Basel Peace Office is pleased to announce the three winners of the 2026 Peace, nuclear Abolition and Climate Engaged Youth (PACEY) Award, each of which receives a prize of €5000 plus organizational support to help in their project implementation. The winning projects, which were chosen through ballot of the participants of the 2026 PACEY Award Ceremony on January 23, are VoxForensics (Ukraine), Kiviguard (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Safiran-e-Sloh (Afghanistan/Pakistan).
VoxForensics (Ukraine)
VoxForensics is a project run by LingvaLexa to undertake in-depth work on crimes related to propaganda in the context of armed conflicts. This work contributes to peace by addressing one of the structural drivers of violence: hatred-based propaganda widely used by authoritarian regimes. The team supports investigations and provides legal assistance, training and research. This work helps ensure accountability for criminalised propaganda and contributes to its prevention.
"War propaganda races into the skies on weaponized technology; the law still crawls on earth, pushing its old cart,” says Anna Vyshniakova, Head of LingvaLexa. “Our task is to equip the good guys for today’s threats. Because good must be strong, too".
KivuGuard - Community-based early warning system for peace and the prevention of armed violence (DRC)
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly the Goma region is plagued by recurring armed conflicts, looting, forced displacement, and inter-communal tensions. This situation is exacerbated by mistrust between communities, the isolation of victims, and the lack of means to engage with local institutions. KivuGuard offers an innovative and humanitarian solution, combining technology and citizen engagement to quickly detect security threats and connect with local response mechanisms, including neighbours, police and conflict resolution services.
" KivuGuard was born out of the daily realities faced by communities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, confronted with armed violence, intercommunal conflicts, and attacks by armed groups, in a context marked by the absence of effective and accessible early warning mechanisms,” says Elie Yossa, Founder of KivuGuard. “The PACEY Award represents strong recognition of the role that community-based solutions and technology can play in conflict prevention and the protection of civilians. This support will allow us to strengthen and expand our early warning system, improve community coordination, and save more lives. "
Safiran-e-Sloh – Peace and Empowerment for Afghan Girls (Afghanistan/Pakistan)
After the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan on 15 August 2021, schools and universities for girls were closed, women were denied the right to work, and Afghan girls and women were deprived of their basic rights. Safiran-e-Solh (Youth Peace Ambassadors Group) is a youth-led initiative that supports Afghan refugee girls and women through education, personal development, and advocacy for equal rights. Originating in Afghanistan and now based in Pakistan, the project includes weekly meetings, literacy education, mentoring programs, and collaborative projects that empower Afghan girls and young women to become active change-makers in their communities.
“Education + Girls = Peace,” says Suraya Mohammadi, founder and convenor of Safiran-e-Sloh (Youth Peace Ambassadors Group). “This award recognizes the power of girls’ education as a foundation for peace, dignity, and long-term social change for communities. The PACEY Award affirms that investing in Afghan girls’ education is an investment in peace, hope, and a more just future.”
PACEY Award winners and finalists – testament to the innovation and commitment of youth
Youth leaders from the nine finalist youth projects - selected from 75 nominated projects - presented their projects at the PACEY Award Ceremony. Following the presentations, the winners were decided by votes from the 250 participants in the event plus another 140 who were unable to attend the event due to extenuating circumstances.
“The nine finalist projects demonstrated remarkable innovation and commitment of youth on addressing critical issues for communities and humanity,” says Alyn Ware, Director of the Basel Peace Office which hosts the award, and member of the PACEY Award jury. “Any one of them could have easily won.”
“I see this wonderful youth as the generation of tomorrow: a generation that is concerned, conscious, confident in finding solutions and sharing this confidence with others,” says Jade Didier, Student at Anglo-American University of Pargue and Co-moderator of the PACEY Award Ceremony. “I see this strong youth as the hope our world need to better function, with more peace, and more love.”
“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 and PACEY Award Jury Member. “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”.
“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 Pacey Award Jury Member representing Youth Present.
The PACEY Award was held in conjunction with the 2026 Basel Peace Forum and Reversing the Doomsday Clock, an intergenerational dialogue on peace, human rights, the environment and nuclear disarmament.
Also presenting at the 2026 PACEY Award Ceremony were two winners from 2025: Salome Adamia from the Bertha von Suttner Peace Prize and Program for Youth and Kasha Slavner from 1.5 Degrees of Peace. They spoke about how receiving the award has helped support, strengthen and/or elevate their respective projects.