ENI – Rev. Gideon Byamugisha, a Ugandan and the first African cleric to declare he was HIV-positive, has been awarded the Niwano Peace Prize.
“Canon Gideon has turned personal suffering into a religious message of hope and courage and has matched it with constructive action,” said a prize committee member.
The award is often seen as akin to a Nobel Peace Prize for members of the faith community. It is awarded by the Japan-based Niwano Peace Foundation and comes with 20 million yen ($253,000 CAD). This is the second time in five years the prize has gone to Uganda.
