The AFS Award for Young Global Citizens recognizes young people for their commitment to improving the global community and whose actions contribute to a more just, peaceful, and tolerant world. To be awarded at the 27th Session of The Youth Assembly (August 12-14, 2022 in New York City), the winner will receive $10,000, and two additional $2,500 prizes awarded to the runners up.
The Award will be presented to a Youth Assembly delegate who:
- Demonstrates how their project is successfully addressing a pressing global issue, tackling one or more of the challenges outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and what this translates into in real-life impacts.
- Shows how their project successfully engages others outside their own community/culture and how this aspect is crucial to advancing their work. Projects must rely on intercultural understanding and global competence.
- Articulates how their initiative has significant potential to be scaled up and extended.
Past winners of the AFS Award for Young Global Citizens include:
Find out more about all the special Delegate Opportunities at the 27th Session of The Youth Assembly.
Meet the finalists for the 2022 AFS Award:
Alhaji Siraj Bah
“Rugsal Trading” is combating deforestation, air pollution and unlimited access to clean cooking energy with our smokeless, affordable and long-lasting bio briquettes that are produced from coconut waste.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #7: Affordable and Clean Energy, and #13 Climate Action.
Emily VanVleck
“The Afghan Women Project” (AWP) was developed to support displaced Afghan women arriving in the U.S. in August of 2021 after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Our main objectives to provide tools and knowledge through training modules and individual mentoring and guidance.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #5, Gender Equality, and #10, Reduced Inequalities
Gabriel Lamus
We aim to create smart solutions, in the search for organized, resilient communities capable of implementing solutions to improve their realities, achieving sustainability in the processes. Our role is to be the bridge that connects the community, their wishes, with local authorities and the private sector to create prosperous sustainable solutions.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #1 No Poverty, #3 Good Health and Well-Being, #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #10 Reduced Inequalities, and #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Kshitij Lohani
Shikshya Dikshya is a peer-to-peer scholarship program that provides full-ride scholarships to students of a poor financial background. The goal is to foster a one-to-one relationship between the sponsor and awardee of the scholarship so that the scholarship becomes a multi-year one.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #1 No Poverty and #4 Quality Education.
Larissa del Pilar Cevallos Pérez
“The Project Hub” delivers tools to young people for the execution of projects that seek to promote quality education in Peru in alignment with the five spheres of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: People, Peace, Prosperity, Planet and Partnership.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #4 Quality Education, #5 Gender Equality and #13 Climate Action.
Lulwa AlSada
This is a humanitarian charitable project targeting low-income and refugee families. It was started 10 years ago with the goal to offer a better life and fair, equal opportunities for the people in need and to make young people from low-income families financially self-reliant.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #1: No Poverty, #2 Zero Hunger, #3 Good Health & Well-being, #4 Quality Education, #6 Clean water & Sanitation, #8: Decent Work & Economic Growth.
Mariana Gabrielle Cangco Reyes
“Daluyong 2.0: A Coral Transplantation and Clean-up Project” is hosted by Philippine Association on Underwater Activities (PAUA) and it aims to aims to advance towards a coral restoration strategy and supply the tools and knowledge of proper marine protection and conservation to local government units, police officers, coast guard units, local residents, and concerned divers.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #14 Life Below Water.
Moiz Lakhani
“Ninja Girls” is tackling the issue of sexual abuse and physical violence and aims to empower women in developing countries through teaching basic self-defense techniques and educating participants on what legally qualifies as abuse in accordance with their local laws.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #5 Gender Equality and #3 Good Health & Wellbeing.
Noel Ifeanyi Alumona
“Boys Champions” is a youth-led nonprofit that is committed to providing a safe space for young boys and training them to become part of the processes to ending violence against women and girls in Nigeria.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #4 Quality Education, #5 Gender Equality and #16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Renata Padilha
The project seeks to bring climate education to the people most impacted by the climate crisis: those who live in the outskirts of cities. The objective of the project is to bring debates and information that may not be present in people’s daily lives, to develop a critical and constructive debate that leads to empowerment, generation of change and collectivity.
This project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #13 Climate Action.