Inspiring change
But what really made me want to deep dive into tobacco control happened nine years ago. My friends and I were arrested for organising a student protest at a tobacco event that was promoting these harmful products to youth. When we got out of jail, there were many activists like us waiting outside and they said, 'We will back you up. If you are not allowed home, we too will not go home.' That crucial moment led me here.
Manik Marganamahendra
Executive director
Indonesian Youth Council for Tactical Changes (IYCTC), Jakarta, Indonesia
Manik has played a pivotal role in campaigns such as #SaveOurSurroundings (SOS), which raises awareness about the wide-ranging impact of tobacco, including its economic, human rights, and environmental consequences. In just one year, the SOS Movement has successfully engaged with five regional government offices, five national ministries, and more than 10 local and national legislative bodies in support of stronger tobacco control policies. For his decade-long contributions in tobacco control advocacy, Manik was recently named a Global Young Ambassador of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids – a recognition of his leadership on the international stage.
I started on this path eight years ago. My father was a chain smoker for decades. Now, he is facing serious health complications and my mother, who never puffed on a single cigarette, had to battle breast cancer after years of exposure to second-hand smoke. As a basketball coach, I've watched with growing concern as e-cigarettes make their way into the hands of my young charges. Disguised in sleek packaging and marketed as cool, these vapes are falsely said to be harmless. What's worse, some of them believe it. To see kids as young as 13 having access to these devices is frustrating and alarming. I refuse to watch another generation be dragged into a cycle of addiction, illness and environmental harm caused by tobacco.
Gene Navarra Gesite Jr.
Project coordinator
Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), Philippines
Gesite is an international affairs professional with over eight years of experience in policy analysis, project development and management, research, and international relations.
At GGTC, he oversees project implementation and supports campaign and advocacy efforts to promote the universal adoption and enforcement of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Gesite also serves as the coordinator of the Global Youth Voices (GYV), a movement that unites global, regional and local youth organisations in over 130 countries, to make the industry pay for the harms caused by tobacco to the planet and its people. His work focuses on coalition-building, strategic partnerships, and global campaigns that empower youth advocacy, capacity-building, and awareness-raising initiatives.
Like many young people, I got involved in fighting tobacco because it was harming those I cared about. It started when the same friends I had swum lap after lap with in the pool began vaping flavoured e-cigarettes between practices. I remember watching them disappear into bathrooms that had become vape lounges. Out of concern, I confided in my seventh-grade health teacher, who soon taught me about the dangers of these devices. Our conversation turned my protective instinct into purpose. I set out on a mission to create change through collective learning and activism, and helped build the first tobacco prevention programmes at my middle and high schools.
Agamroop Kaur
Youth ambassador
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Appointed by former California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to the Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee, the student of cognitive science and global health at University of California, Los Angeles, began her tobacco control advocacy at age 12, creating prevention programmes at her school. The 2022 Barrie Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year started her tobacco control advocacy so that her younger siblings, cousins and the students who come after her can learn and grow in a safe environment. She produced the award-winning documentary 'Big Tobacco, Bigger Epidemic', which examines corporate influence and regulatory failures behind the US youth e-cigarette crisis, and has served on the board of directors of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
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Young and powerful
Tedros: Youth are capable of driving impactful change. – Photo by Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth are not just leaders of tomorrow – they are changemakers, capable of inspiring one another and driving impactful change, says World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 'By empowering young people, we can create a sense of ownership in the fight against tobacco,' he said. Agreeing, STOP – a network of academic and public health organisations operating globally as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use – stressed the importance of schools sending the right message to kids. 'Around the world, tobacco products are being promoted to young people, so we have to make sure that we are empowering them to make the right choices for their health and future,' said STOP director Jorge Alday. 'As we educate kids about the dangers of cigarettes, we should also be educating them about all these other harmful tobacco products that are out there like Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs), e-cigarettes or vapes, and nicotine pouches. 'None of these are safe and all of them contain significant amounts of nicotine that children, especially, should not be ingesting,' he added. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids president and chief executive officer Yolanda Richardson said it's important to remember that young people will always be the target market for these harmful products. This, she stressed, is because people start to smoke and use nicotine products when they are young. 'If these products can be glamorised with flavours, colours and parties – it makes it that much more interesting for your people,' she said, calling on all stakeholders to work together in ensuring that the world's youth lead positive, healthy and useful lives. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, she said, was founded more than 25 years ago to reduce tobacco consumption in the United States, particularly among young people. Two years later, the organisation expanded its efforts globally and is now engaging with more than 60 countries to put in place policies that reduce the consumption of tobacco. 'At the centre of our work is always a belief in the power of young voices to keep the movement strong, honest and energised.'
