{"id":1986,"date":"2025-08-27T23:40:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T20:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/?p=1986"},"modified":"2025-08-27T23:43:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T20:43:26","slug":"farida-khalaf-honored-with-the-2024-mietek-pemper-award-for-reconciliation-and-international-understanding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/blog\/2025\/08\/27\/farida-khalaf-honored-with-the-2024-mietek-pemper-award-for-reconciliation-and-international-understanding\/","title":{"rendered":"Farida Khalaf Honored with the 2024 Mietek Pemper Award for Reconciliation and International Understanding"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On <strong>3 December 2024<\/strong>, the <strong>University of Augsburg<\/strong> presented its prestigious <strong>Mietek Pemper Award for Reconciliation and International Understanding<\/strong> to <strong>Farida Khalaf<\/strong>, Yazidi survivor, human rights defender, and co-founder of <strong>Farida Global e.V.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This marks the <strong>ninth presentation<\/strong> of the award, which celebrates individuals whose courage and dedication advance peace, reconciliation, and justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Voice of Courage and Justice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Farida Khalaf, who endured ISIS captivity during the <strong>Yazidi genocide of August 2014<\/strong>, has since become a leading advocate for survivors of conflict-related violence. Her internationally recognized memoir, <em>The Girl Who Escaped ISIS: This Is My Story<\/em> (2016, co-written with journalist Andrea C. Hoffmann), recounts her personal experience of survival and resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through her work, Khalaf continues to amplify the voices of survivors, pressing for global recognition of the Yazidi genocide and demanding accountability for those responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking at the ceremony, <strong>Markus Blume<\/strong>, Bavarian State Minister for Science and the Arts, emphasized:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cFarida Khalaf embodies resilience and hope. Her courage shows how the determination of one individual can inspire justice, reconciliation, and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>University President <strong>Prof. Dr. Sabine Doering-Manteuffel<\/strong> added:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cEach recipient of the Mietek Pemper Award shares a profound commitment to humanity and reconciliation. Farida Khalaf stands in this tradition with tireless dedication and moral clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/newsimage400941.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/newsimage400941.jpg 799w, https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/newsimage400941-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/newsimage400941-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/newsimage400941-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>From Survivor to Global Advocate<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 2018, Farida Khalaf has led <strong>Farida Global e.V.<\/strong>, an organization she co-founded with other survivors to defend the rights of Yazidis and other communities affected by genocide and conflict-related sexual violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Farida Global works to ensure survivors are heard, their needs are recognized, and their rights are respected. From raising international awareness to providing psychosocial support and legal advocacy, the organization represents a vital survivor-led effort for justice and recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Mietek Pemper Award<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The award is named after <strong>Mieczys\u0142aw Pemper (1920\u20132011)<\/strong>, Holocaust survivor and honorary citizen of Augsburg, who risked his life by assisting Oskar Schindler in saving over 1,000 Jewish prisoners during World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Established in <strong>2007<\/strong> and sponsored by <strong>Dr. Georg Haindl<\/strong>, the prize continues Pemper\u2019s legacy by honoring figures who make extraordinary contributions to reconciliation, peacebuilding, and human dignity. Past laureates have included international leaders, peacebuilders, and civil society actors from across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The award reflects Augsburg\u2019s centuries-old identity as a <strong>\u201cCity of Peace\u201d<\/strong>, rooted in the legacy of the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, and reaffirms the city\u2019s commitment to interfaith and intercultural understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Recognition of a Lifelong Mission<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By honoring Farida Khalaf, the University of Augsburg acknowledges not only her personal resilience but also the wider struggle of the Yazidi community for truth, justice, and recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This award underscores the importance of <strong>survivor-led advocacy<\/strong> in shaping a more just and peaceful world\u2014values at the heart of Farida Global\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 3 December 2024, the University of Augsburg presented its prestigious Mietek Pemper Award for Reconciliation and International Understanding to Farida Khalaf, Yazidi survivor, human rights defender, and co-founder of Farida Global e.V. This marks the ninth presentation of the award, which celebrates individuals whose courage and dedication advance peace, reconciliation, and justice. A Voice of Courage and Justice Farida [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1984,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,23,24,1,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-genocide","category-news","category-uncategorized","category-uncategorized-en"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1986"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1987,"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1986\/revisions\/1987"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faridaglobal.org\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}