Berlin, 2 October 2026 – The International Peace Bureau (IPB) is honored to announce that the 2026 Seán MacBride Peace Prize has been awarded jointly to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Global Sumud Flotilla, and Nuestra América Convoy, in recognition of their international solidarity efforts in support of the people of Palestine and Cuba.
The annual prize recognises outstanding contributions to peace, disarmament and human rights. This year’s award honours initiatives that mobilise people across borders to challenge blockades, draw attention to their humanitarian consequences, and demonstrate the power of international solidarity.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Global Sumud Flotilla have organised civilian-led initiatives seeking to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza and bring humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.The Nuestra América Convoy has brought international attention to the humanitarian impact of the US blockade of Cuba through a campaign of solidarity and the delivery of essential goods and medical care.
“IPB is proud to commend these three organizations collectively for their courage, humanity and unwavering solidarity. They crossed borders and seas not with weapons, but with food, medicine, conscience and hope, reminding us that peace demands courage and action. They sailed against the tide of continuing war on the Palestinian and Cuban peoples — and proved that solidarity can become a force stronger than any blockade,” said Cora Fabros, Co-President of the International Peace Bureau.
“During the Nazi Holocaust, courageous people took great risks to end the unimaginable mass murder. At enormous risk to their lives, they opened death train cattle cars, penetrated and escaped Auschwitz so that the world could learn and stop the death camp’s horrors. Modest people risked their lives by giving Jews sanctuary in their homes. It is in this same courageous, caring, and generous tradition that the volunteers of Nuestra América Convoy, the Global Sumud Flotilla, and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition have taken enormous risks, including torture in Israeli prisons. Palestinians have the right to life, to liberty, and to national self-determination. IPB is privileged to present the MacBride Prize to these courageous people as one small way that we can support and act in solidarity with the people of Gaza and Cuba.” — Joseph Gerson, Co-President of the International Peace Bureau.
Named after Seán MacBride, the Irish statesman, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and former IPB Chair and President, the prize reflects his lifelong commitment to peace, disarmament, human rights and international cooperation.
By awarding the 2026 prize jointly to these three initiatives, the IPB recognises the role of grassroots mobilisation and international solidarity in advancing peace and human rights.
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