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ARN News Center
31-01-2025
- Politics
- ARN News Center
Zayed Award for Human Fraternity announces 2025 honourees
The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, aimed at individuals and organisations for their notable contributions to pressing societal issues and nurturing peace and solidarity across diverse communities, on Friday announced its 2025 honourees. They are the Prime Minister of Barbados, Senior Counsel, Member of Parliament and climate change champion Mia Amor Mottley; humanitarian organisation World Central Kitchen founded by Chef José Andrés; and 15-year-old health innovator Heman Bekele – the award's first youth honouree. They will be honoured on February 4 during the sixth edition of the award ceremony at the Founder's Memorial in Abu Dhabi, which will be live-streamed on the award's social media channels: Zayed Award for Human Fraternity - YouTube. Named in honour of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the UAE, the Award stands as a testament to his humanitarian legacy and unwavering commitment to serving people of every background. Mottley was selected by the judging committee for her leadership on climate action and policy. Prime Minister Mottley launched the Bridgetown Initiative in 2022, a call for decisive action to reform global financial systems to take into consideration climate inequality. She has committed to achieving 100 per cent renewable energy for Barbados by 2030, investing in solar, wind, and other clean energy sources to reduce the island's reliance on fossil fuels. The prime minister has pioneered debt-for-climate swaps, enabling countries to reallocate national debt toward climate resilience projects. Global food relief organisation World Central Kitchen (WCK) - founded in 2010 - provides food relief to communities suffering from humanitarian crises and natural disasters. Since its founding, WCK has delivered more than 300 million meals to communities in over 30 countries, including over 70 million meals to Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. Partnering with local chefs, volunteers, and suppliers, WCK supports local economies while delivering fresh, nutritious meals. Through collaborations - including with the UAE - and its innovative "first-on-the-ground" approach, allowing for rapid responses to crises under challenging circumstances, WCK has demonstrated its innovative capabilities in providing meals to the people who need them most. Fifteen-year-old Ethiopian American health innovator Heman Bekele is being honoured for his ambition to save the lives of the most vulnerable and his vision of accessible and affordable healthcare. At 14, he developed a cost-effective soap to prevent and treat early-stage skin cancer - an idea that earned him the title of TIME's 2024 Kid of the Year and recognition in various science competitions. Heman now collaborates with researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to develop the life-saving soap and seeks to expand global access to healthcare solutions for those who need it most. Following the honouree's announcement, Secretary-General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam said, "It is the judging committee's honour to spotlight three outstanding honourees who are addressing some of today's most urgent challenges - climate resilience, humanitarian relief, and youth-driven innovation. "This year's recipients demonstrate that transformative work can be undertaken at any age, in any place in the world, and in any field. By honouring Prime Minister Mottley, World Central Kitchen, and Heman Bekele, we seek to inspire others to envision and act towards a better future for the world."
Khaleej Times
31-01-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Teen who created affordable soap to treat skin cancer set to get Zayed Award
A 15-year-old who invented soap for skin cancer and World Central Kitchen (WCK), an organisation that has been feeding victims of humanitarian crises and natural disasters since 2010, was among the honorees of the $1 million-dollar Zayed Award for Human Fraternity this year. Spending the early years of his life in Ethiopia where skin cancer was a prominent threat to residents who had limited access to treatment, Heman Bekele was triggered to find a widely usable and affordable cure away from surgery or complex technological treatments. The 10th-grade Ethiopian American did extensive research and has been experimenting with all kinds of chemical mixtures since he was a child, until a recent research paper introduced him to the compound drug imidazoquinoline, which had shown potential in treating skin cancer. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. 