Are you ready to meet the future of democracy? Introducing the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize 2025 finalists. The Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy prize recognises exceptional leadership shown by young activists in defending, renewing and promoting democracy.
Érica Maria Castro Moreira
Érica Maria Castro Moreira is a Portuguese advocate for human rights and democratic participation, driven by her belief to “be the change you want to see in the world.” With a Master’s in International Governance and Diplomacy from Sciences Po Paris, specialising in Migration, Érica has dedicated her career to amplifying marginalised voices and strengthening democratic institutions across Europe.
Her five-year tenure as Youth Ambassador for Vila Nova de Gaia showcases her commitment to youth empowerment and civic engagement. She led the successful “Youth Rights” awareness campaign in 2020, mobilising 34 young voices to creatively express their perspectives on preserving democracy. She also won the Gaia Participatory Budget with her innovative Sensorial Garden project, designed to address mental health challenges among young people by creating calming environments that combat stress, anxiety, and depression.
As Co-Director for Europe at Politics4Her, Érica has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing gender equality and women’s political participation. She successfully raised over $70,000 with Anera for menstrual care in Gaza and co-managed the #EndGenderApartheid campaign advocating for Afghan women’s rights. Recognising the global backlash on women’s rights, she founded Pela Igualdade, a Portuguese intersectional feminist organisation focused on promoting gender equality and developing tools for inclusive language. Her international experience includes coordinating asylum support in France, Italy, and Portugal, as well as conducting research on the rise of far-right movements and their impact on European democracies.
Gabriela de Oliveira Toso
Gabriela Toso is a Brazilian leader and advocate for gender equality and democratic participation, serving as president of Toda Cidadã, an organisation dedicated to civic education and gender equality advocacy. With a Master’s degree in Political Economy from the London School of Economics, Gabriela has spent over a decade building platforms and initiatives that democratize knowledge and expand access to political and civic tools, particularly for women and girls from underserved communities.
Her leadership approach is deeply rooted in democratic values and social justice, characterised by humanised, participatory management that fosters environments of trust, collaboration, and collective empowerment. As co-host of the podcast Detalhe Pod, Gabriela amplifies conversations about women’s rights, inequalities, and politics, reaching diverse audiences with educational content that promotes civic engagement. Her work consistently demonstrates a commitment to making democratic participation more inclusive and accessible.
Gabriela’s advocacy extends beyond education to direct action against gender discrimination and violence, working to ensure women’s rights are upheld in both private and public spheres. Her approach reflects a deep belief in democracy as a lived, inclusive practice that begins with everyday leadership. Through her strategic vision and unwavering commitment to feminist causes, Gabriela continues to strengthen democratic participation among marginalised groups while building bridges between civic education and transformative social change.
Juan Pierre
Juan Pierre is a visionary 19-year-old social activist and policy innovator from Mauritius, affectionately known among his peers as “Juansama” for his exceptional impact and leadership. With over five years of experience in youth advocacy and civic engagement, Juan has established himself as a transformative force in both climate action and democratic governance.
Through his work with the World Bank MTE Ambassador programme and the National Student Council of Mauritius, he has helped create platforms that amplify youth voices in policymaking. He has served as Chief Whip in the National Youth Parliament since 2023, promoting the use of evidence-based methodologies to inform legislative development, particularly regarding renewable energy and climate resilience, and he helped develop a digital Twin Governance project, an AI-powered policy simulation tool that provides governments with dynamic platforms to predict and navigate policy outcomes.
Earlier this year, he was awarded the WIN WIN Gothenburg Sustainability Youth Award for his outstanding leadership in climate action and youth empowerment – and in his roles as a UNFCCC Contact Point and Global SIDS Focal Point for the UN Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY), he worked to ensure youth perspectives are represented in international climate policymaking.
His leadership philosophy centres on the motto “Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail,” reflecting his meticulous approach to every endeavour.
Julián David 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.
Lourdes Selliez
Lourdes Selliez is a legal analyst and civic innovation advocate, strengthening democracy across Latin America through the provision of accessible legal resources. As Legal Analyst for Civic House and Alliances Coordinator at Legal Check, this Universidad Torcuato Di Tella graduate has empowered over 8,000 NGOs across 10 Latin American countries by providing essential legal tools to defend human rights, demand government accountability, and promote civic engagement.
