Cardinal Ravasi joins jury for 2027 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity

Vatican News

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture, has been named to the judging committee for the 2027 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.

Announced in Abu Dhabi on 30 September, the five-member panel will select the recipient or recipients of the award’s eighth edition.

Joining Cardinal Ravasi are former Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and former Iraqi President Barham Salih; Lebanon’s First Lady Nehmat Aoun; and Maulen Ashimbayev, former Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan’s Parliament.

According to the announcement, Italy, Iraq, Lebanon, and Kazakhstan are represented on the judging committee for the first time.

Roots in the Document on Human Fraternity

The annual, independent international award was established following the 2019 meeting in Abu Dhabi between Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, during which they signed the Document on Human Fraternity.

The prize recognizes individuals and organizations of all backgrounds, anywhere in the world, whose work advances fraternity and peaceful coexistence.

It includes a financial prize of US$1 million and is named in honour of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, in recognition of his humanitarian commitment to helping people regardless of their background or location.

Nominations open

Nominations for the eighth edition are open for individuals and organizations advancing human fraternity and solidarity worldwide.

They may be submitted before 31 October through the award’s website: https://www.zayedaward.org/en/nomination/form