do that rather than going ahead and doing things regardless of what its consequences are for the rest of humanity.”[source: http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/environment/701187.html]
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[ABC Radio Australia] Kiribati president Anote Tong garners Sunhak Peace Prize for climate work
President Tong’s interview upon receiving the Sunhak Peace Prize12 June 2015Tong: It is exciting. Of course, I have been nominated also from Australia I believe for the Nobel Peace Prize and so this came to me as a complete surprise. I am excited. I think it would add a lot of momentum to the advocacy and the campaign. The timing is very good. It comes before the meeting in Paris at the end of this year and the campaign that I have been on for more than twenty years now has been something that…it’s had its disappointments, but I think more recently, there have been more people getting engaged and for me that is quite a change from what it was. And so this award I think, I’ve received other awards that recognized the same thing and undoubtedly they’ve added a boost to the campaign.MC: There is a $1 million US dollar prize attached to the award I understand. Now I presume that money will go straight back into the ongoing campaign.Tong: I know that the campaign will be ongoing. I finish my term in office at the end of this year, most probably the beginning of next year. But I see the campaign as not ending there. I know that my colleagues in the region are also very much engaged, so I think yes, we will continue the campaign. Whatever resources and whatever support we can get, I think it’s important we need to continue to shape international thinking on the issue because there are still people who don’t believe that climate change is an issue that merits urgent attention. So I’m hoping very much that this award will come a long way towards making that emphasis.MC: So what are your intentions when you come to the end of your period of office? Are you intending to become a full-time climate change campaigner?Tong: I’ve had 3 terms. That is of course the limit, 3 four-year terms. I will not be running for parliament. I don’t expect that I will do that, but after a good break, I can make a decision as to what to do next, but certainly, climate change has always been and I believe will continue to be very much on my agenda.MC: The positive news of course is that you have been recognized through the winning of this award, the Sunhak Peace Prize. But it comes at the same time as climate change talks have been taking place over there in Germany, in the city of Bahn. And the word we’ve been getting there is that they haven’t been entirely successful. What is your understanding, and are you satisfied with the outcome?Tong: We don’t want to repeat the mistake that we made in Copenhagen in 2009. We all went with very high hopes of a very positive outcome. But I think the world is a lot more complicated. There are a lot of interests at play here. But I think the very fact that it was at the top of the agenda is in itself a very strong indication that it is being taken seriously. I know that there is a focus of attention. It is going to be difficult to get absolute agreement on the final detail. There are countries particularly in Europe that are giving it a lot of attention. There will always be some differences as to the extent to which countries collectively will wish to go. So I don’t think I am too disappointed. I try not to be too optimistic. I’ve learned my lesson.MC: You mentioned earlier being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Australia. Ironic, bearing in mind that perhaps Australia and Canada are seen as the arch-enemies at the moment in terms of the global battle against climate change. Tong: It’s a question of priority. I know that perhaps Australia does not regard the threat of climate change as the top of the agenda. And I can understand that. You’ve got places to go with the sea-level rises. But I think the question is more of a moral one. Do we have the moral conscience to understand that what we do will impact those on the other side of the world, or even close by. And that’s always been the way I’ve shaped my advocacy on climate change, the greatest moral challenge that humanity has ever faced. And I think the future of humanity and this planet will be determined by what we do. We’ve got to understand this, and if not our very future, then the future of other people’s children. And so do we have the moral conscience or go ahead and disregard those costs. That is the question that will judge us as human beings.MC: The Paris Summit of course comes in December. It may very well be one of your last acts as president to be involved in those talks. So I assume you would want to go out on a high, and get a meaningful agreement.Tong: I’ve been working at it for most of my Presidency for the last 12 years. I’ve been working on this from the end of last year until the beginning of this year, I’ve been visiting a number of capitals in Europe trying to get some support. I am very encouraged by what is coming forward. At the end of last year, of course, we’ve had the support of the United States and China, which was something that has always been the missing part of the whole process. We needed these two to be part of this in order for it to be meaningful in many ways. And so that is an achievement. Of course, I have also visited other parts of the world following that meeting. I have had the opportunity to meet the prime minister here, and he has promised me a commitment. He is planning to meet with the leaders again in the few weeks ahead. And so I am seeing positive signs. That perhaps we will come away with a more forthcoming agreement. And of course, the host, the President of France, has also met Pacific Leaders and he has made an undertaking that he will do everything in his power to see that we have a positive outcome.[Source - http://bit.ly/1QxzaMy ]
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[Chosun News] President of Kiribati and Dr. Gupta, the inaugural laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize
