On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President Pat Eiding was named a Roving Ambassador for Peace by the World Peace Prize Awarding Council. Father Sean McManus, Chief Judge of the World Peace Prize and founder of the Irish National Caucus, and Barbara Flaherty, Corporate Manager of the World Peace Prize, presented the award to President Eiding in a ceremony attended by family, friends, and fellow labor leaders, and elected officials from Philadelphia.
Fr McManus explained the Awarding Council's reasons for bestowing this honor on President Eiding: "We were pleased to be able to propose Patrick J.Eiding because of the intrinsic link between justice and peace: peace is, indeed, the fruit of justice. Labor Leaders who spend their entire lives working in solidarity for justice for working men and women are, indeed , working for peace—not only nationally but also globally. Hence, Labor leaders — and Patrick J.Eiding in particular—are eminently qualified to be candidates for the World Peace Prize of Roving Ambassador for Peace. Furthermore, our Peace Prizes encourage members of the Labor Movement to positively think of themselves as not just fighters for justice but as peace builders as well. I believe this gives an important dimension to Labor's self-understanding, self-image, and self-identity. And, I urge all members of the Labor Movement to embrace it —as I know Patrick J. Eiding does. So, too, does the president of the AFL-CIO, the great Richard L. Trumka."
President Eiding said: “I am honored to receive this prestigious award and join the ranks of previous honorees Tefere Gebre, John Sweeney, Richard Trumka, and Elizabeth Powell. There is no greater vocation on earth than to work for peace. The working people who make up the AFL-CIO know this first hand in our collective struggle for justice and dignity in the workplace. We strive to make our world better each and every day. I thank Fr. Sean McManus and Rev. Dr. Han Min Su for this distinct honor.”
