International Children's Peace Prize Winner Sadat Rahman has credited Centre for Research and Information (CRI) Trustee Radwan Mujib Siddiq with grooming the country's young changemakers.
He has helped the young changemakers improve the quality of the services they provide to their communities, Sadat said.
Posting a birthday message for Radwan, Sadat wrote, "Now another candle is just added to this celebration for the brain behind the Joy Bangla Youth Award, who gathered this army of young people on one platform – CRI Trustee Radwan Mujib has turned 42."
"His diversified projects in reviving youths' interest in the country's history, such as the Joy Bangla Youth Award (named after the historic wartime slogan Joy Bangla), the Joy Bangla Concert, 'Mujib Graphic Novel', and 'Hasina: A Daughter's Tale,' captured the imagination of the children and youths."
Dubbing the Joy Bangla Youth Award as a springboard for his later global exposure, Sadat wrote, "The Award did not just recognise and reward us but helped us network among all the awardees, connect with policymakers, and receive the grooming and support required for maximising the impact of our work."
"The shared journey, enabled by this initiative, instilled a belief in me that like an orchestra amplifies the music being played, networking enhances youths' efforts working on individual levels," he said, who developed an app that provides a safe space for teenagers to ask for help against cyberbullying.
READ: Next generation has to be better than last: Radwan Mujib
For his work, Sadat won the International Children's Peace Prize 2020, presented to him by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai during a ceremony in the Netherlands.
"What I was deprived of before getting the Joy Bangla Youth Award in 2018 was networking. Thanks to the networking with other awardees across the country, advice, and recommendations from them (since I was among the youngest ones), and direct interactions with policymakers worked as a springboard towards this global recognition," he said.
"If this networking covers young dreamers across Bangladesh, it is bound to open the gateway to better days. That path is being paved by Young Bangla, the most extensive network of youths in Bangladesh, which is shaping an entire generation of young visionaries."
The Joy Bangla Youth Award is one of the flagship programmes of Young Bangla, the youth secretariat of CRI.
The award acknowledges young changemakers, innovators, leaders, and pioneers in different fields across the country. It recognises those who are working for their communities as well as the nation.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Mohasin, representing Joy Bangla Youth Award-winning organisation Wheelchair Cricketer of Bangladesh, also wished Radwan a happy birthday, writing: "Your guidance and support will make us stronger than ever."