Inspiring Moral Courage
Moral courage takes many forms. We seek to inspire our government to prioritize the freedom of innocent Americans held captive abroad, to secure press freedom by promoting journalist safety, to stand up for universal human rights and stand against the use of human beings as bargaining chips.
We must all do what’s right, even when we face risks for doing so.
“There’s physical courage, but that’s nothing compared to moral courage. If I don’t have that moral courage, we don’t have journalism.”
– James W. Foley, 1973-2014.
People of moral courage
In a challenging world, we honor and empower those who act for others, even at personal and political costs. James W. Foley envisioned a world where everyone, regardless of background, was valued. His life epitomized a commitment to press freedom and human rights.
With compassion and optimism, Jim championed the marginalized, lending them his voice and support. His deep empathy drove his actions.
#RememberJim
Freedom Awards
The James W. Foley Freedom awards are celebrated annually each spring to honor individuals or groups who exhibit moral courage in hostage advocacy, journalism or humanitarian endeavors, advocate for those still in captivity, celebrate US nationals who have returned from captivity abroad, and to raise essential funds to expand our hostage advocacy, research and journalist safety resources.
The following are the awards named posthumously after Jim:
James W. Foley American Hostage Freedom Award
James W. Foley World Press Freedom Award
James W. Foley Humanitarian Award
2022: Eliza Griswold & Dexter Filkins
James W. Foley Legacy Achievement Award
James W. Foley International Hostage Freedom Award
2020: Major General Abbas Ibrahim
Robert A. Levinson Excellence in Government Service Award
2024: FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate
2023: Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens
2022: U.S. Senators Chris Coons, Patrick Leahy, Bob Menendez, Jeanne Shaheen, and Marco Rubio; and U.S. Representatives Joe Wilson, Casey Kustin, Tim Rieser, Ted Deutch, Ted Lieu, Mike Waltz, Andrew Keller, and Bethany Poulos.
Bill Richardson Heart of a Patriot Award
2025: To be announced.
James W. Foley Medill Medal of Courage at Northwestern University
2023: Julie Turkewitz and Frederico Rios
2022: Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka and Vasilisa Stepanenko
2021: Ian Urbina and Pierre Kattar
2020: Isobel Yeung and Vice News
2017: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo
James W. Foley Middle East Fellowship at GroundTruth Project
James W. Foley Fellowship at The Committee to Protect Journalists
James W. Foley Scholarship at Marquette University Diederich College of Communication
2023: Sebastian Pappa (class of 2027)
2022: Jayleen Mays (class of 2026) and Dakota Barnes-Rush (class of 2026)
2020: Charlie Kleist (Class of 2024)
James Foley Fellowship in Partnership with Northwestern University
Hannah Baggenstoss, MSJ 2022
Thomas Gambardella, MSJ 2022
Kietryn Zychal, MSJ 2019
James Foley Fellowship in Partnership with Marquette University
James W. Foley University of Massachusetts Memorial Writing Prize
2020: Kritika Pandey
2018: Christopher Ayala
Additional Awards
Posthumous Awards Honoring James W. Foley
Two leading journalism centers have established annual awards for James W. Foley.
At Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, where Jim earned his master’s degree, the James Foley Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism is awarded annualy to journalists who have displayed moral, ethical, or physical courage in their work. In the video above, Medill Dean Charles Whitaker and Diane Foley, Jim’s mother, discuss what the award honors and showcase the journalists who are being honored.
At the Online News Association, the James Foley Award for Conflict Reporting every year honors a digital journalist who produces excellent reporting under the most challenging conditions, covering war, corruption, crime, culture, and politics globally. The award started in 2015, shortly after Foley’s death.
Plymouth State University also awarded Jim an honorory doctorate.
James Foley Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism
ONA: James Foley Award for Conflict Reporting
Doctorate in Human Letters from Plymouth State University
Hero Awards
We honor heroes of moral courage each Monday with the hashtag: #MoralCourageMonday
The following heroes support the mission of the Foley Foundation. Their moral courage is a model for all of us.
Foley Boston Marathon Runners
Inspiring Moral Courage in Ourselves
Inspiring Moral Courage in Students
James W. Foley Global Citizen High School Curriculum by Jennifer Do Carmo
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Featured Post
Foley Foundation Announces 2024 James W. Foley Freedom Awardees
Read Full Post: Foley Foundation Announces 2024 James W. Foley Freedom AwardeesThe Foundation has announced the winners of its 2024 Foley Freedom Awards. The awards will be presented May 1 at a fundraising dinner.
