# List of American Friends Service Committee Nobel nominees

In 1947, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW) (previously known as the Friends Service Council) jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of all Quakers around the world "for their pioneering work in the international peace movement and compassionate effort to relieve human suffering, thereby promoting the fraternity between nations." The award was established in accordance to Alfred Nobel's will, specifically to individuals or groups "who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
As previous Nobel laureates are qualified to nominate annually according to the Nobel Foundation's statutes, AFSC and QPSW formed a Nobel Peace Prize Nominating Task Group which selects and recommends future Nobel laureates – individuals or organizations – who they believe best manifests "the divine spark in action in the human family." Six of the ASFC Nobel nominees were eventually awarded namely to John Boyd Orr (1949), Dag Hammarskjöld (1961; posthumously), Martin Luther King Jr. (1964), Desmond Tutu (1984), Jimmy Carter (2002) and Nihon Hidankyo (2024).

## ASFC Nobel nominees
### Criteria for Nobel nomination

Before a final nominee is unanimously agreed by the AFSC Board and recommended to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the Nominating Task Group spends ten months annually discerning, through heavy research, prayerful consideration and careful discussion. Aside from Alfred Nobel's criteria based on his 1895 will, the AFSC Nobel Peace Prize Nominating Task Group primarily observes the following criteria:
* 1. The candidate's commitment to nonviolent methods.
* 2. The quality of the candidate as a person and of her/his sustained contribution to peace.
* 3. The candidate's work on issues of peace, justice, human dignity, and the integrity of the environment.
* 4. The candidate’s possession of a worldview and/or global impact as opposed to a parochial concern.
* 5. Giving attention to candidates from all parts of the world.*
* 6. Noting crisis areas and considering candidates related to them only as a Nobel Prize may, by its timeliness and visibility, offer valuable support to a solution to the crisis.*
* 7. Considering the relevance of a candidate’s work to the work of AFSC or other Quaker experience.*

