Deadline: 31 March 2024

Do you know a young leader who has shown exceptional leadership in promoting or defending democracy? Nominate them for the second edition of Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Award 2024 .

The Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize aims to:

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• To recognise the exceptional intellectual and/or "in action" leadership shown by a young activist in the defence, promotion or renewal of democracy;
• Provide support to the prize winner, including a year's mentoring with a recognised democracy expert or senior leader;
• Inspire young people to commit to advancing democracy.

Fund

The Athens Democracy Forum (ADF) was founded ten years ago, inspired by Kofi Annan's work on peace and democracy and his creation of the United Nations Democracy Fund. In 2017, Kofi Annan delivered the Aristotle Address and the keynote speech at the opening of the Forum.

With the annual endorsement of the UN Secretary-General, the ADF has become the main global event marking the International Day of Democracy. In 2015, he established the "City of Athens Democracy Prize". Throughout his tenure as UN Secretary-General and later at the head of the Kofi Annan Foundation, Kofi Annan worked to promote democracy, which he called "a catalyst for better governance, greater security and human development". He was also a great believer in youth leadership and inclusion. He endeavoured to facilitate the participation of young people in local, national and international decision-making forums.

Democracy, however, is in retreat in many parts of the world, with catastrophic consequences such as the war in Ukraine, the overthrow of elected governments in countries in Africa and Asia, and the rise of populist and authoritarian leaders on every continent. Young people have lost faith in the system and express disillusionment with the ability of elections to provide representative and accountable governments, but the majority are committed to positive change.

Prize

• The Prize includes a monetary award of US$ 10,000. The prize will be awarded at the Athens Democracy Forum and all travel and accommodation expenses related to the winner's participation in the Forum will be covered by the organisers.
• The award winners will be invited to take a leading role in organising a panel session on youth and democracy at the following year's Forum.

Eligibility

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• Nominations must come from an organisation.
• Nominees must be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of nomination.
• There are no restrictions in terms of nationality, gender or profession.

Selection criteria

The Selection Committee will consider the following when deciding the winner:

• Impact : The nominee's actions have had a proven result, for example, a change in the politics of a particular country, the turnout in elections, the number of people reached through a specific campaign, the number of users of a specific application, the number of students who gain a broader understanding of the importance of the democratic process, the number of community associations involved in an educational campaign, etc.
• Innovation : The innovative nature of these actions.
• Sustainability:  Whether the nominee has promoted the cause of democracy and human rights for a sustained period of at least one year, and whether their actions are sustainable over time and replicable in other contexts.
• Values:  The values displayed by the Nominee through their actions.
• Benefits The added value that the Prize could bring to the nominee in terms of international notoriety and support.

Appointment

Nominations must include all of the following:

• Submission form filled 
• A supportive cover letter (maximum 500 words)
• Short video testimonial from the nominee (2 minutes maximum, can be filmed on a smartphone)

Send your completed nomination to nominations@democracyculturefoundation.org until midnight CET on 31 March 2024.