“History has always been shaped by the power of youth.”
With the rise of political movements all around the world, the ones leading the revolution are the youth. Younger generations have mobilised social media and are doing more to bring political change than adults.
International Youth Day, an awareness day designated by the United Nations to draw attention to certain issues regarding the youth and to encourage the engagement and participation of youth, was first observed on 12th August 2000.
20 years since, youth activists like Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai are just the tip of the iceberg. Along with them, thousands of young activists have taken centre stage in fighting for numerous causes. Here are 5 of them you should definitely know more about.
1) Deepika Kurup
Deepika Kurup (22) is an Indian American inventor, scientist, and clean water advocate. Once named one of Forbes’ Under 30 for Energy, she is most notably the recipient of the 2012 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Award. After witnessing children drinking unclean water in India, she developed a water purification system that harnesses solar energy to remove contaminants from water. She has since been rightfully recognised by various organisations and has won numerous accolades. Currently, at the age of just 22, she is the CEO and founder of Catalyst for World Water, a social enterprise that aims for deploying the technology that she developed in water-scarce areas. She now gives talks encouraging the youth to pursue Science and Technology and increasing awareness about the global water crisis.
2) Yara Shahidi
An exceptional actress by profession and a youth activist by passion, Yara Shahidi (20) is often called the face of young Hollywood. Rising to fame from her role in the Tv show ‘Black-ish’, she is a known feminist and STEM awareness activist. While in high school, she started “Yara’s Club” in association with Young Women's Leadership Network (YWLN) of New York, which provides online mentorship in hopes to end poverty through education. She has shown keen interest in politics and also founded Eighteen x 18 with social news publisher NowThis, which "will be a platform to encourage [her] peers to vote for the very first time in our upcoming midterm elections."
3) Sameer Jha
A south-Asian, queer activist, Sameer Jha (18) strives to keep LGBTQ+ students safe from bullying and harassment. Driven by their own experiences with bullying, at the age of 14 they founded The Empathy Alliance, an organization dedicated to making schools safer for LGBTQ+ youth. They are an HRC Youth Ambassador and GLSEN National Student Council Leader.
4) John Paul Jose
FridaysforFuture, an international climate strike movement that was started by known activist Greta Thunberg (17) has inspired youth activists across the globe to fight harder for climate change mitigation. One of the frontline FridaysforFuture activists in India is John Paul Jose (22). The Kerala-born youth leader decided to pursue his passion for activism, after learning of the disappointing response from Indian political leaders towards the climate crisis. India is one of the most vulnerable countries when it comes to climate change, and Jose is determined to give his absolute all in preventing global ecocide.
5) Jamie Margolin
An American climate justice activist, Jamie Margolin (18) gained recognition after being part of the youth group that sued Washington State for their inaction against climate change based on a stable climate being a human right. At the age of just 15, along with Nadia Nazar, Madelaine Tew, and Zanagee Artis, she co-founded Zero Hour, a youth climate action organization. She recently published a guidebook, “Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It.”, which includes a foreword from activist Greta Thunberg. Margolin identifies as a lesbian and has openly spoken about her experiences as an LGBTQ+ person.
These are only a few of today’s youth activists on the frontline of various political movements. More and more young people are realising their potential to change the world and standing up for what is right. This International Youth Day, acknowledge and encourage the rising generation in their journey to make this world a better place. Let us show the world what we are capable of.