On the occasion of HRH Princess Basma bint Talal’s birthday on May 11, the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) announced this year`s winner of the Princess Basma Award for Human Development and Community Service.

JOHUD, established by H.R.H Princess Basma in 1977, is  a pioneer and  well-known institution in the development sphere, embodying Princess Basma’s conviction that Jordanians have tremendous potential to overcome challenges through genuine effort that is rooted in values of solidarity and social responsibility.

The award, launched in 2011, aims at raising awareness about sustainable human development and issues of importance for local communities throughout Jordan, while recognising and encouraging efforts and initiatives that promote community well-being through voluntarism, research and pioneering projects.

Inspired by Princess Basma’s commitment to upholding human rights, promoting dignity and community participation, the Princess Basma Award exemplifies the qualities and values that she herself has incorporated in her work in Jordan and the region for over four decades.

H.R.H Princess Basma has long sought to involve young people in the development process in Jordan, and most recently announced JOHUD`s intention to further incorporate young people in the management and leadership of the organisation itself. And this year, the Princess Basma Award is directed specifically at Youth Empowerment.

 Dr Amal Sabbagh, head of the award committee, announced the two winners of the award, in  two categories.

The ‘Creative Youth Club’ in Irbid, which won the Institutional Category for their efforts to mobilise and bring together young people, develop their talents or inventiveness, and encourage community service.

The Individuals Category, which was awarded to “Min Ouyuni Hayat” , a group of 38 medical students from Jordanian Universities who work to raise awareness of the importance of organ donation. These students were inspired to take action as a result of their experience during hospital training.

The winner`s prizes which will go towards the development of their existing initiatives, or the creation of new initiatives with a similar objective.

H.R.H Princess Basma’s human development work with local communities and women in particular is known at regional and international levels.

As Global Ambassador to UN Women and Chairperson to the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), H.R.H Princess Basma has mobilised support for women’s rights throughout the Arab world. Her work with JNCW has promoted irs role at  the policy level, resulting in its current status as the leading mechanism for women in Jordan.

This year, Princess Basma accepted the post of Special Envoy for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), an institution dedicated to the combating of human trafficking. The Princess is also patron of numerous national organisations, as well as being a global ambassador for several UN Organisations and adviser to international development organisations.

Princess Basma, who received her doctorate in development from Oxford University, is a firm believer in the importance of combining theory and practice in development and has maintained that “without a human rights based approach to development, there can be no progress”.

She is married to Walid Kurdi, and has four children, Farah, Ghazi, Saad and Zein Al Sharaf, as well as five grandchildren, Fatima Al Zahra, Zein Al Sharaf, Abulaziz, Aysha and Iman.