In the pursuit of inspiring peacemakers, the Nobel Peace Laureate Project (NPLP) has established a scholarship to encourage young advocates to continue to work towards a peaceful future. In 2025, two aspiring peacemakers were awarded the $2500 scholarship.
2025 Award Recipients
NPLP board member Dr. John Alcott presented two $2,500 scholarships to very deserving students who want to continue to work for peace. The winners of the 2025 Nobel Peace Laureate Project Youth Award are:
Tejawani Datla
Westview High School, Portland Oregon
“Teju”, was selected because of her passion to ensure that medical services reach the undeserved populations, including past and present work with Operation Smile, hospice, and her commitment to seeing diverse perspectives, building community, and engaging in advocacy toward health equality in the United States.
Madelyn Pham
Sunset High School, Beaverton Oregon
Madelyn was selected because of her passion to listen to, advocate for, and uplift others, particularly refugees and asylum seekers working toward stability, community, and belonging in the United States. Madelyn draws from personal experience as a first generation Vietnamese American, and thinks deeply about advocacy and communication.
Honorary NPLP chairman Marcus Nobel described the experience on his website for NPLP partner United Earth:
I was asked to choose a meeting spot in Portland for this event because both the young Women Peace Activists were both from Portland and since one of the winners was of Vietnamese descent it was a very easy choice to recommend the Friendship Kitchen. Mainly because the food and vibes were so good.
At the last minute I decided to print a picture of when I was in North Vietnam with Heidi Kuhn and her organization Mines to Vines. It was an amazing experience in the Quang Tri province in North Vietnam where I had the opportunity to detonate a mortar shell that was over 50 years old… left by the American Military.
The de-mining process was supervised by Vietnamese military personnel and I asked them if I could take a picture. I referred to them as the Vietcong (although I knew they weren’t.) They said sure! Ironically I was wearing a T-shirt from the Thích Nhất Hạnh ‘s International Plum Village Community which said Walk with Me.
Thích Nhất Hạnh was a Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk, peace activist, prolific author, poet, and teacher, who founded the Plum Village Tradition, historically recognized as the main inspiration for engaged Buddhism. Known as the “father of mindfulness”, Nhất Hạnh was a major influence on Western practices of Buddhism.
How ironic– and sad– it seemed to me that country and culture of Vietnam could produce both the Vietcong and Thích Nhất Hạnh.
War is never the answer. Building cultures of Peace and Tolerance can sometimes be as simple as breaking bread with our global neighbors. Or in my case delicious Vietnamese food!
– Honorary NPLP chairman Marcus Nobel