The 2014 Pax Christi International Peace Award has been granted to Jesuit Refugee Service Syria (JRS Syria) for its outstanding dedication in providing emergency relief to Syrians since the war began in 2012. According to the latest UN statistics, more than 9 million Syrians are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including 6,5 million internally displaced persons and 2,6 million refugees in neighbouring countries.
Established in 1988, the Award is funded by the Cardinal Bernardus Alfrink Peace Fund and honours contemporary individuals and organisations who make a stand for peace, justice and non-violence in different parts of the world.
In a press release issued on March 27, Pax Christi said that following the violent events in Syria from 2011 onwards, JRS Syria is now mainly focusing on emergency relief to those in greatest need, medical support and educational activities to enhance reconciliation and co-existence amongst people of different socio-economic and faith backgrounds.
“JRS Syria helps civil society to resist the logic of war and to survive the violence that threatens to overwhelm and destroy communities,” it said. “Perhaps the most obvious challenge facing
JRS, as a faith-based organisation, is that religion plays such a significant role in the Middle 
East, often as a mark of difference, exploited to spark conflict. Bringing people together is not easy in such a scenario. The JRS teams are composed of people of different faiths, of national staff and international volunteers, who serve all without distinction. JRS strives to serve all marginalised groups, be they Muslims or Christians. In this way, inter-religious dialogue remains at the heart of JRS daily activities.”
Through this award, Pax Christi International acknowledges JRS Syria’s tireless efforts in providing services to vulnerable people affected by conflict, and welcomes the organisation’s aim of expanding its activities to promoting peace and reconciliation among divided communities in Syria. At the same time, the award symbolically honours humanitarian workers – women and men, compassionately serving fellow Syrians suffering due to the effects of the three-year long civil war.
The Peace Award Ceremony will take place on June 8, 2014 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the context of the International Peace Event.
Read the full press release here.