The sixteenth International Hrant Dink Award laureates were announced during the ceremony which took place on Sunday, September 15. The award is granted to Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation from Turkey for being one of the longest-standing women’s organisations in Turkey, with its efforts in enabling women to stand together and empower together, for being one of the strongest symbols of the feminist movement, for facilitating the intergenerational transfer of the feminist movement, and for relentlessly combating violence for decades. The award is also granted to Rugiatu Neneh Turay from Sierra Leone for her efforts to transform a deep-seated tradition in Sierra Leone, though facing public reaction, including from her family members and community leaders and succeeding in organising women and girls despite all obstacles and for her courageous struggle spanning years against female gender mutilation of women and girls.
The award ceremony was narrated by Nezaket Erden and Hakan Emre Ünal. Mahir Günşiray and Eric Nazarian took part in the ceremony with their voice overs. The ceremony was held at Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. The President of the Foundation Rakel Dink greeted the audience with the words “The only way to break this spiral is to distance ourselves from all policies that preach violence, to be vigilant against these discourses, to defend the right to life instead of violence, and pluralism instead of monism.” Please click here to read the full speech of Rakel Dink.
The song ‘Bir Garip Hal’, by Lara Di Lara, accompanied by Kerem Can Dündar, was hosted by the 23.5 Hrant Dink Site of Memory. Vartan Harutyunyan also participated in the ceremony with a music performance ‘Boundless Fields’ which was recorded in our close neighbor Armenia. Peyk performed their acoustic pieces 'Köleler ve Kilitler' and 'Denizdeyim' live at the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall.
In their speech on behalf of the laureate Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation, Selime Büyükgöze, Melike Keleş, Leyla Soydinç and Yasemin Temizarabacı stated that “At a time when they cast their eyes on women’s equal rights and try to discredit feminism, we do embrace our struggle; we do feel strong and hopeful.”
Please click here to read the full acceptance speech of Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation.
In her acceptance speech, Rugiatu Neneh Turay stated “I am convinced that you can only make a change when you are within. I challenged myself to remain strong, steadfast, focused, committed and determined never to back down.”
Please click here to read the full text of Rugiatu Neneh Turay.
‘Inspirations’, which honors people and organizations in Turkey and around the world who inspire humanity with their actions while raising hope was screened at the ceremony. This year’s Inspirations include individuals and initiatives from Jordan to Greece, from Bangladesh to Switzerland, from Iran to Latin America, who inspire people and humanity with their actions on numerous issues such as women’s rights, justice, struggle to end racism and sexism, struggling economic injustices, poverty and climate crises, defending animal rights.
The jury of this year’s award includes 2023 International Hrant Dink Award laureate Açık Radyo, 2023 International Hrant Dink Award laureate José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective, lawyer and academic Aslı Bâli, political scientist, academic, and author Fatmagül Berktay, human rights lawyer Ara Ghazarian, human rights lawyer Wolfgang Kaleck, historian and political scientist, academic Reşat Kasaba, orchestra conductor Cem Mansur, journalist and author Zeynep Oral, theater and film actress, voice-over artist Tilbe Saran and president of the Hrant Dink Foundation Rakel Dink.
The International Hrant Dink Award was previously presented to independent radio station Açık Radyo, human rights and environmental rights defender José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective from Colombia in 2023, women’s rights defender Shaharzad Akbar, human rights organisation Human Rights Foundation of Turkey in 2022, investigative journalist Maria Ressa, women’s rights activist and lawyer Canan Arın in 2021, human rights activist Osman Kavala and women’s rights activist Mozn Hassan in 2020, Nebahat Akkoç, the founder of KAMER, who has been working to raise awareness about women's rights for many years, and Agnes Kharshiing, who has been fighting for the rights and environmental rights of the poor, women, children and disadvantaged people in the region where she lives in India in 2019, human rights defender Murat Çelikkan and human rights organization Mwatana in 2018, lawyer Eren Keskin who is bringing human rights violations to the agenda of both Turkey and the international community, and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who draws attention to the inequalities and human rights violations all over the world in 2017, Theresa Kachindamoto, chief of the tribe working on children's human rights and education rights in Malawi, and to the Diyarbakır Bar Association struggling for human rights and the rule of law in 2016, women's rights advocate Samar Badawi from Saudi Arabia, and KAOS GL struggling for LGBT rights and equality in Turkey in 2015, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, forensic expert and human rights advocate, and activist Angie Zelter in 2014, to human rights advocate Nataša Kandić and Turkey’s longest continuing act of civil disobedience who are searching for their lost loved ones Saturday Mothers/People in 2013, writer İsmail Beşikçi and human rights organization International 'Memorial' Community in 2012, journalist, writer Ahmet Altan and journalist, human rights defender Lydia Cacho in 2011, Turkey Conscientious Objection Movement and jurist Baltasar Garzón in 2010, journalist-writer Alper Görmüş, and journalist-writer Amira Hass in 2009.
Please click here to see the 2024 International Hrant Dink Award Booklet (in English).