The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, dedicated to addressing on-the-ground humanitarian challenges around the world, has appointed Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, to the Selection Committee of the global Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. Dr. Clinton is renowned for her efforts to improve lives, inspire emerging leaders around the world, and drive awareness and action around critical issues including health equity.
The Aurora Prize is a $1 million award that recognizes individuals who risk their own lives to save the lives of others suffering due to violent conflict or atrocity crimes. The Aurora Prize Laureate receives a unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by using those funds to empower grassroots humanitarians.
“We are delighted to welcome Chelsea Clinton to the Aurora community. Her longstanding dedication to social change makes her a perfect addition to the Selection Committee, and I am looking forward to working alongside her to shine a light on heroic individuals risking their lives to help those in need,” said Lord Ara Darzi, Chair of Aurora Prize Selection Committee and Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London. “Chelsea brings a fresh perspective and deep expertise that will undoubtedly enrich our discussions and ensure a wide range of viewpoints are considered during the selection process.”
A longtime public health advocate, Dr. Clinton also serves as vice chair of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). In addition to her foundation work, Dr. Clinton has taught at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and written several books including the #1 bestselling She Persisted. She is also the co-author of The Book of Gutsy Women and Grandma’s Gardens with Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and of Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why? with Devi Sridhar.
"We all have a role to play in tackling our greatest global challenges,” said Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation. "I am honored to join the 2024 Aurora Prize Selection Committee and to continue our partnership through the Clinton Global Initiative to support humanitarian leaders who are making a critical difference in the world.”
The 2024 Aurora Humanitarians shortlisted for the 2024 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity were named on September 18, 2023, at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting in New York City. The eighth Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity was awarded on May 9, 2024, to Dr. Denis Mukwege, a world-renowned gynecological surgeon and human rights activist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Dr. Mukwege is the president of Panzi Hospital and Foundation in the DRC, which he founded in 1999 to address the systemic issue of maternal healthcare and maternal mortality. Amidst ongoing conflict and critical healthcare needs stemming from war, the hospital has become one of the world’s preeminent treatment centers for survivors of sexual violence in conflict.