Laureates by Category

Samson Parashina, a Maasai warrior, son of a local chief and respected safari guide, has shown amazing commitment to developing sustainable green economy models for Kenya’s Kuku Group Ranch, land communally owned by the Maasai community.

Parashina started as a waiter at an ecotourism lodge, but swiftly rose to become the President of the…

A voice loved by thousands of fans around the world, singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo is also a powerful voice for humanitarian and environmental change.  Described by Time Magazine as "Africa's premier diva", Benin-born Kidjo uses her celebrity status to speak out in support of a number of important causes, particularly girls’…

Afghanistan’s 46-year-old Director General of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), Prince Mostapha Zaher has laid the foundation for a sustainable and peaceful future in Afghanistan. For the past five years, he has worked tirelessly for the environment in a country ravaged by 25 years of war and continues to find ways to bring…

Zhou Xun, one of China’s most popular actresses, spends much of her time promoting ‘tips for green living’ through Our Part, a campaign she runs jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The actress encourages people to reduce their carbon footprint through simple changes in lifestyle, something that can make a huge…

Tena Kebena is a non-governmental organization in Ethiopia that brings together around 80 children and youth who have been mostly orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The group cleans up and rehabilitates garbage dumpsites around Addiss Ababa through reforestation. The sites are also used for urban agriculture and the herbal medicines obtained…

Born in Paris, France, and recognized as a member of the Academie des Beaux-Arts, Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a photographer, reporter and environmentalist specializing in wildlife and aerial photography. He has published over 60 books and his photographs have appeared in numerous publications around the world. In 2005, he founded the…

Dr. Atiq Rahman is an eloquent advocate for sustainable development from Bangladesh- a country highly vulnerable to climate change and flooding. As one of the top specialists in his field, the Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) transformed the NGO into a leading think-tank in South Asia on sustainable…

For the last thirty years, Timothy E. Wirth has been an advocate for environmental issues in the United States. As the president of the United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund, Mr. Wirt has established the environment as a key priority and is mobilizing strong resources to address crucial issues from biodiversity to climate change and…

As General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev was instrumental in bringing the Cold War to an end and ensuring that humanity and our planet does not suffer nuclear devastation.

In 1970, he was elected to the USSR Supreme Soviet.
From 1971 till 1991, Gorbachev was a member of the Communist…

Summary

WEDO, established in 1990 by former U.S. Congresswoman Bella Abzug (1920-1998) and feminist activist and journalist Mim Kelber (1922-2004), brings together women from all around the world to take action in the United Nations and other international policymaking forums. 
Since its inception, WEDO has been a…