Looking Back, Moving Forward: Aurora’s Journey in 2024

This update will take you about 4 minutes to read—slightly shorter than “Shine (Aurora),” a powerful anthem written by Grammy-nominated artist Aloe Blacc who debuted it at the 2024 Prize Ceremony. Take a moment to listen and enjoy!

As we wrap up last year’s journey, we thank you for standing with us and supporting Aurora’s mission. Whether by donating, attending our events, or nominating outstanding humanitarians for the 2025 Aurora Prize, there are countless ways to get involved and continue making a lasting impact, and your involvement makes a world of difference to those in need. Please scroll down to read the 2024 highlights. Here’s to another year filled with Gratitude in Action!

We continue to be inspired by the story of Dr. Denis Mukwege, a world-renowned gynecological surgeon and human rights activist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who was awarded the 2024 Aurora Prize at the Ceremony in Los Angeles. Dr. Mukwege has been fearless in his efforts to increase protections for women and to advocate that those responsible for sexual violence be brought to justice. Today, he expands the cycle of giving by directing his $1,000,000 Aurora Prize award to support his own vital work and uplift grassroots humanitarians and organizations that empower women.

In May 2024, Aurora held a special series of events in Los Angeles, CA, including the Aurora Prize Ceremony and the Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum, organized in partnership with The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law and co-chaired by Dr. Noubar Afeyan , Co-Founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering , and Co-Founder and Chairman of Moderna , and Dr. Eric Esrailian, distinguished physician, Emmy-nominated film producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

On May 9, world leaders, activists, entrepreneurs, and academics convened at the Human Rights and Humanitarian Forum to discuss the global healthcare crisis, forced displacement, climate change, the right to education, AI, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, and gender justice, among other topics. The impressive lineup of panelists included Nobel Peace Prize laureates, renowned humanitarians, international doctors and public health leaders, and preeminent leaders in technology, who spoke about the urgent need for considerations of human rights in the development of Artificial Intelligence.

In 2024, Aurora was honored to welcome new leaders to our team. Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, and Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani, have joined the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, bringing their passion for humanitarian action. We were also thrilled to announce Dr. Eric Esrailian as Co-Founder guiding Aurora into its next chapter, alongside new CEO Armine Afeyan and Aurora Board Vice Chair Arman Jilavian. Additionally we welcomed Raffi Gregorian, former diplomat and son of our late Co-Founder Vartan Gregorian, to the Aurora Board, where his experience and personal connection to our mission will be invaluable.

Throughout the year, we hosted several Aurora Dialogues, making sure important topics reached people all around the world. These impactful offline and online conversations didn’t just shine a light on critical issues—they brought people together and strengthened our mission to inspire action and collaboration. Find the highlights of those discussions and watch the videos here.

In September, we unveiled a memorial in Yerevan, Armenia, honoring Aurora Mardiganian and the 1.5 million martyrs of the Armenian Genocide. Aurora Mardiganian was a young girl who escaped the horrors of the Armenian Genocide, moving to America, where she became a silent-era Hollywood star and a philanthropist.?Her story?inspired Noubar Afeyan, Vartan Gregorian, and Ruben Vardanyan, Co-Founders of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, who named the Initiative in her honor.

In March 2024, UWC Changshu China ’s Enlightenment project was named the winner of the 2023–2024 Young Aurora competition for their inspiring efforts to empower rural youth from underprivileged backgrounds. Launched in 2017, Young Aurora continues to inspire the next generation to innovate and find solutions to humanitarian issues, with 15 grants and 126 projects spanning 19 countries to date.

Would you like to meet your humanitarian hero in person? Nominate your candidate for the 2025 Aurora Prize and get a chance to join them and other inspiring humanitarians at this year’s Ceremony.

Join us next year for impactful conversations on the world’s most pressing global challenges. Be sure to follow us on social media for the latest updates and insights.