Central to the Nobel Peace Laureates, Social Entrepreneurs, and Artists Portrait Project is Michael Collopy, one of the preeminent portrait photographers of our time. Michael Collopy has gained worldwide recognition for his commissioned portraits of hundreds of public figures including world leaders such as Pope John Paul II, and Mikhail Gorbachev, and entertainers such as Luciano Pavarolli and Frank Sinatra. His work is widely acclaimed and he has been published worldwide in numerous books, magazines, and newspapers, as well as many records and CD covers. His 1996 photographic documentary of the Missionaries of Charity, "Works of Love are Works of Peace," was published in cooperation with Mother Teresa and won many international printing awards. His second book, "Architects of Peace", was released in 2001.

The book will include portraits of 30 selected Nobel Peace Laureates and 30 social entrepreneurs and artists such as Bono, Bill and Melinda Gates, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Skoll, and Sir Paul McCartney. To complement the portraits, the book will also include statements about peace from the peacebuilders, social entrepreneurs and artists. The book will consist of approximately 60 peacebuilders, social entrepreneurs and artists with 60 pages of accompanying text.

To complement this book, The Fund for Peace Initiatives will offer complimentary middle and high school level curriculum supplements on the Peace Laureates, Social Entrepreneurs, and Artists Portrait Project website. The curriculum will build on existing, well-received curricula that is offered through:

• The Architects of Peace Project at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University,
• The Martin Luther King Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, and
• The Dalai Lama Foundation.

The third component of the Peace Laureates, Social Entrepreneurs, and Artists Portrait Project will be the production of a portrait exhibit, similar to the Architects of Peace Portrait Project. The Portrait Project exhibit will include approximately 45 portrait images accompanied by text that presents the ideas, inspirations and hopes of the peacebuilders, social entrepreneurs and artists. The first venue for this exhibit will be the United Nations' exhibition gallery in New York City. Subsequent venues will be college campuses throughout the United States and the world.

The fourth component is the further development of The Fund for Peace Initiatives (FFPI) web site which will highlight the Nobel Peace Laureates, Social Entrepreneurs and Artists Portrait Project. The website will be a centerpiece for the project and a forum for educators and civic leaders to gather information, build networks, and share ideas about peacebuilding.

The mission of The Fund for Peace Initiatives is to promote peace through education, art and advocacy. The Nobel Peace Laureates, Social Entrepreneurs, and Artists Portrait Project will be an important part of the Fund for Peace Initiatives portfolio in our efforts to bring widespread attention to peace and inspire future peacebuilders of the world.

Phase I of the project has been funded.