SANTA BARBARA, CA–David Krieger, President Emeritus of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), has been selected to receive the 2020 Santa Barbara United Nations Association Peace Prize in the category “Creating Peace in the World.” The online awards ceremony will take place Thursday, September 24 at 7:00 pm.
The Santa Barbara United Nations Association Peace Prize began in 2017 to recognize the incredible work being done in the world by local individuals. “This prize truly recognizes our amazing community members waging peace around the globe, advancing the cause of human rights, and helping developing nations advance with key supplies and infrastructure,” said Peace Prize Committee co-chair Debbie Cregan, with Youth For Human Rights International.
The 2020 awardees also include Barbara Tellefson of The Unity Shoppe, an organization that empowers people experiencing poverty and hardship, and Thomas Tighe of Direct Relief International, which provides critical medical supplies for humanitarian aid globally.
David Krieger is a founder of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and served as its president from the day NAPF opened its doors in 1982 until 2019, when he retired. He has been a leader in the global movement to abolish nuclear weapons and build a more peaceful world. Under Krieger’s leadership, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation created many innovative and important initiatives for building peace, strengthening international law, abolishing nuclear weapons and empowering peace leaders.
Krieger has lectured throughout the world on issues of peace, security, international law, and the abolition of nuclear weapons and has received many awards for his work for a more peaceful and nuclear weapons-free world. He has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, BBC and many other national and international television and radio programs.
Rick Wayman, NAPF’s current President and CEO, expressed his deep appreciation for Krieger, saying “This is such a well-deserved honor for David. In my travels around the world representing NAPF – whether at United Nations events, a conference in Hiroshima, or a lecture at a college in rural Wisconsin – I would always meet people who were effusive in their praise for David’s work. I often heard comments such as, ‘He inspired me to dedicate my life to peace,’ or, ‘I have many of his books on my bookshelf,’ or ‘I value his courage in speaking out for peace in all situations.‘”
Wayman went on to say, “All of the work that NAPF continues to do in Santa Barbara, around the United States, and across the world has been made possible by the vision of David Krieger and NAPF’s co-founders in creating an institution dedicated to achieving peace in the age of nuclear weapons.”
This year’s event theme is “Celebrating Santa Barbara Stars Changing The World” and features a special keynote speech by Ambassador Anwarul Chowdury, former UN Ambassador from Bangladesh, former UN Under-Secretary, and founder of the United Nations Culture of Peace organization. Krieger will be introduced at the event by Joe White, director of A Year Without War, who received the prize last year.
The event will be held virtually over Zoom. For reservations, please go to unasb.org. You do not need to be a UNA member to attend the event. The cost for general admission is $5.
“This is an unprecedented time in human history, to be sure,” said Santa Barbara United Nations Association President Barbara Gaughen-Muller. “Yet look at our three incredible finalists for the prize! They are beacons of so much good work being done to help our world, especially right now. It’s imperative that we continue to focus on encouraging that kind of work, and celebrate how one person CAN make a difference. That’s what the UNA Peace Prize is all about.”
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If you would like to interview David Krieger or Rick Wayman, please call (805) 965-3443 or (805) 696-5159. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s mission is to educate and train people of all ages and backgrounds to solve the most dangerous technological, social, and psychological issues of our time, and to survive and thrive in the 21st century. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations. For more information, visit wagingpeace.org and peaceliteracy.org.
