Daniel Barenboim, Ali Abu Awwad awarded Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace
Thursday’s announcement of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2023 comes against the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict
NEW DELHI: Music conductor Daniel Barenboim and peace activist Ali Abu Awwad, who have worked to promote amity among the Israeli and Palestinian people, have been jointly awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2023.
Barenboim and Awwad, whose work focuses on the use of non-violent tools of music, dialogue and peoples’ participation, were chosen by an international jury chaired by former chief justice of India, TS Thakur, according to a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
The statement said the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2023 is being jointly awarded to them for “their outstanding efforts in bringing together the youth and peoples of Israel and the Arab World for a non-violent resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict by fostering meaningful political and humanitarian dialogue, mutual social and cultural understanding, and peaceful public cooperation through the instruments of music and people’s action”.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict that has resulted in the death of more than 17,000 people. The conflict was triggered by the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has resulted in more than 16,000 deaths, including thousands of children.
Barenboim is an Argentina-born distinguished classical pianist and conductor, renowned for performing with and directing some of the leading orchestras of the world. Apart from his musical achievements, he is known for his efforts to use music to foster harmony in West Asia.
His friendship and partnership with renowned Palestinian literary scholar Edward Said shaped his vision of a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict through respect, discourse and dialogue.
Having understood the role of music in overcoming discord and division, Barenboim established the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra and the Barenboim-Said Akademie along with Said to bring together youngsters from Israel, Palestine, and other Arab and North African countries in spaces of unity and understanding.
Barenboim, an advocate of hope, dialogue and peace, said: “To make music, you have to listen. You have to listen [to] what the other one is doing, but you also have to listen [to] what you are doing and how it affects the other – this is the best school of human relations.”
For his humanitarian efforts in cultural education and integration, Barenboim was awarded several accolades, including Germany’s Great Cross of Merit, Spain’s Prince of Asturias Award, and France’s Commander of the Legion of Honour.
Awwad is a leading Palestinian peace activist who has been working with the people of Palestine and Israel for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
He was born in 1972 and raised in a politically active refugee family. Unable to meet each other while in prison for three years, Awwad and his mother undertook a 17-day hunger strike, which resulted in them getting permission for a visit.
This was a watershed moment in Awwad’s realisation that non-violent action, along with Gandhian principles, could be the way forward for achieving the goals of freedom and dignity.
In 2014, Awwad co-founded a Palestinian-Israeli initiative called Roots to promote understanding, nonviolence and transformation. His peace-building efforts led to the creation of a Palestinian non-violence movement called Taghyeer, which was launched by more than 3,000 Palestinians across the West Bank in September 2016.
Taghyeer, a mass independent movement, is dedicated to the social development needs of Palestinians and aims to forge a nonviolent path to end the occupation by Israel.
Awwad believes in building coalitions for social change and a non-violent solution to the conflict with Israel. He said, “Non-violence is the art of practising your humanity, it is the art of being a human being. Peace is a place where we can live by accepting our differences and respecting each other’s rights.”