Human Rights violations in Kashmir were at their worst between 1993 and 1996. However, many activists today say that the crisis level has again risen. In Khurram’s words, "the presence of more than 500 thousand soldiers equipped with draconian laws and protected with impunity, along with 2,000 militants makes Kashmir the hottest conflict zone in the world."

Khurram was thirteen years old when his grandfather was killed during a peaceful demonstration. Rather than resorting to violence to avenge his grandfather’s death, Khurram studied and turned to a peaceful solution to widespread human rights crisis in Kashmir. In 1996, as a student of Kashmir University, Parvez started a helpline, which provided guidance and assistance to students affected by the conflict. After college, Khurram had the opportunity to leave Kashmir and its bloody memories and live abroad free from violence. But he didn’t. He stayed. He committed himself instead to human rights work despite threats to his own life.

Then, in 2004, Khurram Parvez became a victim of the conflict. He lost his leg in a landmine accident while monitoring elections in Kashmir. His driver and his close friend, Aasia Jeelani, died in that accident. On the day of the Reebok Awards, images of that fateful day played across a giant screen as if the ghosts of these two brave souls were in the room, compelling all to listen.

In a powerful speech, Khurram reminded hundreds of Americans that lasting peace would only come from a deeper understanding of the human face beyond the headlines. "This award stands as a symbol of remembrance of all those faces unseen, voices unheard and souls familiar as well as strangers whose killings and sufferings everyday have deepened our commitment and cemented our belief in the rights movement."

The Reebok Human Rights Board, chaired by Paul Fireman, receives 10,000 nominations every year from all over the world. After careful review and further reference, they chose four recipients of the award and bring them to New York for the event, followed by a tour of schools and strategic meetings.

For Khurram, those meetings were vital as it connected him with the students, community leaders and lawmakers in New York, Boston, and Washington DC. By the end of the week, Khurram was eager to return to Kashmir and resume his work with a newfound faith and challenge from the global community.

"Be that Kashmir, Chechnya, Darfur or any similar problem, all are in dire need of sustained global attention. In this context, global civil society, of which American civil society is an influential constituent, has a special role to play in supporting the rights movements based on people’s aspirations," he said.