Reminder: ”Children’s Nobel Prize” recipient revealed at press conference in Sweden on May 9

Tomorrow, Thursday 9 May, the recipient of the World’s Children’s prize 2019, dubbed the “Children’s Nobel Prize” by the media worldwide, will be revealed at 2.30 pm, at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred, Sweden. Three nominated Child Rights Advocates from Burundi, India, and Haiti will be present. A Ceremony will follow. Media must request press passes in advance. 

• The Child Rights Advocates from Burundi, India, and Haiti will be present at the press conference, that is led by children from 13 countries, among them former debt slaves, refugees, and victims of trafficking.
• The recipients of the World’s Children’s Prize and the World’s Children’s Honorary Awards, have been decided on by millions of children in a unique Global Vote.
• The media is also invited to the subsequent WCP ceremony at 4.pm, also led by the children, where the three Child Rights Heroes will be honored in the presence of Princess Sofia of Sweden and Peter Eriksson, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation.

Please note that press passes are required for entry.

The Child Rights Heroes

• Spès Nihangaza, Burundi, for her 25-year fight for orphaned children who have been severely affected by the AIDS epidemic and brutal civil war.
• Ashok Dyalchand, India, who has been campaigning against child marriage and fighting for girls’ rights for 40 years.
• Guylande Mésadieu, Haiti, who has been fighting for 20 years for children who have been forced into slavery, children in prison and children on the street.

The candidates have been selected by a jury of children from 15 countries.

Facts

Since its launch in 2000, some 44 million children have participated in the World’s Children’s Prize Program, which is the world’s largest annual rights and democracy education initiative empowering children to become changemakers who stand up for human fellowship, the equal value of all people, the rights of the child, democracy and sustainable development.

The World’s Children’s Prize is awarded annually to Child Rights Advocates who have made invaluable contributions to the fight for the Rights of the Child. The total prize sum is SEK 700,000, of which the Child Rights Hero who gets the most votes receives SEK 350,000 and the World’s Children’s Prize. The other two nominees receive the World’s Children’s Honorary Award, and SEK 175,000 each. The prize money is to be used in their work for children.

Patrons of the World’s Children’s Prize include Malala Youzafsai, the late Nelson Mandela, H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden, Sweden’s Prime Minister and the Minister for Children.

The majority of the millions of children who participate in the program live in countries affected by poverty and conflict, including Congo Kinshasa, Mozambique, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe. Through the WCP program, they have learned, many for the first time, that they have rights and can make their voices heard.

The WCP is supported by 70,000 schools in 116 countries, and by over 778 organizations, institutions and departments of education. Since the launch of the program, half a million teachers have been trained to work with child rights and democracy in their schools.

The World’s Children’s Prize Foundation (WCPF) is supported by donors including the Swedish Postcode Lottery, Sida (the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), Forum Syd, Julia & Hans Rausing Trust, H.M. Queen Silvia’s Care about the Children Foundation and the Survé Family Foundation.