People worth following.

As a Swedish diplomat in Budapest in 1944, Raoul Wallenberg issued protective passports and sheltered tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps. He used negotiation, bluff and personal risk to stand between ordinary people and a machinery built to erase them. His example reminds us that one person, in one place, can change the fate of thousands.

"I will never be able to go back to Stockholm without knowing inside myself I'd done all a man could do to save as many Jews as possible."

Shot at the age of 15 for insisting that girls have the right to go to school, Malala turned her recovery into a global movement for education. She became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate and continues to fund schools in places where girls are still denied a classroom. Her story shows that empathy combined with stubborn hope can outlast violence.

"One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world."

After 27 years in prison, Mandela could have led South Africa into revenge. Instead he led it into a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, choosing the harder, slower work of healing a society. He showed that real strength is the ability to invite your former opponents to build the future with you.

"No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion."

Working as a social worker in occupied Warsaw, Irena Sendler organised the rescue of around 2,500 Jewish children from the ghetto, hiding their real names in jars buried under an apple tree so families might one day be reunited. Caught and tortured by the Gestapo, she never revealed a single name. Her quiet, organised compassion saved a generation.

Polar explorer turned humanitarian, Nansen invented the 'Nansen passport' — a travel document that gave hundreds of thousands of stateless refugees after the First World War a way to cross borders, find work and rebuild lives. He proved that bureaucracy, used with imagination and humanity, can be a tool of mercy.

Gandhi led India to independence not with weapons but with disciplined non-violence, civil disobedience and a refusal to dehumanise even his opponents. His method has since inspired civil rights and democracy movements on every continent.

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world."

By sitting alone outside the Swedish parliament with a hand-painted sign, Greta sparked a global youth movement for climate action. She showed that empathy reaches across generations — and that taking responsibility for people not yet born is one of the deepest forms of fellow humanity.

Mother Teresa devoted her life to the dying, the abandoned and the unwanted in the streets of Calcutta. Her work was small, daily and physical: a wash, a bed, a hand held. She insisted that dignity is not earned, it is owed.

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."

Second Secretary-General of the United Nations who worked to strengthen international peacekeeping and the independence of the UN. He received the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously.

Swedish diplomat and Red Cross leader who organized the White Buses operation, helping rescue thousands of prisoners from Nazi concentration camps.

Swedish diplomat who protected and helped hundreds of political refugees during the Chilean military coup of 1973.

Red Cross nurse who devoted herself to improving conditions for prisoners of war during and after World War I.

Diplomat, politician and peace activist who fought for nuclear disarmament and nuclear-free zones. Nobel Peace Prize 1982.

Sámi political pioneer who fought for Sámi rights and helped organize Sámi people politically in Sweden and Norway.

Pioneer of disability rights who fought for people with intellectual disabilities to live with dignity, freedom and inclusion.

Swedish humanitarian and missionary who witnessed and documented persecution of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire and worked to help victims.

Swedish diplomat who helped Hungarian Jews escape Nazi persecution and later worked tirelessly to establish what happened to Raoul Wallenberg.

Swedish diplomat and Red Cross worker who helped protect Jews in Budapest during the Holocaust.

Swedish civil servant who worked to protect Jews with Swedish connections from deportation during World War II. His work helped create methods later used in Budapest.

Holocaust survivor who spent decades educating young people about antisemitism, democracy and the consequences of hatred.

Physician and educator who made global health, poverty and development understandable to millions through facts and powerful storytelling.

Volvo engineer who developed the three-point safety belt, an invention that has saved countless lives around the world.

Beloved author who gave children a powerful voice and used her influence to advocate for children's rights and animal welfare.

Astronomer whose work contributed to science and whose temperature scale became a global scientific standard.

Inventor and philanthropist whose fortune established the Nobel Prizes, creating one of the world's most influential systems for recognizing contributions to humanity.

Led the American civil rights movement through nonviolent resistance and became a global symbol of equality.

Founded the Green Belt Movement, connecting environmental protection with women's empowerment, democracy and poverty reduction. Nobel Peace Prize 2004.

Built one of the world's largest grassroots humanitarian networks, providing ambulances, healthcare, shelters and support for people in poverty.

Fought apartheid and later became a leading advocate for forgiveness and reconciliation.

UN Secretary-General who promoted peace, human rights and international cooperation.

Helped wounded soldiers during the American Civil War and founded the American Red Cross.

Agricultural scientist whose work helped increase food production and combat famine across the developing world.

Transformed our understanding of chimpanzees and became a lifelong advocate for animals, nature and conservation.

Doctor, philosopher and humanitarian who founded a hospital in what is now Gabon and devoted his life to service.

Human rights advocate who played a major role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Her refusal to surrender her bus seat became a defining act of resistance in the American civil rights movement.

Used his factories and influence to protect more than a thousand Jewish people from Nazi persecution.

