Santa
Barbara is a wonderful area with many talented people doing amazing things to
help the community all the way to helping the world. Our fair city is the home
of Earth Day, the place where the number one city college in the U.S. is
located, and the home of the world’s largest indoor movie studio during the
silent film era — the Flying A Studios. We’re also a leader in the Spanish Colonial
architectural style and get to enjoy some of the best Mediterranean climate
available outside the actual Mediterranean.
So of
course such a special place deserves it’s own Peace Prize!
The United
Nations Association of Santa Barbara and Tri Counties is the oldest UNA in the
U.S., founded in 1947. We created the Peace Prize in 2017 to recognize the
incredible work done by some of our residents around the world. We first
awarded it in 2017 to Rinaldo Brutoco of the World Business Academy at our UNA
Santa Barbara Peace Prize Dinner. Last year, Deepa Willingham won the award for
her work at UN Women, Rotary International, and PACE International in India — a
school for girls to help them develop into independent women. Deepa’s
organization also helps women living in poverty in India to launch their own
micro-enterprise so they can achieve prosperity and increased freedom.