The path to a sustainable future starts with investing in young leaders
Farkhunda Muhtaj is the co-founder of Scarborough Simbas and has been named to the Eureka Fellowship for Youth Changemakers in Canada.supplied
Youth changemakers are making a difference through the Eureka Fellowship
Professional soccer player Farkhunda Muhtaj, 26, knows how to be an active global citizen both on and off the pitch – the Afghan-Canadian brings the same passion to her midfielder position as she does to supporting newcomers to Canada through sport and wellness initiatives.
University of Alberta student Reegan Jungkind, 22, aspires to represent the Northwest Territories through activism, and does so by contributing to youth councils and climate conventions, focusing on climate change after flooding and wildfires severely damaged her home community of Hay River last year.
And Ronaar Qureshi, 21, whilst studying health sciences at the University of Calgary, co-founded Inform Cannabis to combat youth cannabis abuse and teach youth how to make proactive choices related to substance abuse, through gamification and AI.
Despite vastly different backgrounds, these changemakers all have one thing in common: They are among the 13 inspirational young leaders selected for the Eureka Fellowship for Youth Changemakers in Canada (Eureka Fellowship) for 2024, an initiative created in partnership between biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca Canada and Plan International Canada, a leading humanitarian charity dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls around the globe.
Selected from more than 800 applications, these 13 changemakers stood out for their passion and drive to fuel positive, sustainable change for the health of people, society and the planet. Each Eureka Fellow will attend the 2024 One Young World Summit in Montreal (Tiohtià:ke) this September, the largest annual youth Summit bringing together bright young leaders from over 195 countries to tackle some of the biggest sustainability challenges facing humanity.
“Global issues require global solutions,” says Muhtaj. “This is the perfect opportunity for young leaders to join forces and maximize their impact through their global endeavours.”
An advocate for gender equity, refugee rights and newcomer integration, Muhtaj uses sport as the most engaging way to advance her humanitarian causes. She is the co-founder of Scarborough Simbas, a recreational soccer program in Toronto that empowers and supports marginalized community members and newcomers to Canada.
Muhtaj, whose parents became refugees in 1992, resettled in Canada in 2000 when she was two years old. She helped evacuate more than 300 citizens from Afghanistan in 2021 following the Taliban seizing power. The rescue, which included the Afghanistan Youth National Female Footballers, is retold in the documentary We are Ayenda, which won a 2024 Cannes Lion Grand Prix.
This kind of commitment to creating a better, more sustainable world is what the Eureka Fellowship is all about. Designed to spotlight and amplify the impact of young changemakers, the Fellowship provides networking and capacity-building opportunities to further accelerate the positive changes they are leading.
“The work we do helps young leaders realize their rights and gain the skills, networks and confidence needed to effect positive change in their communities and around the world,” says Lindsay Glassco, President and CEO of Plan International Canada. “It is thanks to committed partners like AstraZeneca Canada, who share our vision of a just and equal future, that we can continue this work. We encourage other companies to bring young people to the tables where decisions are being made.”
According to the World Economic Forum, corporate support for sustainable investment tripled among global executives in 2023 compared to 2022, and 52 per cent of private sector companies pledged to increase sustainability investments in 2024. Where better to start than with young changemakers?
“At AstraZeneca, we believe our future depends on the health of people, society and the planet, and that to create a more sustainable future it takes new thinking and fresh ideas,” says Gaby Bourbara, President, AstraZeneca Canada. “That is why we are so proud to partner with Plan International Canada and to invest in the next generation of sustainability leaders through the Eureka Fellowship, shining a spotlight on the tremendous impact these young changemakers are already making to create a better, more equitable and sustainable world.”
Ronaar Qureshi is the co-founder of Inform Cannabis.supplied
As Qureshi puts it, “We are the future.”
Qureshi sees mental health as a pressing issue affecting youth in Canada and around the world, citing academic pressures, social media and the lack of mental health resources among the root causes. Disparities in health care – which often disproportionately affect immigrants – is one social inequity he hopes to rectify through education and technology.
“Our world is so interconnected that the discoveries we make have the ability to affect people across the world,” he says. “The impact of investment into young people and our ideas helps prepare an entire generation to solve the issues of tomorrow.”
Reegan Jungkind is a member of the NWT Climate Change Youth Council.supplied
Jungkind would agree. Like all the 2024 Eureka Fellows, she’s excited to connect with other young people from across Canada and around the world who want to build opportunities to support and accelerate positive change in their communities.
Currently pursuing a degree in political science and sociology, along with a certificate in sustainability, Jungkind has been an environmentalist and youth advocate since she was 17. She has organized events with Ecology North in Yellowknife and participated in the United Nations Climate Change Conference to participate in policy negotiation and facilitate climate change discussions for youth.
“Finding other youth who care about the future and are passionate about social issues is really important to me,” she says. [The Eureka Fellowship] builds a whole sense of community. Everything is interconnected – all of our issues are intertwined.”
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with AstraZeneca Canada and Plan International Canada. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.
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