President of Kiribati Anote Tong and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta have been selected as first dual laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize which has $1 million US dollars prize. The Sunhak Peace Prize is established by the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. This award reflects her profound hope of continuing her husband’s legacy of peace and the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee (chairman Dr. Il-Sik Hong) annually selects the nominee. The award ceremony will be held this coming 28 August 2015 (Friday) in Seoul, Korea.The Committee held a press conference in Washington D.C., and announced, “We have selected His Excellency Anote Tong, President of Kiribati, for his efforts at the forefront of the climate crisis and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta of India, for developing an alternative solution to the expected future food crisis.”President Anote Tong emphasized that his nation could be uninhabitable by the 2050s because of the rising sea levels caused by climate change, and urged the international communities to embark upon immediate and concrete action. He has been consecutively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.The ‘Pioneer of Blue Revolution’ Dr. Modadugu Gupta developed innovative aquaculture methods, and miraculously gave the poor in Asia and Africa a way to earn their independence. [Source - http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/06/10/2015061000129.html ]
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[Chosun News] President of Kiribati and Dr. Gupta, the inaugural laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize
President of Kiribati Anote Tong and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta have been selected as first dual laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize which has $1 million US dollars prize. The Sunhak Peace Prize is established by the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. This award reflects her profound hope of continuing her husband’s legacy of peace and the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee (chairman Dr. Il-Sik Hong) annually selects the nominee. The award ceremony will be held this coming 28 August 2015 (Friday) in Seoul, Korea.The Committee held a press conference in Washington D.C., and announced, “We have selected His Excellency Anote Tong, President of Kiribati, for his efforts at the forefront of the climate crisis and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta of India, for developing an alternative solution to the expected future food crisis.”President Anote Tong emphasized that his nation could be uninhabitable by the 2050s because of the rising sea levels caused by climate change, and urged the international communities to embark upon immediate and concrete action. He has been consecutively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.The ‘Pioneer of Blue Revolution’ Dr. Modadugu Gupta developed innovative aquaculture methods, and miraculously gave the poor in Asia and Africa a way to earn their independence. [Source - http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/06/10/2015061000129.html
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[Join News] President of Kiribati and Dr. Gupta, the first co-recipients of the Sunhak Peace Prize
President of Kiribati Anote Tong and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta have been selected as first dual laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize.The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee (former president of Korea and chairman of the committee Dr. Il-Sik Hong) held a press conference announcing its inaugural Sunhak Peace Prize laureates on June 8 (Monday) in Washington D.C. The Sunhak Peace Prize was established by Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon to search for individuals and organizations that have contributed to the peace and welfare of the future generations.As a dual laureate President Anote Tong dedicated himself to raising public awareness of the severe impacts of the climate crisis to the international community in order to address its impacts on his country of Kiribati, which is gradually being submerged due to rising sea-levels caused by climate change. The ‘Pioneer of Blue Revolution’ Dr. Modadugu Gupta developed innovative aquaculture methods, and miraculously gave the poor in Asia and Africa a way to earn their independence.The laureates will share $1 million US dollars prize. The award ceremony will be held this coming 28 August 2015 (Friday) in Seoul, Korea.[source - http://article.joins.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=17990875&ctg= ]
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[Join News] President of Kiribati and Dr. Gupta, the first co-recipients of the Sunhak Peace Prize
President of Kiribati Anote Tong and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta have been selected as first dual laureates of the Sunhak Peace Prize.The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee (former president of Korea and chairman of the committee Dr. Il-Sik Hong) held a press conference announcing its inaugural Sunhak Peace Prize laureates on June 8 (Monday) in Washington D.C. The Sunhak Peace Prize was established by Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon to search for individuals and organizations that have contributed to the peace and welfare of the future generations.As a dual laureate President Anote Tong dedicated himself to raising public awareness of the severe impacts of the climate crisis to the international community in order to address its impacts on his country of Kiribati, which is gradually being submerged due to rising sea-levels caused by climate change. The ‘Pioneer of Blue Revolution’ Dr. Modadugu Gupta developed innovative aquaculture methods, and miraculously gave the poor in Asia and Africa a way to earn their independence.The laureates will share $1 million US dollars prize. The award ceremony will be held this coming 28 August 2015 (Friday) in Seoul, Korea.[source - http://article.joins.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=17990875&ctg= ]
