17 STRANDS is a reflective guide for youth on systemic leadership towards a greener and sustainable world. While global leaders debate solutions, youth changemakers are quietly and consistently making an impact in their communities. The book's purpose is to not only celebrate changemakers, but to alsoremind our global leaders that hope is local, to also bridge youthactions in their community to global change and to raiseawareness about sustainability and youth leadership. This is done in order to inspire a new generation of thoughtful and compassionate leaders who are humanely connected to their community.
This book humanizes global policies into personal narratives of young change-makers, while drawing on my personal experience as a youth ambassador of UNMGCY as well as the stories of other changemakers from various countries. In hopes of simplifying and personalizing jargon driven SDGs, this book recontextualizes policy within the lived-experience of different communities.
When readers close the book, they will walk away more enlightened and attentive to the sustainable development goals. They will know that they have the permission to act imperfectly and empathetically towards those goals. The ultimate purpose of the book is to remind young change makers that no impact is too small and they are not alone.
Joseph Bangura is a former educator, television presenter, and currently a youth ambassador with the United Nations MajorGroup for Children and Youth whose work bridges local realitiesto global development conversation through. He has contributed tointernational policy conversations through his engagement with theUnited Nations Major Group for Children and Youth and hasparticipated in global forums like the United Nations ECOSOCPartnership Forum, and Food and Agricultural Organization of theUnited Nations High Level Political Forum as a youth speaker andrapporteur. Through community-led projects such as school-basededucation initiatives and youth leadership programs, Josephfocuses on connecting local realities with global developmentconversations highlighting the power of everyday leadership androle of young people in shaping more just and sustainablesocieties.
Noah Dennie is a teacher at a small charter school in SouthTucson with a bachelor degree in Philosophy. His background inPhilosophy has brought a unique depth to this project. He didn'tjust edit words; he challenged my thinking, helped me expand myvision, and ensured this book would truly resonate with the nextgeneration of leaders. After receiving supportive aid from hiscommunity earlier in life, he has committed himself tostrengthening different foundations of communal support. For now, that is aimed towards struggling youth; eventually he hopes tobecome a psychologist. He spends his time studying, exercising, and walking his dog, Harley.