'At first, I thought of using it to create a lotion for skin cancer, but then I realised that we need a universal product, something that everybody uses, everyone would buy, whether you're in a third world country, or in a first world country,' Bekele said. Soap was the most universal daily routine product he could think of; after obtaining the compound, he synthesized and incorporated it into a soap formula at a lab he was interning at. While the product has undergone initial testing on mice, showing promising results, 'the road to clinical use is long', he said, as it requires extensive approvals and trials before it can reach medical facilities or store shelves. 'I am currently conducting further research under the guidance of Dr Rita Rebecca at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health.' While it may take years for his soap to be available for patients, the young inventor's work signals a promising step toward affordable cancer treatment worldwide. Furthermore, Bekele plans to use the prize money to launch, in a week and a half, his own philanthropic organisation, the Heman Foundation. Bekele's dream 'The dream is to one day, in my home country of Ethiopia, build a affordable and accessible hospital. That's a very long-term goal, but I really want to open branches of philanthropic good, as well as pursue my passion for science into creating more cancer treatment and healthcare innovations,' he concluded. The Global food relief organisation WCK has been on the forefront of crises worldwide to secure a warm meal for affected communities. Founded by Chef José Andrés in 2010, the organisation has produced 300 million meals in over 30 countries, including turmoil hotspots. Overcoming political restraints, the WCK team managed to provide Palestinians in Gaza with over 70 million meals since the Israeli bombardment began in October 2023, after the UAE paved access. 'The UAE was incredibly instrumental in World Central Kitchen's ability to open the Maritime Corridor. We were the first organization or government for that matter to get food aid from Cyprus to Gaza,' said its CEO Erin Gore. She believes the core behind gaining access to conflict zones around the world lies in the fact that food is always perceived as a solution not a problem, 'so it's hard to say no (to granting access).' Feed more people The CEO said the prize money will help them extend their feeding hands to more troubled areas of the world; 'we'll be able to feed more people, plain and simple, and that means the world to us'. WCK operates by partnering with local chefs, volunteers, and suppliers in vulnerable crisis-hit areas, who often become permanent contributors to the central kitchen in their regions. Chef Aline Kamakian, who helped prepare millions of meals becoming the focal point for WCK in Lebanon and Armenia, is one of them. The Armenian-Lebanese chef's journey began with WCK in 2020, in the aftermath of the devastating Beirut port explosion. She lost her restaurant, her home, and was injured in the blast, driving her to find purpose amid the chaos. 'With whatever we had left — wood, rice, anything — we started cooking for those around us. That's when Chef José saw me on TV and came to Lebanon to help; that's how I joined World Central Kitchen,' she recalled. We love to cook traditional, homey meals that give people a sense of comfort,' she explained. 'Many displaced individuals join us in the kitchen. It's a kind of therapy—cooking, talking, and feeling a sense of normalcy.' In 2023, during the Azerbaijani offensive on Armenia, she reached out to WCK for support, helping to feed 120,000 internally displaced people. 'We are chefs. We cook. That's how we help,' she said. 'During war, food is your only comfort. It's why we cook traditional meals—it reminds people of home, even when they have lost everything.' The 55-year-old now leads a network of 23 WCK kitchens, ensuring that tens of thousands of displaced individuals receive a warm meal every day, preparing 50,000 meals daily across Lebanon. She also managed to re-open her restaurant Mayrig in Ashrafieh, Beirut, which was the first officially Armenian restaurant to open outside of Armenia after the country gained its independence in 2002. Efforts against climate change Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley was also among the honorees for her championing efforts against climate change — her country faces direct threats of disappearing if the temperature doesn't remain below 1.5. 'She has been a human, an advocate for inclusivity, for humanity, but particularly in relation to climate,' said Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary General. 'Barbados is one of the 25 small island developing states within the Commonwealth who are facing daily the existential threat of climate change for many of those countries. If we don't keep the temperature below one point five, they will disappear.' The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity announced its 2025 honorees on Friday in the UAE capital. The award, aimed at individuals and organisations, is adjudicated by its independent jury for their notable contributions to pressing societal issues and nurturing peace and solidarity across diverse communities – both globally and at the grassroots level. The $1million prize is divided between the winners.
