Maryam Bukar Hassan marked a historic moment for Africa when she carried the Olympic flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, transforming the global spotlight into a powerful statement on peace, dignity, and shared humanity.
The Nigerian poet, cultural advocate, and first-ever United Nations Global Advocate for Peacejoined an elite group of internationally respected figures selected by the International Olympic Committee and the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation. The flag bearers were chosen for their human impact and for embodying the values of unity, solidarity, and peace that define the Olympic Movement.
Reflecting on the moment, she described the experience as deeply symbolic and personal.
“Carrying the Olympic flag in Milan was more than a ceremonial moment for me,” she said. “It felt like carrying a conversation the world keeps trying to have with itself: the conversation about peace, dignity, and our shared humanity.”
She emphasized sport’s unique role in shaping global understanding, noting that it remains one of the few spaces where borders soften and difference inspires rather than divides.
“Sport has always been one of the rare spaces where borders soften, where language becomes movement, and where difference doesn’t divide, it inspires,” Hassan stated.
Standing before a global audience, she reflected on peace as a lived practice rather than a distant political ideal.
“Standing there reminded me that peace is not only negotiated in conference rooms or written into policy; sometimes it is practiced quietly in the ways we show up for one another, in the stories we tell, in the bridges we choose to build.”
Maryam linked the Olympic moment directly to her lifelong work at the intersection of art, advocacy, culture, and youth leadership. She described imagination as a necessary foundation for peace, long before systems and institutions change.
“My work has always lived at that intersection; poetry, advocacy, culture, youth voice, and the belief that imagination is also infrastructure for peace. Because before the world changes, someone has to dare to imagine it differently.”
Appointed UN Global Advocate for Peace in July 2025, Hassan has consistently used storytelling and cultural diplomacy to promote gender equality, youth empowerment, and inclusive peace across continents. Her presence at Milano Cortina 2026 reinforced Africa’s growing influence in shaping global narratives on humanity and cooperation.
She expressed gratitude to the United Nations, to communities that entrusted her with their stories, and to young people who continue to believe in a more compassionate world.
“I carry this moment with deep gratitude to the United Nations, to the communities that continue to trust me with their stories, and to every young person who still believes a more compassionate world is possible,” she said.
Maryam reaffirmed her commitment to continuing the work wherever it is needed, from global stages to classrooms and everyday conversations.
“Here’s to continuing the work, on stages, in policy rooms, in classrooms, in conversations, and wherever hope insists on showing up,” she added. “Peace is not an abstract ideal. It is something we practice. And I remain committed to practicing it loudly, creatively, and together.”
She carried the Olympic flag alongside other distinguished honorees, including Tadatoshi Akiba of Japan, former Mayor of Hiroshima and a leading advocate for nuclear disarmament, and Rebeca Andrade of Brazil, the country’s most decorated Olympic athlete and a global symbol of resilience.
At Milano Cortina 2026, Maryam Bukar Hassan’s presence went beyond representation. It affirmed Africa’s voice as central to global peacebuilding and reinforced the belief that culture, imagination, and human connection remain powerful tools for shaping a more unified world.
