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The Seonhak Peace Prize Committee (Chairman José Manuel Barroso, former President of the European Commission) announced the selection of Hugh Evans (Australia), Patrick Awuah Jr. (Ghana), and Wanjira Mathai (Kenya) as the joint winners of the 6th Seonhak Peace Prize. They were recognized for their dedication to solving global challenges, including global citizen movements, innovative educational reforms, environmental restoration, and economic development.

Hugh Evans, Founder of the World’s Largest Poverty Alleviation Platform

Hugh Evans is the founder and CEO of Global Citizen, a platform that unites citizens to tackle global issues such as poverty, inequality, and the climate crisis. Global Citizen is the world’s largest poverty alleviation platform, with over 12 million members, and has secured financial commitments of approximately $43.6 billion from governments worldwide, improving the lives of over 1.3 billion people in poverty.

Evans has driven global change by advocating for financial and policy commitments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at international forums such as the G7, G20, and the UN. To date, members have taken over 42.9 million actions (signatures, social media campaigns, emails, etc.) to urge governments and international organizations to create change, resulting in 30 international policy changes.

Patrick Awuah and Wanjira Mathai: Leading Africa’s Future

Patrick Awuah is a pioneer in educational reform who founded Ashesi University, creating an innovative educational environment where young Africans can excel in STEM fields. Thanks to his efforts, over 90% of graduates find quality jobs or succeed in starting their own businesses, and the proportion of female graduates stands at 50%, contributing to gender equality in Africa. His work in fostering ethical leadership and entrepreneurship has changed the paradigm of higher education in Africa, gaining international recognition.

Wanjira Mathai is a trailblazer combining environmental restoration and economic development. Through the Greenbelt Movement, she has planted over 51 million trees, preventing deforestation and soil erosion while boosting local economies and providing new job opportunities for women.

She is also leading the Africa Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), aiming to restore 100 million hectares of land by 2030, contributing to climate change mitigation.

José Manuel Barroso, Chair of the Committee, stated, “The laureates have turned the ideal of peace into actionable solutions, offering innovative answers to complex issues such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. Their achievements shed new light on the vision of peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity.”

The awards ceremony will be held on April 11, 2025, at 3 PM (KST) at the Lotte Hotel in Jamsil, Seoul, South Korea, in a hybrid format (online and offline). Each laureate will receive a $200,000 prize, a medal, and a trophy.