Junior Achievement Worldwide nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Junior Achievement Worldwide, which has helped prepare youth for the business world for more than a century, has been nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. 

It is an honor being celebrated across the global JA network including by staff at Junior Achievement of the Heartland, Moline, a news release from the organization said. The Moline-based chapter said it has been serving young people in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas for 66 years, equipping them with the skillset and mindset to create sustainable businesses, find meaningful employment, and build thriving communities.

“Investing in our young people is essential to reducing poverty and violence and promoting social equity. No single person or organization can tackle this issue alone,” Dougal Nelson, JA of the Heartland’s president and CEO, said in the release. “Junior Achievement of the Heartland is invested in our young people to erase inequality, impoverishment and dashed expectations.” 

Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize may only be received from heads of state and certain elected officials, university professors in selected fields, past Nobel laureates, and a few other notable individuals. 

Although the nominator’s identity officially remains anonymous for 50 years, JA Worldwide said it received permission to share that JA was nominated by a professor of law and international affairs who was impressed by its global reach, success in delivering economic empowerment to youth at scale, and its ability to find unity in diversity.  

Asheesh Advani, CEO of JA Worldwide, shared his perspective in response to the nomination: “Peace is only possible when youth in all countries and regions have economic empowerment. JA Worldwide is honored to receive this nomination and will continue our work to enable all young people to have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities. Our primary hope for solving the world’s most complex problems rests in the young people of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Each year, JA’s global network of more than 590,000 volunteers and teachers serves more than 10 million students in 100–plus countries.

The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize nominations closed Jan. 31. The awards will be announced in October.

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