Awards

UNESCO 2006 GOLD MEDAL

Baba Ghai was awarded the 2006 UNESCO Gold Medal in Athens, Greece for peacefully resolving an international religious conflict in Athens, Greece and promoting peace dialogue.
A Southern Comfort whisky promotion in Athens provoked an international outcry in February 2006, when Hindus in Athens, India and around the world erupted in protest against a statue of the Goddess Durga shown with bottles of branded whisky.
Baba Ghai immediately established contact with Southern Comfort’s Senior Vice President in Louiseville, Kentucky and obtained an apology to defuse the potential conflict.
The display was removed but, upon Baba Ghai’s arrival in Athens some days later, fresh controversy broke out however when, on misguided advice of a UK Hindu group, the statue was burnt, not immersed in water, as per Hindu practice. Hundreds gathered to angrily protest – which Baba Ghai personally resolved after peace talks.

Since 2005 Baba Ghai has been at the forefront of multi-faith dialogue and human rights in Pakistan – participating both at grassroots levels and governmental platforms.
Amnesty International Pakistan hailed Baba Ghai’s peace dialogue advocacy by bestowing upon him a Lifetime Achivement Award. The award was presented by the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, at Prime Minister House and received on Baba Ghai’s behalf by Andrew Singh Bogan.

The International Commission for Human Rights recognised humanitarian efforts of all four AAFS Peace Delegates (Baba Ghai, Kusam Vedhara, Kiran Bali MBE JP & Andrew Singh Bogan).
In particular, they praised the delegation’s lobbying on womens rights in Pakistan and Britain.

Joining distinguished former recipients such as the Presidents of Indonesia and Bulgaria, Baba Ghai was appointed an Ambassador for Peace by the Middle East Peace Initiative at a ceremony in Halifax, September 2006.
AAFS Operational Manager Kusam Vedhara and Legal Co-ordinator Andrew Singh Bogan were awarded Ambassadorships in Jerusalem at the end of a 2007 peace tour.