The world is facing conflicts, climate breakdown, an ongoing pandemic, and extreme levels of injustice and inequality. But in every community, inspiring activists and organizers are building a better future.
Courageous and determined, they’re pushing back against these powerful forces and standing up for those living in poverty, fighting for climate action, and empowering marginalized people.
Eight of these remarkable changemakers have been selected as winners for the Global Citizen Prize 2022, presented with Global Citizen partners Cisco, Citi, and Procter & Gamble.
The Global Citizen Prize recognizes activists across the world whose efforts focus on ending extreme poverty and achieving the United Nations’ Global Goals. The prize aims to identify “unsung heroes” in local communities who have been championing and uplifting the most vulnerable people.
This year’s Citizen Award winners come from countries around the world and are spread out across three categories: Defend the Planet, focusing on climate change; Defeat Poverty, focusing on breaking down systemic barriers that keep people in poverty; and Demand Equity, focusing on empowering women and girls.
The awardees include: Anuscheh Amir-Khalili, activist and social entrepreneur, Flamingo e.V. (Germany); Barbie Izquierdo, activist, consultant, and community empowerment manager, Hunger Free America (United States); Brianna Fruean, climate activist, Pacific Climate Warriors (Oceania); Khanyisile Motsa, founder and director, Berea-Hillbrow Home of Hope (South Africa); Mitzy Violeta Cortés Guzmán, Defender of the Earth, Futuros Indígenas Network (Mexico); Payzee Mahmod, child marriage survivor and campaigner, IKWRO – Women’s Rights Organization (United Kingdom); and Yemi Adamolekun, executive director, Enough is Enough (EiE) (Nigeria). Each winner will receive year-long support from Global Citizen and a donation to their organization. Read on to learn more about each of the winners!
The honors also include the Cisco Youth Leadership Award — which was established by Cisco and Global Citizen in 2018 to recognize and lift up a young person who is positively impacting the world to demonstrate the significant role young people play in achieving the Global Goals.
The winner of the Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award 2022 is Nidhi Pant, chemical engineer and co-founder of S4S Technologies (India). She will receive a substantial donation to her organization to enable its continued growth. You can read more about Pant’s work here — and stay tuned next week as we share more about the remarkable work of each of the Citizen Award winners.
“Addressing the world’s most pressing issues will require the innovative, passionate efforts of young entrepreneurs like Nidhi, leading the next generation of global leaders who will help usher in a more inclusive, sustainable future,” said Fran Katsoudas, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer at Cisco.
All eight Global Citizen Prize winners will be celebrated at an awards ceremony and intimate gala dinner event taking place on Sunday, May 22, at New York City’s Gotham Hall. The event will recognize the winners’ incredible efforts, with an exclusive stream of the Global Citizen Prize event airing on YouTube and Twitter on June 2, at 12 p.m. ET.
The activists will also take part in Global Citizen NOW, a two-day summit in New York on May 22 and 23 that will feature 200 leaders from across the private sector, advocacy, entertainment, government, and philanthropy to discuss impact, action, and innovation.
Through a series of panel discussions and fireside conversations, combined with first-person storytelling and visual arts, Global Citizen NOW’s programming will emphasize the message of our year-long campaign: End Extreme Poverty NOW — Our Future Can’t Wait.
The summit is supported by Cisco, Citi, Harith General Partners, Procter & Gamble, and Verizon. Stay tuned for more information about Global Citizen NOW.
