5 YEARS WITH GLOBAL SOCIAL LEADERS
Global Social Leaders (GSL) has been the catalyst for my youth environmental activism journey since 2019. Participating in the 2019-20 GSL Global Goals Competition opened my eyes to various change-making projects led by the youth for the youth. I gained keen insights into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and developed three main takeaways that still propel me:
- Age is a barrier that CAN be overcome
- If not YOU, then WHO? If not NOW, then WHEN?
- A journey for sustainability (socioeconomic/environmental) should be sustainable (long-lasting)
Awarded the winner, I continued supporting GSL by serving as a guest speaker, hosting online workshops in partnership with my school Chadwick International, and encouraging students in my connection to participate in GSL events.
Civil society plays a key stakeholder in emerging economies. However, youth voices are often overlooked in policy advocacy, even when they are passionate about driving change. As part of my environmentalist mission, I am committed to leading global policy reforms as a young advocate.
In 2021, I was elected chairperson of the Ministry of Environment’s Environmental Education Youth Committee, where I successfully advocated for policy proposals that mandated environmental education starting in 2023. This role allowed me to represent Korean youth in discussions with the First Lady and the Minister of Environment.
My efforts took on a global dimension when I was invited to represent South Korea at the P4G Seoul Summit, a gathering of 67 countries aimed at proposing bold actions to meet international climate goals. Additionally, I had the opportunity to speak at the UN World Food Forum in Italy, where I shared the process behind implementing mandatory environmental education in South Korea. These experiences allowed me to present policy recommendations, gain insights from the international community, and expand my network. Drawing on this experience and my connections, I began empowering youth activists through Greener is Cleaner by organizing workshops, training sessions, webinars, and mentorship programs.
Greener is Cleaner’s successful initiatives in inspiring and guiding young people toward meaningful advocacy and policy changes have earned me recognition, including the prestigious Zonta International Young Woman in Public Affairs Award 2024, the 2023 RISE Global Winner title, the 2021 Youth Leads Award, and the 2021 International Young Eco-Hero award, among others.
RISE GLOBAL WINNER AND THE RESIDENTIAL SUMMIT
Thanks to RISE, “a program funded by Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust that finds promising young people and provides them with opportunities that allow them to work together to serve others over their lifetimes,” I attended the 2024 RISE Residential Summit (RRS) at Oxford, United Kingdom (July 31-August 8).
The RRS aimed to offer a multidisciplinary experience tailored to the diverse group of Rise Global Winners (RGWs) dedicated to making a positive difference in their communities.
Participating in the RRS has deepened my connection with this community and motivated me to commit to a lifelong journey of taking meaningful action that aligns with my passions, interests, and skills.
Among the numerous prominent guests, I was most impacted by Lewis Perkins, CEO of Apparel Impact Institute (AII). He elaborated on cradle-to-cradle thinking in fashion, which aligned with my interest in the circular economy, particularly in the apparel industry, explored through my project Thryft.
My favourite day of the RRS was Impact Lab Day, where I proposed in front of numerous experts and fellow 100 RGWs a project to conserve biodiversity in collaboration with Conservation X Labs. In a group, I researched the issue of urbanization on animals’ migration. As a result of a full-day case study and brainstorming, my group designed the project Happy Hotspots, a plan to install safe havens for monarch butterflies, a species at risk of extinction, in cities on their migratory routes in the U.S. to avoid population decline during migration.
On one of the days, I got the opportunity to meet Jonathan Harper, Chief Executive Officer of Future Foundations and Co-Founder of Global Social Leaders, in person for the first time. Despite keeping in contact for the past 5 years, there was no chance to interact in person. The brief networking session was a great time to update each other and discuss potential collaborations.
Key skills areas I developed throughout the summit include Effective Communication, Problem Solving, System Change Thinking, and the Power of Service. I also formed strong bonds with lifelong, like-minded friends from across the globe. These RGW friends are those I can always reach out to for academic, social, and career support—and vice versa.
