PRESS RELEASE
Mike Ghouse
(202) 717-2892
Contact: CenterforPluralism@gmail.com
Website: www.CenterforPluralism.com
National Pluralism Awards recognize individuals whose commitment to religious, cultural, and social understanding strengthens the fabric of American society.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 14, 2026 — The Center for Pluralism will recognize 19 individuals at the 2026 National Pluralism Awards, honoring people whose lives and work have made an impactful contribution to society by building bridges across religious, cultural, racial, ethnic, and social differences.
The National Pluralism Awards will be held on Monday, September 14, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Rayburn Building, Room 2043, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., 45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515.
History often remembers those who built empires, led nations, or created significant institutions. Yet societies are also profoundly shaped by individuals whose names may not always dominate the headlines—people who quietly dedicate their lives to bringing others together, standing up for their neighbors, and strengthening the communities around them.
It is these individuals that the National Pluralism Awards seek to honor.
This year, the Center for Pluralism is recognizing 19 individuals who have made an impactful contribution to society. There are, of course, many more people deserving of such recognition, and the Center hopes to honor them in the years ahead.
One of the distinguishing requirements for the award is meaningful engagement across religious differences. Honorees must have interacted with, served, and stood up for the rights of people belonging to at least four different religious groups.
The award is not about prominence, position, wealth, or title. It is about what an individual has done to bring people together.
The National Pluralism Awards were created to recognize individuals whose lives embody bridge-building, understanding, service, and community leadership. The honorees have devoted themselves to fostering connections across religious, cultural, and social differences—work that strengthens the very fabric of American society.
Pluralism, in this vision, is more than tolerating our differences. It is about building a society in which people can live with their differences while respecting the dignity, security, and belonging of one another.
For more than three decades, the Center for Pluralism has worked through public engagement, interfaith dialogue, civic leadership, and community-building toward a more cohesive America. The National Pluralism Awards are therefore more than an annual recognition program. They represent part of a broader national effort to celebrate those who build trust where there is division, encourage dialogue where there is misunderstanding, and inspire cooperation across differences.
As America looks toward the next chapter of its history, an important question stands before us:
What can we do for the next 250 years?
For the Center for Pluralism, this is America’s new frontier: strengthening a nation in which our differences do not divide us, but become a source of understanding, cooperation, and collective strength.
By recognizing those who have already devoted themselves to this work, the Center hopes to elevate pluralism as one of America’s defining strengths for generations to come.
The annual National Pluralism Awards also commemorate the Center for Pluralism’s 30 years of contributing toward a cohesive America—an America where every person can feel secure regardless of faith, race, ethnicity, or any other unique characteristic.
Complete list of honorees and previous recipients:
https://centerforpluralism.com/national-pluralism-awards/
America at 250 — Leading the World Through Pluralism:
https://centerforpluralism.com/america-at-250-leading-the-world-through-pluralism/
Dr. Ghouse is the President and founder of the Center for Pluralism and director of the World Muslim Congress. He is an Interfaith Wedding Officiant for InterfaithMarriages.org and a Muslim Wedding Officiant. He is a Muslim, Pluralist, activist, speaker, author, and social scientist. More on Google
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