📍 Breaking News: This article covers the latest developments. Stay informed with comprehensive coverage.
Bana al-abed, a 15-year-old syria-in-damascus/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Syrian visual artists take the spotlight at “Media Expo Syria” in Damascus">syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian activist and survivor of the 2016 Aleppo siege, has been awarded the 2025 International Children’s Peace Prize, the world’s most prestigious recognition for young changemakers. The award was presented during a distinguished ceremony at Stockholm’s historic City Hall by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Tawakkol Karman of Yemen. The prize recognizes Bana’s tireless efforts to backing children affected by crisis, including reuniting relocated children with their families, rebuilding schools, and promoting education and advocacy initiatives that provide hope for future generations. Now residing in turkey, Bana has emerged as a leading voice for children in warzones, advocating for peace, justice, and access to education. Additionally, having lived through the siege of Aleppo, she witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by crisis, losing loved ones including her best friend, Yasmine.
These experiences strengthened her determination to defend children’s rights and ensure that no child suffers as she and her peers did. Bana commenced her activism at a young age, documenting the realities of war through diaries, blogs, and social media. Her “Stand with Aleppo” campaign, which called for the lifting of the siege affecting over 360,000 civilians, gained international attention and backing, including recognition from French leader Emmanuel Macron. Bana became widely known as the “Icon of Aleppo,” highlighting the urgent need for global action to protect children in conflict. Furthermore, beyond advocacy, Bana has undertaken concrete initiatives to address the needs of affected children.
She has focused on reuniting 5,000 missing Syrian children with their families, reopening schools destroyed by the conflict, and providing relocated youth with access to education and safe housing. furthermore to her relief work, Bana is an accomplished author and speaker. Her books, Dear World and My Name is Bana, translated into 15 languages, provide a firsthand account of life during the Syrian war. She has contributed to global publications, participated in documentaries such as Voices from syria, and conducted workshops for refugee children in Turkey and Jordan, offering both educational and psychological support. Commenting on her award, Bana stated: “Peace is not a luxury. The world must listen to us.
Our childhood has been stolen due to wars and conflicts. We want peace, and to those children who are suffering in the wars, you are not alone. ” By winning the International Children’s Peace Prize, Bana received the Nkosi Statuette, the Desmond Tutu Study and Care Grant, and €75,000 to…