Khaleej Times
31-01-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Teen who created affordable soap for skin cancer treatment set to get Zayed Award
A 15-year-old who invented soap for skin cancer and World Central Kitchen (WCK), an organisation that has been feeding victims of humanitarian crises and natural disasters since 2010, were among the honorees of the $1 million-dollar Zayed Award for Human Fraternity this year. Spending the early years of his life in Ethiopia where skin cancer was a prominent threat to residents who had limited access to treatment, Heman Bekele was triggered to find a widely usable and affordable cure away from surgery or complex technological treatments. The 10th-grade Ethiopian American did extensive research and has been experimenting with all kinds of chemical mixtures since he was a child, until a recent research paper introduced him to the compound drug imidazoquinoline, which had shown potential in treating skin cancer. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. 'At first, I thought of using it to create a lotion for skin cancer, but then I realised that we need a universal product, something that everybody uses, everyone would buy, whether you're in a third world country, or in a first world country,' Bekele said. Soap was the most universal daily routine product he could think of; after obtaining the compound, he synthesized and incorporated it into a soap formula at a lab he was interning at. While the product has undergone initial testing on mice, showing promising results, 'the road to clinical use is long', he said, as it requires extensive approvals and trials before it can reach medical facilities or store shelves. 'I am currently conducting further research under the guidance of Dr Rita Rebecca at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health.' While it may take years for his soap to be available for patients, the young inventor's work signals a promising step toward affordable cancer treatment worldwide. Furthermore, Bekele plans to use the prize money to launch, in a week and a half, his own philanthropic organisation, the Heman Foundation. Bekele's dream 'The dream is to one day, in my home country of Ethiopia, build a affordable and accessible hospital. That's a very long-term goal, but I really want to open branches of philanthropic good, as well as pursue my passion for science into creating more cancer treatment and healthcare innovations,' he concluded. The Global food relief organisation WCK has been on the forefront of crises worldwide to secure a warm meal for affected communities. Founded by Chef José Andrés in 2010, the organisation has produced 300 million meals in over 30 countries, including turmoil hotspots. Overcoming political restraints, the WCK team managed to provide Palestinians in Gaza with over 70 million meals since the Israeli bombardment began in October 2023, after the UAE paved access. 'The UAE was incredibly instrumental in World Central Kitchen's ability to open the Maritime Corridor. We were the first organization or government for that matter to get food aid from Cyprus to Gaza,' said its CEO Erin Gore. She believes the core behind gaining access to conflict zones around the world lies in the fact that food is always perceived as a solution not a problem, 'so it's hard to say no (to granting access).' Feed more people The CEO said the prize money will help them extend their feeding hands to more troubled areas of the world; 'we'll be able to feed more people, plain and simple, and that means the world to us'. WCK operates by partnering with local chefs, volunteers, and suppliers in vulnerable crisis-hit areas, who often become permanent contributors to the central kitchen in their regions. Chef Aline Kamakian, who helped prepare millions of meals becoming the focal point for WCK in Lebanon and Armenia, is one of them. The Armenian-Lebanese chef's journey began with WCK in 2020, in the aftermath of the devastating Beirut port explosion. She lost her restaurant, her home, and was injured in the blast, driving her to find purpose amid the chaos. 'With whatever we had left — wood, rice, anything — we started cooking for those around us. That's when Chef José saw me on TV and came to Lebanon to help; that's how I joined World Central Kitchen,' she recalled. We love to cook traditional, homey meals that give people a sense of comfort,' she explained. 'Many displaced individuals join us in the kitchen. It's a kind of therapy—cooking, talking, and feeling a sense of normalcy.' In 2023, during the Azerbaijani offensive on Armenia, she reached out to WCK for support, helping to feed 120,000 internally displaced people. 'We are chefs. We cook. That's how we help,' she said. 'During war, food is your only comfort. It's why we cook traditional meals—it reminds people of home, even when they have lost everything.' The 55-year-old now leads a network of 23 WCK kitchens, ensuring that tens of thousands of displaced individuals receive a warm meal every day, preparing 50,000 meals daily across Lebanon. She also managed to re-open her restaurant Mayrig in Ashrafieh, Beirut, which was the first officially Armenian restaurant to open outside of Armenia after the country gained its independence in 2002. Efforts against climate change Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley was also among the honorees for her championing efforts against climate change — her country faces direct threats of disappearing if the temperature doesn't remain below 1.5. 'She has been a human, an advocate for inclusivity, for humanity, but particularly in relation to climate,' said Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary General. 'Barbados is one of the 25 small island developing states within the Commonwealth who are facing daily the existential threat of climate change for many of those countries. If we don't keep the temperature below one point five, they will disappear.' The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity announced its 2025 honorees on Friday in the UAE capital. The award, aimed at individuals and organisations, is adjudicated by its independent jury for their notable contributions to pressing societal issues and nurturing peace and solidarity across diverse communities – both globally and at the grassroots level. The $1million prize is divided between the winners.
