Rohingya human rights activist and RMCN Executive Director recognized in Bologna for her tireless work defending human rights and confronting the genocide against the Rohingya.
BOLOGNA, ITALY | October 17, 2026
Yasmin Ullah, Rohingya human rights activist, author, poet and Founder and Executive Director of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network (RMCN), has been awarded the 2026 Daniele Po International Human Rights Award in recognition of her sustained work defending human rights and advocating against the genocide of the Rohingya people.
The award was presented during a ceremony in Bologna, Italy, on October 17, 2026, in the presence of Bologna Deputy Mayor Emily Clancy and representatives of civil society and local institutions.
The official award recognition describes Ullah as a “tireless activist for the defense of human rights and against the genocide of the Rohingya minority.”
Presented by S.t.r.a.de – House of Social Rights and Cultures APS ONLUS, the Daniele Po International Award recognizes women around the world whose work demonstrates extraordinary courage in defending human rights, advancing social justice, and protecting vulnerable and displaced communities.
The 2026 award received the patronage of the European Parliament, the Senate of the Republic of Italy, the Chamber of Deputies, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the University of Bologna, the Metropolitan City of Bologna, and the Municipality of Bologna.
An award dedicated to Rohingya women
In accepting the award, Ullah emphasized that the recognition extends far beyond her individual work, dedicating it to the Rohingya women who have continued to resist oppression and build pathways toward justice despite decades of persecution, displacement, and violence.
“This award is not mine alone. It belongs to the Rohingya women who have turned survival into resistance, grief into action, and solidarity into a force for justice. I accept it in their name, and in the name of every woman who refuses to be silenced,” Ullah told Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB).
For RMCN, this recognition is particularly significant. Established in the aftermath of the 2017 military-led genocide against the Rohingya, the organization was built on the conviction that Rohingya women must be at the forefront of shaping their communities’ futures, telling their own stories, and pursuing justice and accountability.
As a Rohingya women-led, refugee-led organization, RMCN works across diaspora communities and in contexts of displacement to advance human rights, self-determination, interethnic dialogue, international accountability, and opportunities for young Rohingya women to lead.
Bringing Rohingya stories to Italian communities
As part of a weeklong program of public and educational activities hosted by municipal and regional authorities across Emilia-Romagna through October 22, Ullah participated in public discussions, community gatherings, and educational sessions with students in Bologna, Cento, Ferrara, and Pieve di Cento.
These engagements provided opportunities to introduce Italian audiences, particularly younger generations, to the history of the Rohingya people, the ongoing genocide and displacement crisis, and the importance of human rights, interethnic peace, and reconciliation.
The program also included a public gathering on October 17 in Pieve di Cento, bringing together community members, civil society representatives, and local institutions.
Through these exchanges, Ullah highlighted the importance of moving beyond narratives that portray Rohingya people solely through the lens of victimhood, emphasizing their agency, cultural identity, resistance, and contributions to building a more just future.
From humanitarian response to international justice
Beyond public advocacy and institutional engagement, RMCN works to connect international human rights advocacy with direct, community-led action.
The organization provides humanitarian, medical, nutritional, and protection-focused assistance to displaced Rohingya communities, including the more than 1.2 million Rohingya living in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
RMCN has also undertaken critical work in international justice and accountability. Among its landmark initiatives is the filing of a genocide complaint under universal jurisdiction provisions in Indonesia against Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing. The initiative represents an important step in expanding survivor-led efforts to pursue accountability within Southeast Asia.
Through these interconnected efforts, RMCN continues to challenge the erasure of Rohingya identity, confront disinformation and hate speech, advocate for the rights of displaced communities, and create opportunities for Rohingya women and young people to exercise leadership.
Recognition that belongs to a movement
The Daniele Po International Human Rights Award is an annual recognition promoted for over a decade by the Municipality of Bologna, the Metropolitan City of Bologna, and the Municipality of Pieve di Cento, in partnership with Le case degli angeli and coordinated by S.t.r.a.de.
For RMCN, Yasmin Ullah’s recognition is a meaningful milestone not only for the organization but for Rohingya women and communities whose voices and leadership have too often been excluded from international spaces.
It is also a reminder that the pursuit of justice does not end with recognition. The Rohingya continue to face persecution, displacement, denial of fundamental rights, and the consequences of genocide.
RMCN remains committed to working alongside Rohingya communities and international partners to advance dignity, self-determination, justice, and a future in which Rohingya people can live with safety, freedom, and equal rights.
The recognition may carry Yasmin Ullah’s name, but the struggle, courage, and hope it represents belong to the Rohingya people.
