Arizza is the Co-Founder and President of KRIS, a non-profit organization that promotes peace through education and youth leadership in the Philippines. In 2021, KRIS was recognized as one of Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) in the Philippines and received the YouthLED Democracy Award from The Asia Foundation. 

Khaled Emam is a human rights lawyer from Egypt who currently serves as the Middle East Program Associate at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy and as a Research Assistant at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. Previously, he was the Executive Director of Justice Call, a New York-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young people for Peacebuilding in the MENA region.

Johanne is the leader of Amnesty International Norway’s student council, with nine years in leadership positions in (children’s) rights organizations at local, national, and international levels behind her. Besides her studies, she currently works for the Fritt Ord Foundation with youth projects. Before she started studying law, she worked full time in Save the Children Norway, coordinating a project on youth participation that she had been part of creating since the age of 15. She’s previously worked with legal aid in a law firm with child suspects and children in the child protective services and in the Norwegian Organisation for Asylum Seekers. She’s also interned for the No Hate Speech Network Norway, represented Norway as a youth leader in Global Partnership for Education, was the Norwegian representative in a Ukranian conference on how young people are democracy builders, and partook in the Global Disability Summit 2022’s youth reference group.

Photo: Amanda Anvar

Ghawgha is a musician from Afghanistan, renowned for her heartfelt peace songs. While pursuing her studies in law, she embarked on a musical journey in countries where singing was prohibited by law. During peace negotiations with warlords in Doha, she shared her songs on social media, garnering global attention in 2018. Her music resonated deeply, particularly in Persian- speaking regions, leading to repercussions for individuals in Afghanistan and Iran who engaged with her music through singing, dancing, and sharing. 

Photo: Ina Stenvig

Seyran Ateş is a lawyer, muslim leader and feminist. She studied law at the Free University of Berlin and worked as a lawyer with interruptions from 1997 to July 2024. From a young age, she was committed to women’s and human rights as a schoolchild and student. In June 2017, Ateş opened the liberal Ibn Rushd Goethe Mosque in Berlin. Due to her commitment to fighting forced marriages and to a self-determined life for Muslim people, among other things, she has repeatedly received death threats. Since 2006, she has been under personal protection by the Berlin State Criminal Police Office.

Photo: Private

Nik Williams is a free expression advocate based in Glasgow, with a focus on SLAPPs, online surveillance, censorship and dissent in the UK and countries such as India, Iran, and Belarus. At the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, he coordinated the inaugural year of the Media Freedom Rapid Response, which responds to violations of media freedom in Europe. Previously, Nik led Scottish PEN’s campaigning and advocacy, focusing on defamation reform, free expression, digital rights and surveillance regulation.

Photo: Anna Artemyeva

Redwan Ahmed was one of the most influential young journalists and press freedom activists during Bangladesh’s most consequential year in recent history—2024. An award-winning reporter, he is recognized for his indepth coverage of the Rohingya refugee crisis, human rights, labor rights, and politics. His investigative work for The Guardian exposed modern-day exploitation in Bangladesh’s garment industry, a key manufacturing hub for global fashion. Redwan is the first Bangladeshi journalist named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” Asia list. He is also the co-founder of Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media, an alliance dedicated to press freedom and the protection of journalists in Bangladesh.

Photo: Sazzad Hossain

Fazila Aminzai is a Norwegian-Afghan nurse, politician, and human rights advocate, residing in Lillehammer. She came to Norway from Afghanistan in 2007 with her parents. Aminzai is and has been an elected official and has been strongly engaged in women’s rights, especially in Afghanistan. In February 2022, she participated in a panel discussion with a representative from the Taliban, where she demanded education, work, and political participation for Afghan women. She emphasized the importance of women having political positions and the opportunity to influence decisions that affect their daily lives. In addition to her political engagement, Aminzai has also been a voice against hate speech and discrimination. She has highlighted the challenges Muslims and women face in Norwegian society and emphasized the need to combat harassment and promote inclusion. Aminzai is committed to being an advocate for human rights and equality, both in Norway and internationally. 

Ehab Badwi is the founder of the Young Global Citizens Assembly e.V., a global network of youth committed to impactful services in education and peacebuilding. He also leads the Syrian Youth Assembly, which has engaged over 200,000 young people worldwide. Ehab has extensive experience in youth advocacy, peacebuilding, and global policy development, serving as a Regional Focal Point for the UN Major Group for Children and Youth and contributing to key initiatives like The Missing Peace: Progress Study on Youth, Peace, and Security.

A dual Syrian-German citizen, Ehab has represented youth in high-level forums, including the World Humanitarian Summit and the Global Refugee Forum, and has trained young leaders globally to advance SDG 16. He is a published researcher on gender equality and women’s participation and has played a vital role in youth-inclusive policy development. Ehab holds a degree in Political Science from Bard College and is pursuing a master’s degree in Governance and Policy at the University of Potsdam. His work reflects his lifelong commitment to empowering youth and fostering inclusive global development. 

Photo: Marlene Charlotte Limburg

Karina Thyra Cordova is a passionate advocate for human rights and freedom of expression, with a diverse background in education, media, and social impact. Named Fellow of the Year for the Awareness 360 Fellowship Program (2024), they led an anti-human trafficking and cyber-scamming awareness campaign, engaging schools and local communities in Thailand.

Karina holds a BA in Multimedia Studies from the University of the Philippines Open University and is currently awaiting graduation from Mahapajapati Buddhist College, where they pursued a second degree in English for Communication. They recently completed a marketing internship with a Bangkok-based fashion consultancy agency, contributing to global communications and sustainability initiatives aimed at transforming the fashion industry from design to distribution.

Their media experience spans from their time as a Verified Content Creator at Moviepilot, to their ongoing contributions to Vocal Media, where they write about underrepresented issues, personal interests, and short fiction. They have also written for various verticals of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, including Business Inquirer and Inquirer Pop!, covering topics on culture, social trends, and youth perspectives.

Photo: Wanwisa Pornpomrach

Until December 2022, Olesya Krivtsova was an ordinary student in the northern city of Arkhangelsk. At the end of 2022, two politically motivated criminal cases were brought against her because of her anti-war posts on Instagram. The court later placed her under house arrest where she was to await imprisonment, she was facing up to 10 years in a penal colony. However, in 2023, Olesya escaped from house arrest. She is now on the Russian wanted database as a criminal. The international human rights organisation Memorial recognised her as a political prisoner. She now lives in Kirkenes, Norway, and does independent journalism for the Barents Observer. Freedom, independence and solidarity are her main values.

Photo: Alrxandr Peskov