Join the Boston Global Forum as we celebrate 10 monumental years of the World Leader for Peace and Security Award (2015–2025).
This video pays tribute to all past recipients who have dedicated their lives to building a more peaceful and ethical world.
We proudly honor this spirit of service by recognizing our 2025 laureate, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, for his profound work in transforming human consciousness and fostering global harmony.
Discover the vision and impact of a decade of the Award, and why the “World Leader Spirit” is more vital than ever in the AI Age.
Watch now to celebrate the leaders shaping tomorrow’s peace:
To Our Distinguished World Leaders for Peace and Security Award Recipients,
It is with profound respect and gratitude that we write to you as we celebrate ten years of the World Leader for Peace and Security Award (2015–2025) — ten years of honoring extraordinary leaders whose vision, integrity, and humanity have strengthened the moral and strategic foundations of global peace and security.
From its inception, the Boston Global Forum (BGF) has sought to highlight and support those who lead with both conscience and courage — leaders who understand that true peace is built not only through policy but through principle.
From Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chancellor Angela Merkel, to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President Sauli Niinistö, President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, President Ursula von der Leyen, Speaker Andreas Norlén, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the People of Ukraine, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma), President Emmanuel Macron, and now Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar — each of you has inspired the world to see leadership as service, innovation as responsibility, and power as stewardship.
A Decade of Moral Leadership: 2015–2025
Since the first World Leader for Peace and Security Award in 2015, this recognition has celebrated those who have shaped global harmony and advanced the cause of democracy, dialogue, and human dignity.
Each recipient represents a pillar of peace — and together, you form a living fellowship of leadership that transcends borders, ideologies, and generations.
Your collective example has inspired the creation and growth of the AI World Society (AIWS) — an initiative founded by BGF to define and build a human-centered, ethical, and enlightened civilization in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.
The BGF–AIWS Family and the World Leader Spirit
As we begin the next decade, we are proud to introduce a new movement —
the World Leader Spirit, a symbol of the unity, wisdom, and moral imagination that define our shared global purpose.
The BGF–AIWS Family now brings together:
All World Leader for Peace and Security Award recipients,
All World Leader in AIWS Award recipients,
The BGF leadership, scholars, and innovators,
And the Enlightenment in Action Alliance (EAA) — an international community of outstanding students from top universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Oxford, and Cambridge.
Together, we represent a global alliance of conscience — a living embodiment of peace, ethical innovation, and interfaith understanding.
New World Leader Spirit Events
In celebration of this 10th anniversary, and in anticipation of the next chapter, BGF and the AIWS Family will host a series of global events — uniting leadership, culture, and moral imagination:
🌍 World Leader Spirit and Interfaith Values
A dialogue among world leaders and spiritual figures — across Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism — dedicated to integrating spiritual and ethical wisdom into governance and AI development.
2025 laureate Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will lead this initiative as its guiding moral voice.
🕊️ World Leader Spirit Symposium
An annual forum of world leaders, scholars, and innovators — hosted at Harvard University, MIT, and distinguished global venues — to deliberate on moral governance and peace in the AI Age.
🎵 World Leader Spirit Concert
A celebration of humanity and creativity — featuring global artists and orchestras in partnership with AIWS Music for Humanity, symbolizing unity, empathy, and enlightenment through music.
🍷 World Leader Spirit Dinner
An intimate gathering for dialogue, reflection, and fellowship — celebrating leaders who embody moral courage and human values in a complex world.
Honoring Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Legacy
We hold with deep reverence the legacy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one of our earliest and most inspiring honorees.
Following his tragic passing, the Boston Global Forum established the Shinzo Abe Initiative for Peace and Security on July 10, 2022, to honor his vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and his lifelong commitment to peace through strength and moral clarity.
In continuation of that legacy, the AIWS Film Park is producing a feature film about Shinzo Abe’s life and leadership, highlighting his courage, vision, and enduring impact on global peace.
This film will be presented to the world on July 8, 2026, marking four years since his passing and serving as a tribute to his spirit — a leader whose ideas continue to inspire generations.
The Next Decade: Building the New Society in the AI Age
In the decade ahead, the BGF–AIWS Family will focus its collective resources, intellectual capital, and moral strength on creating the New Society in the Age of AI — one built on peace, innovation, trust, and human dignity.
Our initiatives include:
AIWS Government 24/7 — creating responsible, transparent, and citizen-centered governance enhanced by AI;
Trusted Digital Asset Economy — setting ethical, cultural, and technical standards for digital assets;
AIWS Cultural and Creative Innovation Parks — merging art, technology, and humanity through film, music, and design;
Global Collaboration for AI Ethics and Security — uniting world leaders, innovators, and faith communities to ensure AI serves humanity responsibly.
Our Shared Vision
The BGF–AIWS Family believes that the next chapter of world leadership will be defined not by dominance, but by moral depth — not by speed, but by wisdom.
