JA Worldwide has been nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. As one of the world’s largest youth-serving non-government organizations, JA Worldwide has been preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship in over 100 countries for more than 100 years. Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, a member of the global JA network, has been delivering hands-on experiential learning in work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship to K-12 youth throughout the region since 1996.
“The Nobel Peace Prize is perhaps the world’s most prestigious honor, and we are thrilled that the important work of JA Worldwide has been recognized and proud of our association with it and the impact our financial literacy mission can make for youth,” said Michelle Jackson, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada. “It truly is an honor to even receive a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, and JA Worldwide is so deserving for its work in improving the lives of millions of children.”
The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded in October by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo.
Nobel Peace Prize nominations only may 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 identity of nominees officially remains anonymous for 50 years, JA Worldwide received permission to share that it was nominated by a distinguished professor of law and international affairs who was impressed by JA’s global reach, success in delivering economic empowerment to youth at scale, and ability to find unity in diversity. The nomination recognized how JA serves as a conduit for peace by economically empowering youth on all continents and how unemployment and poverty have led to political instability, violence, and war for centuries.
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.”
Jackson added, “In most parts of the world, the reality is that youth don’t have the necessary tools to pursue their futures in a smarter way. This is also true throughout Nevada, particularly in our low-income neighborhoods, where kids struggle to overcome the daily challenges of their life, oftentimes to meet their basic food, clothing and shelter needs. Junior Achievement programs are a game changer that simply have to be provided to empower youth with the knowledge of how to break the poverty cycle.”
Although all other Nobel prizes are awarded in Sweden, the Nobel Peace Prize is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, assisted by the Norwegian Nobel Institute, which acts as its secretariat.
In response to the JA Worldwide nomination, Grete Nykkelmo, CEO of JA Norway (Ungt Entreprenørskap), responded, “We are delighted to share in this recognition as a proud member of the JA Worldwide network. Our unique blend of entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness enables us to impact individuals, communities, and society. Peace is achieved when young people have economic opportunity, and we are honored that JA has been recognized alongside other nominees that are striving for a more peaceful world.”
About Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada
Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, Inc. is dedicated to providing financial education to K-12 students with age-appropriate virtual and live curriculum that spans from budget management to economic principals, workforce skills and credit. Founded locally in 1996, the local nonprofit organization has reached more than 450,000 students in the Las Vegas area with the help of 285 businesses and 6,800 business role models. For more information, visit https://jasnv.org/ and follow on Instagram and Facebook.
About JA Worldwide
As one of the world’s largest youth-serving NGOs, JA Worldwide prepares young people for employment and entrepreneurship. For over 100 years, JA has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. Each year, our network of over 590,000 volunteers and teachers serves more than 10 million students in over 100 countries. Visit jaworldwide.org.
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