Zakaria El hamel wins the 2017 Pan-African Humanitarian Award

Zakaria El hamel, founder of the Youth for Peace and Dialogue between Cultures, an organization headquartered in Morocco, is the winner of the 2017 Pan-African Humanitarian Award for Global Impact and Community Development.

El hamel is also Ambassador and President of the Youth for Human Rights International Chapter in Morocco, a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, an educator born and raised in apartheid South Africa, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of discrimination and the lack of basic human rights.

El hamel was identified for this prestigious award in consultation with the World Leaders Forum in Dubai and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

According to the literature made available to the press, “This award category is for the bravest and most daring, as well as the most strategically sound and forward-looking young advocate in Africa with measurable achievements in humanitarian practices, peace advocacy, and socio-economic development within Africa.” The document adds that the honor is being bestowed on El hamel for his “exceptional contribution and persistent efforts to develop and promote the attainment of peace, integrity, democracy and good governance on the African continent.”

The award ceremony, scheduled on 12 November 2017 in Tunisia, will be held in the context of The Pan-African Humanitarian Summit. The annual event is expected to draw 200 high-profile leaders from 37 African countries in government and various industries, including business and the humanitarian field. The summit will include workshops, conference sessions and panel sessions. The award ceremony will serve as the launch pad of the “Peace Begin with Me Campaign,” centered on the African Union’s vision and commitment to open dialogue aimed at bringing peace and development to the continent.

The award ceremony was previously held in Accra, Ghana in 2015, and Dubai, UAE in 2016 with more than 40 recipients from 27 countries, including former heads of state, celebrities and business leaders.