A Samoan man who lives and works in Washington, D.C., has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Lelei LeLaulu is a development entrepreneur working at the confluence of climate change, tourism, food security and renewable energy.
“I do not know if I am the first Samoan, or Pacific Islander to be nominated, but I can think of several who could have been nominated,” he said.
The Samoa Observer reports that LeLaulu’s career spans journalism, global development, and policy reform.
He has advised organizations such as the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and the United Nations, and chaired numerous NGOs, including currently the Earth Council Alliance.
There are 338 candidates nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, of which 244 are individuals and 94 are organizations.
The names of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates are announced in October.
The Nobel Committee does not confirm the names of nominees to the media or to the candidates themselves, but said there are cases where names of candidates appear in the media, “either as a result of sheer speculation or because individuals themselves report to have nominated specific candidates.”
Lelei LeLaulu was born in Samoa and has deep ties to Gataivai and Vaovai. He is a graduate of Auckland University and now lives in Washington DC.
“I’m always looking for ways of returning to Samoa, the land of my birth.”
