A short summary of who we are and what we stand for.
RAOUL WALLENBERG ACADEMY
With Raoul Wallenberg’s leadership as inspiration, Raoul Wallenberg Academy strengthens youth to stand up for human rights and act with civil courage.
The organization was founded in 2001 by among others Nina Lagergren, Raoul Wallenberg’s sister. Every year, Raoul Wallenberg Academy engage thousands of upper-secondary school youth in Sweden through leadership training, school programmes in human rights and the yearly celebration of Raoul Wallenberg’s day on the 27th of August, Sweden’s national day for humanity and civil courage. The leadership shown by Raoul during World War II is more important today than ever. Based upon his actions and values it is our objective to expose the importance of humane leadership.
Some of what we do
RAOUL WALLENBERG´S DAY & PRIZE
Raoul Wallenberg’s Day occurs on 27th of August, the national day for equal rights, and civil courage. This is the first national day in Sweden to commemorate and honor a civilian. During the day we host a prize ceremony in Stockholm to awarding persons acting with civil courage and humanity.
The Raoul Wallenberg prize goes to a person that works in Sweden in Raoul Wallenberg’s spirit, through knowledge increasing efforts for children and youth about xenophobia, intolerance and all humans equal value. The prize sum is 100 000 SEK and shall go to continued knowledge increasing efforts. The award is given with support from the government.
YOUNG COURAGE AWARD
Young Courage Award is a non-political recognition with the aim to highlight actions of moral courage. Originally introduced in 2015 by the Raoul Wallenberg Academy, the Young Courage Award is given to ‘young people between the ages of 13 and 20, who with small resources have made a great human difference and shown evidence of moral courage and commitment’. The award is designed to commemorate the altruistic deeds carried out by Raoul Wallenberg in the final years of WWII.
THE CUBE PROGRAM
The Cube is about human rights, empathy, and civil courage. At its core, the program encourages students to use creative expressions to gain a deeper understanding of human rights and, above all, an emotional commitment to the importance of defending them.
The program is concrete, practical, and easy to adapt to different ages, subjects, and educational tracks.
The Cubes are sent to selected schools across Sweden, from Piteå to Helsingborg. Each Cube represents one of the 30 articles in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. There are also Cubes available for collaboration in Hungary, Serbia and Monaco.
The Cube allow schools to work with the head, heart, and hand. Students start by learning about human rights, then relate and react, and finally express the thoughts, feelings, and ideas that emerge. Ultimately, we hope these insights and the resulting engagement inspire a commitment to act in alignment with the equal value of all people.
The Cube Program runs over the course of a school year and culminates in an exhibition where schools share their learnings, receive diplomas, and gain new inspiration for the next Cube year with a new right to explore in depth.
Through the Cube, students learn to act in the spirit of Raoul Wallenberg, embodying compassion and civil courage.
WHO WAS RAOUL WALLENBERG?
Raoul Wallenberg was a young man who went his own way. As a Swedish diplomat, he worked at the Embassy in Budapest during the final stages of World War II. His deeds in Budapest are unique; through courage, knowledge, organizational skills, audacity, and ingenuity, he was able to save tens of thousands of Jews from the Holocaust.
Raoul Wallenberg was born in Stockholm in 1912. In 1944 he was recruited by the American War Refugee Board to travel as a Swedish diplomat to Budapest. By that time, the Nazis had already sent over 435,000 Jews from the Hungarian countryside to the concentration camp in Auschwitz. In Budapest, 230,000 Jews remained, who were restrained to live in certain houses and forced to wear the yellow star of David visibly on their chests. In Budapest, Wallenberg issued protective passports and sheltered Jews in buildings designated as Swedish territory. This way, he could save tens of thousands of Jewish lives. As the Red Army arrived in Budapest towards the end of the War, they captured Raoul Wallenberg. His fate is still unknown. No Swede has had so many schools, streets, and parks, named after him as Raoul Wallenberg. There are monuments in his honor all around the world. He is an honorary citizen in a number of countries.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
There are over 100 things you can do to create a better world. We have collected 100 examples in a list, made as a poster.
# 1. Dare to speak up the next time you hear someone use an expression you feel is racist, sexist or homophobic.
# 15. Continue to help those who are new in your school or workplace to get acquainted with everyday life, not only on the first day.
YOUR PERSONAL INTEGRITY IS A HUMAN RIGHT WHICH WE PROTECT!
On 25 May 2018 the EU’s new General Data Protection Act (GDPR) takes effect, which is an important and positive change regarding how we will process your personal data. We welcome this strengthened protection for individual personal integrity. Your private integrity is important for Raoul Wallenberg Academy (RWA) and is something we want to protect, which is why we want to share how we will process your data from 25 May so that you feel secure.
Read our Privacy policy here.
Contact us
For more information about the Cube-program, contact Lisa Gawell
For all other inquiries, contact our infomail.