Deadline Date: March 31, 2025
Donor Name: Kofi Annan Foundation
The Kofi Annan Foundation and the Democracy and Culture Foundation invite nominations for the third edition of the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Award.
Objectives
- This Prize aims to:
- Recognise exceptional intellectual and/or “in action” leadership shown by a young activist in defending and promoting democracy;
- Provide the recipient of the prize with support, including through a one-year mentorship with a recognised democracy expert or senior leader;
- Through appropriate publicity, inspire young people to commit to the advancement of democracy.
- The Prize will highlight actions taken by young people to:
- foster genuine participation in decision-making;
- promote peaceful dialogue on divisive political issues;
- advance intergenerational exchange on matters related to democracy;
- give a real voice to people and communities who have traditionally been excluded from decision-making;
- contribute to or advocate for the organisation of free and fair elections and their acceptance;
- protect freedom of assembly, freedom of the press and freedom of expression;
- garner support for the independence of democratic institutions; or
- fight for reform in both the public and private sectors to ensure that democracy adapts, develops and survives as the pre-eminent method of government.
Prize Information
- The Prize includes a monetary prize of USD 10,000 and is presented yearly at The Athens Democracy Forum. The Awardee will also be invited to lead in organising a session on youth and democracy at the following year’s Forum.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nominees must be aged between 18 and 30 at the time of nomination. There are no restrictions in terms of nationality, gender, or occupation.
Selection Criteria
- Impact: The nominee’s actions had a demonstrated outcome, for instance, a change in policy in a given country, the rate of participation in elections, the number of people reached through a specific campaign, the number of users of a specific application, the number of students gaining a wider understanding of the importance of the democratic process, the number of community associations engaged in an educational campaign etc.
- Innovation: The innovative character of these actions.
- Sustainability: Whether the nominee has advanced the cause of democracy and human rights for a sustained period of one year minimum and whether their actions are sustainable over time and replicable in other contexts;
- Values: The values displayed by the nominee through their actions.
- Benefit: The added value the Prize could bring the nominee in terms of international notoriety and support.
