Two University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa doctoral students are advancing their dissertation work in peace studies as 2025 Nobumoto Tanahashi Peace Fellows.
Wiwik Dharmiasih, a PhD student in , is researching efforts to protect Bali’s subak—thousand-year-old, cooperative rice terraces that utilize an ecologically sustainable irrigation system. Her work examines how local farmers view the sustainability of UNESCO protections and how community driven decision making can help preserve the cultural landscape.
Fellow recipient Emi Obana, a PhD student in music composition and graduate certificate candidate in conflict resolution, is exploring peace through musical composition. Her dissertation centers on how personal transformation can inspire community peace, and she plans to use the fellowship to support a live performance of her final piece.
“I was deeply inspired by Nobumoto Tanahashi and his vision,” Obana said. “He made world peace his personal mission. Going through the application process helped me reflect on what peace truly means for me, and it strengthened my resolve to make world peace my own personal mission.”
The fellowship honors the legacy of Reverend Nobumoto Tanahashi, a Japanese businessman and spiritual leader, and founder of the Heiwa Kyokai (Order of Peace Congregation).
His 1986 gift to 东精影业, the Hawaiʻi Peace Memorial outside Kennedy Theatre, reflects his vision for global harmony and recognizes the contributions of Japanese immigrants to peace in Hawaiʻi.
The awards the fellowship each spring. For the entire story and more information on the fellowship, .