List of American Friends Service Committee Nobel nominees

The Quaker Peace Star has been used in a variety of forms ever since, representing Quaker work for peace and the relief of suffering caused by war.

In 1947, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW) (previously known as the Friends Service Council) jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of all Quakers around the world "for their pioneering work in the international peace movement and compassionate effort to relieve human suffering, thereby promoting the fraternity between nations."[1][2] The award was established in accordance to Alfred Nobel's will, specifically to individuals or groups "who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."[3]

As previous Nobel laureates are qualified to nominate annually according to the Nobel Foundation's statutes,[4] AFSC and QPSW formed a Nobel Peace Prize Nominating Task Group which selects and recommends future Nobel laureates – individuals or organizations – who they believe best manifests "the divine spark in action in the human family."[5][6] Six of the ASFC Nobel nominees were eventually awarded namely to John Boyd Orr (1949), Dag Hammarskjöld (1961; posthumously), Martin Luther King Jr. (1964), Desmond Tutu (1984), Jimmy Carter (2002) and Nihon Hidankyo (2024).

ASFC Nobel nominees

Criteria for Nobel nomination

Before a final nominee is unanimously agreed by the AFSC Board and recommended to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the Nominating Task Group spends ten months annually discerning, through heavy research, prayerful consideration and careful discussion.[6] Aside from Alfred Nobel's criteria based on his 1895 will, the AFSC Nobel Peace Prize Nominating Task Group primarily observes the following criteria:[6][7]

  • 1. The candidate's commitment to nonviolent methods.
  • 2. The quality of the candidate as a person and of her/his sustained contribution to peace.
  • 3. The candidate's work on issues of peace, justice, human dignity, and the integrity of the environment.
  • 4. The candidate’s possession of a worldview and/or global impact as opposed to a parochial concern.
  • 5. Giving attention to candidates from all parts of the world.*
  • 6. Noting crisis areas and considering candidates related to them only as a Nobel Prize may, by its timeliness and visibility, offer valuable support to a solution to the crisis.*
  • 7. Considering the relevance of a candidate’s work to the work of AFSC or other Quaker experience.*

