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It's International #YouthDay: Here Are 15 Young People Changing The World

Happy International #YouthDay: Here Are 15 Young People Changing The World
Lucy Sherriff
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International Youth Day isn't just another corporate fad dreamt up to make money and persuade you to buy an overpriced card; it's an official day on August 12 which is recognised by the United Nations.

So what better way to celebrate it than by profiling some of the incredible young people who are passionate about changing our world for the better?

To coincide with the day, Action 2015, a global coalition of more than 1,950 organisations across the world, is holding a #YouthPower movement to encourage young people to stand proud and fight for change.

As part of HuffPost's Youth Day celebration, we've put together a list of some of the inspirational youths who are doing their own bit for society.

SEE ALSO:
Young People Changing Britain In 2014
Julius Ibrahim(01 of11)
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Julius Ibrahim is a final year student at UCL, with a big love of food - and an even bigger passion for social enterprise.

And now the 20-year-old has come up with a way of combining the two; opening up Second Shot Coffee - an independent cafe which will train, employ and support the homeless in London.
Debs Torr and Chris Dobson(02 of11)
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It may sound like an unusual way to help the environment, but UEA students Debs and Chris started a campaign to encourage the public to wee in the shower.

They hope to get all 15,000 students at the university to take part in the gowiththeflow initiative. If successful, they would save enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool 26 times over in just one year.

The pair are representing UEA in the Npower Future Leaders Challenge, encouraging students to devise an environmental initiative on their campus. (credit:UEA)
Tom Macmichael(03 of11)
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Meet Tom Macmichael, second year Computer Science student at the University of Edinburgh and budding entrepreneur, who’s revolutionising the taxi booking system.

YourTaximeter uses prices set by the local district council to work out taxi costs. He aims to give underdog taxi firms a fair chance against private companies, reducing competition, redundancies and losses.
Malala Yousafzai(04 of11)
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No inspirational women's list would be complete without Malala Yousafzai.

The 17-year-old education activist, who was shot by the Taliban for her support of girls' right to education, has gone far beyond campaigning for just her Pakistan homeland.

Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2014, making her the youngest ever recipient. (credit:Getty)
Ladan Takow(05 of11)
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Ladan is a 23-year-old Restless Development volunteer living in the UK.

After returning from an International Citizen Service placement volunteering with young Indians tackling poverty, Ladan has toured the country speaking at community events to encourage young British Somali women to be involved in travelling, writing, and activism to tackle global injustice.

“There are more young people alive now than there have ever been before," she says. "It’s down to us to make sure the world keeps its promises.”
Josh Taylor(06 of11)
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How to make a business profitable but eco-friendly can seem like a minefield for many businesspeople, and without the motivation many give up at the first hurdle.This was what Josh Taylor set out to solve when he started a retreat on his farm in the Cornish countryside to teach FTSE 100 companies how to make a green profit.Read more...
Emma Holten(07 of11)
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The Danish activist was the victim of revenge porn three years ago, when an ex-boyfriend shared intimate photographs on a "creepshot" website.

But the 23-year-old refuses to be ashamed of her naked body.

Emma decided to reclaim her body by taking and sharing topless photographs of herself.

A new photo series featuring Emma nude, shot by a photographer of her own choice, allow the activist to show her body on her own terms. (credit:Emma Holten)
Boyan Slat(08 of11)
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Aged just 19, Boyan Slat has a remarkable vision for cleaning oceans that have been decimated by human waste.

Inspired by fishing trawlers, Slat devised a way to recover waste that has been sent out to sea with huge nets.

Read more...
Fahma Mohamed(09 of11)
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Bristol schoolgirl Fahma Mohamed (pictured) and Muna Hassan teamed up with a group of young women from youth charity INtegrate Bristol to campaign against FGM>
They successfully persuaded the then education secretary Michael Gove to contact every school about FGM, as well as winning the backing of UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon. (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Arthur Kay(10 of11)
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After graduating with a degree in Architecture, Arthur Kay took an unusual career turn and decided to start a biofuel business.

Recycling used coffee grounds which would otherwise go straight to a landfill, biobean turn them into biomass pellets that can be used to heat houses.

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Tom Cridland(11 of11)
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For some, cheap and disposable clothing just isn't an option - Tom Cridland is one of those people.

Starting up his eponymous fashion label, Tom has created a jumper that can last 30 years - a number that might make many Primark regulars' eyes widen.

Read more...
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