VOICES YOUTH AWARD
Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons
In association with the Charter for Compassion
announces the winner of the 2026
Gorbachev / Shultz Youth Award:
Joel Naoki Christoph
Joel Naoki Christoph is a French-Japanese economist working for a world free of nuclear weapons. As a Youth Communicator for a World without Nuclear Weapons with Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Peace Boat, he helped bring Hibakusha testimony to international audiences.
He serves on the leadership team of International Student/Young Pugwash, advises BASIC's Emerging Voices Network, and contributed to the United NationsYouth4Disarmament Forum Outcome Document on nuclear risks in the age of emerging technologies. He has been a Nuclear Futures Fellow with the Ploughshares Fund and Horizon 2045 and a Technology and Human Rights Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Carr-Ryan Center, and founded 10Billion.org, a movement for global public goods. Across his work, he joins survivors' testimony with practical steps toward a safer world. He speaks eight languages.
The Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons Youth Award honors the courage of young people (ages 18-35) who are working to abolish nuclear weapons and shape a safer more compassionate world.
The award honors the legacy of former U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev and former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz whose leadership reduced nuclear tensions and opened pathways toward disarmament. The Youth Award recognizes emerging leaders whose commitment to peace reflects the legacy of these two global statesmen. The date of the announcement of the award, August 6, is the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima which serves as a solemn reminder of the unacceptable human cost of nuclear weapons, and a call to future generations to prevent such devastation from ever occurring again.
VOICES YOUTH ACTIONS
Voices Youth are busy changing perceptions about our ability to envision a world free of nuclear weapons..
Check-out actions taken by Voices Youth leaders and contact us to share your stories.
YOUTH VOICES FOR A NUCLEAR-FREE WORLD -
WEBINAR RECORDING
On Wednesday, March 26, 2025 Voices and the Charter for Compassion hosted an inspiring webinar featuring four Voices Gorbachev-Shultz Youth Award winners - young activists leading the charge for a nuclear-free future. Watch at this link to hear their powerful stories and discover how you can take action.
RECORDING