List of ASFC nominees for Nobel Peace Prize

Year Image Nominee Born Died Motivations
1948 Mahatma Gandhi 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat,  India 30 January 1948 in New Delhi,  India "for advocating racial, social and political peace, and being "a living incarnation of the ideal of peace itself" while leading the Indian nationalist movement in a non-violent struggle against British rule." [8]
1949 John Boyd Orr 23 September 1880 in Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire,  United Kingdom 25 June 1971 in Edzell, Angus,  United Kingdom "for having initiated the founding of the International Emergency Food Council in 1946 to meet the urgent need to revive agricultural production in order to prevent the famine that threatened numerous countries in the world." [9]
1950
1951 Jawaharlal Nehru 14 November 1889 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh,  India 27 May 1964 in New Delhi,  India "for being one of the principal leaders of the independence movement and for his neutralist foreign policy and for upholding the same principles as Gandhi." [10]
1952
1953 William O. Douglas 16 October 1898 in Maine Township, Minnesota,  United States 19 January 1980 in Bethesda, Maryland,  United States "for his work to improve economic undeveloped areas." [11]
1953
1954
1955
1956 Elisabeth Rotten 15 February 1882 in Berlin,  Germany 2 May 1962 in London,  United Kingdom "for her work for reconciliation and work in Pestalozzi Children Village in Switzerland." [12]
1957 Service Civil International founded in 1920 in Belgiëlei, Antwerp,  Belgium "for its significant international voluntary work camps throughout the world, providing constructive opportunities for young people to work for peace, and directing their efforts towards both physical rehabilitation and the important rebuilding of international understanding and fellowship." [13]
1958
1959
1960
1962
1965 		Norman Cousins 24 June 1915 in West Hoboken, New Jersey,  United States 30 November 1990 in Los Angeles, California,  United States "for challenging the policy and practice of nuclear defense and warfare." [14]
[15]
[16]
1961 Dag Hammarskjöld 29 July 1905 in Jönköping,  Sweden 18 September 1961 in Ndola,  Zambia [17]
1963
1964 Martin Luther King Jr. 15 January 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia,  United States 4 April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee,  United States "for his work and witness which promotes the dignity and worth of the human person." [18]
1966
1967
1968
1972 		U Thant 22 January 1909 in Pantanaw, Maubin,  Myanmar 25 December 1974 in New York City,  United States "for his work as Secretary General of the United Nations, wherein he is a most important international civil servant and is deeply and spiritually dedicated to the bringing of real peace to mankind." [19]
[20]
1968
1969
1970
1971
1974
1975 		Cesar Chavez 31 March 1927 in Yuma, Arizona,  United States 23 April 1993 in San Luis, Arizona,  United States "for the quality of leadership he has shown in the long struggle of farmworkers for human dignity and, through persevering efforts, seeks to combat poverty and injustice and build a new quality of relationship between men." [21]
1972
1973
1974
1975 		Hélder Câmara 7 February 1909 in Fortaleza, Ceará,  Brazil 27 August 1999 in Recife, Pernambuco,  Brazil
1976
1977
1978 Stephen Biko 18 December 1946 in Tarkastad, Eastern Cape,  South Africa 12 September 1977 in Pretoria, Gauteng,  South Africa
1979
1985 		Ham Seok-heon 13 March 1901
Yomju, North Pyongan,  North Korea 		4 February 1989
Seoul,  South Korea 		"for his lifelong commitment to peace and democracy, becoming an important Asian voice for human rights and non-violence known as 'seed idea' (ssi-al sasang)." [22]
[23]
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1986
1987 		Brian Urquhart 28 February 1919 in Bridport, Dorset,  United Kingdom 2 January 2021 in Tyringham, Massachusetts,  United States "for his unparalleled contributions and significant role in the foundation of the United Nations."
1988 Inga Thorsson 3 July 1915 in Malmö,  Sweden 15 January 1994 in Stockholm,  Sweden "for her significant contribution as chair of the Swedish disarmament delegation in Geneva for nuclear prohibition and disarmament."
1989 Antonio Fortich 11 August 1913 in Sibulan, Negros Oriental,  Philippines 2 July 2003 in Bacolod, Negros Occidental,  Philippines "for being a strong advocate of the rights of the poor and a critic of an unjust social economic system."
1990 Elise M. Boulding 6 July 1920 in Oslo,  Norway 24 June 2010 in Needham, Massachusetts,  United States "for her work on non-violence and conflict resolution, and as a major contributor to creating the academic discipline of Peace and Conflict Studies."
1991
1997 		Jimmy Carter 1 October 1924 in Plains, Georgia,  United States —
1992
1993 Beyers Naudé 10 May 1915 in Roodepoort, Gauteng,  South Africa 7 September 2004 in Johannesburg,  South Africa "for his role in the dismantling of apartheid, as fighter for human rights, and prophet and humane pastor to all who suffered under apartheid."
1994 Sulak Sivaraksa 27 March 1933 in Bangkok,  Thailand — "for his commitment in the quest for a development process that is rooted in democracy, justice and cultural integrity."
1995 Ibrahim Rugova 2 December 1944 in Cerrca,  Kosovo 21 January 2006 in Pristina,  Kosovo "for his lifelong sacrifice and campaign for peace and democracy in Kosovo and for all the people of Kosovo."
1996
1998 Samuel Ruíz García 3 November 1924 in Guanajuato,  Mexico 24 January 2011 in Mexico City,  Mexico "for his exemplary struggle to translate moral and religious principles into a model for human service."
1999 Helen Prejean, C.S.J. 21 April 1939 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,  United States — "for her religious voice of great clarity and challenge on the inhumanity of state-sponsored executions." [24]
2000 Kathy Kelly 10 December 1952 in Chicago, Illinois,  United States —
Denis Halliday 10 January 1941 in Dublin,  Ireland —
2001


Peace Brigades International founded in 1981 in London,  United Kingdom
2002
2003 Women in Black founded in 1988 in Jerusalem,  Israel
2004 Zackie Achmat 21 March 1962 in Vrededorp, Gauteng,  South Africa — "for having helped to galvanize a global movement to provide hope and gain access to treatment for those with HIV and AIDS." [25]
Treatment Action Campaign founded in 1998 in Cape Town,  South Africa
2005


