Each year, the Civil Rights Association gives the Emil Grunzweig Human Rights Award to a person or organization that has made a special contribution to the advancement of human rights in Israel. Learn more about 2024’s recipients:
Dr. Sharaf Hassan is a sociologist, educator, and activist promoting human rights, peace, and social justice, who serves as the Chair of the Committee Tracking Arab Education. Sharaf has been active in human rights issues, particularly education, since he was young and throughout his university studies, and served as the Director of the Education Department at ACRI. During his tenure on the Committee Tracking Arab Education, he led many campaigns to ensure the rights of Arab students to an equal and quality education.
Sharaf has continued to work to establish equal status and self-management for the Arab education system within the State education system. He is known for his thorough examinations of curricula for Arab education, while fighting against the influence of problematic institutions and enabling students to develop independent and critical thinking. Particularly when it comes to civics, Sharaf has worked to promote educational programs that would provide all students – Jewish and Arab – with values, meaningful content, and tools to help develop their ability to understand the complex socio-political reality in which they live and their ability to imagine and aspire to a different society: multicultural, democratic, and anti-racist.
Throughout his work, Sharaf has successfully combined various tools and engaged with diverse audiences to improve the Arab education system. He has worked with educators and students, acted to establish communities and fora for educators, and encouraged education professionals to take initiative and grow as leaders. He has published numerous articles and wrote policy papers in the field of education policy. His work has emphasized the importance of changing the educational discourse and moving from one that is achievement-focused to one that encompasses all students, especially those from disadvantaged populations, and addresses their needs. Since October 7th, Sharaf has directed his efforts to supporting students, lecturers, and teachers who were penalized for expressing their political views. He led fora and worked with university administrations to ensure freedom of expression and the rights of Arab students.
The Emil Grunzweig Human Rights Award Committee chose to present this award to Dr. Sharaf Hassan for his determination and commitment to bringing about change in the Arab education system, and for his enormous contribution to the struggle for an equal and just education.
“Local Conversation” (“Sikha Mikomit,” “שיחה מקומית”) is an independent journalism website committed to democracy; opposition to the occupation; and the pursuit of peace, equality, and social justice. It was established in 2014 by 972 and the organization Just Vision. The site is a platform for independent thought; groundbreaking investigations; and courageous opinion articles, testimonies, and discussions that do not take place anywhere else. The range of topics that the site deals with and the questions it raises regarding what is happening in Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, is extensive. Evident in all its work is the research efforts to reveal hidden evidence, the striving to point out complexity, and the insistence on clear positions on questions of equality and justice. Particularly since the outbreak of the war, when the Israeli media is mostly mobilized and there is a paucity of reports on what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank, the website "Local Conversation" has stood out as a reliable and professional source of information, and a platform for discussion and critical voices. All of the site’s writers are worthy of praise, and the committee chose to highlight two:
Yuval Avraham is one of the site’s most prominent writers. He is frequently able to reach sources that are not heard in the mainstream media and to publish information that is not seen elsewhere. In his in-depth investigations and articles, he opposes the idea that human life—whether Palestinian or Israeli—is cheap, and seeks to humanize Palestinian residents of the territories within the discourse in Israel as people with feelings, desires, and rights. This work addresses an acute deficiency, both within established journalism and in the Israeli consciousness. Yuval's journalistic work struck a chord even before the outbreak of the war, and it has become even more important since October 7th.
Oren Ziv is a photographer and journalist and one of the founders of the photography collective "Activistills". Over the last two decades, he has been documenting social and political events in Israel and the occupied territories, with an emphasis on the struggles of marginalized communities. He has captured unforgettable images from events with no Israeli media presence. His connections to the many acts of protests carried out by different groups and communities against exclusion, violence, and deprivation reflects a deep understanding of inequality in Israel and the notion of a unifying struggle for a more equal and just future for all.
The Emil Grunzweig Human Rights Award Committee chose to grant the award to “Local Conversation” in recognition of their uncompromising commitment to protecting human rights and the value of human life; their enormous contribution to the public discourse; and for their professionalism, courage, and integrity.
Amalia Wiesel has been working for about 15 years advocating for the right to health, the right to life, and the right to freedom of movement for sick children from the Gaza Strip. Since a chance encounter with sick children from Gaza at a hospital in Israel in 2009, she has dedicated her time and energy to enabling sick children from Gaza to reach hospitals in Israel and receive life-saving treatments.
Amalia joined Yuval Roth and the organization "Road to Recovery,” a volunteer organization that transports severely ill Palestinian patients, mainly children, from West Bank crossings to hospitals in Israel, and she initiated the transportation of sick children from Gaza to Israel through the Erez Crossing. She organized activities with Gaza, established numerous connections with Palestinian health organizations in Gaza to determine which patients could receive medical funding from the Palestinian Authority and leave for life-saving treatments in Israel, and recruited volunteers for transportation. With persistence and patience, and through the relationships and cooperation she built with military and even Shin Bet officials, Amalia excelled at overcoming bureaucratic and other obstacles to obtain exit permits to Israel for sick children and their escorts. When necessary, she helped secure donations for patients whom the Palestinian Authority refused to fund.
Amalia has a full partner in her work: a young woman from Gaza, who was admitted to a hospital in Israel in 2010 as a 5-year-old child with a severe illness that caused her to go blind. Amalia connected with this brave girl, and they have been in daily contact for 15 years. The girl took on the role of translator, and is an active partner in all requests for assistance that Amalia receives from families of patients in Gaza.
On October 7th, five volunteers from Road to Recovery were murdered and three were kidnapped, and any contact with Gaza was almost completely severed. Even during this difficult year, and after the initial shock, anger, and pain, Amalia has refused to give up. Amalia tries to respond to the many calls for help she receives from families of patients from Gaza, and continues to encourage, support, and help children with severe illnesses to reach other countries for treatment, now that they can no longer be treated in Israel.
The Emil Grunzweig Human Rights Award Committee has chosen to present the award to Amalia Wiesel for the quiet struggle she engages in daily with persistence and dedication, as well as for her humanity and compassion towards every human being.