The Rohingya peacebuilder and human rights advocate is recognised for his commitment to peace, education and human rights, and his work to ensure Rohingya young people have a voice in shaping their future.
The Kofi Annan Foundation, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform and the Geneva Graduate Institute are proud to announce Maung Sawyeddollah as the inaugural Laureate of the Kofi Annan Geneva Youth Peace Prize.
A Rohingya peacebuilder and human rights advocate, Maung is the Founder and Executive Director of the Rohingya Student Network (RSN), a refugee-led organisation he established in a refugee camp. Stateless and a survivor of the 2017 genocide against the Rohingya, he has dedicated himself to ensuring that Rohingya young people have a voice in shaping their future.
His work reflects a powerful conviction: people who experience conflict should be recognised not only for what they have endured, but also for their capacity to lead efforts towards justice and lasting peace.
Recognising a new generation of peacebuilders
The Kofi Annan Geneva Youth Peace Prize was established to recognise exceptional young peacebuilders whose work reflects the values of Kofi Annan: dialogue, courage, inclusion, integrity and innovation.
The inaugural Laureate embodies the importance of recognising young people not only as those affected by conflict, but also as leaders who can contribute to preventing it and building a more peaceful future.
A message from the Laureate
On receiving the inaugural Prize, Maung Sawyeddollah said:
“Receiving the Kofi Annan Geneva Youth Peace Prize tells me that people who have experienced conflict do not have to remain defined by it. We can become leaders in preventing it. I receive this recognition not only for myself, but for Rohingya young people who continue to choose education, dialogue, justice and peace despite everything they have experienced.”
“…people who have experienced conflict do not have to remain defined by it”
Bringing generations of peace leadership together
The inaugural Prize was presented as part of the Kofi Annan Geneva Peace Address on 15 October 2026, delivered by Dr Denis Mukwege, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights advocate.
The occasion also brought Maung and Dr Mukwege together for an intergenerational conversation on preventing conflict and building peace. Their participation reflected the importance of bringing established and emerging voices together: peace has never belonged to one institution, one profession or one generation.
The Kofi Annan Foundation, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform and the Geneva Graduate Institute are grateful to the Republic and Canton of Geneva and the City of Geneva for their support in making the inaugural Prize possible.
