Your voice is one of the most powerful tools you have. Throughout history, people have used collective voices to demand justice — for civil rights, for the planet, and for each other. Advocacy means standing up, speaking out, and pushing for change at every level: from your neighborhood to global negotiations. Real progress happens when people connect, persist, and act together.
One of the most transformative paths is grassroots activism –– working directly with communities, uplifting those most affected, and tackling issues with equity and care. From the U.S. Civil Rights Movement to Kenya’s Green Belt Movement, grassroots organizing has driven change that reshaped our world. Today, communities everywhere are defending land, livelihoods, and the future we share.
Recent examples highlight the breadth and urgency of this work. In Pakistan, farmers collaborate with conservation groups to protect snow leopards while strengthening rural livelihoods. In the United States, Andrea Vidaurre, winner of the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize helped communities secure emissions standards for trains and buses, protecting neighborhoods of color burdened by air pollution. These movements are powerful because they are rooted in lived experience and led by those most connected to the land and its people.
Young leaders are at the heart of this momentum. Nalleli Cobo, who grew up near oil-drilling sites in Los Angeles, survived cancer likely caused by nearby pollution. At 21, she co-founded People Not Pozos (“People Not Wells”), helping end neighborhood drilling and inspiring youth worldwide. Leah Namugerwa of Uganda leads tree-planting and plastic-ban campaigns that link local care with global climate action. Francisco Vera of Colombia champions environmental education and youth participation through UNICEF. And Ilyess El Kortbi, from Ukraine and Morocco, advocates for climate action amid conflict, reminding the world that justice and peace are deeply connected.
Organizations around the world are creating pathways for sustained advocacy. Citizen’s Climate Lobby trains volunteers to engage decision-makers, lead community campaigns, and champion equity and sustainability. Earth Guardians empowers young leaders through resources, training, and gatherings — centering anti-racist and anti-colonialist principles and equipping them to drive change in their own communities. Together, these organizations show how local voices can shape national and global solutions.
Activism does not end with one campaign or one challenge. It is an ongoing practice of using voice, creativity, and conviction to move society toward justice and sustainability. By connecting with grassroots movements, joining organizations, and staying engaged, every advocate feeds a global call for a livable, equitable future.
PARTNERS
RESOURCES
CHALLENGE
Over the past 24 days, you’ve learned, questioned, and acted, exploring both the challenges we face and the possibilities for change. Some themes may have stayed with you, sparking curiosity or inspiration. Those moments reveal where your purpose and voice can make a difference. They’re clues to where your passion meets possibility — and where your next steps begin.
Every movement follows a pathway: awareness → action → impact. Understanding how an organization moves people along that path helps reveal what makes advocacy work, and what keeps it going. By studying their approach, you’ll see how real change grows from ideas into outcomes.
Every global movement begins with a single idea—and someone willing to act on it. You’ve explored issues you care about and seen how others create impact. Now it’s your turn to imagine how you could drive change in your own community. This is where inspiration becomes innovation—the moment when your awareness and advocacy grow into action.
Each Greener Winner will receive:
Each Greenest Winner will receive:
