The African National Congress extends its heartfelt congratulations to comrade Fasiha Hassan, who is a youth activist and an ANC Communicator, on her achievement as the 2019 laureate of the Student Peace Prize.
Comrade Fasiha joins the ranks as the 11th laureate to be bestowed this prestigious international award. Her name was announced at Wergelandsalen in Oslo, Norway on 9 October 2018.
This award is in recognition of the contribution of all students who became a propelling force behind the #FeesMustFall movement. Comrade Fasiha has emphasized that the Student Peace Prize“… [B]elongs to every single person who put their bodies, their degrees and their futures on the line in the fight for free, quality and decolonized education. The Student Peace Prize is an accolade for the #FeesMustFall movement itself.”
It is equally about an appreciation that leadership carries responsibility to ensure protests are conducted in a peaceful manner that does not trample or undermine the rights of others. Comrade Fasiha is being acknowledged for her role in finding constructive and non-violent solutions to the higher education crisis.
The Student Peace Prize was established in 1999, an initiative from volunteers at the International Student Festival in Trondheim (ISFiT). It is awarded every two years to students or student organizations working to promote peace, human rights and democracy. The Prize is awarded on behalf of all students in Norway, while an independent Student Peace Prize Committee makes the selection itself. The election happens through the independent committee for the Students Peace Prize, while the award itself, takes place during ISFiT’s own award ceremony.
“The Student Peace Prize represents the acknowledgement of the work of #FeesMustFall on a global scale where students across the world are fighting against the privatization of higher education. It also serves as an affirming stance for the work of so many young people in galvanizing behind this cause,” said Cde Fasiha said when asked about the importance of the prize.
As the 11th laureate, Cde Fasiha joins the ranks of ten students and student organizations from Libya, Burma, East Timor, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Thailand/Burma, Western Sahara, Croatia, Iran and Bahrain who have previously received the prize. It will be awarded in February 2019 at the end of the International Student Festival in Norway.
Comrade Fasiha Hassan hopes “… [T]hat this event will inspire more and more young people to take up a collective cause that will positively benefit the lives of our people. And to continue fighting even when the situation appears bleak. The Student Peace Prize is an illustration of what can happen when young people put their minds to something.”
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