This year’s International Children’s Peace Prize 2020 was awarded to 17 year old Bangladeshi teen Sadat Rahman. He developed the mobile application software named “Cyber Teens”, initiating anti-cyber bullying and had set up a social organization named “Narail Volunteers”.
He has already reached out and set up seminars in educational institutes all around Bangladesh and educated a striking number of 45,000 teens. The academic organizations “Cyber Clubs” are his initiative. He is involved in a campaign named “Safe Internet, Safe Teenager”.
Sadat Rahman’s App Cyber Teen Wins The International Children’s Peace Prize 2020
The initiative started after Sadat heard about a 15 year old girl taking her own life due to cyber-bullying. Cyber-bulling is nothing uncommon in today’s day and age. It is horrible to see such a young life ending before it got to experience the world more. Albeit, it is a heinous act done by people who think there will not be any consequences to their actions.
Cyber Teen has the potential to change that landscape. This application is user friendly and has already received positive reviews. It is in its beta version but they soon hope to upgrade the app, educating the youth about internet safety and helping the appropriate authorities (law enforcement, social workers etc.) catch the harassers.
The app has helped to arrest 8 people since its launch. More than 300 people who were victims of cyber-crime have received support through this app. The volunteers who work in the related social organization, they receive confidential cyber bullying reports, which they forward to the appropriate authorities.
Almost 1800 young people have now used the application in his district. Since receiving the award, app stores show Cyber Teen trending in number 1!
International Children’s Peace Prize 2020
This is the first time any Bangladeshi citizen has received this renowned award. This initiative is led by KidsRights foundation which is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The awards first were introduced in 2005. The annual award is an initiative to recognize extraordinary work of people who promote rights of children.
And this year, Sadat Rahman’s Cyber Teen won the international Children’s Peace prize 2020 award. For the first time ever. As is the norm, the winner received an astounding amount of 100,000 euro donation. Sadat Rahman also received an Nkosi statuette. It is a huge honour to be a part of something this optimistic.
Last year’s recipients were Greta Thunburg from Sweden, Divina Maloum from Cameroon. Sadat Rahman received his award on November 13th, Friday, in Hague, the Netherlands, in the awaited ceremony. Nobel peace prize laureate and winner of the international children’s peace prize in 2013, Malala Yousafzai presented the award to him. Malala stated during her online speech,
“He’s calling on young people all over the world to stop cyberbullying and to help peers in their community who suffer from mental and emotional violence. Sadat is a true changemaker.”
According to the AFP news agency, Sadat has stated that he would like to make the app more accessible through his home country, Bangladesh and serve as a model for the rest of the world. He said,
“I strongly believe awareness, empathy, counseling and action are the four drivers of force to combat cyberbullying,” he also added, “The fight against cyberbullying is like a war, and in this war, I’m a warrior. If everybody keeps supporting me, then together, we will win this battle against cyberbullying.”
It shines a bright enough light of hope to see young people like Sadat Rahman are working to make the world a better place, no matter where they are. He received a well deserved award for his valiant efforts and starting where he is with what he could.