Recognized columnist David Ignatius  joins the Aurora Prize Selection  Committee

ArmInfo.  Washington Post columnist, foreign policy commentator, and journalist David Ignatius has joined the Aurora Prize Selection Committee.

According to the humanitarian initiative's press service, Ignatius  will work with the Committee's other distinguished members to elevate  the "human" in humanitarian, empower those serving on the frontlines  of today's most pressing crises and select the Aurora Prize Finalists  and Laureate from courageous humanitarians around the globe. The $1  million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity honors individuals who  risk their lives to save others suffering from violent conflict and  atrocity crimes.

"David Ignatius has spent a career telling the world's hardest  stories. Now, he joins us in deciding whose story deserves the Aurora  Prize. It is a privilege to welcome him to this work, and to have his  judgment guide us toward those whose courage must be honored," said  Lord Ara Darzi, Chair of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee.

Since Aurora's launch in 2016, he has served as host of the Aurora  Prize Cermonies, helping audiences connect with powerful stories of  courage, commitment and humanitarian action. Ignatius has also been a  regular voice in other Aurora events, participating in panels on  subjects like humanitarian crisis response and public health in  conflict settings, and hostin tributes to figures central to Aurora's  founding.

"My time with Aurora, whether on stage or in the rooms where  conversations happen, has shown me the regenerative power of   Gratitude in Action: one act of compassion and courage tends to  inspire another, and that one inspires the next. I'm honored to take  on this new role and to help uplift the extraordinary humanitarians  who will keep that chain going," said David Ignatius.

Ignatius is a columnist for The Washington Post, writing twice weekly  on foreign affairs since 1998, a tenure he continued while spending  three years as executive editor of the International Herald Tribune  in Paris. His work has earned him a place on the 2018 Pulitzer Prize  finalist team for Public Service, the Legion d'Honneur from the  French government, the Gerald Loeb Award for Commentary, the George  Polk Award, and the Overseas Press Club Award for Foreign Affairs  Commentary.  

Nominations for the 2027 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity are now  open. 

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is an organization dedicated to  finding local solutions to the world's humanitarian challenges,  focusing on helping the most vulnerable. Its mission is rooted in  Armenian history, as the initiative was founded on behalf of the  survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors.  It seeks to transform this experience into a global movement.