International Gandhi Award (1995-2014)

International Gandhi Award (1995-2014)

Gandhi Peace Award

It was instituted by the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation (GMLF) and that was established in 1950 to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s service and scientific approach towards leprosy.

Gandhi Peace Prize is an award that is bestowed to individuals and organizations for their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through peace and other Gandhian methods.

GMLF introduced the International Gandhi Award in 1986. The two awards are given every alternate year to individuals/institutions for making outstanding contribution in the field of leprosy.

The President of India, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee presented the International Gandhi Award on 15th February, 2014 for the year 2013 to Dr. Vijaykumar Vinayak Dongre and Prof. Guocheng Zhang for making outstanding contributions in the field of leprosy to eradicate the disease through treatment, training and research at Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.

International Gandhi Peace Prize

As a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi, the Government of India had launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It is a very prestigious Award and carries an amount of Rs.1 Crore (10 million), a citation and a Plaque.

This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for their outstanding contributions towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence, and other Gandhian methods, for amelioration of human sufferings particularly of the less privileged sections of the society, contributing social justice and harmony. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, creed or sex.

A jury consisting of the Prime Minister of India, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India and two other eminent persons decides the awardees each year.

List of Winners:

2014    ISRO   (Space agency of the Indian Govt.)

2013    Chandi Prasad Bhatt   (Environmentalist, social activist & pioneer of the Chipko movement)

2005    Desmond Tutu                        (South African cleric and activist)

2004    Mrs. Coretta Scott King         (The widow of Martin Luther King)

2003    Mr. Vaclav Havel        (First President of the Czech Republic)

2002    Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan          (Educational Trust that emphasized Indian culture)

2001    Mr. John Hume-Ireland          (Nothern Irish Politician)

2000    Grameen Bank (co-recipient)              (Founded by Muhammad Yunus)

2000    Dr. Nelson Mandela & Grameen Bank of Bangladesh (Former President of South Africa)

1999    Shri Murlidhar Devidas Amte (Baba Amte), India

1998    Ramakrishna Mission, India

1997    Dr. Gerhard Fischer    (Former German Diplomat)

1996    Dr. A. T. Ariyaratane              (President, Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, Sri Lanka)

1995    Dr. Julius K. Nyerere              (Former President of Tanzania)