Fijian Indian Youth Advocate Wins Gary Ware Legacy Award
Dylan Chand, a 22-year-old Fijian Indian curator and community organiser, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Gary Ware Legacy Award, recognising his leadership and commitment to human rights and cultural storytelling.
Dylan is the Founder and Director of the Youth Climate Collective, where he supports young people to engage with environmental and social justice issues. Earlier this year, he represented youth voices at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil, contributing to global conversations about sustainability and equity.
With the support of the award, Dylan will develop and host the Girmitiya Exhibition, a project sharing the lived experiences of Indian indentured labourers who were taken to Fiji under the British colonial system between 1879 and 1916. Known as Girmitiya, these communities played a significant role in shaping Fiji’s culture and history, yet many of their stories have remained unheard. Through the exhibition, Dylan hopes to create a space for learning, reflection, and connection, particularly for young Indo-Fijians.
Receiving the award, Dylan spoke of the importance of honouring the sacrifices of his ancestors and giving visibility to stories that were once silenced. For him, this project is about identity, belonging, and creating opportunities for future generations to better understand where they come from.
The Gary Ware Legacy Award is made possible through the generosity of the Ware family and is facilitated by Acorn Foundation in partnership with Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand. The award supports people under 25 who are passionate about protecting and promoting human rights. In 2025, the scholarship was doubled to $9,000 to mark Amnesty’s 60th anniversary.
Each year, the award also includes a taonga created for the recipient. In 2025, contemporary Māori artist Todd Couper designed a carving to accompany the award, reflecting its kaupapa and Gary Ware’s legacy.
Acorn Foundation is proud to support this scholarship and to stand alongside young people like Dylan who are building understanding, strengthening communities, and shaping a more inclusive future.