Education & Leadership - King Hussein Prize

The King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Prize is an international award presented to those individuals, groups and institutions demonstrating exceptional humanitarian leadership in their efforts to advocate for and promote sustainable development, human rights, equity, and peace.

The Prize is awarded annually by the King Hussein Foundation, which is chaired by Her Majesty Queen Noor, around the anniversary of the Late King’s birthday on November 14th, at a ceremony held under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah, the Patron of the King Hussein Foundation.

• 2006 King Hussein Prize

• 2005 King Hussein Prize

The 2006 King Hussein Prize was awarded to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, a spiritual statesman and Nobel Laureate, he shared the prize with Seeds of Peace. The ceremony was held in New York City on November 2nd, 2006 during the Peace-Builders Dinner. The event also featured a dialogue among several experts on the Middle East, its societies, politics and values.

Reverend Mpho Tutu accepting the King Hussein Prize on behalf of her father
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

Ms. Raya Yusuf and Mr. Dor Kaidar accepting the King Hussein Prize on behalf
of Seeds of Peace.

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In 2005, the Prize was awarded to four different recipients, The Arab Human Development Reports, Dr. Rola Dashti, Mrs. Sulha Djuderija, and OneVoice, during KHFI's Inaugural Peace-Builders Dinner, which also featured a dialogue among notable global leaders on leadership and peace-building, that was held in New York City on November 1st 2005.

The Arab Human Development Reports (AHDR) was awarded the Prize for its courageous and groundbreaking analysis and reports on the conditions and challenges facing the Arab world today. Prepared by Arab social scientists and intellectuals from a variety of disciplines, under the auspices of the United Nations Development Program, the AHDR is a series of three reports since 2002, which inspired a regional Arab dialogue on various social, political, and economic issues facing the Arab world today and warns that Arab societies are being crippled by a lack of political freedom, the repression of women, and isolation from the world of ideas that stifles creativity. The reports have initiated a new reform paradigm led by Arabs for Arabs.

"…the series is a beacon." – Her Majesty Queen Noor

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Dr. Rola Dashti was awarded the Prize for her courageous, perseverance and success in the struggle for women's rights. Dr. Dashti has been a staunch advocate of gender equity and a leading activist of the women's suffrage movement in Kuwait. She, along with a number of women activists, bravely challenged the constitutionality of Kuwait's election law in the country's courts. Her tireless work was instrumental in women obtaining the right to vote on May 16, 2005. With this remarkable achievement in tow, Dr. Dashti continues to advocate for women's participation in Kuwait's social, economic, and political sphere, giving voice to those who have been silenced for far too long. Among other things, she is presently the chairman of the Kuwait Economic Society, the first women to hold that position.

"Her remarkable courage and tireless [effort] will have given a voice to those who have been silenced for far too long" – Her Majesty Queen Noor

Saliha Djuderija was awarded the prize for her perseverance, humanitarian vision, courageous and often quiet leadership in the name of peace-building and reconciliation within Bosnia Herzegovina. Mrs. Djuderija was able to build coalitions across conflict lines by addressing important, community-wide issues including the identification of missing persons, and the prevention of human trafficking of women and children. She succeeded in promoting the development of a strategic national anti trafficking agenda and was instrumental in the creation the Law of Missing Persons as well as the establishment of the Missing Persons Institute in Bosnia. Saliha Djuderija is currently the Head of Department for Human Rights Protection in the Bosnian Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees.

"Ms. Djuderijia has consistently defied the tremendous odds placed before her, and is a proven leader in a country desperately searching for genuine leadership." – Her Majesty Queen Noor

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OneVoice was awarded the Prize for its dedication, creativity and persistence to tackle one of the most pressing and intractable issues of the day – The Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The One Voice Initiative has been instrumental in creating a space for peaceful moderates through resourceful and self-sustainable projects that promote cooperation and overcoming numerous political, social and religious divides. Its three offices in the Middle East have worked tirelessly to amplify the moderate majority voices of Palestinians and Israelis and build peace through cultivating grassroots consensus for conflict resolution. Representatives for OneVoice include Oriella Ben-Zvi, co-chair for the OneVoice Israeli board and Nisreen Muhammad Shahin, the Executive Director of the Palestinian branch of OneVoice in Ramallah.

