2020/2021 Outstanding Peace Activist

Dr. Scilla Elworthy is a visionary leader who translates her commitment to peace into concrete action. Currently, her primary focus is on expanding The Business Plan for Peace, a project inspired by her 2017 book of the same name, aimed at building a world free from war. Her TED talk on nonviolence has garnered over 1.4 million views, resonating with a global audience. Dr. Elworthy founded Peace Direct in 2002, an organization that empowers local peace-builders in conflict zones and continues to flourish under dynamic young leadership. Her advisory roles have included guiding Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson in establishing The Elders, a group of global leaders advocating for peace and human rights. For her groundbreaking efforts, Dr. Elworthy received the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003 and has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Her earlier work with the Oxford Research Group, which she founded in 1982, fostered crucial dialogue between nuclear policymakers and their critics, underscoring her lifelong dedication to effective, sustainable peace-building.