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Maghazi Elzubair: “Young people are powerful actors for achieving environmental justice and sustaining peace”

Maghazi Ahmed Elzubair is a 19-year-old environmental activist from Sudan who is currently in Cyprus completing her university studies.  

As an advocate for environmental justice, social equality and peace, she believes that complex environmental issues require collective voices and efforts to solve and mitigate. 

In August, she joined the UN Youth Champions for Environment and Peace programme to share her perspective with fellow advocates and listen to others with hopes to grasp a wider understanding of current environmental issues faced by the younger generation.  

Together with experts and mentors from Cyprus and abroad, participants learned about the island’s environmental challenges and developed ideas for social enterprises to address environmental problems that might benefit people and the planet.

“It was fascinating to hear stories from activists who have spent a tremendous number of hours on finding solutions to the global problems that threaten peace and environmental sustainability all around the world.”

Describing the programme as “inspiring and resourceful”, she said: “Young people are powerful actors for achieving environmental justice and sustaining peace and this programme contributes to breaking the barrier of communication that seems to be immensely prevalent between the two communities.”

Maghazi also believes that initiatives such as this motivate the youth of the island to continue with their advocacy work, “as our concerns are being heard and acknowledged”. 

Building on the 2020 programme and in collaboration with the British Council through the COOPower project this year's edition offered to 25 young people a 2-week intense focus on environmental peacebuilding and social entrepreneurship.