Bana Alabed, a 15-year-old Syrian changemaker and survivor of the 2016 siege of Aleppo, has been awarded the 2025 International Children's Peace Prize, the world's most important youth prize. During a special ceremony in Stockholm's historic City Hall, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Tawakkol Karman presented the Prize, recognising Bana's extraordinary work for children affected by war.Now living in Türkiye, Bana has become a powerful advocate for peace, education and justice. Through her initiatives, she helps reunite displaced children with their families, rebuild schools and restore hope for children whose lives have been shaped by conflict.
Growing up during the Syrian Civil War, Bana experienced the devastating siege of Aleppo, where she endured bombings, deprivation and insecurity. Losing loved ones, including her best friend Yasmine, strengthened her determination to stand up for children’s rights and work towards a future where no child has to suffer the consequences of war.
Bana first gained international attention by documenting the lives of children trapped in conflict. Through diaries, blogs and social media, she showed the world what it meant to grow up under siege. Her “Stand with Aleppo” campaign, calling for an end to the siege that affected more than 360,000 civilians, reached global audiences and earned her the nickname “Icon of Aleppo.” Her work highlighted the loss of education, fear and displacement experienced by millions of children and encouraged the international community to advocate for ceasefires and humanitarian support.
Today, Bana’s work extends far beyond advocacy. She is committed to reuniting the 5,000 missing children of Syria with their families, reopening schools destroyed by conflict and helping displaced children return to education and stability. Through these initiatives, she not only amplifies the voices of children affected by war but also helps rebuild lives and create hope for the future.
Alongside her activism, Bana is an accomplished author and speaker. Her books, Dear World and My Name is Bana, translated into 15 languages, offer powerful personal accounts of war and resilience. She has contributed to international publications, led workshops and taken part in projects such as Voices from Syria to highlight the experiences of displaced children. Through visits to refugee camps in Türkiye and Jordan, she continues to raise awareness and support families affected by conflict.
Bana also organises educational programmes for refugee children, providing language education and mental health support. Looking ahead, she plans to expand her work through podcasts, documentaries and workshops that help train a new generation of young activists while building stronger international networks for change.
"PEACE IS NOT A LUXURY. THE WORLD MUST LISTEN TO US. OUR CHILDHOOD HAS BEEN STOLEN DUE TO WARS AND CONFLICTS. WE WANT PEACE AND TO THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE SUFFERING IN THE WARS, YOU ARE NOT ALONE."
BANA ALABED, WINNER INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S PEACE PRIZE 2025
Marc Dullaert, chair of the expert committee and founder of KidsRights, about Bana’s impact:
“Bana represents the very essence of what the International Children’s Peace Prize stands for: courage, resilience and an unwavering commitment to justice. Despite experiencing unimaginable hardships, Bana has transformed her story into a powerful platform for change, fighting for the millions of children silenced by conflict. Her dedication to education, peace and children’s rights reminds us all that even the youngest voices can inspire systemic change.”
By winning the International Children’s Peace Prize, Bana receives the iconic Nkosi Statuette, the Desmond Tutu Study and Care Grant and a €75,000 Project Fund to create even greater impact. €50,000 will support Bana’s own initiative, while €25,000 will be invested by KidsRights in projects led by other young changemakers working on the same theme of peace and children’s rights.
Bana now joins a remarkable group of former winners, including Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg and Nkosi Johnson, whose leadership has inspired change across the world.
Bana’s story is a powerful reminder that young people are not waiting for tomorrow. They are changing the world today.
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