Nobel Peace Laureate Ms. Malala Yousafzai will present the prize to the winner on December 4th in the Hall of Knights in the Dutch city of The Hague. KidsRights is proud to welcome back Malala to the prestigious venue where she won the International Children’s Peace Prize in 2013. Various dignitaries, including keynote speaker His Royal Highness Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, will attend as guests of honour.
In a personal letter to the three finalists Mr. Tutu, patron of the International Children’s Peace Prize, expressed gratitude for their invaluable contribution to children’s rights: “To me, it is no coincidence that this year’s finalists are committed to combatting the global refugee crisis and violence against children, whilst at the same time advocating for the right of children to participate. Let us all work together with them to create a safe world for our future generations.”
The finalists
Faye Hasian (15 years old, Indonesia, theme: sexual exploitation and child trafficking) was brought up as a child to always give back to society. Having learned about the immense problems concerning the trafficking and sexual exploitation of girls in Indonesia, Faye founded Faye’s House together with her mother. A safe haven for Indonesian girls and young women, Faye’s House rescues and rehabilitates victims of sexual exploitation. To date it has rescued many young victims. Faye also frequently visits the young girls in the dangerous areas where they live to offer help. Faye was nominated by UNICEF Indonesia.
Mohamad Al Jounde (16 years old, Syria, theme: refugee children and education) is a Syrian refugee who fled to Lebanon with his family when life became too dangerous at home. Like thousands of other refugee children in the country, Mohamad could not go to school. He set out to provide education to children in the refugee camp. Despite arduous living conditions, Mohamad managed to build a school there. At the age of 12, he was already teaching math and English to other children. The school now provides 200 children with access to their right to an education. In his work with refugee children, Mohamad uses photography and games to help them heal, learn and have fun. Mohamad was nominated by the Syrian League For Citizenship.
Tymon Radzik (16 years old, Poland, theme: child participation) was shocked to discover the limited access to the legal system granted to Polish children. He felt that being a child was not a good reason for minors to be excluded from their rights and that they, too, should be allowed full access to public information. According to Tymon, too many decisions about children are taken by adults and children are not heard. Tymon successfully campaigned to make it easier for children to participate in legal processes and access information, especially when it concerns their own lives. Thanks to his important work, Polish minors can now attend legal proceedings and represent themselves in court. Tymon was nominated by the Polish Ombudsman for Children.
Would you like to know more about the KidsRights Foundation or the International Children’s Peace Prize, or would you like to contact one of our spokespeople, then please visit our press room.