Moroccan Activist Zakaria El Hamel Honored with Prestigious Nelson Mandela Human Rights Award in Italy
OUJDA, MOROCCO — In a major victory for global citizen diplomacy, Moroccan human rights activist, journalist, and peace advocate Zakaria El Hamel has been named a recipient of the 2nd Edition of the Nelson Mandela International Human Rights Award. The honor highlights his lifelong commitment to intercultural dialogue and human rights education.
El Hamel, the President and Founder of the Youth for Peace and Dialogue Between Cultures Organization, was selected by a distinguished international coalition. The selecting body included respected institutions such as the World Peace Foundation, the International Academy Léopold Sédar Senghor, and the Academy of Philosophical Arts and Sciences. The coalition specifically recognized El Hamel’s extensive awareness campaigns and educational initiatives, which have successfully taught the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to more than 50,000 young people.
Adding substantial institutional weight to the recognition, the award ceremony will be held under the official patronage of the Italian Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati). As part of this high-level European endorsement, El Hamel will receive a distinguished Representative Prize—a major silver medal featuring the official seal of the Italian Parliament and an engraving of Rome’s historic Palazzo Montecitorio.
The award, deeply rooted in the enduring legacies of global peace icons Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, represents a historic achievement for Moroccan civil society. It signals the growing influence and contribution of Moroccan youth and activists to international peacebuilding and the promotion of mutual understanding.
The official presentation ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday, September 19, 2026, at the historic Norman-Swabian Castle of Sannicandro di Bari in Italy. The upcoming event is slated to bring together an international cohort of diplomats, academics, policymakers, and civil society leaders to foster further global cooperation
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