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The Karski2020 Award for Youth was established in 2021 by the Jan Karski Educational Foundation and its sister organization in Warsaw, Poland, Fundacja Edukacyjna Jana Karskiego, to recognize young people (under 30) for their humanitarian activism and civic engagement during the challenging times of the global Covid-19 pandemic. 

The following individuals were honored with the Karski2020 Award for the fortitude, sacrifice, courage, and integrity that they demonstrated while helping disadvantaged people and in this way, following the example of Jan Karski:

Dr. Tomasz Głażewski is a resident doctor at the Diabetic and Internal Medicine Department at the Warsaw Medical Academy Clinic. He is also involved in providing medical support to the homeless at the Mokotow Hospice and – as a physician volunteer – works at the MONAR Association, which helps people cope with addiction. He initiated and founded the “Ambulance of the Heart” Foundation, which assists the homeless and other people who have found themselves in dire situations. From the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Głażewski immersed himself in the diagnosis and care of the Medical Academy Clinic personnel who got Covid-19. According to Dr. Jerzy Tyszkiewicz, a colleague from the Clinic, Dr. Głażewski distinguished himself by extraordinary dedication to securing a safe working environment and remarkable empathy towards his colleague patients – doctors, nurses, and orderlies. Dr. Głażewski believes that you do not need to aim at changing the whole world to make a difference – it is enough to change the small world close to you.

Aleksandra K. Wiśniewska is a social activist participating in humanitarian action in the Middle East war zones. As the first Pole ever, she graduated cum laude from the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, the U.K., where she focused on military strategy and reconstruction of fragile states. After completed her M.A., she joined an Iraqi non-profit organization that provided humanitarian and development help to the regions destroyed by war. She co-managed a camp for 70,000 local refugees, helping Mosul residents deal with the trauma caused by the war. She also participated in the efforts to reactivate the local economy and assimilate ISIS families into the society to avoid the revival of terrorism. Since 2019, she has been managing the humanitarian efforts carried by the Polish Humanitarian Action in Yemen, often risking her health and life. Her achievements include creating local medical clinics and efforts to launch the reconstruction of four hospitals, rebuild the sewage system, and provide drinking water for the most needy people. In Poland, Ms. Wiśniewska is involved in the Happy Kids Foundation, which focuses on preventing orphanhood.

Urszula Woźniak is a medical student at the Wrocław Medical University and a social activist. In the Spring of 2020, she did grocery shopping and provided medications for senior citizens, who were forced to stay home due to Covid-19 lockdown. She organized voluntary action among medical students to help the personnel of the Covid-19 Ward at the Internal, Pulmonology, and Allergy Clinic. She spends countless hours tending to patients and providing mental support. Dr. Marta Ruszecka, who has observed Ms. Woźniak in action, points out Urszula’s outstanding qualities, such as courage, staying true to the values she learned at home, and readiness to protect the disadvantaged. Dr. Ruszecka describes her as open, full of life, friendly, careful, and spontaneous while helping those in need. “She emanates sincerity and joy,” she said.

Read about the ceremony or view the video presenting all nominees for the Karski2020 Award.