Nuremberg honors reconciliation initiative with Human Rights Prize 2025!

Nuremberg honors reconciliation initiative with Human Rights Prize 2025!

On September 21, 2025, the city of Nuremberg awarded the “Parents Circle – Families Forum” (PCFF) initiative with its human rights prize. Chairman of the jury, Mayor Marcus König, praised the tireless commitment of the initiative for reconciliation in the Middle East, which has existed since 1995. Robi Damelin, an Israeli, and Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian, accepted the prize worth 25,000 euros. The award ceremony traditionally took place in the opera house and marks the 16th awarding of the prestigious prize, which is awarded every two years.

PCFF brings together families who have lost loved ones as a result of the Middle East conflict. The initiative is more than just a committee; it offers educational programs and grief recovery activities that promote dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. Over 250,000 people have attended PCFF dialogue meetings over the past two decades. Despite the tense situation that has prevailed since Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel in October 2023, PCFF remains active and uses online formats to promote exchange and reconciliation.

Commitment to dialogue

The jury particularly appreciated the PCFF's attitude to keeping communication channels open, even in difficult times. A central part of their work is the annual summer camp for Israeli and Palestinian youth, which took place in Cyprus in August 2024. The annual memorial ceremony, where Israelis and Palestinians mourn together, reflects the initiative's missionary vision: empathy and dialogue as the key to overcoming hostility.

Robi Damelin and Bassam Aramin, who accepted the current award, are not only faces of the initiative, but rather symbols of the necessary dialogue between people connected by suffering and loss. AlDajani, a respected reconciliation researcher, emphasizes that peace is not a one-time agreement but an ongoing process. His approach calls on people to actively work for peace rather than simply hoping for political solutions.

A look into the future

Given the current conflict situation, AlDajani emphasizes that both Israelis and Palestinians must accept challenges to find creative solutions. He critically notes that despite numerous signed agreements, the necessary personal responsibility for peace is often missing. According to his courses at the University of Jena, dialogue is a central element for successful reconciliation.

The City of Nuremberg's Human Rights Prize is not only an award, but also a signal to everyone that solutions to the Middle East conflict are rooted in communication and understanding between interrelated cultures. The hope remains that new paths towards peace can be taken through the commitment of the PCFF and other initiatives.