Angela is the founder of ‘EnRoute’, an app for young environmentalists which now has over 3,050 members from 50 different countries. As an advocate for tackling air pollution, Angela has contributed to over 80 hours of webinar delivery to, training members on how to decrease their carbon footprint as well as how to encourage others around them to do the same.
Listen up, leaders! We, the youth generation, regardless of our innovative & optimistic spirit, are not the leaders of tomorrow! In this ever-changing society, occupied by daunting problems, the best time to act was already 20 years ago. The second-best time might be now, but for sure, tomorrow will be too late.
That’s why – we must lead today, with every single step, word, and action we take, and luckily, the United Nations, thinks the same! For that honour, each 12th August, together we celebrate International Youth Day – a holiday designed to celebrate and mainstream youth peoples’ voices, actions, and beliefs.
But let’s be honest! Are all our voices heard? Certainly not. Even though children will live through the greatest consequences caused by the resolutions of today, the majority of them are not involved in any policymaking and decision-making processes. What is worse, since they are constantly silenced by bullying and peer pressure, there is immense social exclusion and a constant fear to speak out and share their voices.
“On my horizon, everything was constantly black, UNTIL (plot twist) I decided to speak up!”
When we speak out, the world has no other choice but to listen. That is why today, sign up on the debate club list in your school, share trivial speeches in your town hall, film Instagram videos, or even apply for massive international summits. Regardless of the event’s size and place – keep your mission constant – and don’t forget to uplift and empower every single person in the audience.
And always speak out to shed a light on a daunting cause, threatening to our existence. Take climate change for instance. Although we are majorly innocent, we as youth are going to bring the greatest burden of droughts and floods. Plus, let me remind you that although most of the action paused while we were in quarantine, climate change didn’t. In fact, it became more severe than ever.
And the most interesting thing is that while we are left to fight the greatest emergent pandemic on our own (through masks and vaccines), somehow, we remain too small to battle global warming. To break that stigma, I’ve created my own climate change mask, EnRoute. Through its software, it helps us reduce our transport & shopping carbon footprint. Through its campaigns, it motivates us to break the stigma that living sustainably is a huge and expensive transformation. Through its spirit, it lets us have a voice. Across the journey, I’ve had the honour to speak face-to-face with 30+ international organizations, 5000 youth climate activists, and thousands of schools.
If you want to be the voice for CO2-reduction in your city and take part in the ambassadors’ family of EnRoute, join us here. Furthermore, you can take a step ahead and hold your country’s politicians accountable. Register now to the Conference of Youth where young people from around the Globe will create the position paper, conveying youth’s voice to UN Climate Negotiations.
And always remember miracles happen when we decide to be loud. That’s why on this International Youth Day, step out of your comfort zone and let your voice be heard!
International Women’s Day, taking place annually on 8 March, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year, we asked 2020 Diana Award recipient Ananya Jain to reflect on their journey as an Indian woman who immigrated to the US, and what this year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress’, means to them.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, taking place annually on 11 February, celebrates women's impactful contributions to science while emphasising the need to encourage girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S.T.E.M.).
Oluwatomi Olunuga received her Diana Award in 2023 for her significant contributions to the fight against Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria. In observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, we asked her to share her thoughts and work, giving us all actions that we can take locally in the fight against FGM.
