21/22 Team | YOUth ACT

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Meet our 21/22 Team

Name: Aysu, President

What is your story?

Hello! I am Aysu, a Turkish-Japanese who has grown up in Istanbul, Tokyo, and a bit in Dallas. I have been living in the Netherlands for a couple of years now and this year I am doing my Master’s in law at the University of Amsterdam whilst also being in YOUth ACT. I am a dedicated fan of coffee, big cities, a democratic society, and obviously, of youth. I am very grateful for what we get to do in YOUth ACT and for all that who help us.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

Quite hard to choose but I really like the Innocence Project which is a legal non-governmental organisation that aims to free innocent people in jail, especially ones on death row.

Guilty pleasure.

I have no guilt in any of my pleasures but Europeans love to tell me that I should feel guilty for my love for Kraft Mac and Cheese which absolutely has no real cheese in it.

Aysu

Name: Pia, Vice President, Secretary

What is your story?

Hey everyone, I’m Pia Lou. I’m born and raised Amsterdammer, with one foot in my dutch roots and the other in the international community. I am currently in a MSc international development with a focus on sustainability diplomacy - looking towards developing an emancipated, neo-colonial understanding of environmental policies. My love goes towards womens rights, philosophy, cooking, dancing, my friends, family and kitty cat. As YOUth ACT’s secretary, I am so excited to see empowered youth act towards their aspirations and dreams.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?
If I have to pick one, I think Bureau Clara Wichmann is a great and inspiring organistaion. They strategically file cases for the betterment of womens rights in the Netherlands. They bring about systematic, important change.

Guilty pleasure.

Beyyoonncééé! Any day, any moment, any time <3

Pia

Name: Rasnam, Financial and Legal Director

What is your story?

Hello! I'm Suchanan, or Rasnam - I'll answer to both names! I've lived in Amsterdam for almost 4 years now and work as a Client Manager at a creative agency. I'm the Legal and Finance Director at Youth Act. I'm excited to work on the operational and strategic side of the organisation and to make sure all departments have exactly what they need in order to create impact.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

A Thai organisation in my hometown focuses on providing entrepreneurial skills to underprivileged youth. They do this by working with youth to set up an ice cream business. Everyone gets involved in all aspects of the project, from making the ice cream to handling finances. Through this hands on experience, each cohort gains the skills necessary to become a founder.

Guilty pleasure.

Rewatching terrible TV shows and Movies from the early 2000s. I'll complain and ringer while watching it but I pro

Rasnam

Name: Bartek, Media and Marketing Director

What is your story?

Hey hey! I’m Bartek, born in Poland but moved overseas right after graduating high school. I absolutely adore everything related to art and music - it brings meaning to my life and helps me understand our world. I’m excited to be taking up the role of Media Director at YOUth ACT. Next to that, I’m studying the field of media, technology, and digital information at the University of Amsterdam.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

There are far too many to pick from, but I’d mention the ItGetsBetterProject. It holds a special place in my heart because it helped me in my darkest moments as a teenager. The project empowers LGBTQ+ youth around the globe and provides queer visibility that is accessible to everyone.

Guilty pleasure.

Music videos marathons. Just like that. I love rewatching old music videos and analyzing them without any specific goal.

Bartek

Name: Victoria, Media Team: Social Media Analyst/Planner

What is your story?

Hellooo! I’m Victoria, 22, a Master student in Political Science and specialising in Global Environmental Governance, Sustainability and Climate Change. I grew up in Mauritius (don’t be shy, look it up), and have been living in Amsterdam for three years already. I am passionate about lots of things: music, art, animals, nature, people, societies, and so much more. But above all, I am an utopist hoping to help make this world of ours a better place! This is why I am part of YOUthACT’s team, as I believe in helping other utopists like me fulfill their entrepreneurial projects relating to environmental or social change.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

I admire Fridays For Future for how it has managed to rally the youth from all over the world! It is hard for young people to find a purpose or to be strongly moved by a cause. As teenagers or young adults, we tend to be stoic about lots of things and not know what we actually care about. However, the cause of saving our mother earth has really brought us all together in one fight for raising awareness and demanding climate action. And I think that’s pretty cool!

