World

Applications for Human Fraternity Fellowship Programme open

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity opens the applications for the 2025 Human Fraternity Fellowship Programme organized in collaboration with Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs

By Vatican News

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is launching the second edition of its Human Fraternity Fellowship Program, continuing its mission to foster global dialogue, peacebuilding, and interfaith collaboration among young academics.

The Award was established on February 4, 2019, to mark the historic meeting in Abu Dhabi between the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb and Pope Francis, during which they co-signed the Document on Human Fraternity.

Around the world, people and organizations recognize the importance of this program, including the Director of Georgetown’s Berkley Center, Thomas Banchoff, in the United States:

“The Human Fraternity Fellows Program is a unique opportunity to carry forward the spirit of the Declaration on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb in 2018. It is never been more important to support young people committed to interfaith dialogue and cooperation.”

The Program, which was first launched in 2024 in partnership with Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, targets undergraduate and graduate students from around the world with the aim to cultivate a new generation of leaders who are deeply committed to the principles of human fraternity, inclusivity, and intercultural understanding.

As Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, explains these partnerships are important for the fellows involved in the program:

“Partnering with global universities to help equip the next generation of leaders with the skills and experiences to be ambassadors of peace and coexistence in their universities, communities, and future careers is a priority in advancing peace and human fraternity. The Prize deeply values its ongoing partnership with Georgetown University on this important initiative”

Applicants are asked to apply for this second edition before the deadline of May 16, 2025, via the programme’s online portal: https://humanfraternitydialogues.georgetown.edu/projects/human-fraternity-fellows-program

The program will with virtual sessions in June 2025, culminating in an immersive, week-long study tour in Jakarta, Indonesia, in August 2025 offering fellows the chance to engage with a dynamic mix of global peers, religious leaders, policymakers, and previous recipients of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.

Aisha Alyassi, a 2024 fellow from the United Arab Emirates, described her time in the Human Fraternity Fellows Program as one of personal and spiritual growth:

“We had the pleasure to meet a number of international leaders, who emphasized the importance of youth in carrying out peacemaking processes and fostering human fraternity. Their faith in us left a mark in our hearts and made us all feel a sense of responsibility to provide a better world for the future generations.”

First edition in 2024

In its first edition, held in Abu Dhabi in February 2024, the program convened students from eight Countries and five different religious traditions. This diverse cohort participated in the first-ever Human Fraternity Majlis, attended the Zayed Award ceremony, and met with distinguished leaders such as Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb and East Timor President José Ramos-Horta.

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