Sister Rosita Milesi runs a national network to assist refugees across Brazil and has significantly influenced public policy.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is set to honor Sister Rosita Milesi with its esteemed Nansen Award this year, acknowledging her relentless commitment to aiding migrants and refugees throughout Brazil over several decades. The announcement, made on Wednesday, highlights Sister Milesi as an exemplary figure in humanitarian efforts, recognized for her multifaceted roles as a lawyer, social worker, and advocate for those displaced.
At 79 years old, Sister Milesi is affiliated with the Scalabrini Sisters, a Catholic order famed for its dedication to migrant rights and welfare. Over forty years, she has personally assisted thousands of individuals, ensuring they receive essential services such as legal documentation, housing, food, healthcare, language education, and access to employment. As she stated, “If I take something on, I will turn the world upside down to make it happen.” Her tenacity is rooted in her upbringing as the daughter of modest farmers of Italian descent in southern Brazil, inspiring her commitment to service from a young age.
The UNHCR has emphasized that Sister Milesi’s expertise as a lawyer has been pivotal in the development and enactment of significant legislative measures. Her influence was evident in Brazil’s landmark 1997 refugee law, which fundamentally enhanced the rights of refugees, as well as the 2017 migration law, where she played a central role in unifying various stakeholders and mobilizing public support among lawmakers.
Currently, Sister Milesi leads the Migration and Human Rights Institute under the Scalabrini order and coordinates RedeMIR, a robust network comprising 60 organizations throughout Brazil dedicated to supporting migrants and refugees.
In addition to Sister Milesi, four other regional winners were acknowledged for their contributions to humanitarian efforts. This includes Burkinabe activist Maimouna Ba, who has tirelessly worked to provide education for displaced children, and Syrian entrepreneur Jin Davod, whose innovative platform facilitates connections between trauma survivors and therapists. Additional winners include Sudan’s Nada Fadol, a champion for refugee aid in Egypt, and Nepal’s Deepti Gurung, who has actively campaigned for reforms to Nepal’s citizenship laws, advocating for stateless families.
The Nansen Award, established in 1954 in honor of the Norwegian humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen, has a rich history of recognizing exceptional contributions to humanitarian causes. Sister Milesi’s award signifies a continuation of this legacy, as she becomes only the second Brazilian recipient of this prestigious honor, following a distinguished list of previous laureates that includes organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and notable figures like Germany’s former chancellor, Angela Merkel. The awards ceremony will take place in Geneva on October 14, with Sister Milesi receiving a 0,000 grant to support a project that furthers her lifesaving work. The regional winners will each receive ,000 to promote their initiatives.