Civil Air Patrol

2011 Awards

Top Honor Prize

His Holiness Dorje Chang Buddha III, recognized by the World Peace Prize Awarding Council for His selfless devotion to an immensely wide scope of healing and rescue-relief activities directed at people from different communities throughout the world. The wisdom and benevolence of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III embrace all races, ethnicities, cultures and religions: bringing beneficence, peace and equality to all. Wherever His Holiness the Buddha goes, His Holiness brings unity amongst people through His own humility and compassion. His continual contributions to humanity has proven to be a living example of the benevolent spirit of a Buddha, setting a model of humanitarian practices for all to emulate. His Holiness the Buddha is also a distinguished artist. Through teachings and practices, art and poetry, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has pointed out a bright path of non-violence, charity, and love for humanity. His Holiness the Buddha has received numerous awards including the United States Presidential Gold Award for His outstanding contributions to arts, medicine, ethics, Buddhism and spiritual leadership and to American society. H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III is the first Buddhist leader to be awarded the World Peace Prize in the organization’s 20 years history. (……more)

 

 

Hon. Benjamin A. Gilman, recognized by the World Peace Prize for being a life-long champion of human rights: fighting world hunger, narcotic abuse and trafficking. He has made many successful efforts to bring about “prisoner exchanges” which resulted in freedom of American citizens in East Germany, Mozambique, Cuba and several other nations. Congressman Gilman served 15 terms (30 years) in the U.S. Congress. Prior to that, he served 6 years in the New York State Legislature as Assemblyman, and several years as Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Department of Law. While in Congress, he has served as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and as Congressional delegate to the United Nations with title of Ambassador, and later the Ukrainian Famine Commission and Vice Chairman of the committee on POW’s. Mr. Gilman has been the recipients of numerous honors including the President’s Certificate of Outstanding Achievement “for continued, demonstrated vision, initiative, and leadership in the effort to achieve a world without hunger” and has annually received the “Peace Through Strength” Award presented by the American Security Council. (……more)

Roving Ambassador of Peace

Civil Air Patrol  makes a huge impact going above and beyond to make a profound difference in America’s communities; saving lives and preserving liberty for all. Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 61,000 members nationwide. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 113 lives in fiscal year 2010. They are generally the first on the scene transmitting satellite digital images of the damage within seconds around the world and providing disaster relief and emergency services following natural and manmade disasters, including such phenomena as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Texas and Oklahoma wildfires, tornadoes in the south and central U.S., North Dakota flash flooding and the October 2006 earthquake in Hawaii, as well as humanitarian missions along the U.S. and Mexican border. Civil Air Patrol has been performing missions for America for 69 years.

Award Ceremony at the United States Capitol

The World Peace Prize Awarding Council held a grand award ceremony on June 14, 2011 in the Gold Room of the Rayburn Congressional Office Building at the U.S. Capitol to celebrate the recipients of the 2010 World Peace Prize: H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, preeminent leader of Buddhism in the world; Hon. and Benjamin A. Gilman, former Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The ceremony was attended by members of the U.S. Congress including Senator Mark Kirk, member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations; former Senator Steve Symms; Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Congressman Darrell Issa, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform; Congressman Steve Chabot, member of the U.S. House Committee on Judiciary; and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, member of the Committee on Homeland Security, amongst others. They all commented on the great achievements of the award recipients, who have contributed tremendously to peace and enlightenment for humanity.

This event is part of a ongoing program by the World Peace Corps Mission to recognize the outstanding work of individuals who have made major contributions for the establishment and maintenance of peace.