Showcasing the Unheard
When young people from marginalised communities engage in environmental activism, they face many structural barriers to make their voices heard and achieve long-lasting changes. Featuring their perspectives is key to making the youth climate movement truly far-reaching, representative, and inclusive.
We want to provide a platform for these young activists to share their stories, celebrate their successes, and expose the challenges they face. By showcasing the stories of activists they can relate to, we hope to inspire other young people with fewer opportunities to join the youth climate movement.
This initiative is part of the Showcasing the Unheard project.
Interviews

Julia, a 19-year-old climate activist from Warsaw, Poland, has been involved in climate activism for four years and is currently part of the Bombelki Collective, which fights against fossil gas extraction projects in Poland. Julia and her group are involved in creative actions and disruptions. She believes that the climate crisis is caused by a small group of wealthy people who prioritise profit over the environment and people's basic needs.

Vika Hovsepyan from Yeghvard, Armenia is passionate about creating positive change in her community. She began by initiating a recycling campaign at her school and now is involved in educational projects related to the environment. Her work is motivated by seeing the positive results and the support of others. Vika's future goal is to collect and recycle clothes to help those in need.

Iusip, a 23-year-old from Georgia, is currently studying Management Engineering in Poland. He has been involved in the NGO field for three years, establishing his own NGO at the age of 19. Through his organisation, he provided opportunities and assistance to numerous individuals and facilitated participation in projects in Europe.

Ia is a young activist from Georgia who is passionate about environmental protection and social justice. For Ia, activism means empowering others and making small contributions to bring about positive change. She aims to engage more diverse groups in her activities and encourages everyone to believe in themselves and their ability to become a positive change-maker.

Rahim Zehdiev, a 27-year-old volunteer and green ambassador at Young Improvers for Youth Development in Smolyan, Bulgaria, is passionate about creating positive changes in his community and empowering young people, particularly in environmental issues. He is involved in various projects aiming to address environmental challenges and empower young individuals from marginalised communities.

Meet Vlada, an 18 years old activist from St. Petersburg, Russia. Vlada coordinates Fridays for Future Russia and is especially interested in the melting of permafrost in Russia, the fate of indigenous peoples, ecofeminism, food security, and a just transition. She studies ecology at a Russian state university and dreams of doing a master's degree on climate change in Europe, as this subject is not available anywhere in Russia.

Meet Piotr Czerniejewski, a Polish Youth and Climate Activist who is actively involved in the Just Transition process of his local area and has been promoting the inclusion of young people.

Emilia is a 17 years-old activist and climate educator from Poland. In the following article, she talks about her experience with teaching kids about the climate crisis and why she thinks that politicians stand in the way of change.

Social media on environmental issues can sometimes be the only source of knowledge for young Poles. Ola Czajkowska, a 26-year-old resident of Warsaw, has taken matters into her own hands.

Introducing Andjela Radun - a 19-year-old environmental activist from Novi Sad, Serbia. She is part of Extinction Rebellion and Fridays for Future and other environmental movements where she campaigns against water pollution, air pollution, and deforestation that impact her home.