### List of ASFC nominees for Nobel Peace Prize

| Year | Nominee | Born | Died | Motivations | |
| 1948 | Mahatma Gandhi | 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat, India | 30 January 1948 in New Delhi, India | "for advocating racial, social and political peace, and being "a living incarnation of the ideal of peace itself" while leading the Indian nationalist movement in a non-violent struggle against British rule." | |
| 1949 | John Boyd Orr | 23 September 1880 in Kilmaurs, East Ayrshire, United Kingdom | 25 June 1971 in Edzell, Angus, United Kingdom | "for having initiated the founding of the International Emergency Food Council in 1946 to meet the urgent need to revive agricultural production in order to prevent the famine that threatened numerous countries in the world." | |
| 1950 | | | | | |
| 1951 | Jawaharlal Nehru | 14 November 1889 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India | 27 May 1964 in New Delhi, India | "for being one of the principal leaders of the independence movement and for his neutralist foreign policy and for upholding the same principles as Gandhi." | |
| 1952 | | | | | |
| 1953 | William O. Douglas | 16 October 1898 in Maine Township, Minnesota, United States | 19 January 1980 in Bethesda, Maryland, United States | "for his work to improve economic undeveloped areas." | |
| 1953 | | | | | |
| 1954 | | | | | |
| 1955 | | | | | |
| 1956 | Elisabeth Rotten | 15 February 1882 in Berlin, Germany | 2 May 1962 in London, United Kingdom | "for her work for reconciliation and work in Pestalozzi Children Village in Switzerland." | |
| 1957 | Service Civil International | founded in 1920 in Belgiëlei, Antwerp, Belgium | founded in 1920 in Belgiëlei, Antwerp, Belgium | "for its significant international voluntary work camps throughout the world, providing constructive opportunities for young people to work for peace, and directing their efforts towards both physical rehabilitation and the important rebuilding of international understanding and fellowship." | |
| 1958 | | | | | |
| 1959 | | | | | |
| 1960 1962 1965 | Norman Cousins | 24 June 1915 in West Hoboken, New Jersey, United States | 30 November 1990 in Los Angeles, California, United States | "for challenging the policy and practice of nuclear defense and warfare." | [14] [15] [16] |
| 1961 | Dag Hammarskjöld | 29 July 1905 in Jönköping, Sweden | 18 September 1961 in Ndola, Zambia | | |
| 1963 | | | | | |
| 1964 | Martin Luther King Jr. | 15 January 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States | 4 April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, United States | "for his work and witness which promotes the dignity and worth of the human person." | |
| 1966 | | | | | |
| 1967 1968 1972 | U Thant | 22 January 1909 in Pantanaw, Maubin, Myanmar | 25 December 1974 in New York City, United States | "for his work as Secretary General of the United Nations, wherein he is a most important international civil servant and is deeply and spiritually dedicated to the bringing of real peace to mankind." | [19] [20] |
| 1968 | | | | | |
| 1969 | | | | | |
| 1970 | | | | | |
| 1971 1974 1975 | Cesar Chavez | 31 March 1927 in Yuma, Arizona, United States | 23 April 1993 in San Luis, Arizona, United States | "for the quality of leadership he has shown in the long struggle of farmworkers for human dignity and, through persevering efforts, seeks to combat poverty and injustice and build a new quality of relationship between men." | |
| 1972 | | | | | |
| 1973 1974 1975 | Hélder Câmara | 7 February 1909 in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil | 27 August 1999 in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil | | |
| 1976 | |
| 1977 | |
| 1978 | Stephen Biko | 18 December 1946 in Tarkastad, Eastern Cape, South Africa | 12 September 1977 in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa | | |
| 1979 1985 | Ham Seok-heon | 13 March 1901 Yomju, North Pyongan, North Korea | 4 February 1989 Seoul, South Korea | "for his lifelong commitment to peace and democracy, becoming an important Asian voice for human rights and non-violence known as 'seed idea' (ssi-al sasang)." | [22] [23] |
| 1980 | | | | | |
| 1981 | | | | | |
| 1982 | | | | | |
| 1983 | | | | | |
| 1984 | | | | | |
| 1986 1987 | Brian Urquhart | 28 February 1919 in Bridport, Dorset, United Kingdom | 2 January 2021 in Tyringham, Massachusetts, United States | "for his unparalleled contributions and significant role in the foundation of the United Nations." | |
| 1988 | Inga Thorsson | 3 July 1915 in Malmö, Sweden | 15 January 1994 in Stockholm, Sweden | "for her significant contribution as chair of the Swedish disarmament delegation in Geneva for nuclear prohibition and disarmament." | |
| 1989 | Antonio Fortich | 11 August 1913 in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, Philippines | 2 July 2003 in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Philippines | "for being a strong advocate of the rights of the poor and a critic of an unjust social economic system." | |
| 1990 | Elise M. Boulding | 6 July 1920 in Oslo, Norway | 24 June 2010 in Needham, Massachusetts, United States | "for her work on non-violence and conflict resolution, and as a major contributor to creating the academic discipline of Peace and Conflict Studies." | |
| 1991 1997 | Jimmy Carter | 1 October 1924 in Plains, Georgia, United States | — | | |
| 1992 | | | | | |
| 1993 | Beyers Naudé | 10 May 1915 in Roodepoort, Gauteng, South Africa | 7 September 2004 in Johannesburg, South Africa | "for his role in the dismantling of apartheid, as fighter for human rights, and prophet and humane pastor to all who suffered under apartheid." | |
