Al-Haq's team, its Board of Directors, and General Assembly proudly extend their congratulations to Shawan Jabarin, the General Director of Al-Haq, for receiving the University of Galway 2024 Alumni Award for Law, Public Policy, and Society — sponsored by RDJ — as a graduate of the LLM in International Human Rights.

This honourable award is a testament to the important role played by Shawan and his unwavering commitment and dedication to protecting and preserving international law and human rights for the Palestinian people and the global community.

The award was formally granted to Mr Jabarin at the university’s Alumni Awards Gala Banquet, held on campus on Friday, May 10, 2024.

Upon accepting the award, Mr Jabarin said:

“This award is for the children who were killed in Gaza and for all people who are fighting against oppression, occupation, persecution, and colonial regimes. It's a recognition of the work of all human rights defenders and the rights of our people -  the right of self-determination, and the right of return of all Palestinian refugees.”

The awards celebrate outstanding individuals among the university’s 131,000 alumni, recognising their remarkable accomplishments in local and global fields.

Among the distinguished individuals to receive the award to date are President Michael D. Higgins; journalist and broadcaster Seán O’Rourke; broadcaster Gráinne Seoige; Goldman Sachs executive Adrian Jones; former Labour Party leaders Eamon Gilmore and Pat Rabbitte; Court of Appeal judge Máire Whelan; Olympian and World Champion Olive Loughnane; actress and Druid Theatre founder Marie Mullen; and actress Nicola Coughlan.

Shawan Jabarin currently serves as the General Director of Al-Haq and is a former Secretary General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). In 2011, Jabarin was appointed to the Human Rights Watch Middle East Advisory Board, and in 2013, he was elected as a Commissioner for the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). He received the Reebok Human Rights Award in 1990 for his defence of freedom of expression and human rights. He received his BA in Sociology from Birzeit University and an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the National University of Ireland, Galway.