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Our Story

The Sydney Peace Foundation is an Australian not-for-profit organisation founded in 1998 to promote universal human rights, social and climate justice, and non-violent solutions to conflict. The Foundation highlights movements, leaders, ideas and actions that encourage a more compassionate, peaceful and equitable world.

Extraordinary people around the world have powerful solutions for the world’s biggest problems.

Together, we can make sure their voices are heard.

Together, we can create a peaceful, fair, just and compassionate world that cares for people and planet.

Our Founder, Professor Stuart Rees

The Sydney Peace Foundation was founded in 1998 by Emeritus Professor Stuart Rees AM, an Australian academic, human rights activist and author.

In his books on social justice issues and in anthologies of poetry, he has written passionately about social justice and crafted answers to the biggest question of all – what it means to be human.

Professor Rees has worked in community development in India and Sri Lanka, and as academic in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. He has been involved in peace negotiations in Cambodia, Israel/Palestine, and initiatives in West Papua and the Occupied Palestinian Territory / Israel.

Our Patrons

Dame Marie Bashir is honoured as our posthumous patron for her contribution to peacebuilding across many decades.

City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore

I commend the Sydney Peace Foundation on its dedication to promoting peace and honouring champions of human rights. As Australia’s only international award for peace, the annual Sydney Peace Prize reminds us of the urgent need to address conflict and discord where we see it. It inspires us to think more deeply about the world in which we live and the values we hold dear.

The Hon. Dame Professor Marie Bashir AD CVO

As the former Governor of New South Wales and as a former Chancellor of The University of Sydney, I am immensely proud of the important work which the Foundation undertakes. The Foundation eloquently advocates for peace with justice, which is central to achieving fair and just livelihoods, with adequate access to food, health, education, and most certainly to human rights, dignity and freedom.

Our Partners in Peace

In 2025 the Sydney Peace Foundation became an independent, not-for-profit Foundation after 27 years based at the University of Sydney. The Foundation to promote public interest in peace, justice and universal human rights. We are extraordinarily grateful for the generous support of the City of Sydney, our major partner in peace. We are also grateful to the University of Sydney for its continued support.

Our work is wholly dependent on donations from people like you. People who care about peace and justice, and who believe that by supporting community leaders who work to make this a reality for people every day, we can create a fairer world.

For information on how to become a Sydney Peace Foundation partner, please contact us.

Peace Day

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