2025 Laureate Hugh Evans

This article shares the story of peace and innovation by Hugh Evans, the 6th Sunhak Peace Prize laureate. 

Imagine this: a kid in your neighborhood is living on less than $2.15 a day. They struggle to get clean water, go to school, or see a doctor when they’re sick. It’s not just a faraway story—it’s a reality for over 700 million people around the world, right here in the same era we live in.

There are 700 million such children around the world. This is what people living in the same era as us are experiencing. When we encounter these problems, we naturally think, “This is pitiful.” And most of us, ordinary people, stop thinking here.

However, there is someone who has stepped forward to solve this huge problem. That person is Hugh Evans. He asked, “If citizens of the world join forces, wouldn’t we be able to solve this problem?” And he actually gathered 34 million citizens and raised $43.6 billion.

In 2012, Hugh Evans co-founded Global Citizen, an online platform that empowers people to address global challenges in fun, meaningful, and impactful ways. His vision was clear: make it easy for anyone to contribute to solving the world’s biggest problems.

Here’s how the platform works:

1. Educate

Global Citizen simplifies complex issues like poverty, climate change, and healthcare, making them easy to understand. 

2. Act

Users are encouraged to take specific actions, such as signing petitions, emailing policymakers, or sharing campaigns on social media. 

3. Reward

Actions earn points, which can be redeemed for concert tickets or exclusive event experiences.

This isn’t just about making activism entertaining. It’s about showing that small actions, when combined, can lead to massive change. Global Citizen turns individual efforts into a global movement for peace and sustainability.

Global Citizen offers a blueprint for what’s possible when we look at the world’s problems through a new lens. It reminds us that we can’t wait for someone else to act—it’s up to us to step forward.

Of course, creating something as ambitious as Global Citizen wasn’t easy. Hugh and his team faced challenges ranging from technological hurdles to cultural barriers and skepticism about the platform’s potential impact. But they didn’t stop. They combined storytelling, technology, and action to create a platform that captivates and mobilizes people worldwide.

One standout success? The Global Citizen Festival, where stars like Beyoncé, Coldplay, BTS, and Blackpink take the stage alongside activists and world leaders to share ideas and rally for global change. It’s not just a concert—it’s a powerful call to action.

These festivals have proven that activism can be exciting, inclusive, and effective. They show how movements for change can engage and inspire people on a massive scale.

Let’s look at what Global Citizen has achieved so far:

Organized over 42.9 million actions to solve global problems.

Facilitated commitments worth more than $43.6 billion.

Directly impacted the lives of 1.3 billion people.

 

These festivals have proven that activism can be exciting, inclusive, and effective. They show how movements for change can engage and inspire people on a massive scale.

Perhaps the most remarkable achievement of Global Citizen is how it has helped millions of people realize their power to make a difference. Hugh Evans brought governments, corporations, and individuals together to create a movement that transcends borders.

Hugh’s work shows that peace isn’t just the absence of conflict. It’s the presence of opportunity and fairness. By leveraging technology and collective action, he’s proven that creative and compassionate solutions can tackle global problems.

Global Citizen proves that no action is too small. Signing a petition or sharing a campaign might seem minor, but these simple steps create a ripple effect that influences policies and changes lives. Every action on the platform contributes to a larger movement, showing that we all have a role to play.

Now is the time to act. Take a small step—sign a petition, share a campaign, or learn more about an issue you care about. Together, we can create a world where poverty is eradicated, opportunities are abundant, and peace is sustainable.

Hugh Evans’ journey proves that innovation for peace isn’t a distant ideal. It’s something we can start building today—through connection, action, and hope.