1.3 million children from 52 different countries recently voted in a referendum to appoint the winner of the The World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child.
The prize, which is sponsored by DNV Sweden, is being presented today in Stockholm. The winner is previous child labourer, Prateep Ungsongtham Hata from Thailand.
Prateep Ungsongtham Hata has also won the second of two prizes awarded by WCPRC World’s Childrens Prize. The jury consists of 13 children below the age of 18 years.
Long struggle from the harbour to the senate
The winner, who has herself experienced what it is like to work at Bangkok harbour in the 1950s, says that she’s very grateful.
“I am so impressed by Sweden and the Swedish people for all the attention they are bringing to improve the conditions of the world’s children,” she said in Stockholm earlier this week.
Sweden’s Queen Silvia will present the prize money of SEK 500,000 to Prateep at Gripsholms Castle in Mariefred, outside Stockholm. The prize is a reward to Prateep for 35 years of struggling to improve children’s rights in her native country, Thailand.
Since the 70s, Prateep has won several awards and established the Duang Prateep foundation. She has also achieved a political career and is now elected by the people and a member of Thailand’s first senate. From the prize money received today, she will establish a new foundation to combat violence.
DNV contributes with SEK 100.000
DNV DNV Sweden’s financial contribution to the prize money is SEK 100.000. Several years ago, DNV Sweden decided to donate money to the charity organisation, Children’s World which presents the WCPRC prize.
Other nominees for the children’s prize were the American Liz Gaynes and her daughter Emani Davies. For 20 years, they have fought for the rights of prisoners’ children.
Paul and Mary Baskar from India were nominated for their work against child labour. The four nominees were all given a prize of honour.