Flashback to the Freedom Prize 2021

The 2021 Freedom Prize was awarded Thursday 30 September, 2021 to Sonita Alizada, an Afghan rapper committed against forced child marriage. Now a refugee in the United States where she studies human rights, Sonita Alizada received her trophy at home. Despite the distance, she wanted to send a particularly moving message to the young people who named her the laureate of the Freedom Prize.

 

 

The involvement of young people internationally

Thousands of young people of different nationalities got involved in this Freedom Prize.

  • Call for proposals "Our Freedom Prize 2021"
    Nearly 1,386 young people from 19 countries (Germany, Benin, Canada, Colombia, Spain, United States, France, India, Italy, Kenya, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uruguay) participated in the call for proposals "Our Freedom Prize 2021".     A total of 370 files from individuals and organizations were sent. Among these proposals, 194 were made by high school and CFA students, as part of the educational support program of the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace.
  • The educational support program
    The International Institute for Human Rights and Peace sensitized 30 classes and 841 students to the Freedom Prize.
  • The international panel of judges
    102 young francophones and internationals from all over the world applied to be part of the international jury for the Prix Liberté. After studying the applications, 30 young people including 8 Normans, 5 French from other regions and 17 internationals, were selected to compose this jury. Among the nationalities represented: Germany, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Canada, Ivory Coast, Spain, the United States, France, India, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, Mexico, Nicaragua, Niger, Netherlands, Ukraine.     Given the global health context, the jury's deliberations were held by videoconference.
  • The online vote
    5,683 young people from 86 countries around the world also voted to elect the laureate of the 2021 Freedom Prize.

 

A system that involves young people, at each of its stages

The uniqueness of this system: involving young people at each of its stages, from proposals submitted to the international jury until the final designation of the winner, but also for the design of the trophy awarded to the winner.


The 2021 Freedom Prize trophy was produced by students from Lycée Mezeray-Gabriel d'Argentan and Lycée Laplace in Caen, in Normandy.

This year, the creation of the trophy was entrusted to the students of the First year in Sciences and Technologies of Design of Applied Arts and of the First year of the National Diploma of Crafts and Design of the Lycée Mezeray-Gabriel d'Argentan, but also to the students of BTS Développement Réalisation Bois of the Lycée Pierre Simon de Laplace de Caen for the realization. Their files were selected following a call for projects for the realization of this trophy that they wanted to make in santos rosewood, a rare and precious wood.

To rough and polish the wood, it took: 40 hours of programming, 60 hours of testing, 40 hours of machining, and 1,800,000 lines of code for programming.

 

Trophée lycéens

 

Fights for freedom: many reflections of the concerns of young people

Each year, the Freedom Prize highlights various fights for freedom which are all reflections of the concerns of young people.

The 2021 panel of judges in its deliberations, chose three fights among the 251 proposals "Our Freedom Prize 2021": the Afghan rapper committed against the forced marriage of children Sonita Alizada, the activist for democracy in Hong Kong Agnes Chow and the Moroccan investigation journalist Omar Radi.

 

 

Students from Normandy and Nantes behind the appointment of Sonita Alizada

The nomination of Sonita Alizada was proposed by students from Lycée Nelson Mandela in Nantes, Lycée Augustin Fresnel and Lycée Charles de Gaulle in Caen.

The two Norman establishments took part in the educational support program implemented by the International Institute of Human Rights and Peace which went to classes in November 2020 to make students aware of the concepts of freedom and commitment but also in order to mobilize them for the call for proposals “Our Freedom 2021 Prize”.

 

Discover the Freedom Prize award ceremony:

  • Nadia Khiari, cartoonist, was the godmother of the international panel of judges in 2021
  • Young people were numerous on stage and among the public: from proposals submitted to the international jury until the final designation of the winner, but also for the design of the trophy awarded to the winner.
  • Sonita Alizada, winner, attended the Forum via vidéo.
  • Young people were numerous on stage and among the public: from proposals submitted to the international jury until the final designation of the winner, but also for the design of the trophy awarded to the winner.
  • Young people were also engaged in animating the award ceremony with several artistic representation.
  • The Freedom Prize is an educational program of the Normandy Region and managed by the International Institute of Human Rights and Peace with the support of the Canopé network and the Norman academy.
  • Young people were also engaged in animating the award ceremony with several artistic representation.
  • The veteran Charles Norman Shay attended this award ceremony as usual: a way to transmit his fight for freedom.
  • In 2021, the trophy was produced by students from lycée Mezeray-Gabriel d'Argentan and lycée Laplace in Caen
  • In 2021, the trophy was produced by students from lycée Mezeray-Gabriel d'Argentan and lycée Laplace in Caen
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