Organized the rescue of hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia.

His experience of the suffering caused by war inspired the creation of the Red Cross and the Geneva Convention.

Revolutionized nursing and hospital hygiene and helped establish modern professional nursing.

Developed one of the first successful vaccines against polio and chose not to patent it.

Discovered artemisinin, a treatment for malaria that has saved millions of lives.

Fought for gender equality and equal rights throughout her legal career and as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Lawyer and human rights activist who has focused especially on the rights of women and children.

Organized women across religious and ethnic divisions to campaign for peace during Liberia's civil war.

Indigenous rights activist who has worked for social justice, human rights and reconciliation.

Led the international campaign that helped achieve the treaty banning anti-personnel landmines.

Yazidi survivor of ISIS captivity who became an international advocate against genocide and sexual violence.

Physician who treats survivors of sexual violence and campaigns against rape being used as a weapon of war.

Physician and co-founder of Partners In Health who worked to bring high-quality healthcare to poor communities.

Pioneer of microcredit and founder of Grameen Bank, helping millions of people gain access to financial services.

Has fought child labor and campaigned for children's right to education and freedom from exploitation.

Chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to people affected by disasters and humanitarian crises.

Dedicated much of his post-presidential life to peace, democracy, disease eradication, housing and human rights.

Organized farm workers and fought for better wages, working conditions and dignity for agricultural laborers.

Co-founded the United Farm Workers and became a major advocate for workers' rights and social justice.

Helped organize the 1963 March on Washington and worked for civil rights, peace and LGBTQ+ equality.

Became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States and a symbol of LGBTQ+ equality.

Activist for LGBTQ+ rights and a prominent figure in the early gay liberation movement.

Japanese diplomat who issued thousands of transit visas to Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution.

Portuguese diplomat who defied orders and issued thousands of visas to people escaping Nazi persecution.

Dissident, writer and later president who helped lead Czechoslovakia's peaceful transition to democracy.

Physicist who became a leading Soviet dissident and advocate for human rights, democracy and nuclear disarmament.

Buddhist monk and peace activist who promoted nonviolence, compassion, mindfulness and reconciliation worldwide.

Founded communities where people affected by leprosy could receive healthcare, work and live with dignity.

Pioneering pediatrician who founded the Philippines' first pediatric hospital and expanded healthcare for children.

Provided medical care to wounded soldiers during the Crimean War despite being denied official support.

Led India's White Revolution, helping millions of small farmers through dairy cooperatives.

Liberia's first female president and a long-standing advocate for democracy, peace and women's rights.

International advocate for children's rights, women's rights, education and development.

Became a symbol of peaceful democratic change after the fall of Ferdinand Marcos.

Led the Solidarity movement and helped bring about Poland's peaceful transition away from communist rule.

Uruguay's former president who became internationally admired for his modest lifestyle and emphasis on social equality.

Used his global position to advocate for the poor, migrants, peace and environmental responsibility.

Economist and philosopher whose work on poverty, hunger, freedom and human development transformed development economics.

Developed the oral polio vaccine that became a major tool in the global fight against polio.

Physician and educator whose innovative approach transformed early childhood education around the world.

Pediatrician and educator who devoted his life to children's rights and chose to remain with the children in his care during the Holocaust.

Author and activist who advocated for people with disabilities, women's rights and social justice.

Scientist and advocate whose work has transformed understanding of autism and helped improve animal welfare.

Physicist and author who made complex science accessible to millions and became an inspiration for people with disabilities.

Scientist and humanitarian who advocated for peace, civil rights and international cooperation.

Scientist and writer whose work helped launch the modern environmental movement and transformed attitudes toward pesticide use.

Marine biologist and ocean advocate who has dedicated her career to protecting the world's oceans.

Broadcaster and natural historian who has brought the natural world to billions and become a powerful voice for conservation.

Inventor and founder of The Ocean Cleanup, developing technologies aimed at removing plastic pollution from oceans and rivers.

Physician and scientist who contributed to the treatment and understanding of blood disorders.

Educator and social reformer who worked for girls' education and disadvantaged communities in India.

Business leader and sustainability advocate who has pushed companies to address poverty, inequality and environmental challenges.

Founded Ashoka and helped establish social entrepreneurship as a global movement for solving social problems.

Founded a global movement focused on children's rights, education and ending child labor.

Helped establish Costa Rica as a stable democracy and abolished its military, redirecting resources toward education and social development.

Jewish theologian and civil rights activist who marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and advocated for justice and peace.

Social reformer who founded Hull House and worked for immigrants, women, children, labor rights and peace.

Doctor and advocate with a strong commitment to people's health, the environment and social justice. Through her work in healthcare she has promoted better public health and a more health-promoting approach, and she has also been deeply engaged in the rights of refugees and unaccompanied young people. Her long-standing commitment was recognized with Afrikagruppernas solidaritetspris in 2021.