UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award 2025: Honoring Heroes Who Embody Courage, Compassion, and Community

— by vishal Sambyal

UNHCR announces the 2025 Nansen Refugee Award winners, honoring global leaders and humanitarians transforming the lives of refugees with courage and compassion.

Introduction

In a world increasingly shaped by conflict, displacement, and humanitarian crises, rare individuals rise above the chaos to restore dignity, hope, and humanity. This year’s UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award, one of the most respected global humanitarian honors, celebrates those extraordinary people. The 2025 Global Laureate and four regional winners have been recognized for their unwavering courage and transformative efforts to support refugees across continents—proving that compassion can dismantle the most formidable barriers.

Context & Background: A Legacy Rooted in Humanity

Established in 1954, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award pays tribute to Fridtjof Nansen—Norwegian explorer, diplomat, and the first High Commissioner for Refugees—whose pioneering work in refugee protection reshaped global humanitarian law. His creation of the “Nansen passport”, the world’s first internationally recognized refugee identity document, offered a lifeline to the displaced after World War I.

Today, the award continues this legacy, honoring individuals and organizations who go beyond duty to protect refugees, internally displaced persons, and stateless communities. Past laureates include Eleanor Roosevelt, the first recipient, symbolizing the award’s deep historical pedigree.

Supported by the governments of Norway, Switzerland, the City and Canton of Geneva, and the IKEA Foundation, the award includes a $150,000 prize, enabling winners to expand their humanitarian missions.

Main Developments: 2025 Laureates Transforming Refugee Lives

Martin Azia Sodea Named 2025 Global Laureate

At the heart of this year’s recognition stands Martin Azia Sodea, chief of Gado-Badzere village in northern Cameroon, celebrated for his extraordinary leadership amid one of Central Africa’s most pressing displacement crises.

As violence erupted in the Central African Republic (CAR), more than 36,000 refugees fled to the safety of Gado-Badzere. Chief Sodea and his family welcomed them not as strangers, but as neighbors.

  • He donated land for housing and agriculture.
  • He built community networks supporting refugee women, youth, and families.
  • He worked daily to resolve disputes, foster unity, and nurture a shared community identity.
  • Under his guidance, the village transformed into a self-reliant agricultural hub, supplying fresh produce and generating income for both refugees and locals.

His leadership has inspired other traditional leaders across the region, sparking a collective shift toward welcoming and integrating refugees—a powerful example of how grassroots compassion can influence national attitudes.

Regional Winners Redefining Humanitarian Action

Alongside Chief Sodea, four exceptional regional winners are honored for their impact across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

1. Pablo Moreno Cadena (Americas)

A senior executive at Mexican appliance manufacturer MABE, Pablo Moreno Cadena has become a leading voice for refugee inclusion in the workforce. He championed a company-wide initiative to hire refugees, giving them access to stable incomes, job training, and long-term integration opportunities—an approach now studied as a model for private-sector responsibility.

2. Proliska (Europe)

The Ukrainian humanitarian organization Proliska has delivered life-saving support to more than 3.2 million people caught in the country’s prolonged conflict. Often entering areas immediately after shelling, Proliska teams provide emergency supplies, evacuations, psychological support, and essential services in dangerous, isolated zones—ensuring no community is left behind.

3. Taban Shoresh (Middle East & North Africa)

A genocide survivor turned humanitarian leader, Taban Shoresh founded The Lotus Flower, a women-led organization supporting displaced women and girls in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Through trauma recovery programs, education, and economic empowerment initiatives, her work breaks generational cycles of violence and brings survivors back into the center of community rebuilding.

4. Negara Nazari (Asia-Pacific)

An Afghan refugee and former DAFI scholar, Negara Nazari co-founded the Ariana Learning Centre in Tajikistan, providing education for young Afghan refugees shut out of formal schooling. Instead of pursuing a corporate career after earning her economics degree, she dedicated herself to building classrooms of hope for displaced children in need of stability and opportunity.

Expert Insight & Public Reaction

Human rights experts and global policymakers have praised this year’s winners for demonstrating that humanitarian action does not belong only to governments or institutions—it often begins at the community level.

“These laureates show that courage is contagious. When one person decides to welcome, protect, or uplift refugees, entire communities can change,” said a senior UNHCR official during the announcement ceremony.

Refugee communities have also expressed deep gratitude. Many describe these leaders not as aid workers, but as family—people who saw their humanity when the world turned away.

Impact & Implications: Why These Stories Matter

The 2025 awardees represent a powerful shift in global refugee support:

  • Grassroots leadership is emerging as a critical force, especially where state resources are limited.
  • Private companies are stepping into humanitarian roles, influencing job markets and economic resilience.
  • Women-led organizations are reshaping post-conflict recovery, creating safe spaces and long-term empowerment pathways.
  • Education for displaced youth is becoming a central priority as crises prolong and childhoods unfold in exile.

As conflicts deepen worldwide—from the Sahel to Gaza to Ukraine—the approaches championed by these winners offer scalable, humane models for global policymakers.

Conclusion

The 2025 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award does more than celebrate individual heroism—it illuminates a broader truth: compassion remains one of humanity’s most powerful resources. Whether through opening village land to thousands, rebuilding war-torn communities, empowering survivors, or educating refugee children, these laureates remind us that meaningful change often begins with a single act of inclusion.

As the world confronts new waves of displacement, the stories of Chief Martin Azia Sodea and the regional awardees stand as a call to action—and a testament that even in the darkest crises, humanity has its champions.

Disclaimer :This article is a journalistic reconstruction created for informational purposes based solely on the provided headline and details. It does not claim to reproduce official UNHCR commentary or statements.