Dr Scilla Elworthy founded the Oxford Research Group in 1982 to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics , work which included a series of dialogues between Chinese, Russian and western nuclear scientists and military, and for which she has been three times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She founded Peace Direct in 2002 to fund, promote and learn from local peacebuilders in conflict areas, leading to the acceptance by the UN of the value and cost effectiveness of ‘locally-led’ initiatives. Peace Direct was voted “Best New Charity” in 2005. Scilla was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003, and was adviser to Peter Gabriel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson in setting up The Elders; she is chair of the Civil Society sector of the Hanwang Forum in China; a Councillor of the World Future Council, author of numerous books, patron of Gender Rights and Equality Action Trust, Voice of a Woman, Oxford Research Group; and a member of the steering Committee of PAX, a service to help prevent wars and genocides.