Éva Fahidi – Award 2025

"Hatred is not like nature, where the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening, and whatever we do, we cannot reverse it—this is certain, it will always be so.
My aspiration is to try to sow this idea as a goal in people’s souls, especially in children’s, because after all, they will be the ones to build their own lives.
Your life will be what you make it for yourselves.
Pay attention, work against it, and eliminate, as much as you can, the tendency for one person to hate another and to exclude groups of people.
And when I am sitting up there on that particular pink cloud looking down at you, I want to see that you are doing this."
—Éva Fahidi

Éva Fahidi – Award

During the Holocaust, Éva Fahidi lost 49 relatives, including her parents, grandparents, and her sibling. Despite the horrors she experienced—or perhaps precisely because of them—in the last decades of her life she gave hundreds of talks at public events, schools, and universities in Germany and Hungary. She appeared in dance productions, song recitals, acted in films, and authored two books.

The message of all her speeches, interviews, and public appearances was that a person’s hatred toward another individual or a group of people must be eliminated. She was convinced that this works if, as children, we already become accustomed to the fact that we are different—and that this otherness can and should be accepted. We learn not to make value judgments between people based on origin, religion, skin color, or any other characteristic for which they are not responsible.

“For 59 years I did not speak about it. Since then, I have devoted my life to telling children above all: Do not allow hatred to rule societies. And if someone incites you to hate, stand up against it. Do not let yourselves be driven into hatred and fear. Human beings were not born to hate—humans were born for goodness. People, if they pay attention and are willing, can be good.”
—Éva Fahidi

Éva did not just say these things—she lived by them.

With the establishment of the Éva Fahidi Award, we wish to support this important message. The aim of the award is to recognize the work and efforts of outstanding individuals—regardless of their profession—who have dedicated themselves to inspiring and supporting the younger generation in rejecting exclusion and hatred, and in building an inclusive, compassionate, and caring society.

Subject of the Award and the Recipients

In 2025, up to three individuals may receive the Éva Fahidi Award, and in subsequent years, it will be awarded annually to one person.

The award itself is a small-scale replica of a sculpture by Anikó Weiss. The original sculpture is located in the Documentation and Information Center (DIZ) in the German town of Stadtallendorf, which commemorates the forced labor camp where a thousand Hungarian Jewish women were deported in August 1944 from the Auschwitz concentration camp.

The sculpture depicts the prisoner Éva Fahidi and Anikó Weiss, the sculptor, expressing the longing for freedom and hope that persisted even under the most difficult circumstances.

Depending on the nature of the recipient’s activities, the award may also include financial support.

Each year, the award is granted to the person who, according to the majority vote of the decision-making committee, has contributed the most to achieving the objectives defined above.

Anyone may submit a nomination, and any person living in any country may receive the award, provided they meet the nomination criteria.

Nominees

Regardless of nationality, the Éva Fahidi Award is intended primarily—but not exclusively—for teachers, healthcare professionals, artists, social workers, business and media figures, and creators who, through their personal example or their work, inspire and support the next generation to live in an inclusive, compassionate, and caring society.

Anyone whose activities set an exemplary standard in the field of inclusivity and who contributes to shaping an accepting and empathetic outlook among future generations is eligible for nomination.

Individuals who, through their public activities, are clearly committed to any political party are not eligible for nomination.

If the organizers or the selection committee become convinced that the nominee, in any way, supports hate speech or exclusion through their activities, the nomination will automatically be invalidated.

Furthermore, the organizers reserve the right to withdraw a nomination or any awarded recognition if, at any time, they become aware that the nominee does not meet the criteria.

The Founders, the Selection Committee, and the Administrators

The award was founded by conductor Ádám Fischer and Andor Andrási, Éva Fahidi’s partner.

The selection committee consists of nine members, whose composition may change over time.

All members of the selection committee must conduct their activities independently of any political party.

If any nominee has a close professional or other relationship with a member of the selection committee, that member’s vote may not determine the final result.

The preparatory process for the award, including the nominations and the award ceremony, is organized by JCC Budapest.

NOMINATION

The award is announced in Hungarian, English, and German.

Both individuals and organizations—excluding political parties—may submit nominations. Each organization or individual may submit up to five nominations per year. A previous nomination does not preclude someone from being nominated again.

Nominations can be submitted in Hungarian, English, or German, preferably by completing the nomination form available on the fahidievadij.hu website.

The organizers may contact the nominator to clarify or supplement the information provided.

The detailed justification must present the nominee’s professional background and activities in no more than 5,000 characters. Supplementary external references (articles, interviews, etc.) that support the nominee’s work may also be included.

Nominees will be informed of their nomination—but not of the nominator’s identity—and must confirm acceptance by completing a declaration of acceptance. The nominee may attach a description of the elements of their work that they consider most important.

EVALUATION PROCESS

The nominations are evaluated by professionals invited by the organizers, who themselves actively support the goals of the Éva Fahidi Award through their own work. The current list of committee members will be published on the award’s website.

The evaluation takes place in two stages.

During the pre-selection phase, the organizers exclude incomplete or non-eligible nominations.

After pre-selection, the committee members assess the valid nominations according to the specified criteria.

The initial evaluation is carried out independently by each committee member.

After the scores are aggregated, the committee selects the recipients from among the highest-scoring nominees in an online or in-person meeting.

The committee’s decision is final and cannot be contested.

Evaluation Criteria:

Does the nominee’s activity align with the objectives of the award? This score carries the highest weight as the most important criterion.
Can the nominee’s activity help achieve the goals of the award?
Impact over time: How long has the activity been carried out, and how enduring is its influence?
Impact in scope: How many people does the nominee’s work reach, in which languages, and by what means? On which platforms and in what ways is the nominee’s activity accessible to the public? Is the nominee’s work broadly recognized and well-supported?