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Embassy of Sweden Canberra, Australia

Local time 1:39 PM

Meet the 2025 Young Courage Award winners from Australia and New Zealand!

17 Aug 2025

This annual international award highlights young people between the ages of 13 and 20 who have made a difference. Australia and New Zealand, participating for the first time.

Photo of the 2025 Young Courage Award winners
All 13 winners have been invited to Stockholm to receive their awards during the official award ceremony on Raoul Wallenberg Day, Wednesday 27 August 2025.

The Raoul Wallenberg Academy, in collaboration with the Swedish Institute and Sweden’s embassies, is proud to announce the winners of the Young Courage Award 2025.

The winners were selected by a jury based on nominations from the public, schools, organisations, and embassies across eleven countries: Sweden, Australia, Greece, Canada, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Serbia, Tanzania, and Hungary.

This year, the number of participating countries nearly doubled, with Australia and New Zealand taking part for the first time.

– In turbulent times, it is incredibly hopeful to celebrate young people from across the globe who act with courage and initiative to make a real difference. Their efforts are not only inspiring — they remind us that everyone can contribute, in big or small ways, to a more democratic world where human rights are at the forefront,” says Anna Urombi, Secretary General of Raoul Wallenberg Academy.

Awardees from Oceania 2025

Proudly announcing Violet FitzSimmons (17) and Lola Fisher (17) as the first-ever recipients of the international Young Courage Award for moral courage, representing Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, respectively.

Violet FitzSimons - Australia

Violet founded Grow Your Voice, a nonprofit that helps children around the world gain confidence through public speaking.

“Public speaking is still taught like swimming in the 1950s—kids are thrown into the deep end while adults watch to see if they drown,” Violet says. “As someone who managed not to drown, I want to help kids learn the way I wish I had—through encouragement, not fear.”

Her platform offers low-pressure, easy-to-understand lessons designed to build confidence and communication skills in a supportive environment. Violet’s work also removes financial and social barriers so that young people can express themselves and have their voices heard.

Lola Fisher - New Zealand

Lola leads Create Happy Media, the country’s largest youth-led media platform, which has published over 350 articles by more than 90 young writers.

What began as a bold idea among friends in 2022 has grown into a powerful platform amplifying young voices, challenging dominant narratives, and equipping youth with the tools to tell their own stories.

“My work is about action,” says Lola. “I believe that young people are not just the future—we are already shaping the present. That belief has led me to consult on youth policy, facilitate leadership programs, and advocate for more spaces where young people can lead.”

Official awards ceremony

Violet and Lola, and the winners from the other 9 participating countries will be officially recognised at the award ceremony in Stockholm on 27 August 2025, during Raoul Wallenberg Day—a date that commemorates the Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust by issuing protective passports and establishing safe houses.

The awardees will also take part in the “Raoul’s Footsteps” program in Stockholm. The agenda includes, among other things, a meeting with Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard.

More information about the 2025 winners, and the awards can be found here.

Congratulations to all winners! 

Last updated 18 Aug 2025, 4.26 PM

Sweden in Australia

Embassy of Sweden

Visiting address
Embassy of Sweden in Canberra
5 Turrana Street
Yarralumla ACT 2600
Australia
Postal address
5 Turrana Street
Yarralumla ACT 2600
Phone
+61-2-6270 2700
Fax
+61-2-6270 2755
Email
ambassaden.canberra@gov.se

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