Award ceremony marks culmination of weekend of events held in Yerevan bringing together international humanitarians, academics, media experts and former statesmen to celebrate humanity and discuss the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.

More than 700 people gathered in Yerevan, Armenia over the weekend for a series of events marking the presentation of the inaugural Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. The Aurora Prize was presented to Marguerite Barankitse from Maison Shalom and REMA Hospital in Burundi, who introduced the Fondation du Grand-Duc et de La Grande-Duchesse du Luxembourg, Fondation Jean-François Peterbroeck (JFP Foundation) and the Fondation Bridderlech Deelen Luxembourg – the organizations she selected as beneficiaries of the $1 million award. 

“This Prize is consolation for the whole of Burundi’s people. Having such an amount of money will go toward helping mothers so that they can get microcredit and feed their children,” said Aurora Prize Laureate Marguerite Barankitse. “Being awarded with this Prize also means being able to send a significant amount of children to school, and helping the young people who got injured, mutilated, or who are in hospital in Kigali go back to university. I am very grateful.”

The Ceremony, which included the music of Serj Tankian and Charles Aznavour, acknowledged the work of the four finalists. Alongside Aurora Prize Laureate Marguerite Barankitse, Dr. Tom Catena of Mother of Mercy Hospital in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan, Syeda Ghulam Fatima, the General Secretary of the Bonded Labor Liberation Front in Pakistan, and Father Bernard Kinvi, a Catholic priest in Bossemptele in the Central African Republic were also honored. 

To mark the occasion of the inaugural Aurora Prize, it was confirmed that the three other finalists will be presented with $25,000 from the Aurora Prize co-founders to support the organizations that have inspired their work.  

Also presented was the newly launched International Center for Journalists Integrity in Journalism Award in partnership with the Aurora Prize. Awarded to journalists dedicated to attracting the world’s attention to humanitarian crises, the Award was given to The New York Times correspondent Rukmini Callimachi for her exceptional contribution to exposing crimes against humanity.