Heidi Kühn Congratulates 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Announces Post-Conflict Development Initiative with UC Berkeley

SAN RAFAEL, CA, UNITED STATES, October 11, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Heidi Kühn, founder of the humanitarian organization Roots of Peace, has extended her heartfelt congratulations to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyō) for winning the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. Nihon Hidankyō, a Japanese anti-nuclear weapons group formed by survivors of the atomic bombings, has been recognized for its unwavering efforts toward the abolition of nuclear weapons and its global advocacy for peace. Kühn, herself a 2024 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, applauded the organization's contributions to building a more peaceful world and expressed her solidarity in their shared mission.

“As a fellow advocate for peace, I stand united with Nihon Hidankyō and all those tirelessly working to create a better future. Together, we can cultivate a world where every community thrives and peace becomes a lasting reality,” Kühn said. "Their courage to work toward peace has changed the world, and I offer my full collaboration to further advance global peace initiatives.”

Kühn, who has spent decades transforming war-torn regions into productive agricultural lands through her revolutionary “Mines to Vines” initiative, has been dedicated to promoting prosperity and reconciliation in post-conflict societies. Roots of Peace has impacted over one million farmers across countries like Croatia, Angola, Israel, Palestine, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine by removing over 100,000 landmines and planting more than seven million fruit trees. The organization's work has produced nearly 160,000 metric tons of agricultural products, valued at over $491 million, helping to reinvigorate local economies and provide sustainable livelihoods for countless families.

In addition to her congratulations, Kühn today announced an exciting new initiative in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley. The Kühn Initiative for Post-Conflict Development Studies has been established with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at UC Berkeley to explore sustainable economic and agricultural development in societies recovering from military and civil conflict. Inspired by her work with Roots of Peace, the initiative seeks to unite academic experts, charitable foundations, and governmental organizations to develop innovative approaches and technologies for advancing peace through agriculture.

Founded in 1963, CMES is dedicated to promoting the study of the Middle East and North Africa, and the Kühn Initiative will serve as a key component of its broader mission to raise awareness of the region’s diverse cultures and their connection to global issues.

Roots of Peace, founded by Kühn in 1997, has become a global leader in turning mine-riddled landscapes into productive farmland. “Every landmine removed, every fruit tree planted feeds future generations and helps sequester carbon to fight climate change,” said Kühn. “The spirit of the farmers and families who have worked alongside Roots of Peace demonstrates that, through resilience and community, true peace can be cultivated.”

Kühn added, “As humanity works to avert nuclear bombs from flying across the skies, we must also work to remove explosive remnants of war from our planet Earth. Restoring the balance between Heaven and Earth is the pathway forward, as we seek to eradicate all man-made weapons which have the potential to destroy nature and all of humanity.”

Kühn’s journey has been deeply personal, with her entire family involved in Roots of Peace’s mission. Her husband, Gary, a Silicon Valley executive, has traveled to Afghanistan 58 times, creating a business model for peace that their son, Tucker, now carries forward as CEO of the organization. All four of their children have also joined her in minefields, gaining firsthand experience of the human impact of conflict. Now a grandmother of seven, Kühn continues to inspire others with her bold initiatives that “wage peace for the sake of humanity.”

Currently, Roots of Peace is one of the few organizations employing Afghan women during the critical harvest season, providing opportunities for mothers to feed their children as the harsh winter approaches. “As women, we bear the seeds of life, and it is our moral responsibility to provide the nutrition that will feed future generations across all borders,” said Kühn.

In recognition of her lifelong dedication to peacebuilding and sustainable agriculture, Kühn has received numerous awards, including the Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and the World Food Prize in 2023. She was recently appointed as the Smithsonian Chairperson for the 250th Anniversary of America, coinciding with the upcoming UN Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026.

Kühn’s participation earlier this year in the inaugural DialogueNEXT event by the World Food Prize Foundation also laid the groundwork for future advancements in sustainable farming and peacebuilding, particularly as the world approaches the Year of Women in Agriculture.

“As women, we must nurture both the ‘soil and soul’ of humanity as we seek to create a more peaceful world,” said Kühn. “This is the business model for world peace. We must go back to our roots and nurture Mother Earth, who nourishes both soil and soul, in order to cultivate a better future.”

ABOUT ROOTS OF PEACE
Roots of Peace supports the world's most vulnerable farmers and traders, removing the remnants of war and restoring agricultural productivity and prosperity. Roots of Peace is a humanitarian organization dedicated to the removal of landmines and the subsequent replanting and rebuilding of war-torn regions. Founded in 1997 by Heidi Kuhn, the goal of Roots of Peace is to turn minefields into farmland and support victims of landmine accidents.

Adriana Aristizabal
iVoice Communications
+1 917-833-0103
adriana@ivoice.agency