We’re pleased to announce that the 2024 recipient of the Kennedy Distinguished Service Award is Hani Almadhoun. Almadhoun accepted the award and delivered remarks titled “Perfect Love Casts Out Fear” at an event on 30 October.
Since 1983, the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies has presented the Distinguished Service Award to individuals who are influential in their field, demonstrate service and the importance of a global perspective, and make contributions that increase peace, empathy, and understanding. This ties in with a charge given to the Kennedy Center at its inauguration, when Jeffrey R. Holland, then president of BYU, said, “As we consider the fundamental functions and goals of the David M. Kennedy Center, none should be more important than the commitment, not only to study, but also to serve. In the Kennedy Center I hope we will teach the fundamental importance of service and that we will promote the cause of peace and friendship through very personal effort.”
Hani Almadhoun serves as the Senior Director of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA, a U.S.-based charity dedicated to ensuring that the UNRWA has the resources to continue its life-saving work for Palestine refugees. Almadhoun grew up in the Gaza Strip, eventually receiving a scholarship to attend BYU, where he earned a master’s degree in Public Administration and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Latin American Studies. Last year, he was thrust into the spotlight of media and government attention as he advocated for the safety of his family and the well-being of his people in Gaza; in addition to participating in high-level meetings at the White House, Congress, and the State Department, where he advocated for humanitarian relief and protection for Palestine refugees, he has done countless op-eds and media appearances with major news outlets. In addition to his professional achievements, he co-founded the Gaza Soup Kitchen, a grassroots initiative that provides meals and direct assistance to families in Gaza, including his own, who have been deeply affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis.