Following an open call for applications in October 2023, which resulted in nearly 1,000 applications from over 128 countries, the following 15 outstanding young leaders from the Americas, Africa and Europe, and Asia have been selected for the second edition of the United Nations Youth Champions for Disarmament Training Programme.
The United Nations Youth Champions for Disarmament Training Programme is funded through generous financial support from the Government of Germany.
Meet the UN Youth Champions for Disarmament:
Roberta Bojang (Germany) is currently pursuing a master's degree in political science at the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, researching women in peace building. She is particularly interested in topics surrounding the interplay between gender and conflict and served as Germany’s Youth Observer for gender equality in 2022.
Roberta currently sits on the Council of Europe’s Advisory Council on Youth on behalf of the youth organisation to the European Union and African Union. She works on the topics of migration, Afro-European cooperation and sustainable development.
Learn more about Roberta Bojang.
Jutomue Doetein (Republic of Liberia) is a passionate advocate for Human Rights and International Development, with
more than nine years of experience advocating for the health and well-being of young people, including vulnerable population in Liberia. He previously served as the Speaker of the Liberian Children’s Parliament in 2017, impacting the lives of over 10,000 children and contributed to the passage of the Domestic Violence Bill in Liberia.
As a member of the United Nations Youth Advisory Panel in Liberia, Jutomue’s passion for disarmament was driven by the devastating impact of the civil war in Liberia, which witnessed the participation of over 15,000 child soldiers.
Learn more about Jutomue Doetein.
Magritte Gordaneer (Canada) has been a youth activist in the disarmament sector for over six years. She is a Policy Co-Coordinator of Youth for TPNW and a Mine Action Fellow with Mines Action Canada. Magritte has interned with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Forum on the Arms Trade, and the Arms Control Association, conducting research and undertaking policy activities.
She completed her bachelor's degree in political science from McGill University where she took courses on international law and global inequalities.
Learn more about Magritte Gordaneer.
Anne Alessandra Cuadros Gutiérrez (Peru) is a Peruvian lawyer, graduated from San Ignacio de Loyola University, Peru, with a specialization in international law and international humanitarian law.
She served as a youth delegate for Nuclear Disarmament in 2023 with Youth for TPNW at the United Nations, was awarded a scholarship at the University of Milan, and participated in the Hiroshima - ICAN Academy on Nuclear Weapons and Global Security 2023. Currently, Anne works as an intern at the Organization of American States (OAS) in the CICTE area and serves as a Project Assistant at Scrap Weapons.
Learn more about Anne Alessandra Cuadros Gutiérrez.
Monalisa Hazarika (India) is an intern in the Dual-Use and Arms Trade Control program at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). She holds an MA in Conflict Management and Development and has formerly worked at the Forum on the Arms Trade and SCRAP Weapons.
Her focus is on small arms and organized crime, especially improvised and craft-produced firearms and their trends in illicit manufacture and trade, and previously worked on the correlations between the illicit trafficking of small arms and narco-insurgency in South and Southeast Asia. Previously, Monalisa participated in the #Leaders4Tomorrow and #Leaders2Future projects conducted by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Youth4Disarmament programme.
Learn more about Monalisa Hazarika.
Divina Maloum (Cameroon) at 19 years old is a Youth Board Member on the fight against violent extremism with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Divina is also a Women7 (W7) international advisor on gender equity for G7 countries, winner of several international peace prizes, civil society activist, cartoonist for peace, writer, researcher and practitioner on preventing and countering violent extremism.
Divina also founded the organization Children for Peace that works in complex cultural situations and works as an Artificial Intelligence (AI) undergraduate, using AI to mitigate violent extremism.
Learn more about Divina Maloum.
Mihajlo Matković (Republic of Serbia) is a passionate youth advocate dedicated to non-formal education, peacebuilding, and youth engagement, with demonstrated leadership skills across various levels.
He currently serves as one of the Republic of Serbia's UN Youth Delegates. His commitment to promoting Sustainable Development and the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda has been driven by his focus on Quality Education (SDG 4) and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG 16).
His participation in the Western Balkans Meet Japan (MIRAI) peacebuilding program, and especially the visit to Hiroshima, left a profound impact that has catalyzed his dedication to disarmament efforts.
