Mozambican Rights Champion Graca Machel Receives Prestigious Indira Gandhi Peace Prize
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Mozambican rights activist and humanitarian Graca Machel has been honored with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2025. The international jury, led by former NSA Shivshankar Menon, recognized Machel's tireless efforts to protect human rights and empower vulnerable communities. Born in rural Mozambique in 1945, Machel's journey to becoming a leading human rights advocate began with her education at Methodist mission schools. She went on to study in Lisbon, where her passion for independence and social justice was ignited. Returning to Mozambique in 1973, Machel joined the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO) as a freedom fighter and teacher. Her groundbreaking 1996 report, 'The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children,' significantly influenced the United Nations' approach to operating in war zones. Machel's work earned her the UN's Nansen Refugee Award and an honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1997. Machel's influence extended globally in the 1990s, as she led a UN study on the impact of armed conflict on children. Her dedication to education, health, nutrition, economic empowerment, and humanitarian work has inspired hope in millions. The Indira Gandhi Prize recognizes Machel's pathbreaking contributions to building a more equitable and just world.
