From planting forests to refugee kitchens, Vicki Hansen reveals the stories of awardees from the 13th Luxembourg Peace Prize.

Vicki Hansen is President of the Schengen Peace Foundation, a Luxembourg-based nonprofit dedicated to global peace-building through its two main initiatives: the World Peace Forum and the Luxembourg Peace. Today heralds the 13th Luxembourg Peace Prize, and the awardees come from all over the world.

This is a story of hope and people with tremendous purpose and passion, despite so much our our world feeling fractured today.

“Peace isn’t just the absence of war—it’s a culture, a choice, a way of life.”

The foundation’s origin rests with two men who realised they were the first generation not to pass on war stories. What if peace could become the new inheritance? The sad thought is that this might not be the case for our children today, which is why, I think, this conversation matters even more.

Outstanding Award for Peace

Tony Rinaudo is an Australian agronomist regenerating deserts through his concept of farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR). Tony lived in Niger Republic in the 1980s when he worked on this technique, and now it flourishes across 26 countries.

Outstanding Peace Journalism

Gloria Laker is a fearless journalist from Uganda. She’s trained over 700 others to report in highly sensitive conflict zones. “Peace journalism is the art of choosing healing over harm,” she says.

Outstanding Peace Process

Dror Rubin and Ghardir Hani are an Israeli-Palestinian duo using interfaith dialogue to heal generations of division. Dror says “Trust will be built upon introduction, we were not forced to live next to each other, we were chosen to be neighbours in the holy land- not one on top of the other but next to one another.”

Outstanding Peace Support

Chiche! is a restaurant chain in Luxembourg run entirely by refugees, proving that inclusion can dignified. Food, says Vicki, is a universal language for peace. Their motto is ‘inclusion is delicious’!

Outstanding Peace Activism

Jennifer Teege, a German New York Times bestselling author was adopted but discovered that her grandfather was a Nazi commandant. She turned personal shock and trauma into a life of reconciliation. Her mantra is that “Peace starts in our heads.”

Outstanding Peace Activism

The World Central Kitchen is another story led to the connection through food and the grace a good meal bestows on all sides. This phenomenon, the WCF, is led by Michelin starred chef José Andrés. His team serve 500 million meals across war zones and disasters. “Everyone deserves a hot meal served with dignity,”

Through it all, Vicki’s voice is steady, hopeful, fierce. “We can’t outsource peace, we must be that fourth leg at the table.” This is a reference to the prize’s sculpture—three legs of a chair with the invitation to join the conversation and be part of the solution.

Peace isn’t a dream—it’s a decision. And it’s ours to make.