6th annual Freedom Prize Online voting is open to young people around the world!

The Freedom Prize pays tribute to those who stand up for freedom and peace in the world. What makes this award special is that it involves young people throughout the process: from the selection of the struggles to the designation of the winner, to the presentation of the award at the ceremony.

Online voting for the 2024 Freedom Prize is open to young people aged 15 to 25 from around the world from 20^th March to 30^th April, to elect the winner of their choice: https://prixliberte.normandie.fr/en

Under the chairmanship of Patrick Chauvel, a leading war reporter, the international 2024 jury, made up of 24 young people, nominated the three people and organisations from 512 proposals:

Motaz Azaïza (c) Instagram Motaz Azaïza.

Motaz Azaïza: Motaz Azaïza is a young Palestinian journalist covering the conflict in the heart of Gaza. His campaign for the right to information has made it possible to disseminate information about the conflict and has shed light on the fate of the people affected by this war. His coverage of the conflict from the Gaza Strip earned him the GQ Middle East Man of the Year award in 2023. https://youtu.be/8-qK3MlGszE

Noura Ghazi. Crédit Amnesty International.

• Noura Ghazi: At the age of 5, Noura Ghazi saw her father arrested in Syria for his opposition to the Syrian authoritarian regime. This arrest was the catalyst for her to become a lawyer, defending the rights of political prisoners. She created the non governmental organisation, No Photo Zone, which works to promote human rights and shed light on forced disappearances and detention situations. https://youtu.be/Aq3dwW1LQT4

Maria Kolesnikova. Credit Ulf Mauder.

• Maria Kolesnikova: A graduate of the State Academy of Music as a flautist and conductor, Maria Kolesnikova is a leading figure in the Belarusian opposition, committed to opposing the political oppression imposed by Alexander Lukashenko. Maria Kolesnikova was sentenced to 11 years in prison after a closed trial. https://youtu.be/wSSwJPBZPDg

The Prix Liberté 2024 will be awarded at an event dedicated 100% to the youth on 4th June 2024 at the Zénith in Caen. The winner will receive a trophy made by Normandy high school students as well as a cheque for €25,000 to champion their cause.

This Prize was designed by the Normandy Region in association with the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace, the academic authorities of Normandy and the Canopé network.

With the help of the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace, young people are involved in an educational process that helps them understand the issues of human freedom, and encourages them to express their own opinions on various subjects such as freedom of expression, democracy and tolerance… By choosing and voting autonomously for the representative of their choice, they bear a responsibility that makes them aware of the importance of this issue for their future.

The young people awarded the Freedom Prize in 2019 to the young Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg, for her fight for climate justice. In 2020, the Freedom Prize was awarded to Loujain Al Hathloul, who was released from prison on 10th February 2021 after 1,001 days of detention in Saudi Arabia as a result of her fight for women’s rights in her country. In 2021, the young Afghan rapper, Sonita Alizada, received the Freedom Prize for her struggle against the forced marriage of young girls. In 2022, the association, Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN), won the Freedom Prize for its medico-social, humanitarian and psychological support to street children, who are discriminated against because they are alleged to have evil powers. Then, in 2023, the Club of Young Girls Leaders of Guinea, represented by Hadja Idrissa Bah, was named winner of the Freedom Prize for its fight against forced marriages and mutilations.