Through innovative workshops, webinars, and digital platforms, Lourdes has revolutionised how civil society organisations navigate complex legal frameworks. Their technology-driven solutions simplify legal processes while their strategic advocacy supports grassroots movements in challenging unjust laws and improving transparency. Known for their collaborative spirit and unwavering commitment to justice, Lourdes transforms communities by enabling broader participation in governance and building sustainable democratic institutions that make democracy more accessible and inclusive across the region.
Mamobo Ogoro
Mamobo Ogoro is a social psychologist and award-winning social entrepreneur who has dedicated her career to reimagining democracy as a space of inclusion, belonging, and cultural equity. Born in Nigeria and raised in Ireland, her lived experience navigating identity, race, and belonging has shaped both her personal mission and professional vision to unify across societal divides. With a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Limerick, Mamobo founded GORM in 2020 at 24, a social enterprise whose name, meaning “blue” in Irish, symbolises “Duine Gorm” (People of Colour in Irish).
In just under five years, GORM has become a national movement of impact, engaging over 18,000 community members online, training more than 4,000 professionals in intercultural competence and anti-racism, and supporting over 100 young people from marginalised backgrounds in accessing Ireland’s media industry. Through GORM, Mamobo has created a tangible framework for fostering democratic resilience that connects boardrooms to streets and policies to people. As Ireland’s youngest and first Black host on NewstalkFM, her national show “Younified” reaches 10,000 weekly listeners, while her work as the first Irish Echoing Green Fellow continues the legacy of previous fellows including Michelle Obama.
Mamobo’s leadership approach combines evidence-based expertise with radical empathy, meeting polarization and far-right discourse not with defensiveness but with dialogue. Her work represents democracy in action—participatory, redistributive, and visionary,as she opens spaces, builds bridges, and humanizes complex social issues while maintaining hope and humor in the face of resistance.
Marharyta Vorykhava
Marharyta “Margo” Vorykhava is at the forefront of the fight for Belarusian democracy. At 23, she boasts an impressive CV, having served as President of the Belarusian National Youth Council (RADA), Youth Policy Advisor to 2020 Presidential Candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and co-chair of the Advisory Council on Youth at the Council of Europe.
Through these roles, she has launched initiatives that have reached over 5,000 young Belarusians, led research projects that led to the establishment of an unrestricted Information Centre, and developed actionable recommendations presented to policymakers from the Council of Europe, the European Commission, and the US Department of State.
Nicolene S. Arcaina
Nicolene Arcaina is a 30-year-old from the Philippines. As a lawyer at the Center for International Law, she was lead counsel defense for Efren Morillo, one of the first known survivors of the War on Drugs, who was eventually acquitted of a fabricated direct assault charge. Morillo’s case against the police emerged as a symbol of resistance and hope that the senseless War on Drugs will cease to exist.
She was also the lead case analyst for the San Andres Bukid case, which was a killing field because of the War on Drugs.Finally, she served as the lead community coordinator and analyst for processing the victims’ views and participation before the International Criminal Court, and co-counsel in strategic litigation cases against the Anti-Terrorism Act, which targets individuals labelled as “red-tagged.”
As the Executive Director of the Ateneo Human Rights Center, Nicolene spearheaded an intern program that supported 37 new law student interns in 2024 and led the planning and piloting of human rights-focused clinics, such as an environmental justice defense network and a trial monitoring clinic. She helps facilitate legal, campaigns, and psychosocial support for over 400 individuals impacted by the War on Drugs.
Prince Chaudhary
Hailing from Nepal, Prince Chaudhary has long been fighting for engagement within democracy in his home country. A member of the Madheshi community, Prince witnessed firsthand how marginalised communities are often disregarded and ignored in policy-making.
Prince co-founded and is CEO of SpeakUp Nepal, a citizen-driven petition platform that empowers people to engage with democracy through active participation. The platform has facilitated over 250 citizen-led initiatives, resulting in two successful resolutions, five discussions in the Nepalese Parliament, and 17 government actions, demonstrating the impact SpeakUp has on promoting democracy and policymaking in Nepal.
Sohee Yang
Sohee Yang is a 29-year-old from South Korea. As a digital democracy activist, she has led a wide range of campaigns, public forums, research initiatives, and organisational efforts to ensure that digital technologies serve democracy and social solidarity rather than authoritarianism or fascism. In response to a recent state of emergency in Korea, Sohee and her colleagues designed and launched an AI-powered platform that allowed citizens to submit constitutional petitions with just a few keywords.
