Sir Anish Kapoor pledges $1m Genesis Prize money to refugee causes
Acclaimed Indian-born sculptor who won 'the Jewish Nobel' in 2017 will give away hundreds of thousands to five NGOs
British sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor has given $1 million in prize money away to charities working to alleviate the refugee crisis, including that run by former UK foreign secretary David Miliband.
Kapoor, an Indian-born Jewish artist, won the annual Genesis Prize – nicknamed “the Jewish Nobel” – in 2017, but said this week he would be giving his prize money away to five non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Among the major recipients is David Miliband’s International Rescue Committee, the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees (MFA), HIAS (founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), Help Refugees, and Hillel International.
“Like many Jews, I do not have to go far back in my family history to find people who were refugees,” said Kapoor, whose design was shortlisted for the new National Holocaust Memorial next to Parliament.
“Directing Genesis Prize funds to this cause is a way of helping people who, like my forebears not too long before them, are fleeing persecution.”
Raising the plight of Syrians, Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and refugees in Europe and northern Uganda, Kapoor said the plight of the tens of millions displaced by fighting “has fallen significantly” while the refugee crisis continues unabated.
“I believe in a world of compassion, and am fortunate to be able to work with The Genesis Prize Foundation and the terrific NGOs receiving our grants to bring more compassion into the world.”
His money will be used to improve community health services for refugees in Africa, provide access to safe water for the Rohingya and support the expansion of a digital platform harnessing social media and other digital tools to help refugees.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
- Sir Anish Kapoor
- Anish Kapoor
- News
- India
- Indian Jews
- British Jews
- UK News
- genesis prize
- Jewish Nobel
- international rescue committee
- the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees (MFA)
- hias
- hebrew immigrant aid society
- elp Refugees
- Hillel International
- National Holocaust Memorial
- Syrians
- Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar
- Holocaust
