Basel Peace Office is pleased to announce the nine finalists for the 2025 Peace, nuclear Abolition and Climate Engaged Youth (PACEY) Award. 117 inspiring youth projects from around the world were nominated for the award. The three winning projects, which will be selected at the PACEY Award Ceremony on January 22, will each receive a prize of €5000 plus organizational support.
“We invite anyone interested in youth initiatives for a better world to join us for the PACEY Award ceremony, meet young leaders from the nine projects and vote to decide the three winners,” says Alyn Ware, Director of the Basel Peace Office.
In addition to the Basel Peace Office, the Award is cosponsored by Basel City Presidential Department and the Basel Evangelical Reformed Church, with cooperation in 2025 by Youth Present.
“The PACEY Award supports innovative projects which empower youth to lead transformative actions in the fields of peace, climate security and disarmament”, says Ms Marzhan Nurzhan, Deputy-Director of the Basel Peace Office. “The nine finalists a sample of the quality and level of youth action on these important issues for humanity and the planet.”
“Young people in Europe and around the world are standing up to demand policy progress on the climate crisis, nuclear abolition and ending war,” says Prof (em) Andreas Nidecker MD, founder of the PACEY Award. ‘They clearly see the threats to current and future generations and are taking action.”
"Peace and security are the indispensable foundation for sustainable development," says Lukas Ott, Head of Cantonal and Urban Development, Presidential Department of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. "Only in a peaceful environment can sustainable solutions and innovation flourish. Youth-driven initiatives in peacebuilding, climate action and disarmament are crucial pillars for shaping a resilient and sustainable future".
The PACEY Award will confer one prize for a Europe-focused project and two prizes for projects based/focused outside of Europe.
Finalists for the Europe Youth Project Award
Youth Informational Campaign for a Nuclear-Free Belarus
Belarus
The Youth Informational Campaign for a Nuclear-Free Belarus is a project supported by the International Center for civil initiatives (Our House) to educate and mobilize Belarusian youth about the dangers of nuclear weapons stationed in their country and engage them in national and global nuclear disarmament. By leveraging creative digital content, petitions, interactive activities, and workshops, the campaign aims to foster a dynamic, youth-led movement advocating for peace, security, and a nuclear-free Belarus.
Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize and Program for Youth
Georgia
The Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize and Program for Youth is an initiative organized by the Peace Institute for Progress (Georgia) to advance the potential of youth to drive meaningful change for peace in society. It is named after Bertha von Suttner, the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Bertha lived for nine years in Georgia hosted by Princess Ekaterina Dadiani. Located on the southern border of Russia, but with strong connections to Europe, places Georgia in a very difficult political situation. This project supports youth who are engaging in initiatives for peace, democracy and human rights in such a turbulent political environment.
Transatlantic Youth Summit
Switzerland/Italy/USA
The Transatlantic Youth Summit, organized by the Youth of European People’s Party, fosters communication and collaboration between emerging young leaders from Europe and the United States on shared global challenges such as security, climate change, nuclear risk-reduction & disarmament, and technological innovation. The Summit will include a two-day conference in Washington DC in June 2025, plus follow-up webinars, and roundtables.
Finalists for the Beyond Europe Youth Project Award
1.5 degrees for Peace
Switzerland/Canada/Global
1.5 Degrees of Peace is a character-driven feature documentary produced by Kasha Slavner, following the stories of four young activists, in regions impacted by the interconnected forces driving climate change: militarization, conflicts, and systemic violence. The film contrasts our protagonists in their struggle for environmental justice, disarmament, and demilitarization, with the revolutionary love, community, and visionary solutions that exist within these movements.
Digital Peacebuilding: Confronting Hate Speech and Fake News
Singapore/SE Asia
Digital Peacebuilding: Confronting Hate Speech and Fake News is a project of the Siam Society to combat digital misinformation and hate speech in South-East Asia through grassroots education and gamification. By developing culturally-sensitive, gamified training manuals in ten regional languages, the initiative will equip users with skills to recognize and counteract misinformation. This interactive approach will enhance learning and ensure that users can apply this knowledge in real-world digital environments.
Youth’s Peace and Reconciliation for Sustainable Development
South Sudan
Youth’s Peace and Reconciliation for Sustainable Development is a project of the Pan-African Peacemakers Alliance to engage youth in the promotion of peace, reconciliation, dialogue, activism, non-violence, and advocacy in the Malakal County, Upper Nile region. The project engages youth through community dialogues, football matches, training sessions, and forums. The activities include training in conflict resolution and prevention.
Africa Youth Vanguard for Peace and Climate Action
Kenya/Africa
Africa Youth Vanguard for Peace and Climate Action is a youth-led initiative under the Upcoming African Youth Organization that empowers African youth to tackle global challenges through innovative, community-driven solutions. The project will engage young people in nuclear disarmament through workshops, digital campaigns, and collaborations with global organizations, highlighting the humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons while fostering a culture of peace.
ISYP South Asia Programme
India/South Asia
The ISYP South Asia Programme is organized by International Student/Young Pugwash (ISYP), a global and interdisciplinary network of students and young professionals concerned with the nexus of science, ethics, and security. As a region with three nuclear-armed states - India, Pakistan and China - South Asia is a geopolitical hotspot where nuclear risks are always present. The ISYP South Asia program fosters cross-national dialogue among students and young professionals working to address the increasingly complex nuclear landscape in South Asia.
Institutionalizing Nuclear Disarmament Education at the Secondary Level
Canada
Institutionalizing Nuclear Disarmament Education at the Secondary Level Is a project of IPPNW Canada to integrate disarmament education into national and regional secondary school curricula across Canada and beyond. The project emphasizes the interconnectedness of peace, climate action, and nuclear disarmament. This involves developing lesson plans and organizing workshops for teachers to equiping them with authoritative knowledge, tools and resources to engage their students in nuclear disarmament studies.
PACEY Award Ceremony
The PACEY Awards Ceremony, which is open to everyone to attend, takes place online on January in conjunction with the 2025 Basel Inter-generational Forum on Peace, Disarmament and Climate Action and the Basel Peace Forum 2025. Finalists in each category will present their projects/proposals at the Awards Ceremony, after which participants will vote by secret ballot to determine the three winners.
According to Prof Lukas Kundert, Director of the Basel-Stadt Evangelical Reformed Church, the award highlights youth action that connects ethical ways of living with practical approaches to achieving peace. “Righteousness and Peace kiss each other” he says.
"In current conflicting times, youth as active agents of change should come more forward with innovative solutions to restore peace and sustainable development,” concludes Ghurni Bhattacharya from Youth Present.