It drew engagement from 2,459 citizens, reaching middle-aged users who are often challenging to attract, and generated over 770 citizen-generated keywords envisioning the future of Korean society.
She has responded to the crisis of disinformation by creating weekly, curated political briefings and online discussion spaces that are verified through fact-checking systems. Sohee has organised over 20 local public forums in seven cities across the country. Drawing on insights from these conversations, she launched an open-source “Next Democracy Wiki” to systematically archive the visions, critiques, and democratic values of Korea’s younger generation.
Sohee has also represented Korea in major global convenings on democracy and sustainable development, including the 2021 Open Government Partnership Global Summit, the 2023 Athens Democracy Forum, the 3rd Summit for Democracy, and the 2024 UN Democracy Platform.
Sudhanshu Kaushik
Sudhanshu Kaushik is a globally recognised youth leader whose work across India and the Indian diaspora has advanced the cause of democracy at both the grassroots and institutional levels. Through the organisations he founded and leads—the Young India Foundation (YIF), the Centre for Youth Policy (CYP), and the North American Association of Indian Students (NAAIS)- he has built inclusive platforms that have empowered young people to participate meaningfully in democratic life.
At a time when youth are underrepresented in Indian governance, YIF has registered over one million first-time voters and helped over 100 young candidates, including those from marginalised castes and communities, contest and win local elections.
As Executive Director of NAAIS, Sudhanshu has also mobilised over 800,000 Indian-origin students across the U.S. He has led campaigns to reverse discriminatory visa policies, secure funding and legal protections for international students, and activate diaspora youth as civic participants in both American and Indian contexts.
Sudhanshu’s work has been recognised by major media outlets such as CNN, The Times of India, The Print, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Outlook India, amplifying the call for youth-led democracy. He has delivered keynote addresses at the United Nations, TEDx, and international youth summits. His debut book, The Future is Ours (HarperCollins, 2023), has become a seminal text on youth political identity in India.
Tara Roos
Tara Roos is a 20-year-old from South Africa, working as a policy writer, researcher, and political analyst. Tara has dedicated her career to breaking down barriers to democratic participation and ensuring all citizens, especially young people, understand and engage with governance processes.
As the founder of SoWeVote, Tara spearheaded efforts to increase youth voter registration and turnout, recognising the urgent need to engage first-time voters in South Africa. Her work led to the registration of over 50,000 first-time voters ahead of the 2024 elections. Additionally, through The Participation Project, she has developed an innovative Public Participation Programme that tracks legislation currently under review in Parliament and provides clear, easy-to-understand breakdowns of proposed laws. The initiative ensures that citizens know when and how to submit public comments, providing them with direct access to decision-making processes that affect their lives.
Following the 2024 elections, Tara was invited to serve on South Africa’s Electoral Reform Consultation Panel, a position that allows her to shape the future of democratic processes at an institutional level.
Yuval Green
Yuval Green is a 27-year-old medical student and part of an Israeli network advocating for the rights of military refusers. Following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks, Yuval was called to enlist for military service. During his reserve duty, he received an order from his commander to burn down houses in southern Gaza. He refused this order and left his unit.
This pivotal event led Yuval to become part of a group of soldiers who publicly declared their opposition to the war in Gaza, giving interviews to foreign media. After some time, Yuval chose to take a leadership role in a new initiative aimed at pressuring the government to end the war.
Together with members of the Refuser Solidarity Network (RSN) organisation, he drafted a public refusal letter, gathering the voices of those no longer willing to fight for a government they saw as corrupt and cruel. The writing of this letter led to the formation of the first group of refusers, who together challenged the Israeli consensus. In January, he worked with RSN members to organise the War Refusal Conference, exposing the horrors of military operations in Gaza to a wider audience. Beyond his efforts to amplify the voices of refusers, Yuval also works on the ground to assist Palestinian shepherding communities in the West Bank.
Yuval’s actions have helped legitimise war refusal and expose the truth in Gaza. Currently, the organisation includes over 200 soldiers who have participated in the fighting in Gaza and are no longer willing to do so. The organisation provides them with legal support and a platform to spread their message.
About the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize
Launched 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 between 18 and 30 and presented each year at the Athens Democracy Forum. The award recognises exceptional leadership and aims to inspire more young people to commit to the advancement of democracy. An independent judging panel reviews the applications and selects the award recipient who wins a monetary prize of USD 10,000, mentorship and participation in the Athens Democracy Forum.