In 2004, the world’s largest medical humanitarian movement Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), received the fifth King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership for its work in providing emergency humanitarian and medical assistance to people in distress around the world. The prize was awarded for their unrelenting efforts as an advocate of human rights, and their efforts in relieving suffering, by working directly with those in need, ensuring respect for their dignity, and endeavoring to provide the best possible care for all those in need.

Dr. Rowan Gillies, President of MSF’s International Council
receiving the King Hussein Prize.

“Epitomizes the purpose of the Foundation — to honor His Late Majesty King Hussein’s lifelong leadership, work, and commitment to peace and development throughout the world.”

“In carrying out humanitarian assistance, MSF raises awareness of crisis situations; it speaks out about the plight of the people it is assisting, while trying to restore their dignity as human beings,” she said. “They give a voice to the dispossessed and oppressed.” - Queen Noor speaking at the presentation ceremony.

In 2003, Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, received the fourth King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Prize for her unrelenting efforts as an advocate of human rights in working to affect social change in her own country and in countries ravaged by conflict for the past 35 years. She has dedicated special attention to the most vulnerable groups, for a serious response to extreme poverty, and for the creation and strengthening of International Penal Law.

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
receiving the King Hussein Prize.

“For over three decades, our 2003 Prize recipient has championed freedom and human rights, serving as a voice for those denied those rights, while working to empower them to speak for themselves. As a lawyer, a senator, first woman president of Ireland, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, she has always sought to use the law as an instrument of social change.” - Her Majesty Queen Noor speaking at the presentation ceremony.

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The 2002 King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Prize was awarded to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization for its outstanding relief and humanitarian assistance in over 40 countries in the Middle East and West Asia. The Organization has provided critical relief to victims of natural catastrophes and has played a catalytic role in supporting victims of armed conflict during the Gulf crisis and in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Palestine, among other countries.

Hashemite Charity Organization’s Secretary-General Dr. Abdul Salam Abbadi
receiving the King Hussein Prize.

“The work of organizations like the Jordan Hashemite Charity was close to His Majesty King Hussein’s heart. He knew from wide experience that in times of catastrophe and strife, non-governmental charitable organizations can do things that governments cannot do alone …by using specialized skills to make a speedy and decisive difference between life and death.” - Queen Noor speaking at the presentation ceremony.

The 2001 Prize was awarded to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for its relentless efforts in rendering humanitarian services to millions of Palestinians in the region in the areas of education, health, and social welfare.

Commissioner-General Peter Hansen of UNRWA
receiving the King Hussein Prize.

“The recipient of our 2001 award has for five decades rendered life saving emergency relief services to millions of people in our region and has worked tirelessly to help build a better and more peaceful future.” - Queen Noor citing the Prize Selection Committee’s decision.

In its first year, in 2000, the Prize was awarded to Professor Muhammed Yunus, founder and creator of the Grameen Bank, whose pioneering work and vision has contributed significantly in promoting credit-based small-scale entrepreneurship, especially among poor women.

Grameen Trust’s Assistant General Manager Lamiya Morshed
receiving the King Hussein Prize.

“The winner of our 2000 award is a true visionary and has been aptly described as having created the first institution with soul from the ground up.’ The Grameen Bank is the key model for the global micro finance movement, which is breaking the vicious cycle of poverty, discrimination and instability in communities throughout the world. Through personal example and enormous faith in his fellow women and man, our prizewinner has become, over the past 25 years, one of the most powerful world’s poor and marginalized.” - Queen Noor speaking at the presentation ceremony.

For more information on the King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Prize, visit the Prize’s Website:


www.kinghusseinprize.com