Global Fund for Children has announced James Kofi Annan, the founder of Challenging Heights, winner of the 2020 Juliette Gimon Global Courage Award.

The other award winner is an organization called Avani of India.

The Annual Courage Awards recognize two innovative grassroots organizations around the world that are positively impacting children in especially difficult circumstances. On opposite sides of the world, the 2020 winners are boldly working to advance children’s rights despite extreme challenges.

James Kofi Annan was selected for his courageous work with Challenging Heights, out of several hundreds of potential individuals and organizations around the world, who are partners of the Global Fund for Children.

James is a global icon who has become a well sought after international speaker, and expert in the circles of the United Nations, Governments around the world, and think-tanks. James has won 15 major international awards, including the Grinnell Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize, The World Children’s Prize, and the Global Child10 awards. He is a member of several international boards, expert panels, coalitions and alliances.

At the beginning of the year 2020 James Kofi Annan stepped down from Challenging Heights, on a sabbatical, to enable him pursue other interests.

Asked about the significance of winning the Courage Award, James said he was determined to change what is wrong, without fearing to fail, and without fearing to lose the self.

“And the willingness to confront injustice for the good of our common humanity, harnessing our impacts for our continued impact; therein lies the significance of the Juliette Gimon courage award; to be inspired to do more, for the benefit of those who need our collective good, to restore and to thrive, and to live dignified,” he added.

James Kofi Annan, who, until recently, was the Chairman for the Board of Directors of the UK-based organization, Family for Every Child, has come face-to-face with death several times in his lifetime of work. He has faced numerous political attacks, blackmails, and had to ward off a lot of smear campaigns against his person, for daring to rise for the human rights of others, and for standing up for his people.

In the year 2008, he was knighted into the Lifetime Circles of Excellence of the World Association of NGOs, alongside Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela, both of South Africa.

James officially founded Challenging Heights in 2005, and has since supported several hundreds of children, youth, women, and those whose rights have been affected by impunity.

James has been a keynote speaker in several reputable universities and conferences around Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.