Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, January 31, 2025—The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity at the moment introduced its 2025 honorees: Prime Minister of Barbados and local weather change champion The Honorable Mia Amor Mottley, SC, MP, humanitarian group World Central Kitchen based by Chef José Andrés, and 15-year-old well being innovator Heman Bekele – the award’s first youth honoree.
The award, geared toward people and organizations, is adjudicated by its impartial jury for his or her notable contributions to urgent societal points and nurturing peace and solidarity throughout numerous communities – each globally and on the grassroots stage.
The three recipients will likely be honored on February 4 at 7 p.m. UAE time throughout the sixth version of the award ceremony, on the Founder’s Memorial in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, which will likely be livestreamed on the award’s social media channels: Zayed Award for Human Fraternity – YouTube
Named in honor of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the United Arab Emirates, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity stands as a testomony to his revered humanitarian legacy and unwavering dedication to serving folks of each background.
The Honorable Mia Amor Mottley was chosen by the judging committee for her management on local weather motion and coverage. Prime Minister Mottley launched the Bridgetown Initiative in 2022, a name for decisive motion to reform world monetary programs to think about local weather inequality. She has dedicated to attaining 100% renewable power for Barbados by 2030, investing in photo voltaic, wind, and different clear power sources to cut back the island’s reliance on fossil fuels. The prime minister has pioneered debt-for-climate swaps, enabling nations to reallocate nationwide debt towards local weather resilience tasks.
World meals aid group World Central Kitchen (WCK) – based by Chef José Andrés in 2010 – gives meals aid to communities affected by humanitarian crises and pure disasters. Since its founding, WCK has delivered greater than 300 million meals to communities in over 30 nations, together with 70+ million meals to Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. Partnering with native cooks, volunteers, and suppliers, WCK helps native economies whereas delivering contemporary, nutritious meals. By way of collaborations – together with with the United Arab Emirates – and its modern ‘first-on-the-ground’ method permitting for speedy response to crises underneath difficult circumstances, WCK has demonstrated its modern capabilities in offering meals to the individuals who want them most.
Fifteen-year-old Ethiopian American well being innovator Heman Bekele is being honored for his ambition to save lots of the lives of probably the most weak and his imaginative and prescient of accessible and inexpensive healthcare. At 14, he developed a cheap cleaning soap to forestall and deal with early-stage pores and skin most cancers—an concept that earned him the title of TIME’s 2024 ‘Child of the 12 months’ and recognition in numerous science competitions. Heman now collaborates with researchers on the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg College of Public Well being to develop the life-saving cleaning soap and seeks to develop world entry to healthcare options for many who want it most.
Following the honorees announcement, Secretary-Common of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity H.E. Decide Mohamed Abdelsalam stated: “It’s the judging committee’s honor to highlight three excellent honorees who’re addressing a few of at the moment’s most pressing challenges—local weather resilience, humanitarian aid, and youth-driven innovation. This 12 months’s recipients reveal that transformative work may be undertaken at any age, in anywhere on this planet, and in any area. By honoring Prime Minister Mottley, World Central Kitchen, and Heman Bekele, we search to encourage others to ascertain and act in direction of a greater future for the world.”
For her half, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, 2025 judging committee member and Director-Common of the World Commerce Group stated: “The honorees have gone the additional mile to make a distinction within the on a regular basis lives of individuals across the globe, which is able to profit humanity going ahead. Their dedication to uplifting communities displays the spirit of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity and serves as a reminder that, via a way of unity amongst humankind and dedication to at least one one other, we are able to drive profound and lasting change.”
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Concerning the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity
The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is an annual impartial worldwide award that acknowledges folks and entities of all backgrounds, anyplace on this planet, who’re working selflessly and tirelessly throughout divides to advance the timeless values of solidarity, integrity, equity and optimism and create breakthroughs in direction of peaceable coexistence.
The award was launched in 2019 following the historic assembly in Abu Dhabi between His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb, throughout which they co-signed the Doc on Human Fraternity.
The award is known as in honor of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the United Arab Emirates, famend for his humanitarianism and dedication to serving to folks regardless of their background or place on this planet.
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