Munira Mohamud is Young European of the Year 2024

As part of her activist work, Munira Mohamud has facilitated empowerment workshops for marginalized youth and antiracist workshops for educational institutions and corporations throughout Austria. Being a Board Member and Project Manager at the NGO Dokustelle Austria, Munira is part of an EU project set out to strengthen the capacity of young people and youth organizations to tackle hate incidents and support young victims. She has published reports on anti-Muslim racism in Austria, has written a book chapter on anti-Black racism in Muslim communities and has contributed to an expert paper for the European Commission on the political participation of refugees. As an artist, she has realised a variety of exhibitions, performances, and for example showcased her work at the Muslim*Contemporary Festival in both 2022 and 2023.

Munira would like to use the grant to initiate an educational project of her own. “This award means a lot to me. It shows that the work I do and will continue to do is important, and its impact felt. I want to use the resources this award provides to help marginalised people, especially young people in Europe, create the opportunities and tools to realise themselves”, the awardee states.

The jury is impressed by Munira’s interdisciplinary work, her role as a bridgebuilder and role model for young Europeans. Tomáš Sacher, Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe, states “Munira has proven to be a truly unifying force, opening doors, forging connections, and building alliances for positive social change. Addressing intersecting forms of discrimination, she is paving the way for a more unified and cohesive European society”. Anahita Neghabat, Young European of 2022, comments: “I was deeply impressed by Munira on multiple levels. While tackling violence and structural discrimination, her work is also directly concerned with love and care: she genuinely cares for the people she works with, fostering resilient communities that stand strong against intersectional discrimination.” Henrik Ahlers, EY Germany, stresses “Tolerance, mutual respect and acceptance of diversity are not for free, even in our democracy. People like Munira Mohamud are of great importance, as they remind us of the challenges still faced by many people in our society – and show us ways to overcome them.” And Gosia Binczyk, Representation of the European Commission in Germany, underlines “Munira embodies with her work the spirit of the European Union: she crosses the borders between languages, genres and topics. All these are ‘United in diversity’ in here oeuvre.”

Each Year the Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe awards young people between the ages of 18 and 26 who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to a peaceful, diverse and inclusive Europe. This year, the award is funded by EY Germany and the Representation of the European Commission in Germany. More information can be found here.