In a ceremony held in İstanbul, Founder of We Love Reading won the “TRT World Citizen Award” for this year among six winners announced. Prof. Rana Dajani received her award from Mr. Veysel Kurt, a TRT Board Member, Under the Educator Award category, which recognizes educators who demonstrate innovation in enhancing educational standards, expanding educational accessibility, or delivering high-quality local education to underserved populations. Through their creative approaches and unwavering commitment to education, these honorees inspire the wider community, leaving a lasting impact on the future of learning.
The awards feature six categories: The Educator Award, The Communicator Award, The Youth Award, The World Citizen of the Year Award, and The Lifetime Achievement Award.
In her speech, Prof. Rana Dajani dedicated the award to the ambassadors, particularly to the people in Gaza, emphasizing that no success is achieved by one person alone, it always takes a village. She highlighted that the first word in the Quran is “Iqra” (Read), which encourages reading to reflect, learn, gain skills, document, and tell stories. Prof. Dajani drew attention to the documentation efforts in Gaza and the targeting of academics, journalists, in Gaza and all over the world.
She also underscored the importance of diversity, stating, “We are created diverse,” and explained how We Love Reading celebrates this diversity with a delicate balance between the local and global, she added her belief that everyone is unique and has something valuable to offer to the world.
The TRT World Citizen Awards, launched in 2017 under the principle of “Inspiring Positive Change,” celebrated its sixth edition this year. The awards honor individuals from various countries who have made significant global contributions to their communities, aiming to amplify their stories and inspire positive change on a global scale.
Through its awards program, held annually, TRT shares these inspiring stories to encourage positive change and foster a sense of global responsibility.