Goi Peace Foundation
五井平和財団 | |
| Named after | Masahisa Goi |
|---|---|
| Motto | May Peace Prevail on Earth |
| Formation | March 1999 |
| Founder | Masahisa Goi |
| Legal status | Public Interest Incorporated Foundation authorized by the government of Japan |
| Purpose | humanitarian, activism, peacekeeping |
| Headquarters | Heiwa Daiichi Bldg. 1-4-5 Hirakawacho Chiyoda-ku, 102-0093 |
| Location | |
Region served | Worldwide |
Chairperson | Masami Saionji |
Board of Directors President | Hiroo Saionji |
Executive Director | Maki Kawamura |
| Yasushi Akashi, Takashi Imazato, Masami Miyazaki, Tomomi Morishima, Junji Narita, Mitsuo Ohashi, Dr. Genshitsu Sen | |
| Affiliations | United Nations |
| Website | www |
The Goi Peace Foundation (五井平和財団 Goi heiwazaidan) is a Japanese public foundation authorized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Established in 1999 by Masami Saionji, an adopted daughter and a follower of a Japanese philosopher and peace activist Masahisa Goi, the foundation purports as its main goal the promotion of the culture of peace through a global network aimed at fostering cooperation among individuals and organizations. The foundation hosts and supports public events, educational programs, international collaboration, interdisciplinary research and studies.
History[edit]
Masahisa Goi (1916-1980) was a Japanese musician, poet and philosopher. Following his experiences of the World War II Japan and consequent illness, he joined a new religious movement Seicho-no-Ie in the early 1950s, which he later left to create a spiritual group called Byakkō Shinkōkai (白光 真 宏 会, "true, great society of the white light") in 1955, as well as the non-religious World Peace Prayer Society.
After the death of Goi in 1980, his work was continued by by the social activist, writer and member of the Club of Budapest Masami Saionji who has been a student of Masahisa Goi since the late 1950s.[1]. In 1999, the Goi Peace Foundation was founded in Tokyo in order to spread Goi's thoughts on peace in various cultural areas [2]. The foundation works closely with the World Peace Prayer Society and pursues activities based on the vision and principles set out in the Declaration for All Life on Earth, which was announced in 2000. In recognition of its peace efforts, the foundation was granted special consultative status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. An official relationship with UNESCO has existed since 2006.
Activities[edit]
- Goi Peace Foundation Forum — an open annual forum featuring international speakers and panel discussions on education, youth, social entrepreneurship and philanthropy among other topics. Starting from 2020, the Forum is held online rather than in Tokyo due to COVID-19 restrictions.
- Goi Peace Award — an annual international award presented at the Forum to individuals and organizations for past and ongoing contributions to peacemaking and philanthropy. Notable recipients include Jacques Attali, Princess Lalla Hasna of Morocco [3], Helena Norberg-Hodge and Bill Gates.
- International Essay Contest for Young People — an annual essay contest in two age categories (Children and Youth) aimed at promoting the culture of sustainable development on a global scale. The winners are awarded during the Goi Peace Foundation Forum. The International Essay Contest for Young People was first launched in 2000 to commemorate the International Year for the Culture of Peace. In 2000, 423 participants from 31 countries participated.
- Education and research — workshops and lectures on environmental issues, social responsibility, etc., as well as interdisciplinary research of future science development and its impact on society.
International cooperation[edit]
The Foundation cooperates with governments and organizations worldwide. In 2002, the CIS Executive Committee was presented with a peace pole on behalf of the Foundation. Presenting the award, Hiroo Saionji emphasized that the CIS was honored for its leading role and achievements in creating a community of nations with shared values. As Mr. Saionji noted, the CIS has become an influential regional organization over the course of its existence. According to him, the conferment of this award is regarded as recognition of the CIS merits in the cause of unity of peoples and cultures and the construction of universal peace. Permanent representatives of the CIS member states and deputy foreign ministers of the Commonwealth attended the ceremony. This symbol of peace and friendship between peoples is already established in the national parliaments of many states, governments, international organizations and the United Nations [4].
In 2014, the Foundation's volunteers Naohisa Takayama, Kazuko Iwasaki and Keiko Sekido made a visit Uzbekistan on the occasion of the Day of Memory and Honours in Uzbekistan and International Museum Day. After a series of cultural exchange, the Foundation presented the Samarkand City Cultural and Sports Department with peace poles as a symbol of cooperation with the government of Uzbekistan [5].
In 2018, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Goi Peace Foundation and the Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Hiroo Saionji, Board of Directors President of the Foundation, met with the head of the Senate's International Affairs, Defense, and Security Committee Dariga Nazarbayeva. During the meeting, Hiroo Saionji noted the active role of Nursultan Nazarbaev, a former recipient of the Foundation's 2016 Culture of Peace Special Award, in the promotion of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and Dariga Nazarbayeva noted that the FFPoRK was ready ready to implement joint projects in science, culture, support of young talents and organization of expert round tables [6] [7].
Media coverage[edit]
The International Essay Contest for Young People is the most widely publicized activity of the Foundation. [8][9] As noted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, the Foundation sponsors festivals, ceremonies and other events that bring people together to promote a culture of peace, and it organizes workshops and conferences to spread and promote the ideals of peace.
In 2017, the Bioneers nonprofit organization received the Goi Peace Award "for their pioneering work to promote nature-inspired innovations for restoring the Earth and our human community."[10]
In 2019, the Foundation partnered with Seiko for corporate support of the essay contest. Consequently, the winners were interviewed for the SEIKO HEART BEAT Magazine [11]
Publications[edit]
- Petit, Patrick (2017). Shaping the Culture of Peace in a Multilateral World (3d ed.). Retrieved August 5, 2021. Search this book on
See also[edit]
- The World Peace Prayer Society
- US Peace Memorial Foundation, which awards the US Peace Prize
- Gusi Peace Prize
References[edit]
- ↑ Masami Saionji (Chairperson) | Byakko Shinko Kai
- ↑ Wenger, Anne: Bildung in einer sich formierenden Weltgesellschaft: Ein Schlüssel zur Förderung einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung. Bestandsaufnahmen und Perspektiven. 2008, Seite 355–364
- ↑ Morocco World News
- ↑ A Japanese foundation awarded the CIS Executive Committee Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
- ↑ Peace poles were erected in Samarkand Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
- ↑ The FFPoRK and the Goi Peace Foundation signed a memorandum of cooperation Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
- ↑ The Goi Peace Foundation will handle educational projects in Kazakhstan | Forbes Kazakhstan Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
- ↑ On the victory of Belarusian schoolgirl Anastasia Rakova in the essay contest on peace in Tokyo | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
- ↑ Russian Student Receives Award From Japanese Minister Of Education | Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
- ↑ Founders of nonprofit Bioneers receive international honor for work at the Wayback Machine (archived December 31, 2017)
- ↑ What does kindness mean to you? Thoughts about kindness of 20,000 children from 157 countries around the world at the Wayback Machine (archived December 5, 2020) Script error: The function "in_lang" does not exist.
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