The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize is a biannual, $50,000 award to "an individual or an organisation in recognition of propagating

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also known as ('Father Nanak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is t ...

’s philosophy of discovering oneness of humanity by exploring the differences that separate people". The prize is administered by

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a Private university, private research university in Hempstead, New York, United States. It originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University and became an independent college in 1939. Comprising ten schools, includ ...

, New York as part of its efforts in the advancement of religious study, and is supported by the Sardarni Kuljit Kaur Bindra Foundation, funded by a gift from the family of Ishar Singh Bindra. Hofstra sought nominations though press releases and placing ads in major U.S. newspapers. Notable members of the selection committee included

Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop ...

Inder Kumar Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral (4 December 1919 – 30 November 2012) was an Indian diplomat, politician, and anti-colonial independence activist, who served as prime minister of India from April 1997 to March 1998. Born in Punjab, he was influenced by ...

Charles Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from New York, a seat he has held since 1999. A member of the Democratic Party, he has led the Senate Democratic Caucus si ...

Norm Coleman Norman Bertram Coleman Jr. (born August 17, 1949) is an American politician, attorney, and lobbyist. From 2003 to 2009, he served as a United States Senate, United States Senator for Minnesota. From 1994 to 2002, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Mi ...

, David Rosen, and

Martin E. Marty Martin Emil Marty (February 5, 1928 – February 25, 2025) was an American Lutheran religious scholar who wrote extensively on religion in the United States. Biography Early life Marty was born on February 5, 1928, in West Point, Nebraska, ...

. The first such prize was presented to

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama (born 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso; ) is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served a ...

on November 11, 2007, by a delegation from Hofstra who had traveled to India for the presentation. The Dalai Lama was selected from a field of 75 nominees engaged in interfaith efforts throughout the world. Other notable individuals nominated included

Arthur Schneier Arthur Schneier (born March 20, 1930) is an Austrian American rabbi and human rights activist. Rabbi Schneier has served for over 50 years as the Senior Rabbi of New York City’s Park East Synagogue. While being honored with the Presidential Citi ...

, Jagdish Gandhi,

Sukhbir Singh Kapoor Sukhbir Singh Kapoor OBE ( Punjabi: ਸੁਖਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਕਪੂਰ) was a writer, educator and currently the vice chancellor of The International School of Sikh Studies and Khalsa College. Kapoor has served as a professor and ad ...

Paul F. Knitter Paul Francis Knitter (born February 25, 1939) is an American theologian. He is currently an emeritus professor at Union Theological Seminary (New York City), Union Theological Seminary, where he has served as the Paul Tillich Professor of Theology ...

, and

Frank Kaufmann Frank Kaufmann is the director of the List of Unification Church affiliated organizations#InterFaith organizations, Inter Religious Federation for World Peace (IRFWP) (originally a Unification Church ecumenical organization). He served as editor ...

. Notable organizations and groups nominated included

Hartford Seminary The Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (formerly Hartford Seminary) is a private theological university in Hartford, Connecticut. History Hartford Seminary's origins date back to 1833 when the Pastoral Union of Connecti ...

and the

Molloy College Molloy University is a private Roman Catholic university in Rockville Centre, New York. Initially founded as a school for women, it is now co-educational. It provides more than 50 academic undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs fo ...

Institute for Christian/Jewish Dialogue.

Recipients

* 2008:

* 2010: Rabbi Arthur Schneier * 2012:

Eboo Patel Eboo Patel is an American Ismaili of Gujarati Indian heritage and founder and president of Interfaith America (previously known as Interfaith Youth Core), a Chicago-based international nonprofit that aims to promote interfaith cooperation. Patel ...

* 2014: Bhai Sabib Mohinder Singh and the Rev. Dr. Katharine Rhodes * 2016: Pluralism Project at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and Serve2Unite * 2018:

Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding (or Tanenbaum) is a secular non-profit organization that works to promote mutual respect and understanding and fight religious prejudice in workplaces, schools, health care settings and conflict z ...

References

External links

Hofstra University
Interfaith organizations Sikh philosophy Interfaith dialogue Hofstra University Awards established in 2007 {{sikh-stub