Kehkashan Basu

Green Hope Foundation

Winner of the 2016 International Children’s Peace Prize, Kehkashan Basu is an iconic global influencer, environmentalist, champion of women and children’s rights, TEDx speaker, Climate Reality Mentor, author, musician, peace and sustainability campaigner. A Forbes 30 Under 30 and the first-ever Winner of the Voices Youth Gorbachev-Schultz Legacy Award for her work on nuclear disarmament, Kehkashan is a United Nations Human Rights Champion, a National Geographic Young Explorer, a UN Habitat Young City Champion, the Regional Organizing Partner for North America for the NGO Major Group and one of Canada’s Top25 Women of Influence. Kehkashan is the Founder-President of global social innovation enterprise Green Hope Foundation, that works at a grassroots level in 25 countries, empowering young people, especially those from vulnerable communities, in the sustainable development process and she has spoken at over 200 United Nations and other global fora across 25 countries. She is the youngest Trustee of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, Council Lead of the Toronto-St. Paul’s Constituency Youth Council, Canada, Winner of the World Literacy Award for for Significant Contribution to Literacy by a Young Person, a member of the World Humanitarian Forum Youth Council, Winner of the Pax Christi Toronto Teacher of Peace Award and a Co-Leader of the UN Women Generation Equality Forum Action Coalition on Feminist Action for Climate Justice. She continues to work tirelessly to amplify the voices of young people, women and girls, in decision-making processes.