Together, we will continue to build:
A world where technology serves humanity,
A world where peace is guided by conscience,
A world where leadership is inspired by spirit.
With our deepest gratitude for your leadership and friendship over the past ten years,
and our sincere hope for your continued guidance and collaboration in the years to come,
we welcome you — always — as the heart of the BGF–AIWS Family.
With respect and admiration,
Governor Michael S. Dukakis Co-Founder and Chair, Boston Global Forum
Nguyen Anh Tuan Co-Founder, Co-Chair, and CEO, Boston Global Forum
President Trump’s visit to Asia in late October 2025 involved crucial, high-stakes meetings with two of the region’s most important leaders: the newly inaugurated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Strengthening the Japan-U.S. Alliance
The meeting with Prime Minister Takaichi in Tokyo was framed as a success, aiming to usher in a “new golden era” for the U.S.-Japan alliance. Coming only days after Takaichi took office as Japan’s first female prime minister, the summit focused heavily on personal diplomacy, defense, and economic commitments.
Defense and Security: Takaichi pledged to increase Japan’s defense spending and reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The leaders emphasized cooperation to strengthen the alliance’s deterrence capabilities.
Economic Cooperation: The talks finalized significant agreements, including up to $550 billion in Japanese investments in U.S. energy and technology projects, marking a win for the U.S. administration on trade.
The High-Stakes Xi-Trump Summit
Following the stop in Japan, President Trump met with President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on the sidelines of the APEC Summit. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since 2019, and its primary focus was stabilizing the tense trade relationship.
Trade Truce: The leaders reached an agreement that temporarily lowered tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for China’s commitment to resume large-scale purchases of U.S. farm products (specifically soybeans) and an agreement to resolve restrictions on rare earth minerals.
Cooperation: The two also discussed cooperation on non-trade issues, including combating fentanyl (with an associated tariff reduction) and working together on global issues like the war in Ukraine.
The back-to-back summits demonstrated a clear U.S. strategy to shore up alliances with partners like Japan while simultaneously engaging the central rival, China, on critical trade and security issues.
Aligned with the AIWS-DASI framework, BGF is issuing AIWS Esteemed Digital Assets — a collection of verified, ethically governed tokens representing humanity’s greatest achievements in leadership, creativity, and moral thought.
Each AIWS Esteemed Asset includes:
Verified provenance via the AIWS Ethical Ledger.
Permanent registration in the AIWS Knowledge Vault.
Recognition by the AIWS Digital Asset Board as part of the AIWS Global Legacy Index.
Series of AIWS Esteemed Digital Assets
World Leader for Peace and Security Award Tokens (2015–2025) – celebrating laureates including Shinzo Abe, Angela Merkel, Ban Ki-moon, Emmanuel Macron, and Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, whose moral leadership has shaped global peace and stability.
World Leader in AIWS Award Tokens – recognizing leaders such as Sanae Takaichi, Audrey Tang, and Alex Pentland for advancing ethical, human-centered, and transparent AI governance.
AIWS Cultural and Creative Assets – encompassing films, symphonies, and artworks from the AIWS Film Park and AIWS Music for Humanity, celebrating the harmony between art, technology, and humanity.
AIWS Innovation Tokens – honoring groundbreaking research, invention, and intellectual innovation that advance human understanding, creativity, and the development of the New Society in the Age of AI.
Each digital asset stands as a living symbol of human dignity, creativity, and enlightenment — embodying the values of the AI World Society (AIWS) and the Boston Global Forum (BGF) in building an ethical, inclusive, and visionary digital civilization.
On October 31st, Yasuhide Nakayama, a former member of the House of Representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party who has held important positions such as Vice Minister of Defense, updated his X (formerly Twitter) account, writing about Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.”
He continued, “I have known Takaichi for many years, and she has always been straightforward, never sparing any effort, and doing her best for the country. I have never once seen her fawn or pander to anyone. As someone who knows her like that, it really hurts my heart when I see baseless criticism and malicious words. Sometimes people speak about people they don’t know based on their own imagination, but those words can also trample on someone’s sincere efforts.”
He added, “Prime Minister Takaichi is currently working hard overseas to protect Japan’s national interests. As a Japanese citizen, I am proud of her and deeply grateful.”
In response to this post, various comments have been received, such as, “The approval rating reflects the voice of the people, but it is unbearable to see slander based on the speculation of a few heartless people,” “Thank you for your comments criticizing the heartless slander against Prime Minister
Takaichi,” “People who criticize just want to complain about everything. They are not satisfied with themselves. And perhaps the main reason is jealousy,” and “Unfounded criticism and malicious words are really not good.”
Dear friends and leaders,
The AIWS Digital Asset Standards Initiative is a call to action — for all who believe that the digital revolution must serve peace, knowledge, and the human soul.
