Tawakkol Karman Awards International Children’s Peace Prize to Activist Bana at Stockholm Ceremony

Stockholm’s historic City Hall hosted what organizers described as an exceptional 21st edition of the International Children’s Peace Prize, where Nobel Peace laureate Tawakkol Karman presented the award to Syrian activist Bana Alabed in recognition of her role in restoring hope to children affected by war.

Alabed received the prize for what the awarding body characterized as her pivotal humanitarian work—efforts that included reuniting displaced children with their families, reopening schools destroyed by conflict, and advancing education and advocacy initiatives in war‑torn regions. The committee noted that her work had moved beyond awareness‑raising to field‑based projects that have transformed the lives of thousands of children.

During the ceremony, Karman said the prize honored Alabed’s documentation of abuses committed by the Assad regime and her efforts to draw international attention to the suffering of children in multiple conflict zones, including Syria, Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine. She described Alabed as part of a Syria defined by children who had called for dignity, women who had continued to persevere despite deep wounds, and youth who carried aspirations that had not been extinguished.

The prize jury echoed Karman’s remarks, explaining that the decision to award Alabed stemmed from her extensive fieldwork. According to the committee, her initiatives have included reuniting thousands of children with their families, reopening schools damaged by fighting, providing housing and education for displaced youth, and implementing educational and psychological support programs for refugees. The jury added that Alabed’s efforts amounted to helping rebuild entire lives for the children she served.

Alabed is widely known for her activism on behalf of children affected by conflict in Syria, Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine. Her direct work, according to organizers, has resulted in the reunification of more than 5,000 missing Syrian children with their families, the reopening of bomb‑damaged schools, and the provision of temporary housing to displaced youth to ensure their return to education and dignified living conditions.

Beyond her humanitarian work, Alabed is also recognized as a prominent writer. Her books Dear World and My Name Is Bana have been translated into fifteen languages, and she has contributed to international media platforms, delivered training workshops, and participated in documentaries—including Voices from Syria. She continues to conduct field visits to refugee camps in Turkey and Jordan to provide direct support and is preparing to expand her advocacy through podcasts, documentary projects, youth-activist training, and new global collaboration networks focused on children’s rights.

In her response to receiving the award, Alabed said peace should not be considered a luxury. She urged the world to listen to the suffering of children, stressing that they had lost their childhoods to war and violence and that their demand was simply for peace. She directed a message to children living through conflict, assuring them that they were not alone.