I am the Executive Director of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, which awards an annual prizes of $1M USD to a humanitarian hero who has risked their own life to save and improve the lives of others. Aurora was founded in 2015, the Armenian Genocide centennial, in gratitude to those who saved the lives of Armenians destined for certain death. As the descendant of an Armenian Genocide survivor myself, it is an honor to spend my days expressing gratitude to brave humanitarians undertaking the similar courageous action around the world today.
Together with our 2020 and 2022 Aurora Prize Laureates, Ilwad Elman and Jamila Afghani, I opened the 2023 Innovations in International Philanthropy Symposium held in Cambridge, MA earlier this month. As a speaker and participant, there were two themes that stood out:
- Participants were unified by a strong interest in empowering local leaders, those with the on-the-ground experience and access to make a difference. The Aurora Prize amplifies the work of local humantiarian leaders around the world. Aurora Laureates are empowered to disburse most of the prize funds to organizations they deem worthy, those making a difference where it’s needed most. I was energized by the conversations we had with courageous philanthropists whose trust in local leaders drives them to fund as close to the point of impact as possible.
- Presenters emphasized on what participants could do immediately to make a tangible difference, practical solutions to complex issues. I found the call to action particularly strong in day 2’s “Taking Action Now: How Funders can Support Refugees at Home or Abroad During the Refugee Jouney”. The speakers’ mix of field experience and personal anecdotes drove home the importance of empowering refugees. What’s more, they made clear participants could get involved, by sponsoring new arrivals.
A core tenant of our work at Aurora is gratitude in action. Gratitude is a unifying human sentiment, whether expressed to those who enable surviving, thriving or anything in between. Acting on that gratitude can take many different forms. For Aurora, it’s telling the stories of on-the-ground humanitans and cebelrating their work as the best of humanity. In the that spirit of gratitude, I am grateful for to have had the opportunity to address the Symposium audience and met so many passionate practitioners across fields. We’re looking forward to the next one already!
Armine Afeyan, Executive Director, Aurora Prize
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