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[SBS CNBC] President of Kiribati and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta have been selected as first laureates
The Sunhak Peace Prize was established by Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon to search for individuals and organizations that have contributed to the peace and welfare of the future generations.President Anote Tong has been regarded for his great effort to bring about a consensus by the international community concerning climate peace and urge for cooperation for the rights of climate refugees.Pres. Tong has led the world’s largest marine protection and ocean management initiative even as his own country faces submergence within the next 30 years due to rising sea levels, and consecutively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He created the ‘Phoenix Islands Protected Area’ the largest existing marine World Heritage Site and helped organize the Pacific Oceanscape.Dr. Modadugu Gupta has been widely recognized for ‘developing innovative fish farming methods’ to address the food crisis of the poor, and known as the ‘Architect of the Blue Revolution’, and the ‘Saint of the Poor in Southeast Asia’. He successfully bred improved species of fishes such as ‘tilapia’ and ‘silver barb carp’ which he correctly identified would thrive in the Asian rural environment, and revolutionized the aquaculture industry with an explosive increase in production.In order to develop a regionally compatible method of aquaculture, he ignored threats to his life insisting on visiting war-torn conflict areas and continues to devoted himself to research, helping to spread his method of low-cost highly-efficient ‘IAA (Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture).’Dr. Il-Sik Hong, Chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee said, “the Sunhak Peace Prize is a peace prize for the future generations.” and further added, “to address the climate and food crises, I am very pleased to award President Anote Tong and Dr. Modadugu V. Gupta as dual laureates of the first Sunhak Peace Prize. These two laureates are even now strongly committed to defend the future peace of humanity.”The Sunhak Peace Prize annually awards $1 million US dollars, the largest of any prize money in Korea. The award ceremony will be held this coming 28 August 2015 (Friday) in Seoul, Korea.[Source - http://sbscnbc.sbs.co.kr/read.jsp?pmArticleId=10000738833 ]
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[SBS CNBC] President of Kiribati and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta have been selected as first laureates
The Sunhak Peace Prize was established by Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon to search for individuals and organizations that have contributed to the peace and welfare of future generations.President Anote Tong has been regarded for his great effort to bring about a consensus by the international community concerning climate peace and urge for cooperation for the rights of climate refugees.Pres. Tong has led the world’s largest marine protection and ocean management initiative even as his own country faces submergence within the next 30 years due to rising sea levels, and consecutively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He created the ‘Phoenix Islands Protected Area’ the largest existing marine World Heritage Site and helped organize the Pacific Oceanscape.Dr. Modadugu Gupta has been widely recognized for developing innovative fish farming methods’ to address the food crisis of the poor, and known as the ‘Architect of the Blue Revolution’, and the ‘Saint of the Poor in Southeast Asia’. He successfully bred improved species of fishes such as ‘tilapia’ and ‘silver barb carp’ which he correctly identified would thrive in the Asian rural environment, and revolutionized the aquaculture industry with an explosive increase in production.In order to develop a regionally compatible method of aquaculture, he ignored threats to his life insisting on visiting war-torn conflict areas, and continues to devote himself to research, helping to spread his method of low-cost highly-efficient ‘IAA (Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture).’Dr. Il-Sik Hong, Chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee said, “the Sunhak Peace Prize is a peace prize for the future generations.” and further added, “to address the climate and food crises, I am very pleased to award President Anote Tong and Dr. Modadugu V. Gupta as dual laureates of the first Sunhak Peace Prize. These two laureates are even now strongly committed to defending the future peace of humanity.”The Sunhak Peace Prize annually awards $1 million US dollars, the largest of any prize money in Korea. The award ceremony will be held this coming 28 August 2015 (Friday) in Seoul, Korea.[Source - http://sbscnbc.sbs.co.kr/read.jsp?pmArticleId=10000738833 ]
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[Hankyung Newspaper] The Sunhak Peace Prize announced its inaugural laureates
The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee held a press conference announcing its inaugural Sunhak Peace Prize laureates on June 8 (Monday) 12pm at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. His Excellency Anote Tong, President of Kiribati (63), and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta, Indian fisheries scientist (76) have been selected as first dual laureates to receive the award. The Sunhak Peace Prize was established by Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, the wife of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon and ‘Sunhak’ is the first letters of their names. This award reflects her profound hope of continuing her husband’s legacy of peace.As a dual laureate, Pres. Anote Tong has been regarded for his effort to protect marine ecosystems even as his own country faces submergence within the next 30 years due to rising sea levels, and consecutively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He improved global awareness of the severity of climate change and sought for action by the international community for its solution like the ‘Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA)’, the largest existing marine World Heritage Site. He also contributed greatly