6 October 2026
The UN
SDG Action Campaign today announced the nine finalists
for the 2026
Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards,
recognizing individuals and initiatives taking bold action
in their communities and advancing development, climate
action and peace.
The 9th edition of the Awards
has received over 7,000 applications from across 170
countries in three categories: Changemaker, Creativity and
Resilience.
The Resilience
Award finalistswork towards building resilience
in the face of conflicts, inequalities, and climate
change:
- Solar
Bright Future: Turning crisis recovery and
displacement into lasting economic empowerment in
Cameroon. - Women
Justice Initiative (WJI):
Breaking down the barriers to justice for indigenous women
and girls in Guatemala. - Young
Emerging Farmers’ Initiative
(YEFI): Building climate resilience through
youth-led agroecology in Zambia.
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The
Creativity Award finalistsinspire hope
and action through visual expression, art, innovation and
more:
- Mothers
of Courage: Mothers transforming tradition to
create brighter futures for girls in India. - Return
Water Home: Restoring Indonesia’s springs
through community action for future
generations. - Women
for Change: Breaking the silence on
gender-based violence in South Africa.
The
Changemaker Award finalists are leading
collective action towards justice, equality and
peace:
- Ola
Alaghbary: Turning water into a catalyst for
peace in Yemen. - Rokiatou
Traore: Connecting land restoration with
livelihoods and opportunities for women and smallholder
farmers in Mali. - Taban
Shoresh: From surviving conflict to helping
others rebuild and thrive in Iraq.
A high-level
panel of judges will select the winner in each category,
who will be announced at the Heroes of Tomorrow: UN
SDG Action Awards Ceremony in Rome, Italy,
on 29 October 2026. Ahead of the Ceremony, the
finalists will take part in a unique multi-day programme of
networking, coaching and capacity building.
The
Ceremony will bring together the finalists, alongside United
Nations leaders, government representatives, civil society,
creatives and private sector partners, and will be
livestreamed worldwide through Rai, Italy’s national
broadcaster and official media partner, and UN
WebTV.
About the UN SDG Action
Campaign: The Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action
Awards programme is powered by the UN
SDG Action
Campaign, a special initiative of the UN
Secretary-General, hosted by the UN Development Programme
(UNDP) in Bonn, Germany. It is made possible in partnership
with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation (MAECI) and the German Federal
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
(BMZ).