Nihon Hidankyō founded in 1956 in Shibadaimon, Minato, Tokyo,  Japan "for its contribution to the struggle for peace and for sanity in the management and perhaps the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons." [26]
2006 Ghassan Andoni 1956 in Beit Sahour, Bethlehem,  Palestine — "for their work to increase co-operation and understanding and their determination to strive for equality between their peoples within the framework of sovereign and democratic states."
Jeff Halper 28 November 1946 in Boston, Massachusetts,  United States —
2007
2008
2009
2010 Roy Bourgeois 15 December 1938 in Lutcher, Louisiana,  United States —
School of the Americas Watch founded in 19190 in Washington, D.C.,  United States
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015 Victor Ochen 16 September 1981 in Lira,  Uganda — "for their work for transitional justice, while simultaneously promoting human rights through nonviolent means, nourishing the leadership skills of other young people, and challenging systemic issues that lead to the continued vulnerability and suffering of war victims."
African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET) founded in 2005 in Lira,  Uganda
2016

Nonviolent Peaceforce


 founded in 2003 in New Delhi,  India
(headquartered in Geneva,   Switzerland) 		"for fostering dialogue among parties in conflict, reducing violence and nonviolently protecting unarmed civilians worldwide."
2017
2018 Search for Common Ground founded in 1982 in Washington, D.C.,  United States "for having made a profound impact in our world, inspiring and equipping people to find our shared humanity."

[27]


2019
2020
2021 Mwatana for Human Rights founded in 2007 in Sana'a,  Yemen "for their work during and after the two world wars to feed starving children and help Europe rebuild itself" [28]
Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) founded in 1974 in London,  United Kingdom
2022 Miriam Were 12 April 1940 in Kakamega, Western Province,  Kenya — "for her tireless work since the 1970s in promoting trust between governments, health authorities, and the citizenry through culturally sensitive programs." [29]
2023 Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) founded in 2019 in Orlando, Florida,  United States "for their work in building democracies, supporting the human right to representation by government, and working towards a better organized and peaceful world." [30]
National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) founded in 1913 in Nairobi,  Kenya

References

  1. ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 1947". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  2. ^ "History | American Friends Service Committee". afsc.org. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Alfred Nobel's will". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Nomination and selection of Nobel laureates". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Do One Thing – Heroes for a Better World – AFSC's Nobel Nominees". doonething.org. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Criteria | Quakers and the Nobel Peace Prize". quakernobel.org. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  7. ^ The asterisk (*) denote additional criteria considered by the AFSC Nominating Task Group.
  8. ^ "Nomination archive – 1948 Mahatma Gandhi". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Nomination archive – 1949 Lord (John) Boyd Orr of Brechin". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Nomination archive – 1951 Jawaharlal Nehru". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  11. ^ "Nomination archive – 1953 William O Douglas". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Nomination archive – 1956 Elisabeth Rotten". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Nomination archive – 1957 International Civil Service". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Nomination archive – 1960 Norman Cousins". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Nomination archive – 1962 Norman Cousins". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Nomination archive – 1965 Norman Cousins". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Nomination archive – 1961 Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Nomination archive – 1964 Martin Luther King". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  19. ^ "Nomination archive – 1967 Situ U Thant". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Nomination archive – 1968 U Thant". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Nomination archive – 1971 Cesar Chavez". nobelprize.org. April 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Ham Sok-hon". Quakers in the World. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  23. ^ "HAM SOK-HON: The Korean Gandhi". mkgandhi.org. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  24. ^ "Catholic opponent of death penalty nominated for Nobel Prize by Quakers". Tampa Bay Times. 27 February 1999. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  25. ^ "U.S. Quaker Organization Nominates Treatment Action Campaign, Zackie Achmat for 2004 Nobel Peace Prize". Kaiser Health News. 2 December 2003. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  26. ^ "AFSC Letter to Nobel Committee" (PDF). afsc.org. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  27. ^ "Search for Common Ground nominated for 2018 Nobel Peace Prize". sfcg.org. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Quaker orgs announce Nobel Prize nominations". afsc.org. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  29. ^ "Quaker group nominates Kenyan Dr. Miriam Were for Nobel Peace Prize". afsc.org. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  30. ^ "Quaker groups nominate Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and National Council of Churches of Kenya for Nobel Peace Prize". afsc.org. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.