Guilty pleasure.

My guilty pleasure is definitely desserts. I have a very sweet tooth, and I love baking, which does not help with that haha!

Victoria

Sabina

Sabina

Name: Maartje, Content Creator

What is your story?
hey! I’m Maartje, 20 years from Amsterdam. I’m a second year Interdisciplinaire Sociale Wetenschappen student. In my free time I love going reading, drawing, playing guitar, going to the cinema and concerts :) I’m excited to be one of the content creators for YOUth Act this year to combine my creativity and interest in social and environmental problems.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?
My favorite social project is het Maatjesproject of de Regenbooggroep. It’s a voluntary program based in Amsterdam that matched socially isolated people to volunteers. By doing fun social activities together the volunteers help them to get out of social isolation and reconnect with the world. It’s a special way to help people locally in a fun way.

Guilty pleasure.
My guilty pleasure is watching First Dates with friends on the couch instead of going out and just enjoying the love and awkwardness of the people that go on the dates.

Maartje

Name: Allegra, Content Creator

What is your story?

Hello everyone! I’m Allegra, born and raised in Vienna. I’ve been living in Amsterdam for a few years now … actually a bit longer than I planned to, but what can you do, it’s just a nice city! I am currently doing my master’s in political communication at the University of Amsterdam. I am super excited to be part of the YOUth ACT team this year and help present our work visually as one of the Content Creators!

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

Puh, that is quite difficult, there are so many! The first project that pops into my head is a social project from Vienna, back home, called “Garage Grande”. It is a cooperation between different organisations that plan various events, such as exhibitions, dance courses, workshops on different things such as rebuilding and reusing old things, and much more. Those meetings and events take place in a former garage. The garage is not up to date with safety regulations, which is why it cannot be used as a parking space anymore. Now, the garage is a space for people from the neighbourhood to meet outside their homes and public space, as well as others that are interested in the events. I was able to contribute to an exhibition there last year, which is when I was introduced to the project. It is a great space!

Guilty pleasure.

I’d say right now my guilty pleasure is Japanese reality TV. I could watch those shows for days on end.

Allegra

Name : Abeni, Conference Programmer

What is your story?

Hello everyone! My name is Abeni and I’m from India but settled in Dubai. I’m a first-year student at the PPLE college at UvA. I’m excited to have joined Youth Act and I’m the conference programmer in the Action team.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

My favourite social movements are local movements spearheaded by farmers and artisans, striving to decentralise governance in the fields of agriculture and crafts. Especially in India, over the past two years, there has been a large-scale movement led by farmers against the central government as they are planning on privatising more of the agricultural sector. Apart from these, I also like initiatives aimed at providing aid and legal status to refugees.

Abeni

Name: Adelia

Community Team: Transformative Education Coordinator

What is your story?

Hi everyone, I am Adelia! I grew up in a suburb adjacent to Jakarta and moved to Amsterdam for university in 2018. I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and I am working for an NGO here in Amsterdam.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

I most admire grassroots movements led by female laborers and farmers across Indonesia fighting against the capitalistic and patriarchal status quo. I believe that these movements allow the demands and grievances of the most oppressed to be iterated. Unfortunately, these movements are mostly sporadic and unofficial.

Guilty pleasure.

Just like Aibike, I am guilty of using Spotify as a tool to stalk my friends.

Adelia

Name: Jamie, Transformative Education Coordinator

What is your story?

Hey, I’m Jamie. I was born in the Netherlands and I spent most of my life here. As one of the transformative education coordinators I work on Archive, which tries to make academic knowledge more accessible to a wider audience.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

I like needle exchange programs because it’s not flashy but extremely important for harm reduction.

Guilty pleasure.

I still really enjoy playing video games.

Jamie

Name: Aibike

Community and Inclusion Director

What is your story?

My name is Aibike and I’m a third-year student at PPLE College at the University of Amsterdam majoring in Politics! I lived my entire life in Kyrgyzstan and moved to Amsterdam 3 years ago to get my university degree.

Favourite social/environmental project and why?

