Rezwan among candidates for World’s Children’s Prize

Bangladeshi national Mohammed Rezwan is one of the three child rights heroes who are in the running to receive the Swedish World’s Children’s Prize (WCP).

Millions of children will vote to decide who will receive the prize, which is often referred to as the “Children’s Nobel Prize” by worldwide media, said a press release.

Mohammed Rezwan has been fighting for 25 years for the rights of children and especially vulnerable girls despite spiralling poverty and floods caused by climate change in the country.

Mohammed and his organisation, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha operate 26 floating schools, as well as floating libraries, health clinics and vocational training for young women. His original idea for floating schools has spread throughout Bangladesh and to several other countries.

Through the event, millions of children around the world will learn about the work of Mohammed Rezwan and other child rights heroes. They will participate in the children’s global vote to choose the recipient of the World’s Children’s Prize.

Collectively, the nominees have been fighting for almost 100 years to protect the rights of vulnerable children. The WCP child jury, representing children from all over the world, selected floating school innovator Rezwan and two other eminent persons from Canada and Vietnam who also dedicated their lives to the wellbeing of children.

The other candidates are Cindy Blackstock from Canada and Thích Nu Minh Tú from Vietnam.

Cindy has been working for 30 years for the rights of indigenous children and their education, health and safety of their language and culture and Tú has been fighting for almost 40 years as a Buddhist nun to protect orphans and children whose families cannot afford to support them.

The three Child Rights Heroes will be honoured at the 20th World’s Children’s Prize Ceremony at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred of Sweden on October 4. Queen Silvia of Sweden will help children from twelve countries, who will act as hosts for the ceremony, to award the prizes.

The prize money, SEK 500,000, is used to support the work of the Child Rights Heroes, and since 2000 has contributed to a better life for tens of thousands of vulnerable children.

Patrons of the World’s Children’s Prize include Malala Yousafzai, the late Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, Queen Silvia, and several former Swedish Prime Ministers and Ministers for Children. The WCP Programme is also supported by 76,000 schools in 120 countries and 849 organisations.

Since its launch in 2000, 46 million children have learned about the work of the Child Rights Heroes to support vulnerable children and have subsequently participated in the Global Vote to choose the recipient of the World’s Children’s Prize.

The World’s Children’s Prize Foundation (WCPF) receives support from Svenska Postkodlotteriet, ForumCiv, Queen Silvia’s Care About the Children Foundation, Survé Philanthropies and Sparbanksstiftelsen Rekarne, among others.