The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has chosen Nehmat Aoun, Lebanon’s First Lady, to serve on the jury for its 2027 edition.
With this, she becomes the first Lebanese figure to join the committee that selects the honorees of the eighth edition, which carries a prize of one million US dollars.
According to a statement from the Lebanese Presidency, the committee includes international, humanitarian, cultural and religious figures.
Joining the jury alongside Mrs. Aoun are Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Barham Salih, Maulen Ashimbayev and Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi.
Lebanese presence on an international committee
Nehmat Aoun received the award’s General Advisor, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, who informed her of the decision to select her.
The meeting was attended by ministers, diplomats and religious leaders, as well as representatives of the United Nations and social institutions.
This selection gives Lebanon a presence on an international committee tasked with recognizing humanitarian initiatives from around the world and highlighting efforts that promote cooperation and coexistence.
Honoring initiatives for peace and cooperation
The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity celebrates individuals and institutions working to bridge divides.
It also honors initiatives that achieve tangible progress in establishing the values of human fraternity and support cooperation among peoples and communities.
The award stems from the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.”
It was signed by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, and the late Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi on February 4, 2019.
The document also calls for promoting peace and renewing commitment to humanitarian values.
The award is sponsored by the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while an independent jury selects the honorees.
