Professor Tom Woodhouse honoured with 2026 Luxembourg Peace Prize

Congratulations to Professor Tom Woodhouse, honoured with Luxembourg Peace Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Peace Education by the Schengen Peace Foundation. The ceremony took place on June 19th at the European Convention Centre in Luxembourg.

Tom started his career in Peace Education in 1974, as a research assistant to Adam Curle, the founding professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford. During the 52 years of association with Peace Studies and International Development, Tom supervised many PhD students to completion; headed the Conflict Research Centre; helped set up peace studies programmes in many centres in Europe and Asia; helped set the agenda for the Conflict Research Society as part of the steering group; published a very popular text book on conflict resolution that is now in its fifth edition; and in recent years has been exploring how football can help with building peace, working with Fundación Goles por la Paz, in northern Bucaramanga, Colombia, founded by his son.

In his brief acceptance speech Tom reminded that while more than 2 trillion dollars are spent on military and defence, less than one per cent of that is spent on peace education. However, there is a positive note: Tom said that there were around 20 centres of peace studies in 1974, and today there are more than 700.

“To have been presented with this award here in Luxembourg in a building that housed the European Parliament is a huge honour for me personally. It is also a tribute to my friends and colleagues in the Department of Peace Studies and International Development and for the University of Bradford for its commitment to making the Department a global centre of peace education.”

Also present in the ceremony, Marc Angel MEP delivered a speech on peace and the urgency to act together. He said “hate brings division while hope brings cohesion” and that today when voices of division are getting louder it is important for peace activists and scholars to shout louder. 

The award received by Tom and others across different categories (Peace Organisation, Art for Peace, Youth Peacemakers, and Inner Peace) was designed by a Colombian artist now living in Spain. It is a chair with only three legs, because the laureates, the peace activists and everyone including you become the fourth leg. Peace cannot stand without each of us taking the responsibility. 

Once again, congratulations to Professor Woodhouse and all laureates of the 2026 Luxembourg Peace Prize. It is fascinating and promising to see such concrete and inspiring progress in peace studies and practice around the world.