The Premi Internacional Catalunya recognizes the joint cry for peace of Palestinian and Israeli mothers

BarcelonaThe Catalan government has awarded the Premi Internacional Catalunya (Catalonia International Prize) to Israeli activist Yael Admi and Palestinian activist Reem Alhajajra, human rights defenders who advocate for dialogue, reconciliation, and non-violence. They are the driving force behind Mother's Call, a women-led initiative that calls for an end to the violence and the resumption of a negotiated political process as the only possible solution. The award ceremony will take place on January 15 at the Palau de la Generalitat, in an official ceremony presided over by President Salvador Illa. With this decision, the jury highlights the symbolic and transformative power of a women's alliance that challenges the dynamics of the conflict in a context particularly marked by violence, polarization, and a lack of political direction.

Mother's Call was born from the collaboration between two grassroots movements: Women Wage Peace, formed by Israeli women and led by Admi, and Women of the Sun, a Palestinian organization led by Alhajajra. The joint manifesto they are promoting calls for an immediate end to the violence, the resumption of negotiations, security, freedom, dignity, and equality for both peoples, as well as the active participation of women in any peace process, in accordance with United Nations resolutions. The common language of motherhood is capable of transcending political, religious, and national boundaries.

Gender Perspective

Yael Admi, a mother of six, holds a doctorate in philosophy and has over forty years of activism experience. She has served as president of the Parientes Circle - Familias Forum and co-founded Women Wage Peace following the 2014 Gaza War. Her work has earned her several international awards and a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024 and 2025. Her brother died young in a clash with Egi.

Reem Alhajajra, a mother of four originally from the Deheishe refugee camp in Bethlehem, has reflected on peacebuilding from a gender perspective. Co-founder and director of Women of the Sun, she combines a background in business administration and social work with extensive community work focused on women's empowerment. She has received awards such as the TIME Women of the Year Award and the Clooney Foundation for Justice's Albie Award, and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Sakharov Prize.

Through Mother's Call, these two women have transformed personal and collective pain into a force that seeks to generate empathy, break down stereotypes, and build bridges between communities separated by physical and ideological walls. The 2025 Catalonia International Prize recognizes this commitment to peace and highlights the essential role of women as builders of a shared future.

Created in 1989, the Catalonia International Prize annually recognizes figures from around the world with significant contributions in the cultural, scientific, or humanitarian fields. In this edition, the jury wished to highlight a courageous commitment to peace that, through female leadership and cross-border cooperation, keeps alive the hope of a shared future.