From finding his voice as a child to giving voice to stories that must be told

Dagang Gang has “sought meaning” as far back as he can remember, always daydreaming and questioning, says the 1986 winner of the Children’s International Peace Prize.

​Born in Nigeria, Dagang remembers as a young child how the grown-ups would derail his train of thought because they felt he looked “concerned.”

“It’s too early for you to think that deep,” they would say. His answer was to “revoke their permissions” and seek out his own answers. 

Dagang’s parents came to Canada in the late 1970s to study and so Dagang and his siblings arrived in phases. As the middle child, he says, “By birth order alone, I was socialized to mediate.” So when the opportunity to submit an entry for the peace prize came up in his Canadian third-grade class, he already knew what he wanted to say. 

“Not to sound arrogant but I entered the competition because the ‘solutions to world peace’ seemed obvious, but that’s just the purity and unabated nature of childlike thinking. It’s free of external conditioning. It’s so hard to return to that innocence once lost. This to me, is why Peace to the Planet is so critical. It allows us to bridge that generational gap in mindsets, to toss limiting beliefs and to recreate our world.”

Dagang’s family returned to Nigeria a few months after he won the peace prize. The plan was to return and join other recipients from there, but the Nigerian government denied their visa. 
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“I still have all the fax messages between my dad and Pat…somewhere,” says Dagang. “My glass and marble sculpture was couriered to me and my dad got me a puppy for the heartbreak.” 

Dagang as a third-grade child and recipient of the Children's International Peace Prize

The ‘solutions to world peace’ seemed obvious, but that’s just the purity and unabated nature of childlike thinking. It’s free of external conditioning. It’s so hard to return to that innocence once lost. This to me, is why Peace to the Planet is so critical. It allows us to bridge that generational gap in mindsets, to toss limiting beliefs and to recreate our world.”

Although he couldn’t attend the ceremonies with the other kids, the honor of winning the award made a huge impact.

​“The recognition I received back then instilled an unshakable belief in me, that an African kid 'passing by' could shape the world, even if it was only one heart at a time. That validation and conviction has powered me through some of the toughest times over the years.”

Dagang holding his glass sculpture International Children's Peace Prize which he won in 1986

Over the last two decades, Dagang has spent his life “unpacking peace”--taking it, he explains, “from the nebulous concept that many still embrace, that peace is simply the ‘absence of war’. The world around us is proof that ‘silence is violence’ and that there is no longer a fence to sit on, just walls to pull down.” Dagang’s work in the charitable sector is eclectic and extensive, and includes managing projects, communications and campaigns. 
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He’s now using his voice in another way: radio broadcasting. “Because so much is happening that shouldn’t and so much is NOT happening that should. I’d like to ‘hold a mic’ to those who have stories that must be told. As an African-Canadian, it’s always been about leveraging and celebrating the best of both worlds – broadcasting makes that convergence possible.”

The recognition I received back then instilled an unshakable belief in me, that an African kid 'passing by' could shape the world, even if it was only one heart at a time. That validation and conviction has powered me through some of the toughest times over the years.

Dagang continues to be a part of Peace to the Planet, most recently contributing to the Heal the Planet summer enrichment program as an alumni facilitator.