Are you ready to meet the future of democracy? Introducing the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize finalists for 2026.
The Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize is awarded annually to a young leader aged 18 to 30 and presented at the Athens Democracy Forum. The award recognises exceptional leadership shown by young activists in defending and promoting democracy, and aims to inspire more young people to commit to the advancement of democracy.
Clare Beaton-Wells
Clare Beaton-Wells is a policy innovator and one of Australia’s distinctive emerging voices on democratic renewal, specialising in long-term governance, systems change and intergenerational leadership. She established and leads the Future Generations Fellowship at Foundations for Tomorrow, co-convenes Australia’s National Conversation Development Lab designing civic infrastructure for inclusive, long-term governance, and was a lead author of the policy brief behind Australia’s Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill (2025), which she later supported in drafting.
Clare is also a 2026 Next Generation Foresight Practitioner Fellow with the School of International Futures.
Emily Gorodetskiy
Emily Gorodetskiy is a youth civic innovator, nonprofit executive, and incoming Vanderbilt University student dedicated to defending democracy and advancing human rights.
Inspired by her family’s Ukrainian background, she has devoted her work to expanding civic participation and opportunity for young people. Emily is the co-founder of VR’ing Democracy, a virtual reality civic engagement headset, as well as an NGO youth representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70).
Emily also advocates against human trafficking and has addressed government leaders on youth civic engagement, technology, and public policy.
Israel James
Israel James is a Public Policy and Government Affairs Strategist specialising in legislative engagement, national reform advocacy, and international development policy.
He serves as Country Director of Project SPRINT, where he leads high-impact initiatives at the intersection of governance, food sovereignty, and youth-led policy innovation. With experience as a Legislative Assistant within Nigeria’s National Assembly and as a former State House of Assembly candidate in Akwa Ibom, he brings a blend of technical policy expertise and practical political insight.
His work convenes government actors, research institutions, and civil society to shape evidence-based policy outcomes and strengthen institutional frameworks. Israel’s advocacy has contributed to elevating national discourse on strategic issues including Tax reforms, Data protection, agricultural security, biosecurity, and sustainable development, positioning him as a leading voice in advancing inclusive and resilient governance systems across Africa.
Edward Krutsch
Edward Krutsch is an Australian democracy organiser and youth political campaigner committed to strengthening democratic participation and youth leadership.
He founded Run For It, supporting more than 100 young Australians to run for elected office, and has contributed to election campaigns such as Zohran Mamdani’s successful New York City mayoral campaign. He works across research, advocacy, and strategic mobilising to advance inclusive, representative, and participatory democracy globally.
Munashe Masiyiwa
Munashe Cuthbert Masiyiwa is the Founder and Executive Director of the Youth Accountability Initiative (YAI), a youth-led organisation advancing public finance accountability, natural resource governance, climate action, and development financing in Zimbabwe.
A data scientist, economist, and governance advocate, his work argues that value addition to critical minerals should extend beyond economic success to uphold environmental sustainability and democratic accountability. He advocates for value-auditing, an approach that places communities at the centre of natural resource governance and decision-making.
Daryna Onyshko
Daryna Onyshko is a Ukrainian civic leader and Manager of the Youth Democracy Network (YDN) under the auspices of the Community of Democracies. YDN supports democratic leaders from more than 80 countries through leadership development, policy engagement, and international collaboration.
Daryna founded TWIN, a global mentorship platform connecting emerging changemakers with experienced leaders, and facilitates a civic skills-building course in partnership with Cornell University.
Her mission is to ensure that young people are equipped, connected, and trusted to lead democratic change in their communities and beyond.
Lara Parizotto
Lara Parizotto is the Executive Director of Migrant Democracy Project, an organisation working to support the political empowerment of migrants across the UK through voter registration, political candidacy training, and advocacy for the extension of the right to vote.
Lara is from Brazil and has spent the last 12 years in the UK working on migrant justice. She served as an elected councillor in the London Borough of Hounslow and was the first Brazilian councillor to get elected in the UK.
Chaitanya Prabhu
Chaitanya Prabhu is a lawyer and public policy professional with a master’s degree in public policy. He is the founder of Mark Your Presence, a non-profit and non-partisan youth movement dedicated to registering and educating young voters to build a stronger democracy. Since its inception, the organisation has impacted more than half a million voters through civic engagement initiatives. It educates and trains young people in democratic values, public policy, and leadership, creating hands-on opportunities to engage and work with policymakers and public institutions.
Through its work, Mark Your Presence aims to inspire and prepare the next generation of informed, active citizens and future policymakers.
Maryam Rayed
Maryam Rayed is a democracy and peace advocate from Afghanistan, currently living in exile. She believes democracy work is hardest when you have no territory to defend, but the work of thousands of exiled advocates reminds us every day that democracy can be fought for from afar.
Women and youth are at the centre of her work. From her own lived experience, she knows that when countries slide back, they are the first to suffer, and also the most powerful agents of democratic change.
Maryam came to the US as a Fulbright scholar with the hope of returning home to strengthen women’s participation in democratic processes, particularly elections. What was meant to be two years of study has become five years of exile. She continues to practice and defend democracy in whatever ways she can, unconventional ways perhaps, running a virtual education programme for women and girls inside Afghanistan, supporting dialogue in diaspora communities, and advocating for the rights of political asylees and women globally.
Arabia Simeon
Arabia Simeon is the founder and CEO of POGO, a civic technology company using AI to make civic participation more accessible, engaging, and informed for the next generation.
A community organiser and civic technologist, she has spent years developing tools that strengthen democratic participation and empower young people to engage in public life. Arabia is an alumna of Venture For America, Halcyon, Civic Nation’s Change Collective, New Leaders Council, Builders + Backers, and Future Founders, and was a 2024 semifinalist for the Black Ambition Prize.
Her work has been featured by CBS Detroit, NPR radio, BridgeDetroit, and the Michigan Chronicle.
About the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize
Throughout his mandate as Secretary-General of the United Nations and later at the head of the Kofi Annan Foundation, Kofi Annan worked to promote democracy, which he called “a catalyst for better governance, greater security, and human development.” He was also a great believer in youth leadership and inclusion, and he strived to facilitate the participation of young people in local, national and international decision-making forums.
Democracy, however, is in retreat in many parts of the world, with catastrophic consequences, including the toppling of democratically elected governments, the rise of populist and authoritarian leaders on all continents, and outbreaks of conflict and war. Considering the deteriorating state of democracy globally, the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize seeks to identify and commend inspiring young people who have shown exceptional commitment to protecting and advancing democracy in their countries.
Launched by the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Democracy and Culture Foundation in 2023, 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 aim is to recognize exceptional leadership and inspire more young people to commit to the advancement of democracy. An independent judging panel reviews the applications and selects the award recipient.
The winner receives 10,000 USD and a one-year mentorship with a recognised democracy expert. The winner is also invited to speak at the Athens Democracy Forum, where they will be presented with their award.
In 2026, the winner and finalists will also receive a scholarship to participate in the One Young World Summit 2026, Cape Town, South Africa, which takes place from 3 – 6 November.
