Nikki De Pina
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Biography
Veronica (Nikki) de Pina, Honorary Doctor (Dott.ssa Honoris Causa), is a passionate advocate for social justice and an activist dedicated to peacebuilding. With a background in Industrial Psychology, and after completing her studies in Industrial Psychology and Communication at the University of Pretoria and the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, she worked for over ten years in the corporate sector, leading change management programs that facilitated South Africa’s transition away from apartheid and racial discrimination. In this context, she played a leading role in the country's democratization process
Her commitment to promoting non-violence and conflict resolution through training and mediation programs emerged after numerous trips across Africa, which inspired her to launch social transformation initiatives through platforms dedicated to education, peace, justice, and institutional empowerment.
An excellent communicator, she is actively engaged in building international partnerships for educational initiatives focused on peace. Among her many activities, she played a key role in the democratic transition following the release of Nelson Mandela (Madiba). Her leadership skills have been recognized in high-profile settings: she has participated in top-level teams in South Africa, including the FIFA World Cup, the Chamber of Commerce, tourism initiatives, and artistic projects related to peacebuilding.
She founded and currently leads Global Peace Let’s Talk, a non-profit organization registered in the United Kingdom and also listed in the Transparency Register of the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Global Peace Let’s Talk focuses in particular on education and the environment, supporting changemakers who have a positive impact in their communities. The organization has received international recognition for its work rooted in non-violence and peaceful conflict resolution, earning prestigious awards in the field of peacebuilding.
Motivation
In recognition of her extraordinary, decadeslong commitment to the promotion of peace, social justice, and the transformation of communities through education, mediation, and intercultural dialogue, the Martin Luther King Award is conferred upon Dr. Veronica (Nikki) de Pina for having consistently embodied the universal values of non-violence and inclusion, becoming a reference point in the construction of more just and harmonious societies.
From South Africa, where she played a significant role in the post-apartheid democratic transition, to global contexts, she has actively promoted dialogue among cultures, generations, and communities, making a significant contribution to the dissemination of social models based on solidarity, responsibility, and justice.
For her active participation in dismantling the discriminatory structures of apartheid, promoting forms of ethical leadership inspired by integrity, collaboration, and mutual respect, and for giving voice and visibility, through her internationally recognized organization Global Peace Let’s Talk, to hundreds of local leaders and changemakers in the most vulnerable contexts across Africa and the world, strengthening the foundations of peace through education and concrete support for rural communities.
For her courageous vision, unwavering values, and extraordinary ability to build bridges between peoples and cultures, Dr. de Pina stands as a shining example of ethical leadership and civic commitment. Her work, in the spirit of Martin Luther King’s moral legacy, is a living testimony of active freedom: a freedom that is not limited to the absence of chains, but is realized through responsibility, civic awareness, and social justice.
I have a dream, that one day this nation will rise
and live out the true meaning of its creed... that all men are created equal.
Martin Luter King