In right this moment’s world, the potential of 1 particular person taking motion to make a optimistic change of their neighborhood has by no means been extra necessary.
Confronted with points like local weather change and social inequality, younger individuals aren’t holding again. They’re demanding a greater future, one which’s free, simply, and sustainable whereas their passionate voices are shaping a bolder, extra equitable world.
These younger activists acknowledge how their adolescence has been altered by a warming planet.
As an alternative of ready for world leaders to deal with the foundation causes of local weather change and take steps to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030, they’ve taken issues into their very own arms by beginning climate-first corporations, lobbying companies and authorities leaders, and altering the best way they work together with single-use plastics.
Recognizing the truth of youth who’ve taken motion in impactful methods, International Citizen launched the 2024 Youth Leaders Award program to determine and spotlight distinctive younger people who find themselves working throughout the Asia-Pacific area to attain the UN International Targets.
As a part of this system, International Citizen invited purposes from changemakers between the ages of 18 and 30 for an opportunity to attend International Citizen NOW: Melbourne.
Coinciding with the gathering of ASEAN leaders in Australia’s most numerous metropolis, this marketing campaign will convene world leaders, influencers, artists, advocates, journalists, coverage consultants, and youth leaders to take motion on local weather, innovation, and combating poverty.
After receiving greater than 400 purposes, International Citizen chosen 32 younger innovators to attend International Citizen NOW: Melbourne and take part within the three-day summit, the place they’ll obtain complete coaching, peer assist, and unique networking alternatives.
These awardees may even have the possibility to showcase their affect alongside receiving $5,000 AUD grants to advance their work addressing points associated to local weather change and ending excessive poverty.
At this time, we’re excited to introduce the 12 awardees who’re working to cease the local weather disaster in its tracks, each inside their communities and the world at giant.
1. Lester Dellosa, 27, Philippines
Utilising their background as an artist, storyteller, and nationally awarded environmental youth chief, Lester Dellosa champions local weather motion by their function as Artistic Director at CICCADA, a small advocacy model that promotes waste-free practices.
“Imported vogue prices the planet quite a bit—from textile manufacturing, transport, to put up care, nearly all of the world’s vogue is retail, and quick vogue will not be serving to the world develop into a greater place,” Dellosa instructed International Citizen of their utility.
When introduced as a 2024 Youth Leaders Award finalist, Dellosa expressed gratitude: “I didn’t anticipate this! Thanks a lot,” they mentioned.
Along with producing recycled and upcycled clothes objects, Dellosa additionally works to enhance data of the local weather disaster by capacity-building applications to teach small companies and shoppers concerning the results of quick vogue.
2. Gabrielle Cabodil, 26, Philippines
Gabrielle Cabodil’s day-to-day is consumed with local weather motion. As the worldwide operations supervisor for the Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) Motion, Cabodil’s mission is to construct capability within the local weather motion by supporting climate-smart insurance policies, selling renewable power companies, encouraging divestment from fossil fuels, and recognizing the intersectional nature of the local weather disaster.
Cabodil shared her pleasure for being chosen as a 2024 Youth Leaders Awards finalist and what she hopes to realize from this system with International Citizen: “I hope to contribute to the community of like-minded people by offering my distinctive perspective as a queer Filipina girl engaged on the interior facet of activism. Additional, I stay up for studying from friends’ distinctive views by this chance.”
3. Qiyun Woo, 27, Singapore
Qiyun Woo is an environmental communicator who utilises artwork to make local weather science accessible. She is the founding father of The Bizarre and Wild, an Instagram account dedicated to breaking down complicated matters utilizing comics and visible aids so that everybody will be a part of the local weather motion.
When International Citizen introduced Woo as a finalist for the 2024 Youth Leaders Awards, she responded, “Oh my God, I didn’t anticipate this. Thanks a lot, that is actually such an honour.”
4. Vishal Tolambia, 27, India
Devoted to selling moral and sustainable vogue practices, Vishal Tolambia is the founding father of Humanity Centred Designs, an organisation that works with over 150 marginalised Micro-Small Enterprises (MSEs) in India to rework textile waste into high-quality supplies.
“I’m so prepared to return to Melbourne,” Tolambia mentioned when he was introduced as a finalist. “Thanks a lot! That is actually an incredible alternative.”
As a part of his utility to the 2024 Youth Leaders Awards, Tolambia shared his mission to drive optimistic change within the vogue business whereas empowering underserved communities.
5. Brigitta Gunawan, 19, Indonesia
Brigitta Gunawan is an environmental advocate who strives to foster ocean training and safety in Indonesia and past. In 2021, Gunawan launched 30×30 Indonesia — a marketing campaign devoted to defending 30% of the ocean by 2030 by consciousness campaigns and particular person advocacy.
“I need to be a part of the technology that sees numerous communities unite and rise in opposition to the crises we face right this moment,” Gunawan mentioned. After receiving discover that she was a finalist for the 2024 Youth Leaders Awards, Gunawan added: “I’m so excited! I’m actually excited to satisfy all the opposite [award winners] too.”
6. Shah Chowdhury, 28, Bangladesh
Award-winning environmentalist and social entrepreneur Shah Chowdhury is the founding father of Footsteps, which seeks to empower over 400,000 individuals residing throughout Bangladesh with secure water and sanitation entry, catastrophe resilience, and improved public well being companies.
“I’m on a mission to fulfil the thirst of the lots,” Chowdhury mentioned in his utility. “The supply of water will not be the issue, however reasonably the technicality, the attention of the significance of ingesting secure water, and the mentality of help dependence, are a lot larger points.”
7. Raeed Ali, 29, Fiji
With a background in environmental science and a ardour for cleansing up plastic waste from the world, Raeed Ali embodies that worth of International Objective #13 by main campaigns to eradicate single-use plastics in Fiji.
“As a Fijian, I knew I needed to do one thing to deal with this difficulty and contribute to the sustainable improvement of my nation,” Ali instructed International Citizen in his utility for the 2024 Youth Leaders Awards. “My workforce and I established Fiji’s first plastic recycling and upcycling hub. We acquire plastic waste from the atmosphere and create worth from waste by making new merchandise from used plastic, corresponding to Braille keyboards for the blind and wheelchair fittings.”
8. Bianca Manning, 29, Australia
A Gomeroi girl devoted to Aboriginal-led neighborhood improvement work in Australia, Bianca Manning has supported quite a few campaigns to lift consciousness of the local weather disaster, such because the ‘Knit for Local weather Motion’ marketing campaign.
Manning has additionally had a number one function within the Pacific Australian Rising Leaders Summit, which has skilled over 152 rising leaders from the Pacific, First Nations communities, and the Diaspora in advocating for local weather priorities.
9. Alicia Tien, 24, Malaysia
Alicia Tien is dedicated to driving the inexperienced transition of Southeast Asia. Because the founder and CEO of Asia Discovery, a consulting agency that’s devoted to increasing world renewable power corporations throughout Southeast Asia, Tien focuses her local weather efforts on revolutionary options and collaboration with different environmental advocates.
“I imagine within the energy of collaboration, innovation, and sustainability, identical to how I imagine these are the values of the [2024 Youth Leaders Awards],” Tien mentioned.
10. Hazirah Sufian, 27, Brunei
Pushed by her ardour for social justice and youth improvement, Hazirah Sufian is devoted to addressing the local weather disaster by organising tree plantings, cleanups, and academic talks. As a part of her work, Sufian mentors interns and different younger adults who’re inquisitive about being a part of the environmental motion to encourage the following technology of leaders.
11. Siti Norfarwizah, 27, Brunei
Siti Jaafar is a self-described changemaker whose work centres round meals sustainability, environmental advocacy, and social entrepreneurship. In 2021, Jaafar started advocating for higher meals restoration to cut back waste and enhance Brunei’s agricultural actions.
“I’m decided to proceed progressing in my journey in sustainability and in my neighborhood,” Jaafar mentioned in her utility to the 2024 Youth Leaders Awards. “I aspire to set an instance to different leaders on the market to get out of their consolation zone and pursue initiatives that may assist the world be higher to reside in tomorrow.”
12. Dave Rubite, 26, Australia
Dave Rubite has devoted his profession to serving to organisations attain their net-zero objectives in gentle of the local weather disaster. Pushed by curiosity, Rubite has launched a number of initiatives that intersect sustainability, revolutionary know-how, and social affect.
“I firmly imagine within the inter-related nature of the complicated issues we face, the issues that International Citizen and the SDGs try to resolve,” Rubite mentioned. “Curiosity and collaboration are important instruments in addressing these challenges successfully.