Khaleej Times
31-01-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Teen who created affordable soap for skin cancer set to get Zayed Award
A 15-year-old who invented soap for skin cancer and World Central Kitchen (WCK), an organisation that has been feeding victims of humanitarian crises and natural disasters since 2010, were among the honorees of the $1 million-dollar Zayed Award for Human Fraternity this year. Spending the early years of his life in Ethiopia where skin cancer was a prominent threat to residents who had limited access to treatment, Heman Bekele was triggered to find a widely usable and affordable cure away from surgery or complex technological treatments. The 10th-grade Ethiopian American did extensive research and has been experimenting with all kinds of chemical mixtures since he was a child, until a recent research paper introduced him to the compound drug imidazoquinoline, which had shown potential in treating skin cancer. 'At first, I thought of using it to create a lotion for skin cancer, but then I realised that we need a universal product, something that everybody uses, everyone would buy, whether you're in a third world country, or in a first world country,' Bekele said. Soap was the most universal daily routine product he could think of; after obtaining the compound, he synthesized and incorporated it into a soap formula at a lab he was interning at. While the product has undergone initial testing on mice, showing promising results, 'the road to clinical use is long', he said, as it requires extensive approvals and trials before it can reach medical facilities or store shelves. 'I am currently conducting further research under the guidance of Dr. Rita Rebecca at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health.' While it may take years for his soap to be available for patients, the young inventor's work signals a promising step toward affordable cancer treatment worldwide. Furthermore, Bekele plans to use the prize money to launch, in a week and a half, his own philanthropic organisation, the Heman Foundation. Bekele's dream 'The dream is to one day, in my home country of Ethiopia, build a affordable and accessible hospital. That's a very long-term goal, but I really want to open branches of philanthropic good, as well as purse my passion for science into creating more cancer treatment and healthcare innovations,' he concluded. The Global food relief organisation WCK has been on the forefront of crises worldwide to secure a warm meal for affected communities. Founded by Chef José Andrés in 2010, the organisation has produced 300 million meals in over 30 countries, including turmoil hotspots. Overcoming political restraints, the WCK team managed to provide Palestinians in Gaza with over 70 million meals since the Israeli bombardment began in October 2023, after the UAE paved access. 'The UAE was incredibly instrumental in World Central Kitchen's ability to open the Maritime Corridor. We were the first organization or government for that matter to get food aid from Cyprus to Gaza,' said its CEO Erin Gore. She believes the core behind gaining access to conflict zones around the world lies in the fact that food is always perceived as a solution not a problem, 'so it's hard to say no (to granting access).' Feed more people The CEO said the prize money will help them extend their feeding hands to more troubled areas of the world; 'we'll be able to feed more people, plain and simple, and that means the world to us'. WCK operates by partnering with local chefs, volunteers, and suppliers in vulnerable crisis-hit areas, who often become permanent contributors to the central kitchen in their regions. Chef Aline Kamakian, who helped prepare millions of meals becoming the focal point for WCK in Lebanon and Armenia, is one of them. The Armenian-Lebanese chef's journey began with WCK in 2020, in the aftermath of the devastating Beirut port explosion. She lost her restaurant, her home, and was injured in the blast, driving her to find purpose amid the chaos. 'With whatever we had left — wood, rice, anything — we started cooking for those around us. That's when Chef José saw me on TV and came to Lebanon to help; that's how I joined World Central Kitchen,' she recalled. We love to cook traditional, homey meals that give people a sense of comfort,' she explained. 'Many displaced individuals join us in the kitchen. It's a kind of therapy—cooking, talking, and feeling a sense of normalcy.' In 2023, during the Azerbaijani offensive on Armenia, she reached out to WCK for support, helping to feed 120,000 internally displaced people. 'We are chefs. We cook. That's how we help,' she said. 