The Kofi Annan Foundation and Democracy & Culture Foundation are delighted to announce that Colombian Julián Rodríguez Sastoque is the winner of the third Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize.
“From youth activism…to politics, this transition has been the greatest challenge of my life.”
– Julián Rodríguez Sastoque
Since the age of 13, Julián Rodriguez Sastoque has advocated for democracy in his home country of Colombia. Some of his notable achievements in promoting democracy include being elected as a My World Youth Ambassador, engaging 15,000 Colombians in the national contribution towards defining SDGs and founding “PAZa la página,” an initiative that mobilised over 2,000 young Colombians to work towards peacebuilding and reconciliation.
In 2019, Julián became Colombia’s youngest elected official at 23 years old, winning a seat on Bogotá’s City Council. Thanks to his platform as a politician, Julián has offered citizen training to thousands of young people and has founded a new youth-led platform called +YouthInPolitics (+JóvenesEnPolítica), which has over 400 people actively participating in training processes, volunteerism, social control actions and research.
Julián’s Acceptance Speech at the 2025 Athens Democracy Forum
About the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize
Launched in 2023 by the Kofi Annan Foundation (KAF) and the Democracy and Culture Foundation (DCF), the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize is awarded to a young leader aged 18 to 30 and presented annually at the Athens Democracy Forum. The Prize aims to recognise exceptional leadership and inspire more young people to commit to the advancement of democracy.
