This year’s Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice was conferred on late Ratan Tata in recognition of his remarkable contributions, compassionate leadership, and humanitarian impact beyond his role in business.
Dr Abraham Mathai, founder-chairman of Mumbai-based Harmony Foundation said in a statement, “Ratan Tata has left a lasting legacy of service and social responsibility that continues to inspire and uplift communities.”
The award consisted of a trophy and a citation certificate.
Tata, the former chairman of Tata Group, who died on Oct. 9 at 86 in Mumbai, is credited with putting the Indian conglomerate on the global map.
Under Tata’s dynamic leadership, The Tata Group rose from $4 billion to $100 billion in revenue from 1991 to 2012 when he retired.
The posthumous award on Tata’s behalf was received by Siddharth Sharma, CEO at Tata Trusts on Nov. 10 in Mumbai.
Mathai said Tata’s philanthropic endeavors, particularly through the Tata Trusts, positively impacted countless lives, fostering education, healthcare, and social welfare initiatives across India.
Jusoor, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities to Syrian refugees worldwide, was also honored with the Mother Teresa award.
The award citation highlighted Jusoor’s commitment to “maximizing the potential of Syrian children and young people affected by war and displacement through education and social advancement.”
Polish activists Lena Grochowska and Władysław Grochowski were also jointly given the Mother Teresa award in recognition of their extraordinary humanitarian efforts and compassionate services in supporting and empowering Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
The couple’s organization called the Lena Grochowska Foundation had also received the highly prestigious United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) Nansen Refugee Award last year.
Since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022, the Lena Grochowska Foundation has helped 14,463 individuals and provided more than 580,000 free overnight accommodations.
“In these difficult times, the recipients of our award stand as symbols of hope, working tirelessly to make a real difference and uplift humanity,” Mathai, also former vice president of Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, said.
These recipients, advocates of humanity from diverse fields around the globe, are dedicated to spreading compassion, offering support, and uplifting communities, he noted.
“Their commitment reflected the profound legacy of Mother Teresa, inspiring us all to strive for a better world,” Mathai said.
This year, Harmony Foundation, an NGO, which celebrated the 20th year of the award, chose the theme of “Humanity in Action” to laude individuals and organizations worldwide who demonstrated selfless service, compassion to help others.
Mathai said the theme highlighted the urgent need for compassion and unity in a world facing ongoing challenges, conflict, and suffering.
“Today, hostility and extremism pose serious threats to global peace and coexistence, adding to a host of other critical challenges we face,” he pointed out.
Other winners of the award included Palak Muchhal, Smile Train, WaterAid International, Vision Rescue, Chetna Gala Sinha, Julienne Lusenge, Purnata, Jusoor, Rohini Nilekani, and White Helmets