'During war, food is your only comfort. It's why we cook traditional meals—it reminds people of home, even when they have lost everything.' The 55-year-old now leads a network of 23 WCK kitchens, ensuring that tens of thousands of displaced individuals receive a warm meal every day, preparing 50,000 meals daily across Lebanon. She also managed to re-open her restaurant Mayrig in Ashrafieh, Beirut, which was the first officially Armenian restaurant to open outside of Armenia after the country gained its independence in 2002. Efforts against climate change Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley was also among the honorees for her championing efforts against climate change — her country faces direct threats of disappearing if the temperature doesn't remain below 1.5. 'She has been a human, an advocate for inclusivity, for humanity, but particularly in relation to climate,' said Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary General. 'Barbados is one of the 25 small island developing states within the Commonwealth who are facing daily the existential threat of climate change for many of those countries. If we don't keep the temperature below one point five, they will disappear.' The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity announced its 2025 honorees on Friday in the UAE capital. The award, aimed at individuals and organisations, is adjudicated by its independent jury for their notable contributions to pressing societal issues and nurturing peace and solidarity across diverse communities – both globally and at the grassroots level. The $1million prize is divided between the winners.
The National
31-01-2025
- General
- The National
World Central Kitchen among winners of 2025 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity
World Central Kitchen (WCK) has been named among this year's winners of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. The non-profit organisation was praised for its work in delivering food relief to communities suffering from humanitarian crises and natural disasters. Since being founded in 2010 by Spanish-American chef Jose Andres, WCK has delivered more than 300 million meals to communities in over 30 countries − including more than 70 million meals to Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, reported Abu Dhabi Media Office. Prime Minister of Barbados and climate change champion Mia Amor Mottley and 15-year-old 'health innovator' Heman Bekele were also winners of the award that comes with a $1 million prize. 'Partnering with local chefs, volunteers, and suppliers, WCK supports local economies while delivering fresh, nutritious meals,' the media office said. 'Through collaborations, including with the UAE, and its innovative first-on-the-ground approach allowing for rapid response to crises under challenging circumstances, WCK has demonstrated its innovative capabilities in providing meals to the people who need them most.' Ms Mottley was selected by the judging committee for her leadership on climate action and policy, which included the launch of the Bridgetown Initiative in 2022, seen as a call for decisive action to reform global financial systems to take into consideration climate inequality. 'She has committed to achieving 100 per cent renewable energy for Barbados by 2030, investing in solar, wind, and other clean energy sources to reduce the island's reliance on fossil fuels,' the media office said. 'The Prime Minister has pioneered debt-for-climate swaps, enabling countries to reallocate national debt toward climate resilience projects.' Rounding off the winners was Ethiopian teenager Heman, who was celebrated for his ambition to save the lives of the most vulnerable and his vision of accessible and affordable healthcare. At 14, he developed a cost-effective soap to prevent and treat early-stage skin cancer, an idea that earned him the title of Time magazine's 2024 Kid of the Year and recognition in various science competitions, the media office reported. He now works alongside researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, to develop the life-saving soap and is seeking to expand global access to healthcare solutions for those who are most in need. 'It is the judging committee's honour to spotlight three outstanding honourees who are addressing some of today's most urgent challenges − climate resilience, humanitarian relief, and youth-driven innovation,' said Mohamed Abdelsalam, secretary general of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. 'This year's recipients demonstrate that transformative work can be undertaken at any age, in any place in the world and in any field. By honouring Prime Minister Mottley, World Central Kitchen, and Heman Bekele, we seek to inspire others to envision and act towards a better future for the world.' The winners were announced on Friday morning at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, and will receive the prizes in an official ceremony on February 4.
