Congratulations to 2014 World Vision International Peace Prize Winner, Sembrandopaz grassroots peacebuilding organisation in Colombia

This year's finalists were excellent and all deserve recognition. The awards committee felt that Sembrandopaz excelled in all criteria, and has named the organisation 2014 Peacebuilder of the Year.

Ricardo Esquivia Ballestas, the Executive Director of Sembrandopaz, said:

"The armed conflict and war have robbed millions of children the opportunity to live their childhood.
"Colombia is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that has not made it out of its armed conflict. For these reasons peace is very important for Colombia.

"We are much honored to receive this award and we will gladly accept it on behalf of all members of the community and community leaders with whom we work. It is their work what really moves us towards peace in Colombia."

See pictures of the award ceremony here

Thank you for the input (1206 views, 98 "likes", and dozens of comments). You can review what was posted in the public comments section.

Nominations are open for the 2015 Peace Prize, which will go to an outstanding individual peacemaker:

• 2015 Individual Peacemaker Nomination - English
• Formulaire de nomination individuelle 2015
• Formulario de nominación 2015

World Vision would also like to thank the 2014 International Awards Committee:

• Martha Inés Romero Medina, Latin America & Caribbean Regional Coordinator, Pax Christi International, Former Catholic Relief Services Colombia Country Manager - Bogotá, Colombia
• Sue Williams, Retired Director of Summer Peacebuilding Institute, Eastern Mennonite University - Harrisonburg, VA USA
• Gus Miclat, Executive Director, Initiatives for International Dialogue – Manila, Philippines
• James Odong, Director, External Relations,  World Vision International - Nairobi, Kenya

Congratulations to all of our finalists and nominees for the Peacebuilding Award!

• Aware Girls (Peshawar, Pakistan)
• City Montessori Schools (Lucknow, India)
• Dar Al-Salaam Organisation (Sana'a, Yemen)
• Daughters for Life Foundation (Toronto, Canada)
• Network for Building Peace/Mreža za izgradnju mira (Sarajevo / Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Sembrandopaz (Colombia)

The 2014 prize recognises an agency or organisation that excels at integrating peacebuilding into relief, development or advocacy and that mobilises communities to build durable peace. The winner will demonstrate all of these criteria:

• Evidence of mobilising children, youth and/or women
• Evidence that programme work is built on context and conflict analysis
• Integration of peacebuilding with relief, development and advocacy programmes
• Evidence of mobilising communities to build durable peace
• Evidence of building bridges between different groups
• Ability to effectively partner with other organisations
• Evidence of engaging in an approach that values children participation
• Evidence of influence and wider scope of impact beyond local level and across sectors
• Ability to recognise and draw from communal and national capabilities/resources
• Creativity and innovation
• Strong reputation and references

Congratulations to 2012 World Vision International Peace Prize Winner, Archbishop John Baptist Odama

Video footage of the award ceremony held at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu, Uganda can be viewed here.

To watch an interview with the Archbishop on the importance of peace and non-violence click here.

Find more photos in the World Vision Peace Prize Albums