Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize 2026
🏆 About the Prize
The Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize is awarded annually to a young leader aged 18 to 30 and presented at the Athens Democracy Forum. This prestigious award recognizes exceptional leadership demonstrated by young activists in defending and promoting democracy. It aims to inspire more young people to commit to the advancement of democracy.
🎁 Benefits
Winner Benefits
The Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize winner will receive:
- $10,000 USD and one-year mentorship with a recognized democracy expert.
- A place to attend the Athens Democracy Forum in Athens, Greece from 29 September - 2 October 2026, including travel and accommodation.
- An invitation to co-curate a session on youth and democracy at the following year's forum.
Winner and Finalists Benefits
The winner and nine finalists will receive:
- A fully-funded place to attend the One Young World Summit in Cape Town, South Africa from 3 - 6 November 2026.
- Travel to and from Cape Town (economy flights).
- Hotel accommodation in Cape Town in a private room between 2 - 7 November 2026.
- Lifelong membership of the One Young World Ambassador Community, a global network with 20,000+ members in 190+ countries.
- Opportunity to present their work at international forums and conferences.
- Opportunity to connect with past winners of the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize.
- Opportunities to engage in additional One Young World-led events and programming, including additional mentorship opportunities.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this prize, applicants must:
- Be aged 18 - 30 at the time of application.
- Demonstrate capacity for leadership.
- Be willing and able to participate in public activities at the Athens Democracy Forum and One Young World Summit 2026.
- Submit a short video outlining their work defending democracy and their motivation for engaging in it.
- Submit their application in English.
- Provide a letter of support written and signed by an organization recognized in the field of protecting and advancing democracy.
Letter of Support Requirements
The letter must:
- State the full name, organization, and title of the individual writing the letter.
- Explain how they know the applicant and for how long.
- Describe their understanding of the applicant's role.
- Detail why they believe the applicant's work helps protect and advance democracy.
- Be written in English.
Applicants must have explicit consent from the individual supporting their application to share their personal details with One Young World. The name and organization of the individual may be shared with relevant third parties involved in the selection process.
📅 Application Date and Process
- Application Deadline: 17 May, 2026
- Interested applicants can apply via the official application website.
🌟 Contact Information
For more details, visit the official One Young World website.
- 10,000 USD and one-year's mentorship with a recognised democracy expert.
- A place to attend the Athens Democracy Forum in Athens, Greece from 29 September - 2 October 2026, including travel and accommodation.
- An invitation to co-curate a session on youth and democracy at the following year's forum.
Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize winner and nine finalists will receive:
- A fully-funded place to attend the One Young World Summit Cape Town, South Africa from 3 - 6 November 2026.
- Travel to and from Cape Town (flights in economy).
- Hotel accommodation in Cape Town in a private room between 2 - 7 November 2026.
- Lifelong membership of the One Young World Ambassador Community, a global network with 20,000+ members in 190+ countries.
- Opportunity to present their work at international fora and conferences.
- Opportunity to connect with the past winners of the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize.
- Opportunities to engage in additional One Young World-led events and programming, including additional mentorship opportunities.
