Daniel Pearl Foundation - Since 2002
The Daniel Pearl Foundation amplifies constructive voices, advances ethical journalism, and harnesses the unifying power of music to uproot the hate and extremism that took Danny’s life.
The world has come to know Daniel Pearl as the Wall Street Journal reporter kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in early 2002, just four months after 9/11. People around the world, along with his pregnant wife and family, prayed and worked for his release. Since then, he has been remembered as a symbol of human connection across cultures and divides — something he practiced naturally as both a journalist and a gifted musician.
When you get to know Danny, you understand not only what the world lost, but what we believe is worth carrying forward.
Read Danny's full story"Dehumanizing people is the first step to inviting violence... We have to figure out ways to educate the next generation differently."
Founded in 2002 by Danny’s family and friends, the Foundation has placed journalists in leading newsrooms, convened conversations across cultures, supported threatened media professionals, and inspired thousands of concerts around the world. Others built alongside it — universities, press clubs, even an act of Congress carry Danny’s name.
Since 2002, in partnership with the Burkle Center for International Relations and Hillel at UCLA, this annual public lecture has featured Anderson Cooper, Bob Woodward, Fareed Zakaria, and Condoleezza Rice.
Since 2006, Danny’s alma mater hosted past speakers such as Christiane Amanpour, Wolf Blitzer, and Bernard-Henri Lévy.
Presented annually with the Los Angeles Press Club, selected in consultation with the Pearl family.
A hands-on journalism and communications curriculum in LA Unified — home of "The Pearl Post," an award-winning student newspaper. Scholarship awarded each May.
Since 2010, Moment's DPIJI has supported journalists reporting on prejudice and hate around the world.
We live in a world of misinformation, polarization, and the denial of human dignity. People are harmed and killed because of their identity — the same kind of hate that took Danny’s life.
You feel it too: the “separation virus” of polarization, the exhaustion of us-vs-them narratives, the sense that the loudest voices are the most extreme ones. You’re not alone. Most people are fed up and believe we can still find common ground.
That’s where this work comes in — and where you come in.
The Foundation is entering a new chapter. With Danny’s 25th anniversary approaching in 2027, we are building a new generation of programs.
Selected writings of Judea Pearl, 2002–2025 · Political Animal Press
Explore book about COEXISTENCE And Other Fighting Words: Selected Writings of Judea Pearl 2002–2025 (opens in a new tab)
Edited by Judea and Ruth Pearl · 2004 National Jewish Book Award
Explore book about I am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl (opens in a new tab)
Danny's collected writings from the Wall Street Journal · Simon & Schuster, 2002
Explore book about At Home in the World: Collected Writings from the Wall Street Journal (opens in a new tab)
By Mariane Pearl and Sarah Crichton · Scribner, 2003
Explore book about A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl (opens in a new tab)A recording of Dolly Parton singing "A Bridge Across" with fiddler Mark O'Connor and the Nashville Symphony — a tribute to Danny never released in the U.S. — has resurfaced. The Forward tells the story behind the song and the Daniel Pearl memorial instruments.
In 2002, violin maker Jonathan Cooper crafted the Daniel Pearl Memorial Violin, awarded each year to a gifted young violinist and a lasting tribute to Danny's love of music. The New York Times remembers his life and craft.
Poynter's retrospective series examines how Danny's kidnapping and murder changed the calculus of covering war and conflict for a generation of foreign correspondents.
In 2027, the world marks twenty-five years since Danny’s death. You can help us reintroduce him to a generation that never knew him.
Be the first to know as it unfolds.
