Scilla Elworthy PhD founded Peace Direct in 2002 to fund, promote and learn from peace-builders in conflict area; awarded “Best New Charity” at the Charity Awards 2005. Previously she founded the Oxford Research Groupin 1982 to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics. It is for this work that she was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003 and nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. 

She helped found the Market Theatre in South Africa in 1976, long before it was legal for multi-racial performances to take place, and has since worked with playwrights and directors, including David Edgar and Max Stafford Clark, to engage the public in political theatre. From 2005 Scilla was adviser to Peter Gabriel, Desmond Tutu and Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders’ initiative.

Scilla is a member of the World Future Council, and the International Task Force on Preventative Diplomacy. She has designed the Leadership Course in Conflict Transformation for the Said Business School, Oxford University, and is the co-founder of ‘The Pilgrimage’ – a 24 hour course that enables participants to make major shifts in consciousness and perception. Scilla is the author of numerous books and director of programmes for the World Peace Festival  Berlin August 2011.

Biography published 2012