The H.M. King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize

 

The prizes are:

The Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordan established the World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize in 2013 to recognize the three best events organized during the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week (first week of February) which best promote the goals of the World Interfaith Harmony Week. Prizes are awarded to each event that is judged to have been most successful in promoting interfaith harmony and impacting religious understanding. Since 2014, this prize has been known as the H.M. King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize.

To enter the 2024 prize:

  • the event must be held between 27 January and 3 March 2024
  • the Event submitted on the WIHW website (see HERE)
  • an Event Report submitted by 10 March 2024 (see HERE for last year’s Reports and HERE for what they should contain)
WIHW gold medal
  • First: $5,000 and a gold medal
    • WIHW silver medal
  • Second: $3,000 and a silver medal
    • WIHW bronze medal
  • Third: $1,000 and a bronze medal

    • How the Events are Judged:

    The judges receive numerous applications for the H.M. King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize every year. They are highly appreciative of all the efforts of all those who held events and apply for the prize. They wish they could reward all who hold events, but are consoled by the fact that good deeds are their own reward so that everyone who holds an event—whether they apply for the prize or not—is a true winner. In judging, the judges take into consideration the excellence of efforts, collaboration and impact of events. They look carefully at efforts made despite scantiness of resources, but also take into consideration consistent efforts made over the years. They further take into consideration whether events are consistent with the text of the UN Resolution establishing the Prize. Accordingly, judges do not reward movements towards religious syncretism but rather reward events which respect each religion as it is. Finally, in accordance with the terms of the Prize, judges reward events specifically celebrating the World Interfaith Harmony Week rather than good interfaith work in general.

    The current Judges for The King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week Prize are:

    • H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad
    • H.B. Patriarch Theophilus III – Patriarch of the Holy City, Palestine and Jordan
    • H.E. Sheikh Dr Ali Gomaa – former Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt
    • H.E. Bishop Munib Yunan – Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and President of the World Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
    • Sheikh Usama al-Sayyid Al-Azhari – Professor at Al-Azhar University
    • Father Nabil Haddad – Founder and Executive Director of the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Centre
    • Dr. Tarek Elgawhary – Director of the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought