Bana Alabed

Peace Activist.
Winner of International Children’s peace prize 2025.
Author #Dearworld & #mynameisBana.

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

Good afternoon from #Aleppo I'm reading to forget the war.

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

Walking through #Rotterdam 🇳🇱, a city devastated during World War II and rebuilt with courage, imagination and a vision for the future, made me think of #Syria. 🇸🇾

Syria has already begun its journey of rebuilding. I hope our cities rise again,not simply restored, but transformed into unique, beautiful and inspiring places.

Van puin naar hoop. Van verleden naar toekomst.

From ruins to hope. From the past to the future.

#peace

[Fadel Abdul Ghany @FADELABDULGHANY]

It was wonderful to finally meet @AlabedBana after more than ten years of staying in touch online, going back to the days of the siege of eastern Aleppo. Bana is now in the eleventh grade and is no longer the little girl she was during the years of the Assad regime’s brutal siege.

Bana volunteers with the Syrian Network for Human Rights @snhr and since the fall of Assad, she has more actively engaged in speaking about the challenges facing children, schools, and education in Syria.

It was a wonderful coincidence that we happened to be in the Netherlands at the same time and were able to meet in person for the first time. I only wish that our first meeting could have taken place in eastern Aleppo, which I visited this summer after meeting with the Governor of Aleppo. We agreed that our next meeting will be there, in eastern Aleppo.

My sincere thanks to our dear friend, Syria’s Ambassador in The Hague, @MhdKatoub for welcoming Bana to the Syrian mission.

I would also like to pay tribute to Bana’s mother, a remarkable woman who has stood by her side throughout the years and continues to travel with her and support her, together with Bana’s father, with great courage and determination.

I was truly delighted by this meeting. I wish you, Bana, and all the children of Syria continued success and a bright future.

[Fadel Abdul Ghany @FADELABDULGHANY]

كم كان رائعا أن ألتقي أخيرا مع بانا العبد @AlabedBana بعد أكثر من عشر سنوات من التواصل عبر الإنترنت، منذ أيام حصار شرقي حلب. بانا اليوم في الصف الحادي عشر، ولم تعد تلك الطفلة الصغيرة التي كانت عليها خلال سنوات الحصار الوحشي الذي فرضه نظام الأسد.
بانا متطوعة مع الشبكة السورية لحقوق الإنسان، ومنذ سقوط الأسد، أصبحت منخرطة بصورة فاعلة في الحديث عن التحديات التي تواجه الأطفال والمدارس والتعليم في سوريا.
وكان من المصادفات الجميلة أن نكون في هولندا في الوقت نفسه، وأن تتاح لنا فرصة اللقاء شخصيا للمرة الأولى. وكنت أتمنى لو أن لقاءنا الأول جرى في شرقي حلب، التي زرتها هذا الصيف بعد اجتماعي مع السيد محافظ حلب. وقد اتفقنا على أن يكون لقاؤنا المقبل هناك، في شرقي حلب.
خالص الشكر للصديق العزيز الدكتور محمد كتوب سفيرنا في منظمة حظر الأسلحة الكيميائية على ترحيبه ببانا في البعثة السورية.
أود أن أحيّي والدة بانا، وهي امرأة عظيمة وقفت إلى جانبها طوال هذه السنوات، ولا تزال ترافقها في أسفارها وتساندها بكل شجاعة وتصميم، ووالدها كذلك والذي لم اتشرف بلقائه حتى اليوم، وأتمنى أن يكون ذلك قريبا.
لقد أسعدني جدا هذا اللقاء الجميل، أتمنى لكِ يا بانه، ولجميع أطفال سوريا، دوام النجاح والتوفيق.

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

Some people remain a meaningful part of our journey, even as the years pass.

meeting you again was a wonderful moment Dr @MhdKatoub

Our conversation was inspiring and gave me renewed motivation to look with greater confidence toward my future . Hearing about your efforts to strengthen Syria’s international presence and represent its interests on important international issues was equally inspiring.

Congratulations on your new role as Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the OPCW in The Hague Wishing you success in this important chapter, and in all that lies ahead for Syria. #TheHague

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

It was truly special to finally meet @FADELABDULGHANY

Although this was our first time meeting in person, your support, advice, and encouraging words have meant a great deal to me and have had a real impact on my journey and my work as an activist.

I deeply respect the work you and the @SNHR team have dedicated themselves to over the years, documenting human rights violations in Syria, standing with victims, and working toward accountability and justice.

I’m grateful for our conversation, for your thoughtful advice, and for the words I will carry with me as I continue my journey.

It was a privilege to finally meet you,Mr Fadel. #TheHague

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

Every journey is an opportunity to connect, inspire, and make a difference. My visit to the Netherlands was filled with meaningful moments, heartfelt congratulations, and celebrate hope, leadership, and the power of people coming together.
#Netherlands #educationforall #youthvoices #childrensrights #hope #peace

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

Goedemorgen, lieve vrienden over de hele wereld!

Ik stuur jullie warme groeten vanuit Amsterdam. Ik wens jullie allemaal een prachtige dag vol vrede, hoop en vriendelijkheid. 💗
#peace #Amsterdam

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

“People often ask me if I still believe in hope after everything I witnessed.
My answer is YES.
Not because hope is easy, but because when I meet children affected by conflict, I do not just see loss. I see courage. I see resilience. I see determination.
I believe in hope because I have seen what happens when people choose to ACT.”

I was very honored to be a speaker at the Kiwanis Asia-Pacific and Kiwanis international convention.
#kiwanis #ChildrenFirst #Youthvoices
#Manila #Philippines

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

Grateful for the inspiring moments at the Kiwanis Asia-Pacific and Kiwanis International Convention.

It was an honour to share my voice among leaders and volunteers who dedicate their time to protecting children’s rights and creating brighter futures.

Every child deserves to be safe, heard, and given the opportunity to dream.

Thank you for bringing people together for hope, kindness, and positive change.

#Kiwanis #ChildrenFirst #YouthVoices

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

Magandang hapon, mga mahal kong kaibigan sa #Pilipinas . Narito ako sa sikat na Bulkang Taal sa Tagaytay City. Mabuhay 💕

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

The war is still killing Syria’s children, even after the guns have fallen silent.

Every day, more Syrian children are killed or injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance left behind by the Assad regime.

How many more children must we lose?

Urgent action is needed to clear mines, remove unexploded weapons, and protect innocent lives.
#Syria #Landmines #ProtectChildren

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

نجدد مطالبتنا بفتح ملف الأطفال المغيبين قسرياً بشكل جدي وفوري، حيث لا يزال قرابة 3700 طفل موثقين كمختفين قسرياً حتى الآن.
يجب كشف مصير هؤلاء الأطفال بشكل كامل وشفاف، وتقديم كل المعلومات المتعلقة بهم لذويهم.
كما نؤكد على ضرورة عدم استخدام هذا الملف الإنساني من قبل أي جهة بشكل مسيس، فملف المختفين قسرياً يجب أن يظل بعيداً عن أي توظيف سياسي أو انتقائي، وأن يُعامل كقضية حقوقية وإنسانية بحتة تستوجب العدالة والشفافية الكاملة.

[Fadel Abdul Ghany @FADELABDULGHANY]

قتل أولاد رانيا العباسي بطريقة بربرية يحمل صبغة طائفية، سوف اتحدث بالتفصيل عن الجريمة على الإخبارية السورية الساعة ٢ وربع، والبارحة تحدثت عن الموضوع عبر التلفزيون العربي.

