Professor wins 2012 peace prize

Professor David Ford.

THE WINNER of the 2012 Coventry International Prize for Peace and Reconciliation admits he is looking forward to returning to Coventry Cathedral to pick up the award on behalf of his team.

Professor David Ford is founder and director of the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme, an initiative created ten years ago to improve the relationship between Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Mr Ford, who has been involved in inter-faith relations post-9/11, told The Observer: "I'm very much looking forward to receiving the award at the cathedral, a building that means a great deal to me.

"When I was studying at Cambridge University I hiked from Cambridge to Coventry and I'll always remember my first impression of the cathedral.

"I was completely taken back by it. I've been back since for a number of conferences but I've always like the cathedral."

The peace prize is an annual accolade to honour initiatives, organisations, projects and individuals that make a pivotal contribution in areas of peace and reconciliation.

Professor Ford will be presented with the award, which was designed by Coventry University art graduate Rachel Sutton, at a special ceremony on Wednesday.

And he paid tribute to his team as the Cambridge Inter-faith Programme celebrates its 10th anniversary.

He added: "An awful lot of people have been involved with this initiative over the past ten years and I'm pleasantly surprised we've won the award.

"It's dangerous to be ignorant towards other religions both in the UK and on a national scale especially in 2012.

"Coventry, like the UK as a whole, has become a multicultural society and it's vital that we continue to work hard to bring people of all faiths together and we will continue to go from strength to strength."

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