UNHCR Honours Five Laureates for Courage and Compassion in 2025 Nansen Awards

Chief Sodea’s leadership has influenced other traditional authorities, reshaping attitudes toward refugee inclusion across Cameroon’s border regions.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has named four exceptional individuals and one frontline organization as the 2025 winners of the prestigious Nansen Refugee Award. Each laureate has demonstrated extraordinary courage, compassion, and commitment to protecting refugees, internally displaced people, and stateless communities around the world.

Since its establishment in 1954, the Nansen Award has recognized those who go beyond the call of duty to safeguard the rights, dignity, and hope of people forced to flee. The 2025 laureates represent diverse regions and fields of service, but they share one purpose: to uplift humanity by uplifting the displaced.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi commended the winners, stating:

“This year’s laureates remind us that, even in dark times, compassion remains undimmed. Their unwavering commitment offers hope and inspiration. They embody the spirit of Nansen – the belief that every person forced to flee deserves dignity, safety and hope.”

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Global Laureate: Chief Martin Azia Sodea (Cameroon)

The global winner for 2025, Chief Martin Azia Sodea of Gado-Badzéré, Cameroon, is celebrated for his transformative leadership in welcoming 36,000 refugees from the Central African Republic.

When thousands arrived in distress, Chief Sodea and his community:

• Offered land for housing and agriculture

• Rescued those in critical condition

• Ensured refugees were treated as equals, not outsiders

His approach fostered peaceful coexistence and set an inspiring example across the region.

“We could not watch our brothers die. There is no distinction between refugees and the host population. We live together,” he said.

Chief Sodea’s leadership has influenced other traditional authorities, reshaping attitudes toward refugee inclusion across Cameroon’s border regions.

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Regional Laureates

Americas: Pablo Moreno Cadena (Mexico)

A senior executive at major appliance manufacturer MABE, Pablo Moreno Cadena has become a pioneer of corporate-led refugee inclusion in Mexico. Under his leadership:

• Hundreds of refugees have been hired, trained, and integrated

• The private sector has been encouraged to adopt similar models His efforts demonstrate the power of business in creating opportunities and stability for displaced people.

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Europe: Proliska (Ukraine)

The Ukrainian humanitarian organization Proliska has delivered life-saving support to more than 3.2 million people, often responding immediately after airstrikes and shelling. Working in some of the most dangerous and isolated frontline areas, Proliska teams:

• Evacuate vulnerable civilians

• Deliver emergency relief

• Provide psychological support Their work continues despite extreme risk, ensuring no one is left behind during the ongoing conflict.

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Middle East & North Africa: Taban Shoresh (Iraq)

A genocide survivor turned humanitarian leader, Taban Shoresh founded The Lotus Flower, a women-led NGO that supports 105,000 conflict survivors in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Her work focuses on:

• Women’s empowerment

• Rights advocacy

• Psychosocial recovery

• Skills training and livelihood creation

Her personal journey—from surviving childhood imprisonment to leading a regional movement for women’s rights—continues to inspire thousands.

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Asia-Pacific: Negara Nazari (Tajikistan)

An Afghan refugee and former DAFI scholar, Negara Nazari co-founded the Ariana Learning Centre, a refugee-run school providing education to young Afghans barred from attending public schools in Tajikistan.

Instead of pursuing a high-paying career in economics, Negara chose to:

• Build classrooms for refugee children

• Train displaced female teachers

• Create a safe, nurturing learning environment

Her work has restored hope and opportunity to an entire generation of Afghan refugee youth.

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A Celebration of Courage, Humanity, and Hope

The 2025 Nansen Refugee Award laureates reflect the diverse ways individuals and communities are stepping up to support people forced to flee—from rescuing families in crisis to building new futures through education, employment, and protection.

UNHCR will honour all laureates at a global ceremony, recognizing their contributions to a world where those displaced are met with solidarity, not neglect.