| 1994 | Sulak Sivaraksa | 27 March 1933 in Bangkok, Thailand | — | "for his commitment in the quest for a development process that is rooted in democracy, justice and cultural integrity." | |
| 1995 | Ibrahim Rugova | 2 December 1944 in Cerrca, Kosovo | 21 January 2006 in Pristina, Kosovo | "for his lifelong sacrifice and campaign for peace and democracy in Kosovo and for all the people of Kosovo." | |
| 1996 | | | | | |
| 1998 | Samuel Ruíz García | 3 November 1924 in Guanajuato, Mexico | 24 January 2011 in Mexico City, Mexico | "for his exemplary struggle to translate moral and religious principles into a model for human service." | |
| 1999 | Helen Prejean, C.S.J. | 21 April 1939 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States | — | "for her religious voice of great clarity and challenge on the inhumanity of state-sponsored executions." | |
| 2000 | Kathy Kelly | 10 December 1952 in Chicago, Illinois, United States | — | | |
| 2000 | Denis Halliday | 10 January 1941 in Dublin, Ireland | — | | |
| 2001 | Peace Brigades International | founded in 1981 in London, United Kingdom | founded in 1981 in London, United Kingdom | | |
| 2002 | | | | | |
| 2003 | Women in Black | founded in 1988 in Jerusalem, Israel | founded in 1988 in Jerusalem, Israel | | |
| 2004 | Zackie Achmat | 21 March 1962 in Vrededorp, Gauteng, South Africa | — | "for having helped to galvanize a global movement to provide hope and gain access to treatment for those with HIV and AIDS." | |
| 2004 | Treatment Action Campaign | founded in 1998 in Cape Town, South Africa | founded in 1998 in Cape Town, South Africa | | "for having helped to galvanize a global movement to provide hope and gain access to treatment for those with HIV and AIDS." |
| 2005 | Nihon Hidankyō | founded in 1956 in Shibadaimon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan | founded in 1956 in Shibadaimon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan | "for its contribution to the struggle for peace and for sanity in the management and perhaps the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons." | |
| 2006 | Ghassan Andoni | 1956 in Beit Sahour, Bethlehem, Palestine | — | "for their work to increase co-operation and understanding and their determination to strive for equality between their peoples within the framework of sovereign and democratic states." | |
| 2006 | Jeff Halper | 28 November 1946 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States | — | "for their work to increase co-operation and understanding and their determination to strive for equality between their peoples within the framework of sovereign and democratic states." | |
| 2007 | | | | | |
| 2008 | | | | | |
| 2009 | | | | | |
| 2010 | Roy Bourgeois | 15 December 1938 in Lutcher, Louisiana, United States | — | | |
| 2010 | School of the Americas Watch | founded in 19190 in Washington, D.C., United States | founded in 19190 in Washington, D.C., United States | | |
| 2011 | | | | | |
| 2012 | | | | | |
| 2013 | | | | | |
| 2014 | | | | | |
| 2015 | Victor Ochen | 16 September 1981 in Lira, Uganda | — | "for their work for transitional justice, while simultaneously promoting human rights through nonviolent means, nourishing the leadership skills of other young people, and challenging systemic issues that lead to the continued vulnerability and suffering of war victims." | |
| 2015 | African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET) | founded in 2005 in Lira, Uganda | founded in 2005 in Lira, Uganda | | "for their work for transitional justice, while simultaneously promoting human rights through nonviolent means, nourishing the leadership skills of other young people, and challenging systemic issues that lead to the continued vulnerability and suffering of war victims." |
| 2016 | Nonviolent Peaceforce | founded in 2003 in New Delhi, India (headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland) | founded in 2003 in New Delhi, India (headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland) | "for fostering dialogue among parties in conflict, reducing violence and nonviolently protecting unarmed civilians worldwide." | |
| 2017 | | | | | |
| 2018 | Search for Common Ground | founded in 1982 in Washington, D.C., United States | founded in 1982 in Washington, D.C., United States | "for having made a profound impact in our world, inspiring and equipping people to find our shared humanity." | |
| 2019 | | | | | |
| 2020 | | | | | |
| 2021 | Mwatana for Human Rights | founded in 2007 in Sana'a, Yemen | founded in 2007 in Sana'a, Yemen | "for their work during and after the two world wars to feed starving children and help Europe rebuild itself" | |
| 2021 | Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) | founded in 1974 in London, United Kingdom | founded in 1974 in London, United Kingdom | | "for their work during and after the two world wars to feed starving children and help Europe rebuild itself" |
| 2022 | Miriam Were | 12 April 1940 in Kakamega, Western Province, Kenya | — | "for her tireless work since the 1970s in promoting trust between governments, health authorities, and the citizenry through culturally sensitive programs." | |
| 2023 | Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) | founded in 2019 in Orlando, Florida, United States | founded in 2019 in Orlando, Florida, United States | "for their work in building democracies, supporting the human right to representation by government, and working towards a better organized and peaceful world." | |
| 2023 | National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) | founded in 1913 in Nairobi, Kenya | founded in 1913 in Nairobi, Kenya | | "for their work in building democracies, supporting the human right to representation by government, and working towards a better organized and peaceful world." |