Past Honorees
Dr. Anthony Fauci (2021), who, through nearly 40 years of service to seven presidential administrations, has always focused on communicating with credibility and a calm demeanor, focusing on solutions and results to offer people a sense of hopefulness.
Father Gregory Boyle (2019), for his dedication to the young men and women of HomeBoy Industries and for authoring the New York Times-bestseller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.
No Labels (2018), for inspiring more than 40 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to put country before party, reject political extremism, and advance common sense bipartisan legislation.
Southern Poverty Law Center (2017), for “Teaching Tolerance,” the renowned Center’s award- winning multimedia platform for building an inclusive society, which empowers educators nationwide to guide students away from bias and conflict and toward empathy and unity.
Richard Dreyfuss (2016), for his work through the Dreyfuss Initiative teaching youth the importance of civil discussion regarding topics of national importance.
President Janet Napolitano (2015), for her work proactively addressing the deeply troubling issue of sexual assault on campus throughout the University of California (UC) system, and for promoting diversity on all UC campuses.
Congressman John Lewis (2014), an American icon, and one of the key figures of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper’s farm to the halls of Congress and from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington.
USNS Mercy (2013) provides rapid medical services as well as humanitarian and disaster assistance to those in need around the world. The USNS Mercy missions are about diplomacy and building relationships, using a ship originally built for war, as an instrument of peace.
David Gergen (2012), for his oversight at the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, and for demonstrating collaborative bi-partisanship, serving under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Athol Fugard (2011), for his political plays opposing the South African System of Apartheid and for his body of work and advocacy for artists to play a greater role in addressing the issues of our time.
Major General Michael R. Lehnert, USMC (Ret.) (2010), for leadership in human decency by ensuring humane treatment for detainees in the early days at Camp X-Ray, Guantanamo Bay.
Gary & Dr. Jeanne Herberger (2010), for philanthropy in peacemaking and establishing the Conflict Transformation Project at Arizona State University.
The George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (2009). By enhancing school attendance and nutrition for the world’s poorest children in 41 countries, the McGovern-Dole Program has provided life-altering opportunities to millions of children, especially girls, previously trapped in cycles of hunger, poverty, and violence.
The International Rescue Committee (2008), for its 75 years or service, working tirelessly to alleviate the human toll of violent conflicts around the world by providing safety and sanctuary to innocent victims of war’s chaos.
The Cross-Border Collaborative Team (2007), spearheaded by the San Diego Natural History Museum and leading environmental organizations in Mexico, that lobbied successfully to have the islands in the Sea of Cortes designated as a United Nations World Heritage Site.
The City of Houston and Harris County, Texas (2006), Mayor Bill White and the Honorable Robert Eckels, Harris County Judge, for stepping forward with a bold display of civic cooperation that provided aid and shelter for 25,000 evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.
Dr. Judea and Ruth Pearl, founders of the Daniel Pearl Foundation (2005), for promoting cross-cultural understanding through media internships, Arab-Israeli dialogue, and international music festivals to honor their son, Wall Street journal writer Daniel Pearl, who was murdered by Islamist extremists in Pakistan in 2002