in building up awareness on the protection of human rights for climate refugees through the ‘migration with dignity’ program.Dr. Modadugu Gupta has been widely recognized for ‘developing innovative fish farming methods’ to address the food crisis of the poor, and known as the ‘Architect of the Blue Revolution’, and the ‘Saint of the Poor in Southeast Asia’. He successfully bred improved species of fishes such as ‘tilapia’ and ‘silver barb carp’ which he correctly identified would thrive in the Asian rural environment, and revolutionized the aquaculture industry with an explosive increase in production. Dr. Gupta’s advisory services have been taken advantage by a number of international organizations such as United States Agency for International Development (USAID).The laureates will share $1 million US dollars, the largest of any prize money awarded in Korea. The award ceremony will be held this coming 28 August 2015 (Friday) in Seoul, Korea.[Source - http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2015060989451]
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[Hankyung Newspaper] The Sunhak Peace Prize announced its inaugural laureates
The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee held a press conference announcing its inaugural Sunhak Peace Prize laureates on June 8 (Monday) 12pm at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. His Excellency Anote Tong, President of Kiribati (63), and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta, Indian fisheries scientist (76) have been selected as the first dual laureates to receive the award. The Sunhak Peace Prize was established by Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, the wife of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon and ‘Sunhak’ is the first letter of their names. This award reflects her profound hope of continuing her husband’s legacy of peace.As a dual laureate, Pres. Anote Tong has been regarded for his effort to protect marine ecosystems even as his own country faces submergence within the next 30 years due to rising sea levels, and consecutively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He improved global awareness of the severity of climate change and sought action by the international community for its solution like the ‘Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA)’, the largest existing marine World Heritage Site. He also contributed greatly in building up awareness on the protection of human rights for climate refugees through the ‘migration with dignity’ program.Dr. Modadugu Gupta has been widely recognized for developing innovative fish farming methods’ to address the food crisis of the poor, and known as the ‘Architect of the Blue Revolution’, and the ‘Saint of the Poor in Southeast Asia’. He successfully bred improved species of fishes such as ‘tilapia’ and ‘silver barb carp’ which he correctly identified would thrive in the Asian rural environment, and revolutionized the aquaculture industry with an explosive increase in production. Dr. Gupta’s advisory services have been taken advantage of by a number of international organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).The laureates will share $1 million US dollars, the largest of any prize money awarded in Korea. The award ceremony will be held this coming 28 August 2015 (Friday) in Seoul, Korea.[Source - http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2015060989451]
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[Kyunghyang Newspaper] President Anote Tong and Dr. Modadugu V. Gupta, the first dual laureates
President of Kiribati (62, left), and Dr. Modadugu Vijay Gupta, Indian fisheries scientist (75, right) have been selected as the first dual laureates to receive the Sunhak Peace Prize.“We are honored to announce that the first Sunhak Peace Prize will be presented to these two deserving individuals,” said Dr. Il-Sik Hong, former president of Korea University and chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee. “President Tong and Dr. Gupta are worthy Laureates because they have made the world a better and more peaceful place. Hunger, poverty, and climate change lead to global conflict and human suffering, and both men have devoted their lives to furthering peace by finding sustainable solutions to these pressing problems.”President Anote Tong emphasized that his nation could be uninhabitable by the 2050s because of the rising sea levels caused by climate change, and urged the international communities to embark upon immediate and concrete action. The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee said, “Furthermore, Pres. Tong is devoting a significant amount of his energy to defending the rights of his citizens through the ‘migration with dignity’ program, which is a vocational training initiative for local residents who are forced to leave their homes due to climate change so that they will not be treated as ‘refugees’ but as valuable members of the work-force. The other laureate Dr. Modadugu V. Gupta successfully bred improved species of fishes such as ‘tilapia’ and ‘silver barb carp’ which he correctly identified would thrive in the Asian rural environment, and revolutionized the aquaculture industry with an explosive increase in production.”‘Sunhak’ is the first letter of the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his wife Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. The Sunhak Peace Prize was established to search for individuals and organizations that have contributed to the peace and welfare of future generations, in order to inspire a new civilization of peace, annually awarding up to US$1 million. The award ceremony will be held this coming 28 August 2015 (Friday) in Seoul, Korea.[Source - http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?artid=201506092121025&code=100100]
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- 5 March 2021
- Sunhak Peace Prize
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Future generations refer not only to our own physical descendants
but also to all future generations to come.Since all decisions made by the current generation will either positively
or negatively affect them, we must take responsibility for our actions.
