Your age is just a number. Activism & Advocacy can be done at any age by any person, and it can make a difference. To inspire you so, here are four inspiring young activists that advocate for some issues, across a wide range of global (current) events in our world today.
1. Greta Thunberg
You may have heard of her before, Greta Thunberg is a 19-year-old Swedish environmental activist who advocates for “immediate action for climate change mitigation.” One of her most impressive achievements was her speech to world leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit. Beyond this, she has led numerous other movements to fight against climate change, such as Fridays For Future, and has made her voice heard in the world. Here is an excerpt of her speech:
“You have stolen my childhood and my dreams with your empty words, You’re failing us, but young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say we will never forgive you.”
2. Shannen Koostachin
Although she is not in the world with us today, Shannen Koostachin was a Cree Youth Leader and indigenous education activist. She founded Students Helping Students, a campaign to have a new school built in her indigenous community and improve education places in indigenous communities, raising awareness of the poor conditions and standards in First Nations schools, due to the lack of funding and resources received from the government. In her honour, Shannen’s dream, a campaign, was founded in the hope that all First Nations children across Canada have “safe schools with a good quality education” making them proud of who they are.
“School is a time for dreams, and every kid deserves this.” – Shannen
3. X Gonzalez
A survivor of the shooting in Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida (the deadliest high school shooting in US history), X Gonzalez is an American activist and advocate for gun control. They have founded Never Again MSD, an American student-led political action committee that advocates for tighter regulations against gun violence. They have been successful in improving legislature for gun control, their impressive “March For Our Lives” speech is really inspiring, you can check this speech out here.
4. Malala Yousafzai
Malala is a Pakistani activist, who as a youth, spoke about the prohibition of girls’ education imposed by the Pakistani Taliban. At the age of 15, she survived an assassination attempt and now has become an active & well-known advocate, across the world. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, making her the youngest laureate at only 17 years old for her efforts in advocating girls’ education and women’s equality. To learn more about her story, you can check out her amazing autobiography, “I am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.”
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