Award Ceremony

Award Week 2023

The 2023 Global Pluralism Award Ceremony took place on November 14th at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa, Canada. Accompanied by members of the Centre’s Board of Directors, our Secretary General, Meredith Preston McGhie and Jury Chair, Dr. Marwan Muasher presented the Award to the three winners and seven honourable mention recipients.

Award Week 2021

Hosted by Secretary General Meredith Preston McGhie and featuring Jury Chair, the Rt. Honourable Joe Clark, the 2021 Global Pluralism Award ceremony was held virtually for the first time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During the ceremony, Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel, Namati Kenya, and Ms. Puja Kapai (Hong Kong) were announced as the winners of the 2021 Global Pluralism Award and recognized for their extraordinary achievements building more pluralistic societies.

Each Award was presented by a member of the Global Centre for Pluralism’s Board of Directors: Princess Zahra Aga Khan, the Rt. Honourable Adrienne Clarkson and James Mwangi.

Watch the ceremony

Award Week 2019

The 2019 Global Pluralism Award Ceremony took place on November 20th at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa, Canada. His Highness the Aga Khan, Chairman of the Centre’s Board of Directors, presented the Award to the three winners and seven honourable mention recipients, with opening remarks delivered by the Centre’s new Secretary General, Meredith Preston McGhie.

Award Week 2017

The first Global Pluralism Award ceremony took place in November 2017 at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa, Canada. The winners were invited to present their work at the ceremony and other distinguished events. The Board of Directors of the Center, national and international media, as well as distinguished guests were present.

About the Award Sculpture

Each winner receives a commemorative sculpture that has been designed and handcrafted by renowned German artist, Karl Schlamminger. The Global Pluralism Award sculpture integrates the trefoil motif of the Centre’s headquarters at 330 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Canada in a dodecahedron. By extracting 12 units from that tracery and recombining them into a dodecahedron, Schlamminger obtained the form which conveys the idea of a global initiative. The filigree allows the viewer to look through the object having a total view of the outside and inside. When pivoted, a multiple variety of aspects, integrated harmoniously, become apparent. The resulting three-dimensional latticework yields a plurality of intersections, offering ever new vantage points, symbolizing pluralism. The Award sculpture is made of noble materials: sandblasted stainless steel for the sphere, bog oak for the plinth and anodized aluminum for the name plates.