We invite governments, scholars, innovators, and global citizens to join the BGF–AIWS Family in bringing this framework to life — beginning with Vietnam, the United States, Japan, and Europe.
Let every digital asset we create become a light of trust and creativity, a contribution to a world of fairness, compassion, and innovation.
As Governor Michael Dukakis reminds us:
“Ethics and innovation are not separate paths. They are one.”
Together, through AIWS-DASI and AIWS Esteemed Digital Assets,
we affirm that technology must elevate humanity —
and that in this new civilization, moral intelligence is the highest form of AI.
Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is steering Tokyo toward a more assertive and security-conscious regional posture, signaling a decisive shift in Japan’s role across the Indo-Pacific. Her leadership emphasizes technological sovereignty, defense modernization, and values-based diplomacy, themes that are rapidly redefining Japan’s strategic partnerships.
A Japanese government spokesperson affirmed that “India is a crucial partner in the Indo-Pacific,” adding that Prime Minister Takaichi is “deeply committed to strengthening Japan–India cooperation across security, economy, and digital innovation.”
While Takaichi’s strong stance on China and alignment with the United States highlight a more hawkish phase in Japanese foreign policy, New Delhi continues to navigate its nuanced position — balancing strategic autonomy with closer collaboration among democracies.
Despite this complexity, both nations share deep complementarities. Their partnership in AI, semiconductors, quantum technologies, and digital infrastructure represents a shared commitment to ensuring an open, ethical, and resilient Indo-Pacific.
For the Boston Global Forum (BGF)–AI World Society (AIWS) Family, the Japan–India relationship stands as a foundation of the New Economic Alliance Initiative — promoting cooperation among democratic nations to shape a secure, innovative, and human-centered AI future.
Prime Minister Takaichi, a 2023 World Leader in AIWS Award recipient, and India’s leaders both embody the AIWS vision: applying technology and intelligence with conscience to build peace, prosperity, and trust in the AI Age.
Quantum computing has rapidly moved from theory to the center of global power politics. In the past month, world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japan’s incoming Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have all highlighted quantum technology as a pillar of national strategy — marking a new phase in the global tech race.
According to The Week, governments and corporations are pouring resources into quantum breakthroughs that promise to revolutionize computing power, cryptography, and materials science. Google, IBM, and India’s Quantum Mission are among the front-runners advancing systems that could outperform classical supercomputers in solving complex real-world problems — from AI optimization to climate modeling and cybersecurity.
The U.S. is accelerating funding for quantum-secure infrastructure, aligning with President Trump’s “America’s Quantum Edge” initiative, while India is investing $6 billion in its National Quantum Mission, aiming to position itself as a global innovation hub by 2035.
The Boston Global Forum (BGF)–AI World Society (AIWS) Family recognizes this surge of quantum activity as a pivotal moment — one that requires ethical standards, responsible research governance, and cross-border collaboration to ensure quantum computing serves humanity rather than destabilizes it.
As BGF and AIWS advance their initiatives on AI-Government 24/7 and Digital Asset Standards, integrating quantum intelligence will be essential to achieving secure, transparent, and trustworthy global governance systems in the AI and quantum age.
In a pivotal moment for the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held their first official phone call on October 25, 2025. According to Japanese government sources, the conversation lasted approximately ten minutes and took place while Takaichi was in Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN Secretariat summit and Trump was aboard Air Force One en route to the same event.TradingView+3Reuters+3The Japan Times+3
During the call, Prime Minister Takaichi declared that “strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance is my administration’s top priority” and reaffirmed Japan’s role as an indispensable partner in the Indo-Pacific strategy.CNA+1 President Trump, in turn, congratulated Takaichi on her historic appointment as Japan’s first female prime minister and confirmed a shared commitment to “elevating the Alliance to new heights.”Reuters+1
Significance of the Call
Alliance Continuity and Innovation: The quick alignment between the new Japanese leadership and the U.S. presidency signals continuity of the Japan–U.S. security partnership, but also introduces a renewing dynamic under Takaichi’s proactive and technology-focused agenda.
Tech-Security Convergence: Takaichi’s administration has emphasized digital governance, AI coordination, and stronger defense cooperation. The call underscores how technological leadership and military strategy are becoming deeply intertwined in the bilateral agenda.
Regional Impact: The timing — amid Japan’s changing security posture and rising Indo-Pacific tensions — sends a clear signal to regional actors that Tokyo and Washington plan to coordinate more closely. For allies like India and Australia, this renewal offers both opportunity and a recalibrated strategic weight.
Alignment with BGF–AIWS Agenda: For the Boston Global Forum–AI World Society (BGF–AIWS) Family, the call embodies the intersection of ethical innovation, democratic alliance, and governance in the AI age — precisely the themes BGF promotes through initiatives such as “AIWS Government 24/7” and ethical digital assets.
