Young people are stepping up to the challenge. Almost half a million youth around the world have taken action on climate change. Today we want to highlight three recipients of the Diana Award who are working to tackle the Climate Crisis.
On the 23rd September 2019, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is bringing together leaders from government, business and civil society at the 2019 Climate Action Summit with plans to urgently address the global climate emergency.
The Youth Climate Summit – the first UN climate summit for young people – is taking place on the 21st September and will provide a platform for young leaders to showcase their solutions and engage meaningfully with decision-makers.
CARLOS GIOVANNI RUIZ MOREIRA_ECUADOR
Carlos is a 24 year old from Ecuador who received his Diana Award in 2019 for his work with the Foundation for Human and Nature Rights. He is Ecuador’s representative in numerous international spaces, such as the United Nations Programme. Carlos’ vision is to teach others how conserving the area we live in is the best gift we can give to the planet.
To date, Carlos has trained 400 student leaders through lectures on environmental education and created a programme where employees from various companies volunteered to support activities such as reforestation and training women in entrepreneurship.
GABRIELLE TAN_MALAYSIA
Gabby is a 17-year-old Malaysian living in Sevenoaks who received her Diana Award for her work with Horizon of Hope. She has dedicated the past five years to advocating for our environment, and against educational inequalities in Malaysia and London. She founded ‘Horizon of Hope’, a youth-led organisation supporting refugee and asylum-seeker education.
In Malaysia, they designed a UNHCR-endorsed arts curriculum for refugee youth, and fundraise to provide school supplies and food necessities for refugee learning centres. In London, Gabby offers academic support and supplies for attendees of an asylum-seeker drop-in. Additionally, Gabby has led a range of environmental campaigns, initiatives, and awareness events as the UK Team Chair and Malaysian representative on the World Oceans Day Youth Advisory Council, a Sevenoaks Youth Councillor, and UKSCN member. Gabby constantly sparks action through education and is an inspiration for all.
KANCHAN AMATYA_NEPAL
Kanchan is a 23 year from Nepal who was recognised with the Diana Award in 2019 for her work with the Sustainable Fish Farming Initiative and her role as UN Women’s global champion for women’s economic empowerment. She is a passionate anti-poverty activist, women’s rights advocate and social entrepreneur. She serves as a UN Women’s Global Champion for Women’s Economic Empowerment and is the founder of youth-led social enterprise, Sustainable Fish Farming Initiative, which works with rural Nepalese women to combat extreme hunger and poverty.
Kanchan has co-led the Youth Assembly at the United Nations’ Resolution Committee and worked extensively with youths, grassroots advocates, survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking across South Asia. Kanchan is committed to inspiring and mobilising a new generation to serve their community, creating a world where nobody is uneducated or goes hungry, even for a single day.
To find out more about Climate Action Summit 2019 visit United Nations webpage.
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The Diana Award recently launched our first Youth Insights Report, focused on Youth Voice in Politics. To ensure youth involvement from the ground up, we involved Peer Researchers throughout the process to help connect us with the stories and experiences of young people. Follow Peer Researchers Gracie and Arthur, as they journey towards improving levels of youth engagement in politics and discuss the power of young people as facilitators, analysts, and champions for change.
International Youth Day, celebrated annually on 12 August, is a global celebration of the contributions, aspirations, and potential of young people around the world. It is a day of significance at The Diana Award, and to celebrate this year, we asked two young people from across our programmes to talk about a topic close to their hearts. This article, written by Iola Nkau, Co-producer on The Diana Award Young Changemakers Programme, highlights the difficulty young people have in finding and accessing GP services. The second article, written by Centre for Social Action Co-Designer, Obinna Emmanuel Ezeani, highlights the need for youth inclusion and diverse representation in decision-making processes.
