The International Children's Peace Prize

Awarded to children who stand up for the improvement of children's rights

The International Children’s Peace Prize is an initiative of the Dutch KidsRights Foundation and was launched by Mikhail Gorbachev, Chairman of the Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, during the 2005 Summit at the Capitol in Rome. Since then, the prize has been awarded every year by a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

The prize is presented annually to an exceptional child, whose courageous or otherwise remarkable actions have made a difference in countering problems, which affect children around the world. The motivation behind the prize is to provide a platform to children to express their ideas and personal involvement in children’s rights. KidsRights feels that children should be recognized, awarded and motivated in their fierce efforts to improve their own situation and that of the children in their environment and even the world.

An important message on children's rights

Not only is the prize a sign of recognition for the young winners. Having won the award also offers the winners a platform to promote their ideals and further their work. With the newfound attention, these young heroes’ messages have more impact, and reach a larger audience. The intention of KidsRights is to create international attention for the problems that the winners are fighting. This attention will generate a higher level of cooperation and structural improvement in addressing these respective subjects. For example: Om Prakash was invited by the president of India and has discussed the subject of child labor with UK former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Both Thandiwe and Mayra have, upon invitation, attended the UN conference in New York and spoken about violence against young girls. Thandiwe focused on girls in education and Mayra on black girls in favelas. Furthermore, Baruani, Mayra and Thandiwe spoke during the KidsRights Millennium Development Goals Conference in July 2010 in Johannesburg. They addressed the audience about the continuing appalling conditions facing children worldwide. Each winner made the need to take action clear from their own position.

Supporting the winners in their battle and personal development

Attached to the International Children’s Peace Prize is the prize money of €100,000. The prize money is awarded by KidsRights to a direct aid project (or multiple projects) in the spirit of the young winner’s efforts. The money will never be given to the winner directly; not as personal money nor in order for the winner to decide where the money should go. Naturally, the winner is welcome to share his or her wishes and ideas.

The winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize is awarded a statuette - ‘the Nkosi’ - and is supported in his/her cause through the prize money of €100,000 and the platform of attention that the Prize generates. In addition, the winner receives financial support for his/her studies. KidsRights sees education as a steppingstone to further development and therefore encourages and supports full and unlimited education of the winner.

Winners of the International Children's Peace Prize:

2010: Francia Simon from the Dominican Republic
2009: Baruani Ndume from Tanzania, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo
2008: Mayra Avellar Neves from Brazil
2007: Thandiwe Chama from Zambia
2006: Om Prakash Gurjar from India
2005: Nkosi Johnson from South Africa

The Expert Committee

Each year the International Children’s Peace Prize winner is selected from nominations from all over the world. An Expert Committee assesses the candidates, comprises a selected list of nominees and then selects the winner. Every year KidsRights tries to reach a wider range of organizations and therewith children to be nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize. KidsRights is of the opinion that the more children will be nominated and thus recognized in their work, the bigger the platform becomes for children to reach their full potential in changing the world.

The winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize is selected from all nominated children by the following Expert Committee:

Nevena Vuckovic Sahovic, member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Prof. Jaap Doek, former Chairman of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Frans Röselaers, former Director of the ILO’s (International Labour Organisation) International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC).
Jeroo Billimoria, Founder and Chair of Child Helpline International and Founder and Director of Aflatoun, Child Savings International.
Marc Dullaert, Founder and Chairman of the KidsRights Foundation and spiritual father of the Children’s Peace Prize.

www.childrenspeaceprize.org