Learn more about Mihajlo Matković.
In one word, Sangeun Noh (Republic of Korea) is a connector. She spent nine years in the Republic of Korea and nine in Singapore and loved bridging the different societies through language. This includes producing articles about her experiences for the school newspaper and translating for Singapore’s Korean Association.
In general, Sangeun is fascinated by the power of language to connect people, with an interest in harnessing language for effective communication through debate and writing. As an aspiring diplomat, Sangeun will strive to use art as a precious channel of communication.
Learn more about Sangeun Noh.
Safayet Zamil Nowshan (Bangladesh) began his journey of activism at the age of 14, advocating for children’s rights in Bangladesh from the local to the national level.
Currently, Safayet acts as the Organizing Secretary of YES Bangladesh, working jointly with Plan International to empower young people to act as drivers of change. Safayet also works as the Lead for Communication and Public Relations at the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network (CYPAN), promoting the Youth, Peace & Security (YPS) Agenda across the commonwealth.
Learn more about Safayet Zamil Nowshan.
Born in Hidalgo, Meylan Ramos (Mexico) has been advocating for human and women's rights through a multidisciplinary and intersectional approach. She received training in human rights, LGBT+ diversity, gender equity, cultural management, and NGOs administration and she is currently studying a Bachelor's degree in Art and Cultural Heritage with a specialization in Cultural Management at the Autonomous University of Mexico City.
She is also the director and founder of the M.A.R.E.A. project, which stands for "mujeres artistas revolucionando expresiones artísticas" (women artists revolutionizing artistic expressions), a digital platform showcasing the work of female artists.
Learn more about Meylan Ramos.
Nurullo Rasulov (Uzbekistan) is a journalist, and aspiring diplomat, who currently studies as a senior project management student at the British Management University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
He currently works with “Renessans” (Renaissance) TV channel, combining his interest in International Relations and journalism. Through his reporting, Nurullo regularly interacts with international experts, diplomats, politicians, and representatives from Embassies and International Organizations in wide-ranging interviews on topics from politics to conflict resolution.
Learn more about Nurullo Rasulov.
Nojus Saad (Republic of Iraq) is a leader, driven by compassion and devoted to global change. As President & CEO of the Youth For Women Foundation, he has impacted the lives of over 5,900 women and children across 65 rural, refugee, and underserved communities in Iraq, India, and France. Raised in rural Iraq, Nojus is committed to revolutionizing healthcare through innovative HealthTech solutions.
Nojus also serves as the Youth Vice Chair of Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) at the World Health Organization, shaping healthcare policies at international conferences.
Learn more about Nojus Saad.
Kobe Sandy (Trinidad and Tobago) born and raised in Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago, is a two-time Youth Parliamentarian, four-time National Youth Award Nominee and Awardee and has been a youth advocate for over 13 years nationally, regionally, and internationally.
In August 2023, Kobe was appointed an Alderman and member of the municipal council in the Point Fortin Borough Council, making him Trinidad and Tobago’s youngest member of council for this electoral term. Professionally, Kobe holds a Bachelor of Science with first-class honors in Public Sector Management with Law and a minor in International Relations and is currently pursuing an MSC in Strategic Leadership and Innovation.
Learn more about Kobe Sandy.
Ivan Siluianov (Russian Federation) is a graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology pursuing a M.S. in international relations with concentration on emerging technologies and nuclear non-proliferation. In 2023, he founded "Youth Hotline", an educational networking campaign for youth in Russia and the West on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
His interests lie in the intersection of policy and emerging disruptive technologies, as well as disarmament education.
Learn more about Ivan Siluianov.
Charlotte Yeung (United States of America) is an author, youth poet laureate, and was a Civil Society Observer to the second meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. She was the founder and instructor of a poetry course for women and girls in Afghanistan. She has researched nuclear education in America and Japan, mis/disinformation, and tech policy.
Her award-winning art and writing are published on multiple platforms from the New York Times to Carnegie Hall. Her first multilingual poem will be sent to the Moon in 2024 as part of the Lunar Codex.
Learn more about Charlotte Yeung.