HISTORY

The Gusi Peace Prize represents one of the highest honors for distinguished individuals from the four corners of the globe. In recognizing the most brilliant examples of those working toward the attainment of peace and respect for human life and dignity, the Gusi Peace Prize brings out the best of human achievements, ideals and values.

The Gusi Peace Prize Awards, which began seven years ago, is based in Manila and is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The humanitarian foundation, with 85 members from New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Hong Kong, China, Greece, Brazil and the Philippines, helps hundreds of thousands of poor people who suffer from natural calamities in the Philippines. But it is more famous for its work of recognizing and honoring selected leaders from all over the world who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields while promoting the causes of peace and humanitarianism.

The mission of the Gusi Peace Prize, in its founder’s own words, is to champion human rights and maintain governance, democracy, equality, international peace and goodwill. It is also committed to working for people’s amelioration through medical missions, outreach programs and counseling to the deprived, the abused, the humiliated and the sick.

The awards are given out every year to individuals and groups worldwide who have proven themselves to be brilliant exemplars of society, as well as contributors to peace and human rights. The foundation receives more than 1,000 proposals each year but the 13 members of the committee strictly select only 15. All prospective awardees must be unanimously endorsed by their organizations who know and attest that the awardees are worthy of such. Nominations related to any particular member of the organization shall not be entertained unless it can be proven beyond reasonable doubt that such distinction is beyond question.

Besides organizing the annual Gusi Peace Prize, the foundation does humanitarian work in the country’s poorest corners with help from rich friends and corporations who would often donate goods that the poor can use, like clothes, shoes, home products, or food.

About Captain Gusi

Gusi was born in Buenavista, Marinduque, to the late Capt. Gemeniano Javier Gusi and Teodora Cha Sotejo. Captain Gusi was a hero who fought the Japanese invaders during World War II and became popular for advocating human rights.

After the war, Captain Gusi became vice mayor and, thereafter, mayor of Buenavista, where he continued to perform charitable work with the support of his wife. They helped poor people in the urban areas, abused wives and children.

He died of heart failure at the age of 78 while his wife carried on her husband’s mission for several more years. A few years before Teodora passed away, she asked her son Barry, whom she knew would be the right person to take over what her husband had envisioned, to continue what they started. Thus was born the Gusi Peace Prize Foundation.

The younger Gusi graduated from the University of the East in Manila with a degree in Business Administration and majored in Management. He also took Hotel and Restaurant Management at the Universidad de Madrid in Spain. It was during his stint in Europe that he developed a flair for international relations, exceptional multilingual skills, and was exposed to people of varied creeds and cultures, shaping his dream of world peace.