ABU DHABI, 16th February, 2026 (WAM) -- The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity hosted a high-level international delegation from Yale University’s Peace Fellowship programme this month, which included 13 extraordinary individuals working on the frontlines of conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and post-conflict reconciliation in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
The delegation – led by Yale International Leadership Center (ILC) Director Emma Sky - comprised former ministers, lawyers, experts, and international activists including a Cypriot former minister of justice advancing women’s roles in the island’s peace process, an Indian United Nations official leading private-sector engagement on the war in Ukraine, and a former member of Finnish Parliament now leading a global peace nonprofit organisation’s efforts in the Middle East.
The highly competitive fellowship - 13 fellows selected from a pool of approximately 4,700 applicants – is designed to support rising peace leaders at a critical moment in their careers, offering space to learn, connect, and prepare for the challenges ahead.
A key component of the 2026 fellowship is the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity study tour in Abu Dhabi, which included the Peace Fellows playing key roles in the award’s annual roundtable which convened award honorees and Peace Fellows for an exchange of ideas on human fraternity challenges and solutions; educational tours of UAE landmarks including Louvre Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, and the Abrahamic Family House; and dialogues with the award’s global network of peacebuilders and mediators including Charles Michel, 2026 judging committee member and former European Council President.
Zayed Award for Human Fraternity Secretary-General Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, affirmed that hosting the Yale Peace Fellows “reflects the Award’s commitment to advancing the values of the historic Document on Human Fraternity and transforming them into tangible programmes of action. Collaboration with leading global academic institution Yale University represents a opportunity to strengthen effective international partnerships in the service of humanity and empower peacebuilders to advance the values of dialogue, peaceful coexistence, and human fraternity.”
The Yale Peace Fellowship – organised by the International Leadership Center at Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs – comes “at a moment when conflict is intensifying and growing ever more complex,” according to ILC Director Emma Sky, who is also a lecturer at Yale teaching courses on great power competition and cooperation, grand strategy, and Middle East politics.
“These Fellows embody hope - they are grappling with some of the world’s most intractable challenges with courage, creativity, and compassion — bridging divides and fostering peace. In the face of fragmentation, they remind us of our shared humanity,” said Sky.
Following the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity Roundtable discussion, the Peace Fellows shared their strategies for everyday people to promote human fraternity around the globe.
“The one thing that everyone can do in their daily life is to try to listen with curiosity and try to understand the people around you - the people who have different opinions than you - and engage with empathy,” said 2026 Yale Peace Fellow Sylvia Thompson, a peace mediator and facilitator from Norway.
“In a world that is highly polarised like we are seeing today – whether online or offline – the one thing that people can do is to practice empathy. Having empathy allows us to humanise people who are coming from the different side of the divide, different communities, and different cultures,” said 2026 Yale Peace Fellow Caleb Gichuchi, a specialist of applying advanced technology to address violent conflict.
“In Africa we have a saying: Ubuntu – meaning ‘I am because you are’ – recognising that all of us are human and we can only exist because others exist,” said 2026 Yale Peace Fellow Margaret Ajok, who serves as Transitional Justice Advisor at Uganda’s Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. “We all have the same needs, we all want to enjoy and care for each other – that is the spirit of humanity.”