-Academics, NGOs, spiritual leaders, members of governments, and more invited to submit candidates for sixth edition of award, which includes USD $1 million financial prize

By: Bakinam Khaled

The search for the honorees of the 2025 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has officially begun, with today marking the official opening of the call for nominations for the sixth edition of the independent global prize. The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity honors individuals and entities working to advance human fraternity and solidarity around the world.

Eligible nominators – including members of governments, heads of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academics, spiritual leaders, and other influential figures – are invited to submit their nominations through the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity’s official website: https://zayedaward.org/, from June 3 to October 1, 2024.

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is an independent global award, granted by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity and includes a financial prize of $1 million. It is awarded annually close to February 4, the International Day for Human Fraternity. The honoree(s) – whose humanitarian efforts and impact follow in the footsteps of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan - are honored at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi at the Founder’s Memorial.

The award was established in 2019 following the historic meeting in Abu Dhabi between His Holiness Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, during which the two leaders co-signed the Document on Human Fraternity. The values the award celebrates reflect Sheikh Zayed’s dedication to working closely with people from all backgrounds, his moral legacy, humanitarianism, and respect for others and helping them regardless of religion, gender, race, or nationality.

Nominations will be accepted until October 1, 2024.

An independent judging committee of experts in peacebuilding and coexistence will review the nominations and select the honoree(s), who will be honored during a ceremony in February 2025 – coinciding with the UN-recognized International Day of Human Fraternity, which marks the anniversary of the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity by Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb.

Since the award’s inception, leaders, activists, and humanitarian organizations from around the world have been honored including: Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (honorary recipient); Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb (honorary recipient); UN Secretary-General António Guterres; activist against extremism Latifa Ibn Ziaten; Their Majesties King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Haitian humanitarian organization the Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty (FOKAL); the Community of Sant’Egidio organization; Kenyan peacebuilder Shamsa Abubakar Fadhil; Indonesian charitable organizations Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah; world-renowned cardiac surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub; and Chilean NGO founder Sister Nelly Leon Correa.