About our Winners

Dr. Samer Swaid has over two decades of groundbreaking achievements in Palestinian civil society as the director of both ACAP (The Arab Centre for Alternative Planning) and Qadaya, a leadership and campaign initiative focusing on mobilising and organising the participation of Palestinian citizens in Israel, which he founded. There’s been incredible growth and impact in Qadaya over the past few years: the inception of Beitna, Qadaya’s youth movement; a broad national student leadership wing; an educational arm to train existing leaders in critical thinking; and much more. Qadaya has a central role in the upcoming elections (political leadership, GOTV campaigning), and Samer is instrumental to its position. He holds a PhD from the University of Haifa and is a post-doc fellow at UCL

Noam Vidan, known as a dynamic and articulate leader, is the founder of IDEA, a central actor in networking, leadership development and liberal-democratic education. IDEA has trained and created strong networks with local mayors, media personalities and journalists, the national scout movement and much more. IDEA also founded Hamigdalor, an educational arm that now has reach into more than 100 educational institutions, including dozens of pre-military academies. Noam earned her BA and teaching certificate in civics and democracy studies and informal education at Oranim Academic College, and her MA in interdisciplinary democratic studies at the Open University.

Dr. Samer Swaid

A leading figure in Palestinian civil society in Israel, Dr Samer Swaid has spent more than two decades strengthening civic participation, political leadership and community organising among Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Samer is the director of the Arab Centre for Alternative Planning (ACAP) and the founder of Qadaya, an initiative dedicated to developing leadership and building the capacity of Palestinian citizens to participate more fully in public and political life.

Under Samer’s leadership, Qadaya has grown significantly in recent years. Its work now includes Beitna, a youth movement supporting a new generation of young leaders; a national student leadership network; and educational programmes designed to equip existing and emerging leaders with the skills and critical thinking needed to shape their communities and wider society.

Through both ACAP and Qadaya, Samer has helped create spaces for Palestinian citizens to organise, develop collective leadership and make their voices heard on the issues that affect their lives. His work has become increasingly important at a time when meaningful democratic participation and strong civic institutions are under growing pressure.

Samer holds a PhD from the University of Haifa and was a Visiting Research Fellow at University College London in 2020–21. Across his academic and civil society work, he remains committed to building a more equal and democratic future for Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Noam Vidan

An educator, organiser and leading voice for liberal democracy, Noam Vidan is the co-founder of IDEA, an organisation dedicated to strengthening democratic leadership, education and networks across Israeli society.

Through IDEA, Noam has brought together and supported leaders from across public life, including local mayors, journalists and media figures, educators and youth movements. Her work focuses on equipping people with the knowledge, relationships and confidence to defend democratic values and translate them into action within their own communities and institutions.

IDEA also co-established Ha-migdalor, an educational initiative which now works with more than 100 educational institutions, including dozens of pre-military academies. Through its programmes, young people and educators are given the tools to engage critically with questions of democracy, civic responsibility and the kind of society they want to build.

At a time of profound challenges to Israel’s democratic institutions and culture, Noam has helped build a broad network of people committed to protecting and renewing liberal-democratic values — not only through public advocacy, but through long-term investment in education and leadership.

Noam earned her BA and teaching certificate in civics and democracy studies and informal education at Oranim Academic College, and holds an MA in interdisciplinary democratic studies from the Open University.