Masahisa Goi (1916-1980), a Japanese teacher, philosopher, poet and author, dedicated his life to peace and humanity. After witnessing the terrible destruction of the Second World War, he started a world peace movement to spread the message and prayer “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” as a way of uniting the hearts of humanity transcending all boundaries of race, religion, or politics.

To promote this peace movement internationally, the World Peace Prayer Society was incorporated in New York in 1988 as a nonprofit organization, and in 1990 it was recognized as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) associated with the Department of Public Information at the United Nations.

The Goi Peace Foundation was established in Tokyo in 1999 with the approval of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. While cooperating closely with the World Peace Prayer Society through shared projects and networks, the Foundation pursues activities based on the vision and principles expressed in its Declaration for All Life on Earth, which was launched in 2000 - the International Year for the Culture of Peace. In recognition of its international peace building efforts, the Foundation was granted Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations in 2004. It was also admitted to official-relationship status with UNESCO in 2006.

Activities of the World Peace Prayer Society