Prince KPAA Dr. Damien Dematra

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A distinguished peace activist, humanitarian, philanthropist, filmmaker, novelist, screenwriter, producer, international photographer, painter, and cultural leader, Prince Damien devoted his life to building bridges across religious, cultural, and national boundaries. He believed that lasting peace is achieved through dialogue, education, creativity, and our shared humanity.

In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to peace, culture, and humanity, Prince Damien was bestowed with several royal titles and honors by Indonesian royal courts. He was awarded the prestigious title of Kanjeng Pangeran Aryo Adipati (KPAA) by the Keraton Surakarta Hadiningrat, appointed Pangeran Agung by the Royal Palace of Buleleng, Bali, and received the title of Prince from the Pakualaman Palace of Yogyakarta. Numerous other royal houses and kingdoms also honored him with princely and honorary princely titles in recognition of his lifelong service to humanity.

Guided by his vision of peace, Prince Damien co-founded the Visions of Peace Initiative (VOPI), inspiring hundreds of thousands of young people to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence through literature, visual arts, music, dance, photography, and film. He believed every young person has the potential to become a peacebuilder and that creativity could transform prejudice into understanding and hope. Together with VOPI, he also launched the World’s Largest Book with a Message of Peace, featuring thousands of artworks created by young people over many years. The historic publication was launched at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, symbolizing the voices of youth united for peace.

Among his most enduring contributions is the Golden Rule Interfaith Youth Conference, a platform he envisioned to unite youth from diverse faiths, cultures, and backgrounds through dialogue, friendship, and collaboration. The conference continues to empower young leaders to strengthen mutual respect, embrace diversity, and become ambassadors of peace within their communities. These initiatives continue to inspire thousands of young people each year and remain among the strongest expressions of his enduring legacy.

Prince Damien also pioneered numerous international peace initiatives, including the World Peace & Culture Council, Peace20, World Youth Peace Day, World Children Peace Day, Nusantara Peace Day, and International Culture Day. He initiated the Culture for Peace Movement, launched at the Royal Palace of Kacirebonan, which rapidly gained international momentum as more than 150 countries and kingdoms joined the movement within months. Through these initiatives, he brought together governments, international organizations, royal families, religious leaders, artists, educators, and civil society to advance intercultural dialogue and humanitarian cooperation.

As Founder of Peace20, Prince Damien envisioned culture and humanity as essential contributions to the G20 process. Peace20 also established the World’s Thickest Book with Messages of Peace, containing more than 25,500 signatures from participants representing 53 countries across over 5,200 pages, demonstrating a global commitment to peace.

Beyond peacebuilding, Prince Damien believed that art has the power to unite humanity beyond language, religion, and nationality. 

Throughout his remarkable career, he authored more than 101 novels in both English and Indonesian, produced 48 feature films, created 81 film and television screenplays, and painted thousands of artworks, including an extraordinary 365 paintings in a single year. He also coordinated Indonesia’s National Pluralism Movement and chaired the National Writing Movement, encouraging literacy, creativity, and social engagement throughout the country.

His achievements earned him more than 700 national and international awards, 13 world records, and hundreds of international film honors across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, including awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay. 

His world records include recognition as the world’s fastest novelist, fastest photographer, fastest painter, fastest novel publication, the creator of the world’s thickest book, and the fastest feature film production from screenplay to premiere. His work has been featured by leading international media, including TIME, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, USA Today, ABC, NBC, Forbes, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Channel NewsAsia, Al Jazeera, NHK Japan, KBS Korea, and many others.

Prince Dr. Damien Dematra passed away on 27 April 2025, one day before the inaugural Golden Rule Interfaith Youth Conference he had envisioned. His passing was met with an extraordinary outpouring of grief and respect. Condolences were received from around the world, including from the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, alongside government leaders, interfaith communities, international organizations, royal families, diplomats, peace advocates, and thousands of young people whose lives had been touched by his work. During the period of mourning, representatives of six different religions united in prayer to honor his life and legacy, reflecting the very spirit of interfaith harmony that he had devoted his lifetime to building.

Remarkably, Prince Damien’s influence has continued to grow after his passing. International recognition of his life’s work continues through posthumous honors celebrating his contributions to peace, tolerance, and humanity. His paintings, books, and artistic works continue to be presented to presidents, heads of state, international leaders, and distinguished institutions as gifts promoting dialogue, culture, and peace.

His official biography, “Prince of Peace: Prince Dr. Damien Dematra,” was launched on the International Day of Peace and has since been placed in libraries across schools, universities, and educational and public institutions throughout Indonesia, ensuring that his vision of peace, tolerance, and humanity continues to educate, inspire, and reach future generations.

A special tribute honoring the Prince of Peace has been screened in universities, schools, interfaith institutions, cultural centers, public forums, and many other venues, reaching thousands of viewers and inspiring new audiences to continue the work he began.

The Prince Gallery, to be inaugurated in 2026, will preserve and showcase his lifelong contributions through his paintings, literary works, films, photography, cultural collections, humanitarian initiatives, peacebuilding projects, and historical archives, ensuring that his vision and legacy remain accessible to future generations.

Today, Prince Damien’s mission continues through the Golden Rule Interfaith Youth Conference, National Tolerance Week, Peace20, and the ongoing work of the Visions of Peace Initiative (VOPI). Every dialogue held, every friendship formed across religious and cultural differences, and every young person inspired to choose compassion over division carries forward the vision he devoted his life to building.

Prince Damien believed that peace is a legacy passed from one generation to the next. 

Today, that legacy lives on in the countless lives he touched and in the thousands of young people who continue to champion tolerance, human dignity, and peaceful coexistence because of his example. His work did not end with his passing it continues to flourish through the institutions he established, the knowledge preserved in libraries, the works of art he left behind, the people he inspired, and the generations who now carry forward the enduring vision of the Prince of Peace.