It’s not that easy to choose but locally I think Oma’s Soep is a great project with fascinating mission. By connecting young and old people, and employing food leftovers, the project tackles loneliness among the elderly and also addresses food waste in Amsterdam. I think Oma’s Soep is a great example of how local targeted action can create an impressive change!

Guilty pleasure.
Stalking my friends’ Spotify activity to figure out their mood.

Aibike

Name: Korneljia, Vriend Coordinator

What is your story?

Hi I’m Kornelija, I was born in Lithuania and grew up in Ireland, and have moved around quite a bit since then. Restlessness and curiosity are my constant companions, which has resulted in me amassing a large collection of eclectic hobbies. I’m always interested in learning new things, whether it's horse riding or figuring out the steps to a new dance routine. I’m excited to take on the role of a community coordinator at YOUth Act and to work with our wonderful team and broader community to help make the world a better place.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

My favourite projects come from my community in Kilkenny. I love Lights! Climate! Action!, a youth created and run organisation for climate activism. They focus on mostly local projects, aiming to do their part when it comes to fighting climate change. It makes me excited to see so many young people get involved with issues that they deeply care about, because when change is coordinated at the grassroots level, it not only directly improves the lives of those within your community but also helps mobilize action on a larger scale.

Guilty pleasure.

I have a soft spot for upcycling old clothing, taking something old and worn and stitching new life into its seams.

Kornelija

Name: Ramya, Events Coordinator

What is your story?

Hey! I’m Ramya, I’m a third-year PPLE student at the UvA majoring in Law. I am a self-appointed Netflix expert and avid fan of 60s music. I’m originally from the Philippines but lived most of my life in Vietnam and somehow found my way to the Netherlands. I found that empathy is the universal language and there will always be people who want to improve our world which is why I joined YOUth Act. I’m very excited to be a community coordinator and work with my amazing team!

Favourite social/environmental project and why?

My favourite social projects are education-focused. NGOs like Room to Read, Teach for the Philippines and Save the Children who all aim to empower children and provide equal access to education in my country. Education-focused programs build the foundation for the next generations and ensure each child grows up with the same opportunities as everyone else which is the first step in creating a better future.

Guilty pleasure.

The NFL. I don’t get it either.

Ramya

Name: Emma, Events Coordinator

What is your story?

I spent my pre-teen years growing up in Helsinki, the calm and peaceful capital of Finland. In 2012 my family and I moved to Rio de Janeiro, where I spent then next three years of my adolescence. Living in such a culturally rich and vibrant city, surrounded by a diverse community of students developed a desire in me to learn more about societies, cultures and their complexities. When studying in high school in Finland I also discovered by passion for environmental and social justice, whicih at the time were particularly directed at veganism and feminism.

My teenage experiences thus led me to studying Sociology in Amsterdam, where I have now been living for a bit over two years. This city and my studies have further nurtured a drive to make a positive impact on the people around me and on the world we live in, which is what brought me to YOUth ACT.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

I admire the work of Extinction Rebellion Finland (or Elokapina in Finnish). Last summer, they were able to mobilise significant political discussions and raised awareness on the lack of action on the part of the Finnish government in tackling climate change. Through out the summer the movement blocked the main road of Helsinki, on which the Finnish Parliament is also based. I find this sort of direct action and mobilization of public discussions extremely important in the fight for climate justice.

Guilty pleasure.

My guilty pleasure is people watching, which has influenced my choice of study. Another one is reading the comment section of online newspapers, its extremely frustrating.

Emma

Anjulie, Action Director

What is your story?

Hi, I’m Anjulie. I have lived in Amsterdam for almost four years now. I was born in Lebanon, and lived in Kenya, Germany, Hungary, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Romania. Other than doing my Masters in Cultural Psychology, I love to make music, draw, dance, and chill with my cats and sister or my friends. I am the Action Director at YOUthACT and am honoured to work with a brilliant team on projects that can enable more opportunities for social justice initiatives for youth.

Favorite social/environmental project and why?

A project in Sri Lanka called We Hear You that created a dictionary in Sri Lankan sign language for words related to sexual issues and abuse, which did not exist before.

Guilty pleasure.

Eating breakfast for every meal of the day.

Anjulie

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