Samsung Electronics announced at Unpacked that Generation17, an initiative in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is growing with the introduction of six new Young Leaders. The individuals will join the initiative’s existing Young Leaders to mobilize global communities, educate people about the urgency of the Global Goals and build impactful and inclusive solutions that help promote prosperity while protecting the planet by 2030.
Since its launch, Generation17 has been spearheaded by and in support of young people. Samsung and UNDP continuously engage with the Young Leaders to determine their biggest needs and discover support systems to help scale and advance their organizations. Together, the two organizations provide the latest Galaxy technology, amplify their stories on global platforms, facilitate peer networking and best-practice sharing, offer mentorship opportunities and invite them to global agenda-setting stages like the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum.
With the six advocates, grassroots organizers and entrepreneurs, Generation17 expands to all corners of the world, spanning countries in Africa, Asia, CIS & Europe, North America, Latin America and the Middle East. Their work will raise awareness of global solutions to the urgent issues facing humanity in 2022 and in years to come, as they advance digital innovation, empower women through education and job trainings, coach the elderly about physical and mental health and more:
• Nora Altwaijri (Saudi Arabia): Software engineer who educates people on the Global Goals and connects them to impactful resources through digital platforms.
• AY Young (United States): Musician who produces albums and concerts that share engaging ways to tackle the global energy poverty issue.
• Kristian Kampmann (Denmark): Leader of UNLEASH, an innovation lab that sparks creative and inclusive solutions for the Global Goals.
• Oğuz Ergen (Turkey): Activist who rallies NGOs, academia and government together to address the climate crisis and protect the coastal Aegean region.
• Tamara Dewi Gondo Soerijo (Indonesia): Social enterprise founder who empowers refugee women by providing upskilling opportunities and access to market.
• Thuy Anh Ngo (Vietnam): Entrepreneur who launched a mobile app that equips the elderly with physical and mental health advice and activities.
In 2022 and beyond, Samsung and UNDP are committed to exploring new ways to partner with the Young Leaders. This includes convening the first-ever “Generation17 Youth Dialogues,” an event to rally Global Goals advocates from all over the world for knowledge sharing on how people can best navigate the Global Goals and achieve a more sustainable future.
The 14 Young Leaders will connect people to solutions that actively contribute to the Global Goals, including the Samsung Global Goals app. Launched in 2019 by Samsung and UNDP, the app provides learning opportunities on the Global Goals and shares easy and meaningful ways to make a difference. The app is currently installed on nearly 200 million Galaxy devices and has generated more than US$4 million in donations to educate the Galaxy community about the world’s most pressing challenges and strengthen UNDP’s work in supporting countries implement integrated solutions for the Global Goals.