“Dialogue is key to our prosperity. And partnership will be the vehicle to peace.”
– Commonwealth Secretary-General
Rev Dr James Movel Wuye Address & Imam Dr Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa
Rt Hon Baroness Patricia Scotland KC and Professor Sir Nasser David Khalili
Commonwealth Day 2025, London, United Kingdom
HM King Charles III
“Love in Peace’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Khalili Foundation proudly awarded the first-ever Commonwealth Peace Prize to two exceptional peacebuilders from Nigeria at the Commonwealth Day reception on March 10th at Marlborough House. Pastor Dr James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa, founders of the Interfaith Mediation Centre in Nigeria are joint winners of this prestigious new award. Their extraordinary journey from adversaries to allies embodies the core values of the Khalili Foundation and exemplifies the transformative power of reconciliation and interfaith dialogue.
In a special tribute to this inaugural award, we commissioned a commemorative song composed especially by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber which was performed by singers from the BRIT School and the Queen’s College Oxford Choir during the ceremony in the presence of HM King Charles.
The story of Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa perfectly illustrates our foundation’s mission. Once leaders of opposing militias in the religious conflicts of 1990s Nigeria, they each suffered personal losses before choosing a path of peace over continued hostility.
Together, they established the Interfaith Mediation Centre, which has now grown to include over 10,000 members dedicated to fostering Christian-Muslim dialogue and preventing young people from joining conflicts. Their work extends to training women, religious figures, and tribal leaders to become advocates for peace in their communities.
Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa shared their thoughts on receiving this honour: “We are truly grateful to the Khalili Foundation and the Commonwealth Secretariat for this award and are humbled by the fact that it goes to a Christian and a Muslim from Nigeria. We have been fortunate to be surrounded by remarkable people and have played a role in supporting the transformation of many thousands of others; we dedicate this amazing achievement to them. We also hope that it serves as inspiration for a next generation of peacebuilders.”
Beyond receiving this prestigious award, they will serve as advisors for our continued partnership with the Commonwealth to promote peacebuilding and conflict resolution across the 56 member states.
Khalili Foundation’s mission is to enable peacebuilding through art, culture, and education. So, in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat on the International Day of Peace (21st September), we launched The Commonwealth Peace Prize as a cornerstone of the Commonwealth Faith Festival, to celebrate those who embody the Commonwealth values of tolerance, respect, understanding, and religious freedom.
Sir David speaking at the launch of the Commonwealth Faith Festival in February 2024
The winner will be a distinguished Commonwealth citizen who:
The winner will receive:
Only Commonwealth member governments and Accredited Organisations can submit official nominations. If you know someone who deserves this recognition, reach out to your country’s High Commission or a Commonwealth Accredited Organisation.
Nominations should include:
Submit nominations to: PeacePrize@commonwealth.int
