The 43rd Niwano Peace Prize Presentation Ceremony
On May 12, 2026, the Niwano Peace Foundation presented the 43rd Niwano Peace Prize to Mr. Benki Piyãko, an Indigenous spiritual leader of the Ashaninka People in Brazil’s Amazon. Mr. Piyãko is widely recognized for his many years of effort focused on reforesting degraded areas, developing sustainable agroforestry and farming systems, and raising awareness throughout local and global communities about environmental protection and the strengthening of Indigenous culture. As founder of the Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute, which addresses environmental problems by combining traditional knowledge with modern techniques, he has established reforestation projects, while also focusing on education and community building. To learn more about Mr. Piyãko, please visit: https://www.npf.or.jp/english/peace_prize/43rd.html