The People Power Award
At Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke and its Global Centre for Social Movements (MOVE) we want to recognize and strengthen the work of social movements around the world. Many activists in movements work tirelessly without recognition and face great adversity and personal sacrifice without celebration.
We have launched The People Power Award to highlight and celebrate movements around the globe for the work they are doing every day. We are thrilled to announce that in this first year of the award we got over 150 nominations from across the globe. We will contact the selection of 9 nominees by August 21st.
Around the world there are thousands of social movements made up of ordinary people who have decided to act together to claim basic rights and freedoms, defend the environment or speak out against the misuse of power; whether it is by taking down corrupt leaders, challenging exploitative companies or countering oppressive societal norms. Although some movements do not achieve their desired outcomes, due to a myriad of factors, many do succeed in transforming their communities and our world. Social movements have contributed to much of the progress we are proud of today, whether it is the anti-colonial independence struggles, women's right to vote, civil rights or the protection of oceans and forests.
We have seen what can be achieved when citizens work together. We have seen what happens when people speak up, act and refuse to be part of the system they want to change. That is why Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke and its Global Centre for Social Movements (MOVE) have created the People Power Award, to express our thanks, gratitude and admiration for the social movements that are providing hope and creating positive change in the world today.
Each year we will highlight three social movements and give them the opportunity to show the world what they have been doing, and support them in doing even more impactful work.
The jury
We at ActionAid and its Global Centre for Social Movements (MOVE) are excited to introduce this year's jury for the People Power Award.
Shabana Azmi, Actress and social activist
Shabana Azmi is an internationally celebrated Film and Theatre actress who believes in Art being used as an instrument for social change.
Ms Shabana has won five National Awards for Best Actress, three of them in a row. She has also won five International Awards for Best Actress.
Ms Shabana is also a highly respected social activist and a tireless campaigner for the rights of women, slum dwellers and the underprivileged. She heads the Mijwan Welfare Society, an NGO that works for empowerment of the girl child in rural India. From being nonexistent on the map of India. Mijwan is today known all over the world as a model village that is replicable and scalable.
Shabana Azmi was nominated to the Upper House of the Indian Parliament by the President of India in 1997. She is a recipient of the Padmashri and Padma Bhushan, the two highest Civilian Awards instituted by the Government of India. She was awarded the Gandhi International Peace Prize at the House of Lords in 2006. At the Bicentennial celebrations of International Human Rights in Paris 1989, she was honoured along with Mother Theresa by President Mitterrand of France. She also won the Crystal Award along with Mohammed Ali and Michael Douglas at the World Economic Forum 2006. She has been conferred five Doctorates by renowned universities both national and international. She has received the prestigious Martin Luther King, Rosa Park and Chavez Award and is Visiting Professor of the University of Michigan. A former UN Goodwill Ambassador for Population and Development, she continues to work on issues of Public Health. She has recently been nominated as Global Leadership Ambassador for Women in Public Service Project initiated by Hillary Clinton.
Maryam Khawaja, Human rights defender
Maryam is a leading Danish-Bahraini human rights defender and advocate. She has been influential in shaping responses to human rights atrocities around the world. Maryam leads the #FreeAlKhawaja Campaign, advocating for the release of her father, who has been unjustly detained in Bahrain since 2011.
Rune Lykkeberg, Journalist
Journalist, writer and editor in chief at the Danish newspaper Information. In addition to his editorial work, he is also an active participant in the public debat about democracy, politics, social movements, culture and climate change and has written mutiple books about the topics. Some of them being "Everyone is right — Democracy as a principle and problem (2012), "The West against the West" (2019), "Slow Conversations - About the paths from disaster, crises and anger to a better world (2022). He received the 2008 Georg Brandes Prize and the 2012 Holberg Medal.
Photo credit: Jakob Dall
Kumi Naidoo, Human rights and climate justice activist
Kumi Naidoo is a South African human rights and climate justice activist. He was the first African head of Greenpeace and the former Secretary-General of Amnesty International. He is a senior advisor for the Community Arts Network and a special advisor to the Green Economy Coalition. Naidoo served as the Secretary-General of CIVICUS. He is currently the founding Co-Director of the Riky Rick Foundation for the Promotion of Artivism.
Aya Chebbi, Pan-African feminist and diplomat
Aya Chebbi, is a Pan-African feminist and diplomat whose mission is the liberation of African women and girls.
She rose to prominence as a voice for democracy during 2010/2011 Tunisia’s Revolution, which toppled a twenty-three-year dictatorship.
She has single handedly transformed the youth leadership space across Africa and impacted over one million young people. She served as the first ever African Union Special Envoy on Youth and the youngest diplomat at the Chairperson’s Cabinet (2018 – 2021).
She is currently the Founder of Nalafem, one of Africa’s largest multigenerational alliances of women politicians and activists united towards transformative feminist change.