Palestinian Documentary Heritage Professionals to Receive 2026 UNESCO/Jikji Memory of the World Prize

In its recommendation, the international jury of experts recognized the two professionals for their exceptional efforts to safeguard endangered documentary heritage under extremely challenging circumstances in Gaza, and their contributions to strengthening local capacity for long-term preservation.

The laureates are the first individuals to receive the Prize since its establishment in 2004. They will be presented with the award in a ceremony in Cheongju, Republic of Korea, on 4 September, “Jikji Day”.

Historian Dr Abdul Latif Abu Hashem and heritage researcher Haneen Al-Amassi have worked together to safeguard Gaza’s manuscript heritage through documentation, digitization, conservation and emergency rescue efforts.

Together, they developed an integrated approach combining long-term preservation with emergency heritage response. Their work includes digitizing more than 25,000 pages of endangered manuscript materials from the Mamluk and Ottoman periods, with support from the British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme, and establishing Gaza’s first specialized manuscript restoration laboratory to strengthen local preservation capacities. During the ongoing conflict, they have also developed emergency preservation protocols and rescued endangered manuscript collections.

The laureates pledge to continue implementing an integrated plan to rescue, preserve and document Palestinian heritage, with particular attention to endangered documentary materials and manuscript collections held by local institutions and private custodians. “Projects dedicated to the preservation and protection of documentary heritage are among the most vital means of safeguarding the identity and collective memory of peoples,” they noted.