Born in 1950, Andrea Riccardi is an Italian Catholic historian. In 1968 in Rome, he founded the Community of Saint Egidio, a lay movement that advocates interreligious dialogue as a method for resolving conflict. Nicknamed “the UN of Trastevere," the community has acted as a mediator in Mozambique, Algeria and Guatemala. Professor of the history of Christianity and religion at Rome III University, Riccardi is the author of a number of books including Ils sont morts pour leur foi (They died for their faith) published by Plon in 2002, and Sant'Egidio,l'Evangile au-delà des frontières (Saint Egidio, the Gospel without borders) published by Bayard in 2001. In 2009, he recieved the Charlemagne Prize for West European understanding.