The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) welcomes the awarding of the 43rd Niwano Peace Prize to its long-time friend and partner Benki Piyãko, recipient of the Weimar Human Rights Prize. The indigenous leader of the Asháninka people in Brazil’s Amazon region will be honored today in Tokyo for his commitment to the protection of land, culture, and the environment, as well as for his pioneering work in reforestation and environmental conservation. The STP had nominated Piyãko for the prize.
“Benki Piyãko is an outstanding advocate for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. His work, particularly the founding of the Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute and the Indigenous Ayahuasca Conference, combines traditional knowledge with modern approaches. In doing so, he protects the Amazon and its unique biodiversity from corporations and criminals and mobilizes young people for environmental protection and indigenous rights,” explained Eliane Fernandes, STP’s Advisor on Indigenous Peoples, ahead of the award ceremony in Tokyo. “His initiatives have raised awareness of our global responsibility toward the Amazon and contribute directly to its conservation.” Piyãko’s commitment to indigenous rights, intercultural dialogue, and spiritual connection with nature has been an inspiration worldwide.
The award ceremony will take place on May 12, 2026, in Tokyo. The Niwano Foundation honors Benki Piyãko’s contribution to peace work through ecological responsibility. The Niwano Peace Prize is awarded annually by the Niwano Peace Foundation in Tokyo and honors individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to interreligious cooperation and world peace. The foundation was established in 1978 and supports projects worldwide that are based on religious principles and contribute to peacekeeping in the fields of education, science, religion, and philosophy.
Even as a child, Benki Piyãko was chosen to be a future shaman and political representative of his Asháninka community, Apiwtxa. A trained forester, he served as environmental secretary for the Juruá River region in the state of Acre from 2005 to 2007. In 2013, Benki Piyãko was awarded the Weimar Human Rights Prize on the initiative of the STP.
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Contact: Eliane Fernandes, Advisor on Indigenous Peoples – 65]G378oD65?2?C67]6