Bangladeshi youth honoured with Young Activist Laureate Award in Geneva
Sohanur Rahman, a Bangladeshi youth leader and climate justice advocate, has been awarded the prestigious Young Activist Laureate Award 2024 at the Young Activists Summit (YAS24), held at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva on Tuesday (19 November).
He was one of five global honorees recognised for their outstanding contributions to democracy, human rights, and environmental transformation through grassroots activism.
Sohanur's recognition is a significant milestone in his journey as a climate activist.
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Earlier, he represented Bangladesh as an official youth delegate at the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, and Lutfe Siddiqui, the chief adviser's special envoy on international affairs.
Both of them commended his relentless advocacy for climate justice and youth-led activism, according to a press release.
Institutions such as the US Embassy in Dhaka, the EU Delegation in Dhaka, and the EU Mission in Geneva lauded Sohanur's inspiring leadership.
In his acceptance speech, delivered partly in Bangla, Sohanur dedicated the award to all climate warriors and victims of climate injustices, including his late colleague Saraban, a youth activist who died during the July uprising. He emphasised that the award is a collective victory for those striving for a fairer, more sustainable world.
The summit, themed "Go Far, Go Together," inspired by the African proverb "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together," resonated with Sohanur's approach to climate activism. He shared his personal journey, recounting his survival of Super Cyclone Sidr in 2007, which inspired his lifelong commitment to climate justice.
In 2016, he founded YouthNet for Climate Justice, a youth-led organisation that has mobilised thousands across Bangladesh to advocate for sustainable policies.
Under Sohanur's leadership, YouthNet has influenced major milestones, including Bangladesh Parliament's 2019 declaration of the climate crisis as a planetary emergency and the cancellation of ten proposed coal-fired power plants.
Beyond environmental activism, he has played a key role in the pro-democracy movement, organising peaceful protests to demand political reforms and human rights protections.
