Ariya Maskara and Enya Rastogi Rediscovering our future at 18,000 feet
Is it possible for the future to lie in the past? While this seems rather contradictory, 17-year-old Ariya Maskara and 18-year-old Enya Rastogi believe that the future is more than just globalisation and advancements in science and technology. Having embarked on many expeditions together for over eight years, the duo has gained invaluable learnings and experiences that have shaped who they are today, and who they will be in the future. They consider trekking as an opportunity to reconnect with one another and nature, areas that we so easily tend to neglect in the chaos of everyday life. Ariya and Enya wish for the audience to leave with the belief that they can redefine and reimagine their own future.
Indigo Christina Larmour Looking Through a New Lens of Empowerment
Did you know that women may not reach workplace equality for another century,
and that twice as many girls as boys may never go to school? Indigo Christina Larmour is passionate about highlighting these disparities
in society through her photographic work. When the 13-year-old reimagines future, she sees one where girls have equal access to education,
where women earn as much as men and where their work has the same value as their male counterparts. Her dream is to empower women by
spotlighting their narratives and inspire companies to invest in cooperatives that support them.
Two-time winner of the Young Travel Photographer of the Year, Indigo also aims to showcase how quality storytelling can be a powerful advocate for change.
Aidan Saikia Changing the world one paw at a time
As a lifelong animal lover, 13-year old Aidan Saikia was distraught when he lost his pet turtle because he couldn't get timely help due to COVID-19 restrictions. He learnt that while an increasing number of people adopted pets during the pandemic, the corresponding technological innovation for quality healthcare of pets remained stagnant. Aidan’s venture, Vets for Pets, endeavours to provide peer-to-peer video calling access for pet owners to virtually connect with vets in their immediate vicinity or simply based on their specialisation, no matter where in the world either of them is.
Aidan believes that our pets deserve the same access to quality healthcare as we do and wishes to make life better for pets everywhere in the world.
Amaira Kaur Anand and Jasmeh Kaur Dang Are girls really not good enough?
Have you ever been told that you aren't good enough? Or that you can't do engineering because you are just a girl? Motorsports are majorly male-dominated with few opportunities for girls to explore the field. 13-year old Amaira Kaur Anand and 14-year-old Jasmeh Kaur Dang didn’t let this stop them from making history by becoming the first all-girls team from India, and one of the youngest, to reach the F1 in Schools World Finals, and win numerous accolades at the event. Driven by their passion for motorsports and engineering, they wish to champion gender equality in STEM. Their endeavour is to inspire other young girls to rise above the challenges and break gender stereotypes.
Alisha Gia Rekhi, Diya Sinha and Isha Jain Deconstructing Science through Drama
Does science have the power to transform the future? 17-year-old Diya Sinha, and 16-year-olds Isha Jain and Alisha Gia Rekhi, all passionate STEM students, delve into this question during their talk. They discuss the possibilities that emerge from using theatre to fuel science, and how the power of drama has enabled them to share the spark of science with people around them. Alisha, Diya and Isha explore how the conjunction between these two seemingly opposite fields creates a powerful tool allowing us to discover the world through a new lens. Through their talk, they aim to shed light on why everyone deserves to have access to learning science, and inspire others to deconstruct their own passions in new and innovative ways.
Krish Walia What if your water wasn’t safe to drink?
While distributing ration to daily wage workers affected by COVID-19, Krish Walia noticed that they stored drinking water in dirty utensils with flies and bugs constantly around them. How could people not have access to a basic necessity of life, clean water? What if they caught a disease? Were they not scared? The questions troubled the 17-year-old until he found a solution in the form of a portable water purifier, Pure-Jal. Water purifiers offer the last line of defence between the body and the over 2,100 known toxins that may be present in drinking water. Krish’s dream is to provide access to clean drinking water to as many people as possible and to educate them on the importance of protecting the human body from water-borne diseases.
Nirvair Kohli and Nirvana Kohli Lace 'm Up! Upcycling Fashion
Consumerism and peer pressure push us to buy and hoard more clothes and shoes than we need, leading to not only excessive spending but also burdening the planet with discarded items. 14-year-old twins Nirvair and Nirvana Kohli’s venture, Lace ‘m Up, allows people to give footwear a whole new look while enabling individuals to showcase who they are and reflect their personal style. By way of this talk, they aim to highlight how upcycling fashion can help both the wallet and the environment.
Revant Mehta When the sound of music dissolves borders
The internet has made our world view uncomfortably unidimensional. But is it really? When the world is multi-dimensional and diverse, how can our view of the world be otherwise? As we all
wake up to the diversity that exists around us – race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, culture and more – what can help us see the world anew?
For 15-year-old Revant Mehta, it is music. He has not only embraced the study of music but it also characterises his thoughts and reflections on life and experiences. Having joined hands with young musicians across the world through his initiative Musically Diverse, he uses the prism of music to celebrate diversity and the spirit of collaboration. His ultimate desire is to dissolve mental and geographical borders and bring the world together through the power of music.
EunJung Choi A World Full of Possibilities and a Head Full of Dreams
Many of us have experienced multiple cultures, but how many of us are truly global citizens? One of the most discussed topics in the contemporary world is culture. In her talk, 18-year-old EunJung Choi will share her journey of gaining an understanding of different cultures and how it influenced her life and perspectives. It will also give hope to those who feel incapable of being global citizens because of lack of awareness and access to information. EunJung wishes to share her experiences to help everyone step forward and become culturally more aware to create a world that is full of possibilities and respect for one another.
Nipuna Nisansala Ranasinghe A Voice for Animals
There has been a 68% drop in global populations of all wildlife species since 1970, but what are we doing to address this? Will the future generations not get to see our precious wildlife because of the devastating and heart-breaking situation that we have put ourselves in? Nipuna Nisansala Ranasinghe believes it is possible to rouse interest, curiosity and concern in teens and drive them to bring about sustained change in society. Through Team Students for Animals, the 18-year-old brings together animal enthusiasts of different ages to give voice to animals and save the world for future generations. He wishes for the audience to understand that the act of showing loving-kindness and empathy to all animals will bring us one step closer to a reimagined future.
Jaiveer Misra Musically yours
Imagine a world without borders, coloured in the brightest hues of joy and happiness. While the pandemic tested the human spirit, artists across the globe broke down barriers, creating and uplifting humanity by bringing the joy of music into homes through online platforms. In light of this, 18-year-old Jaiveer Misra’s community impact project Mentoring through Music took on an entirely new meaning. The musical spaces created at low-income schools would now serve not just as a medium for recreation, but an agent for change where young students will find their creative voices to bring to light their personal journeys during these turbulent times. Jaiveer’s talk will focus on reimagining a future without boundaries, where the inner voice that defines the human spirit can be heard above the noise. A future of peace and love.