The Institute of International Education (IIE) has awarded the 20th Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East to Ghadir Hani and Dror Rubin for their work in urging Muslim and Jewish leaders in Israel to positively influence their communities to support peace. Ghadir and Dror will share $20,000.
While Israel has been at war with Hamas and Hezbollah for nine months, the 2024 IIE Goldberg Award recognizes the leadership roles that Ghadir and Dror played as part of the Constituencies for Peace – Religious Leaders Initiative. This initiative demonstrates the diversity of voices and the work being done to find common ground between Palestinians and Israelis. The award recognises Ghadir and Dror for their commitment to involving actors and communities in the region as a force for peace.
As a volunteer and educator, Ghadir lectures throughout Israel on the sanctity of the land, the human being, the value of life, Arab society, Arab-Jewish challenges and feminism in Islam.
One of the main projects of Ghadir and Dror was the development of an educational program "Judaism and Islam in the Holy Land" and the establishment of dialogues between Jews and Arabs that brought together thousands of students to learn more about the fundamental values of religions and the possibility for believers of different faiths to live side by side.
After November 2023, Dror notably co-hosted a series of six meetings of interfaith leaders of the Haifa Religious Assembly, in collaboration with the University of Haifa and Search for Common Ground, to build trust and reduce tensions between religious communities.
"We choose to support human beings and humanity. They feel in their hearts that they must have room for all voices. The only future here is to have sympathy to bear the pain of the other… to hold hands to develop the confidence necessary to build peace… and mobilize each other’s voice to solve these problems now. We must therefore engage in the search for peace and not just wait for it to come," say Dror and Ghadir.
The award was presented by its creator Victor J. Goldberg, retired IBM executive and IIE director, at a virtual ceremony.
"In this time of conflict, we believe it is more important than ever to share stories of hope so that they can encourage others. Ghadir and Dror are inspiring examples who have lost neither their hope nor their commitment to peace," said Mr Goldberg.
The Victor J. Goldberg Middle East Peace Award recognizes each year the exceptional collaborative work of two individuals, a Muslim Arab and a Jewish Israeli.
Caroline Haïat
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