لقد أعاد إلى ذهني طريقة القتل الوحشية والتي تحمل صبغة طائفية التي قام بها المجرم المتوحش أمجد يوسف، أعاد أحزان مجزرة حي الرفاعي وكرم الزيتون، وير بعلبة بحمص، وجديدة الفضل بريف دمشق، والتريمسة في حماة، والحصوية، ومجازر ريف حلب. أصدرنا تقرير في عام ٢٠١٥ وثقنا فيه ٥٦ مجزرة تحمل صبغة طائفية أو عرقية، وهذا توصيف قانوني بالمناسبة، يضاف إلى الجريمة.

هناك مطالبات بنشر الصور والفيديوهات، ولكن نشر الصور والفيديوهات التي تتضمن ضحايا لها اعتبارات قانونية تحكمها. الحكومة السورية لديها حاليا مئات آلاف الصور والفيديوهات، بما في ذلك عن مجزرة التضامن، هل تنشرها؟ طبعا لا. هناك ضوابط عديدة لأن هذا عمل قانوني، وسوف اتحدث عنها بالتفصيل. وعن الأطفال المختفين قسريا على يد نظام الإجرام الأسدي. وثقنا قرابة ٣٧٠٠ طفل مازالوا مختفين قسريا.

الحكومة السورية عليها ان تعتقل المجرمين وأن تحاكمهم وأن تبذل كل جهد ممكن في سبيل ذلك.
خالص العزاء للصديقة الدكتورة نائلة وللأخ حسان ولكافة ذوي الضحايا.

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

May Dr. Rania Al-Abbasi, her children, and every child lost to war, violence, and injustice rest in peace. Their story must endure as a solemn reminder that justice and accountability are essential, because crimes committed against children can never be erased through silence or the passage of time.

There can be no victory in the loss of children, and no true resolution to such suffering. However, there remains a collective responsibility: to remember their names, to preserve their story, and to continue advocating for every child’s right to life, dignity, and safety.

For years, the story of Dr. Rania Al-Abbasi’s children has represented far more than a missing persons case. It has remained a profound wound in the conscience of all who believe that children are entitled to safety, dignity, and the right to life.

For many years, countless individuals continued to hold onto hope and to seek answers regarding their fate. Yet truth, regardless of how deeply or how long it is concealed, deserves to be acknowledged.

Today, with the tragic confirmation of their deaths, words alone are insufficient. These children were not merely statistics in a report or names on a forgotten list. They were young lives filled with promise, deserving the opportunity to grow, to learn, to laugh, and to live in peace, as every child should.

#RaniaAlAbbasi
#MissingChildrenInSyria
#MissingChildren
#ChildRights #Syria
#peace

[Bana Alabed @AlabedBana]

Thank you,@BAFTA @SKYNews @UNICEF @FreshStart_TV @FYI_skytv @FirstNewsEditor and to the incredible team who believed in the voice of children and helped amplify the message.
I was very honored to present #WorldWarMe
When I was a child in Aleppo, I never dreamed of becoming “a voice.” I simply wanted to live. I wanted to sleep through a whole night without the sound of bombs , and to play in a street untouched by destruction. Today, years later, I find myself tell the world not only my story, but the stories of millions of children who are still living through the same nightmare.

450 million children are living in conflict zones. This number is not just a statistic… it is pain. It is a child going to sleep every night wondering, “Will I wake up tomorrow?” It is a mother trying to smile for her child while knowing that tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Thank you for not turning our pain into mere television content, but into an opportunity for our voices to be heard. Not only the voice of the victim, but the voice of those who refuse to remain victims.

We want a world where children do not have to become “heroes” simply because they survived. We want a world that protects their childhood before they are forced to protect themselves.

Thank you for believing that our stories deserve to be told with respect and honesty. Peace is not a distant dream, it is a responsibility.
https://t.co/avrucJLgl3…

[BAFTA @BAFTA]

World. War. Me (Sky Kids Investigates) wins the Children’s Non-Scripted BAFTA 🌟

#BAFTATVAwards with @pandocruises