Pope Francis receives the jury of “Zayed for Human Fraternity 2023”

His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, received the jury of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity 2023 at the Papal Palace in the Vatican, in order to discuss the importance of the role played by the global prize in spreading the values of human brotherhood by encouraging world-leading models in this field, calling for the need to emphasize Protecting the rights of women and children.

Pope Francis, during his speech to the six members of the jury, who represent various backgrounds, was keen to highlight the ongoing crisis in Haiti, stressing that the committee’s role is important in promoting the message of human fraternity, explaining the importance of adhering to the defense of women’s rights, which have often become mere It is ink on paper and does not find application on the ground, calling on the international community to support Haiti, praising the selection of the award last year for the Haitian Focal Knowledge and Freedom Foundation over the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity 2022.

For their part, the members of the jury thanked Pope Francis for his historic declaration of the historic Human Fraternity Document in 2019 with His Eminence the Grand Imam, Dr. During the process of selecting the winner or winners for the 2023 award cycle, the brotherhood relationship between Pope Francis and Imam al-Tayyib became a source of inspiration for all lovers of peace and human coexistence around the world.

The jury includes.. Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos, former Vice President of Costa Rica Dr. Ipsy Campbell Barr, Dean of the Missionary Department of the Holy See, His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, and Kailash Satyarthi, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Child rights activist, businesswoman, 2015 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Dr. Widad Bushmawi, Secretary-General of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, Secretary-General of the Council of Muslim Elders, Counselor Mohamed Abdel Salam, and Adama Diang, Counselor of the Prize, also participated in the meeting.

For his part, Counselor Abdel Salam said on behalf of the jury: “We are very grateful to His Holiness Pope Francis for his continuous support to the Zayed Prize Jury for Human Fraternity, and for all initiatives of dialogue and human fraternity,” stressing that His Holiness Pope Francis is a true and unique symbol as a man of peace who brings together people of all kinds. and their diversity to make them feel that they are all members of one human family.

Miguel Angel Moratinos said, It is a great honor for me to be one of the members of the esteemed jury for this year, pointing out that human fraternity promotes respect and understanding among us, and today the winners will receive honors that are based on the values and principles contained in the document on human fraternity, to be able to implement their visions. They give hope to the people of the community.

Cardinal Tagle, a member of the jury, said that through our work on the jury, we aim to support this message of human fraternity, realizing that the only way to ensure a brighter and more peaceful future is to show solidarity, coexistence and respect for each other.

Dr. Epsy Campbell-Barr said that the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity represents a source of inspiration for all lovers of coexistence and human brotherhood, especially in light of the challenges our world faces today, by providing support and celebrating people who oppose discrimination and work to spread the values of peace and human brotherhood.

“We have seen the impact of this award in Haiti, where our Focal sisters continue to work to create an equitable environment for women and youth,” she added.

Kailash Satyarthi explained that this award reaffirms the message of hope, peace and love, which works to confront all forms of hatred, intolerance and discrimination, as the winners show us how we can learn to walk and stand together in this world, and to speak on behalf of the most vulnerable groups in our societies, And to establish the values of human brotherhood.

Dr. Widad Bushmawi said: “I am proud as a woman to be a member of the jury for this award, which was won by a number of pioneers of human fraternity, which represents tangible evidence that women can contribute strongly and effectively to the process of establishing peace in the world.”

It is noteworthy that the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity is an independent, global annual that celebrates people and entities from all backgrounds, anywhere in the world, who make great contributions aimed at advancing humanity and promoting peaceful coexistence in societies.

The list of award winners in previous years includes Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, and Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Council of Muslim Elders, who won it honorably in 2019; And the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and the Moroccan-French anti-extremism activist, Ms. Latifa Ibn Zayaten, in 2021, and King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and his wife, Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, and the Haitian humanitarian organization “The Knowledge and Freedom Foundation – Focal” in 2022.

The award was launched in 2019 following the historic meeting in Abu Dhabi between Pope Francis and Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, where they participated in signing the historical document of human fraternity.

The award bears the name of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, “may God rest his soul in peace,” the founder of the UAE, in honor of him and the embodiment of the values of humility and humanity for which Sheikh Zayed was known throughout his history, and which the award seeks to celebrate.

The members of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity Jury are meeting in Rome to continue work on selecting the winner or winners for the 2023 cycle, who will receive a financial prize of one million US dollars, in support of their efforts and the continuity of their work aimed at promoting human brotherhood and cooperation and strengthening efforts to spread