Sadat Rahman from Bangladesh wins 17th International Children’s Peace prize
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The 2020 International Children’s Peace Prize, organised by KidsRights, has been awarded to 17-year-old Sadat Rahman from Bangladesh. The prize was presented digitally by Malala Yousafzai, winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. Although this was the sixteenth time the prize has been awarded, Sadat is the seventeenth winner because last year’s prize went to two young people: Greta Thunberg and Divina Maloum. ABN AMRO has been the main sponsor of the Children’s Peace Prize since 2006.
Sadat is a young changemaker and social innovator from Bangladesh who is making a big difference. When a 15-year-old girl in his country committed suicide after being cyberbullied, Sadat took action. Together with his friends he set up a social organisation called Narail Volunteers, through which he created the Cyber Teens mobile app. The app helps teenagers learn how to use the internet safely. Sadat wants to develop the app further with state support from Bangladesh and add a platform for psychologists to offer psychosocial support to people in need.
Sadat Rahman received the award in the Great Church of The Hague in a ceremony attended by only a very select group, in line with Covid-19 restrictions. Robert Swaak, CEO of ABN AMRO, was one of the (digital) speakers: “This Children’s Peace Prize is a moment of extra accountability for adults. What is my responsibility when I interact with children? As adults, we have a duty: to create a world where kids can learn, grow and experiment. A world where they can discover themselves. A world where kids can actually be kids.”