Activist who lost son in terror attack among two Sheikh Zayed award winners

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Moroccan-French activist Latifa Ibn Ziaten are the two honourees of the 2021 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity (ZAHF).

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Hosted via a virtual ceremony, anchored around the setting of the Founder’s Memorial in Abu Dhabi, the ZAHF's inaugural annual award ceremony will be streamed on its website on Thursday evening.

>> António Guterres

As Secretary-General of the UN since 2017, António Guterres has embarked on a dedicated mandate to address issues relating to world peace and security.

Among some of the key initiatives he has spearheaded are: Countering hate speech and violence; modernising UN peacekeeping practices; Global Cease Fire Appeal and Initiative during the Covid-19 pandemic – resulting in 170 member and observer states heeding that call to sign up.

>> Latifa Ibn Ziaten

The Moroccan-French activist has been dedicated to raising awareness against escalating religious extremism, following her own personal tragedy of losing her son, Imad, to a terrorist attack in 2012.

Since then, Latifa has become a well-known civil society activist in France and beyond; working with families and communities to prevent youth radicalisation and spreading the message of peace, dialogue, and mutual respect.

Ahead of receiving his award on Thursday, Guterres, said: “It is with humility and deep gratitude that I feel honoured to receive the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. I see it also as recognition of the work the United Nation is doing every day, everywhere, to promote peace and human dignity.

“We live in challenging times. We see the threats coming from the pandemic, from the climate, threats from war and conflict in different parts of the world.

"Therefore, it is fantastic to see the enormous leadership of the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, pushing humankind to come together, in unity, in dialogue, to promote peace, to promote fraternity, and to promote the unity that is necessary to address all the challenges to defeat hate and ensure that human solidarity wins the battles we are facing.”

Accepting her award, Latifa said: “It is a great honour, and indeed humbling, to have been recognized by the ZAHF for the work I and many others do, each day, in addressing extremism though dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful co-existence.

"Most importantly, I hope this award helps raise awareness among a wider audience about the need to continue these efforts.

“The situation in France and Europe has often presented many challenges due to a sense of exclusion and marginalisation that affects so many young hearts.

"That said, I feel progress is being made, and we continue to work with families and communities to prevent youth radicalisation and to understand how we can create opportunities for more open dialogue and advocacy; making co-operation and mutual understanding the norm – not the exception,” Latifa concluded.

>> The award

Born out of the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity (DHF) in Abu Dhabi in 2019, and aligned to the humanitarian values shared by the UAE’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed, the global award recognises individuals who are committed to fostering conditions for peaceful co-existence.

In recognition of that historic meeting, the honorary recipients of the first ZAHF were the co-signees of the Document: Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, and the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s ceremony, the Secretary-General of the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity (HCHF), and co-author of the DHF, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam said: “As head of the UN, Guterres has been responsible for launching many individual and joint initiatives aimed at ending humanity’s violence against itself and violations against nature. His commitment and dedication in this role has shown that he is a true endorser of the approach and values advocated for by the Document on Human Fraternity.

“In recognising Latifa Ibn Ziaten as a 2021 honoree, it is a bitter-sweet realisation of how circumstances born out of such grievous and personal sorrow have been turned into a fitting tribute to her son, and all other victims of terrorist violence.

"Latifa’s great work in advocating for the values of human fraternity as a way to end violence is truly inspiring."

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi