Mika Vanhanen – Educator, Peacebuilder and Founder of Peace Circle®
I’m Mika Vanhanen – a Finnish educator, musician and peacebuilder with over 30 years of experience in sustainability education and global collaboration.
In 2000, I founded ENO – Environment Online, a school network that grew to include over 10,000 schools in 157 countries and inspired youth to plant more than 30 million trees.
Today, I continue this work through Peace Circle® – a concept I’ve developed to support reflection, local peacebuilding, value-based education, and the creation of Peace Circle® parks – from grassroots to cities, with a goal of reaching 100 countries by 2030.
I have recently established a sole proprietorship to offer Peace Circle®-based talks, workshops and support – if and when opportunities arise. I’m also working on a doctoral dissertation, and exploring potential funding to deepen this work.
“Treat all living things as you wish to be treated.”
— Peace Circle®â€‹â€‹
Empowering peace through education, collaboration and creativity
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Insights on Peace and Education
Read my posts on value-based learning, community building and the journey of Peace Circle®
A Journey of Trees, Trust and Transformation
My journey began as a teacher in a small Finnish school in the early 1990s. I believed – and still believe – that education is not only about information, but about connection, action, and care.
We were among the first to join the GLOBE programme after the Rio Earth Summit, using early digital tools to observe nature and share findings with students around the world. That experience planted the first seeds of what would become ENO – Environment Online – a global school network for sustainable development.
When I launched ENO in 2000, the term “Education for Sustainable Development” had not yet been introduced by the UN. But in practice, we were already living it – combining digital collaboration, hands-on action and global solidarity.
Over the years, ENO grew into a movement of over 10,000 schools in 157 countries. Together, we’ve planted more than 30 million trees – and built bridges of trust across borders, generations and cultures.
Later, I worked with TreebuddyEarth, developing transparent, tech-enabled climate action with communities and companies. But I’ve always stayed rooted in the power of education.
In 2022, as war returned to Europe, I founded Plant and Care for Peace – a non-profit network connecting tree planting with peace education, as a quiet act of solidarity and hope.
In 2024, I launched Peace Circle® – a replicable model for values-based learning and community dialogue. It brings people together to plant, reflect and grow peace in shared spaces – starting in urban areas, where peace and nature are often missing from daily life.
And along the way, I’ve continued to run – and to write music – quiet threads that keep me connected to the rhythm of life and learning.
Over the years, I’ve worked in more than 50 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas – planting trees, collaborating with educators and communities, and sharing the seeds of peace education. Here are two moments that reflect how Peace Circle® is growing globally:
🌺 Hawaii 2014 – Peace Trees and the IVLP Program
As part of the U.S. State Department’s IVLP program, I visited national parks across the U.S. and brought our international group to Punahou School in Honolulu – President Obama’s former school. For over 20 years, the school had planted peace trees with us, and on that day, we shared songs and stories beneath their shade.
🌱 Philippines 2023 – Planting Mangroves for Peace
In the Philippines, I guided local youth and communities in planting mangroves – a core Peace Circle® activity that connects ecological restoration with shared responsibility and peacebuilding.
🎥 Watch on YouTube »
These experiences – from global classrooms to mangrove roots, and from children’s songs to acts of quiet solidarity – began to shape a deeper idea.The vision of Peace Circle® grew gradually, as I realized that sustainable peace must be nurtured not only through words, but through shared spaces, values and action.
From Trees to Peace Circles® – A Global Learning Journey
30 Years of Leadership in Education and Peace
Mika Vanhanen has over 30 years of experience in global sustainability education, combining digital innovation, community engagement and intercultural learning. He has led programmes at the intersection of environment, peace and education – from classrooms to international arenas.
He founded ENO – Environment Online in 2000, a global school network now active in over 150 countries. Under his coordination, ENO schools planted over 30 million trees and engaged in campaigns, trainings and conferences that built a shared global learning community.
He served as CEO of the ENO Association until 2020, and has coordinated several international events, including the World Summit of Students for Climate in 2019.
Mika has also worked with climate action startups such as TreebuddyEarth, and leads the NGO Plant and Care for Peace, founded in 2022.
He holds a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Joensuu and has pursued continuing studies in ICT and science education. He began his teaching career in the 1980s, with an early focus on music and creative learning.
Mika's work has been recognized with multiple national and international awards, including:
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WWF Panda Prize (2004)
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Microsoft Road Ahead Prize (1997)
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Energy Globe Award (2008)
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Finland’s State Award for Public Information (2011)
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Finalist, UN Forest Heroes (2012)
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Finalist, Nordic Environment Prize (2016)
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Act of the Year, Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (2019)
Let's bring Peace Circle® to life – not just in minds, but in shared spaces.
Available for:
• Keynotes and workshops
• Partnering on Peace Circle® parks and initiatives