2024 8th Annual UNA Santa Barbara Peace Prize Event

The Santa Barbara UNA Peace Prize started as a project of the Santa Barbara Chapter of the United Nations Association to recognize outstanding community members of the Tri-County area (San Luis Obispo, Ventura, and Santa Barbara). 

Please join us for our 8th Annual UNA Santa Barbara Peace Prize to honor Jane Olson, a stunning example of a life lived in the service of humanitarianism. She chaired the International Board of Trustees of Human Rights Watch from 2004-2010, and served as co-Chair of the Women’s Refugee Commission. 

Get your tickets today to join us at Pascucci’s to celebrate this year's Peace Prize awardee! The Awards Ceremony is Thursday, October 3, 2024, from 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm.

Location: Pascucci’s - 509 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

We'd like to honor and proudly recognize the 2024 Peace Prize Awardee:

• Jane Olson, Author of "World Citizen: Journeys of a Humanitarian". 

Jane Olson has worked as a volunteer for many decades to promote peace and justice through international human rights and humanitarian organizations. She chaired the International Board of Trustees of Human Rights Watch from 2004 to 2010 and served as co-chair of the Women’s Refugee Commission. As founding board chair of Landmine Survivors Network/Survivor Corps, she gave leadership to LSN for 12 years.

Mission to many countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America focused on human rights abuse and refugee conditions, HIV/AIDS, landmines, and other calamities caused by conflict and extreme poverty. Jane has received numerous awards, including the 2010 inaugural Alison Des Forges Award from Human Rights Watch, and the inaugural Eleanor Roosevelt Award from Feminist Majority in 2005. California Senator Barbara Boxer presented the “Women Making History” Award to Jane in 2010. She received Public Counsel’s Community Achievement Award and the Silver Achievement Award from the Los Angeles YWCA.

Jane is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a board member of both the National World War II Museum in New Orleans and Direct Relief, based in Santa Barbara, CA. She is a board member of The Trusteeship, the Southern California chapter of the International Women’s Forum, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Pacific Council on International Policy. Jane has extensive experience reporting on significant human rights abuses in Bosnia, Ukraine, the Rwandan genocide, Uganda, Ghana, Malawi, and Azerbaijan. Her new book is called “World Citizen: Journeys Of A Humanitarian”, is available on Amazon.  In her book, “World Citizen”, Olson shares her story, that of a small-town girl from Iowa whose midwest values and early life experiences led her on a life-long crusade for peace, justice and humanitarian action.

RSVP: Ticket purchase required. $30 in advance, $40 at the door. (1) drink ticket and appetizers are included with your ticket.  

The Peace Prize is given each year to an individual who has achieved worldwide impact in the service of peace in a way that is tangible and measurable to one or more of these goals: 

• Peacemaking and advancing the cause of peace globally.
• Work to advance or defend the cause of human rights internationally.
• Advancements in developing nations such as: creating infrastructure, delivering supplies, building wells to achieve clean water, education opportunities, etc.

For more information, please contact our chapter at info@unasb.org.