John Paul Lederach is an author and practitioner in the fields of conflict transformation and peace building. Lederach was born in Indiana into the family of a local preacher. He has pursued a PhD in sociology with a concentration in the Social Conflict Program from the University of Colorado, receiving his degree in 1988. He has helped to design and conduct training programs in 25 countries across five continents. Lederach is the author of 22 books and professor of international peacebuilding at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and a senior fellow at Humanity United. He is also a distinguished scholar at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, part of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Lederach's theories of conflict resolution have been influential in the fields of political science, peace studies, international relations and conflict transformation. At the international level, John Paul has contributed into peace processes in Somalia, Northern Ireland, Nicaragua, Colombia and Nepal. In the context of Nepal, Mr. Duman Thapa, a prominent community leader and parliamentarian, approached The McConnell Foundation (TMF) in California, U.S. if it could start working on addressing war and conflict in Nepal. TMF then requested Professor John Paul Lederach and he agreed to offer conceptual and technical assistance necessary for the program.
John Paul Lederach has been selected for 36th Niwano Peace Prize, presented by the Japan-based Niwano Peace Foundation. The foundation honors those devoted to interreligious cooperation in service of world peace on annual basis. Lederach was chosen for his role in the development and teaching of peace theory and strategy, on--the-ground peacebuilding work around the world including Colombia, Nepal, Northern Ireland and Philippines. Lederach will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to receive the award on 8 May 2019 and give a speech during a formal ceremony attended by select global peace leaders and Japanese dignitaries. Lederach will receive a certificate, a gold medal and 20 million yen (roughly $180,000) as a part of the award.