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Inspiring change
My family is the motivation behind my advocacy work. My dad suffered a stroke as a result of smoking, and now he can't move his leg and struggles to speak. With better public policy, others will not have to suffer like our family. My parents are very supportive of me because they are victims of smoking. My dad has decided to quit not just because of the illness, but also because he has heard me speak to international audiences and it made him cry. But what really made me want to deep dive into tobacco control happened nine years ago. My friends and I were arrested for organising a student protest at a tobacco event that was promoting these harmful products to youth. When we got out of jail, there were many activists like us waiting outside and they said, 'We will back you up. If you are not allowed home, we too will not go home.' That crucial moment led me here. Manik Marganamahendra Executive director Indonesian Youth Council for Tactical Changes (IYCTC), Jakarta, Indonesia Manik has played a pivotal role in campaigns such as #SaveOurSurroundings (SOS), which raises awareness about the wide-ranging impact of tobacco, including its economic, human rights, and environmental consequences. In just one year, the SOS Movement has successfully engaged with five regional government offices, five national ministries, and more than 10 local and national legislative bodies in support of stronger tobacco control policies. For his decade-long contributions in tobacco control advocacy, Manik was recently named a Global Young Ambassador of the Year by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids – a recognition of his leadership on the international stage. I started on this path eight years ago. My father was a chain smoker for decades. Now, he is facing serious health complications and my mother, who never puffed on a single cigarette, had to battle breast cancer after years of exposure to second-hand smoke. As a basketball coach, I've watched with growing concern as e-cigarettes make their way into the hands of my young charges. Disguised in sleek packaging and marketed as cool, these vapes are falsely said to be harmless. What's worse, some of them believe it. To see kids as young as 13 having access to these devices is frustrating and alarming. I refuse to watch another generation be dragged into a cycle of addiction, illness and environmental harm caused by tobacco. Gene Navarra Gesite Jr. Project coordinator Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), Philippines Gesite is an international affairs professional with over eight years of experience in policy analysis, project development and management, research, and international relations. At GGTC, he oversees project implementation and supports campaign and advocacy efforts to promote the universal adoption and enforcement of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Gesite also serves as the coordinator of the Global Youth Voices (GYV), a movement that unites global, regional and local youth organisations in over 130 countries, to make the industry pay for the harms caused by tobacco to the planet and its people. His work focuses on coalition-building, strategic partnerships, and global campaigns that empower youth advocacy, capacity-building, and awareness-raising initiatives. Like many young people, I got involved in fighting tobacco because it was harming those I cared about. It started when the same friends I had swum lap after lap with in the pool began vaping flavoured e-cigarettes between practices. I remember watching them disappear into bathrooms that had become vape lounges. Out of concern, I confided in my seventh-grade health teacher, who soon taught me about the dangers of these devices. Our conversation turned my protective instinct into purpose. I set out on a mission to create change through collective learning and activism, and helped build the first tobacco prevention programmes at my middle and high schools. Agamroop Kaur Youth ambassador Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Appointed by former California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to the Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee, the student of cognitive science and global health at University of California, Los Angeles, began her tobacco control advocacy at age 12, creating prevention programmes at her school. The 2022 Barrie Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year started her tobacco control advocacy so that her younger siblings, cousins and the students who come after her can learn and grow in a safe environment. She produced the award-winning documentary 'Big Tobacco, Bigger Epidemic', which examines corporate influence and regulatory failures behind the US youth e-cigarette crisis, and has served on the board of directors of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Youth to the fore
Youth from every corner of the world are tailoring their movements to fit the various cultural, political and social realities of their communities – whether through health advocacy campaigns, data collection or creative storytelling, says Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids youth ambassador Agamroop Kaur. 'We are not just participating – we are also leading,' she affirmed. Education, Agamroop said, creates the awareness that translates to advocacy, which in turn enables youth to be impactful changemakers. Education also builds confidence, allowing youth to step into roles as activists and to take part long-term as policymakers, researchers and leaders in public health, she added. 'Education is the route in which we can create a movement that sustains the energy, solution-building and commitment needed to persevere. 'When young people understand tobacco marketing tactics, how addiction is framed as a cultural symptom or a fake sense of belonging, we are better equipped to push back,' she said, adding that equipping students from a young age with learning and leadership opportunities empowers them to fight for change and shape the systems they are growing up in. 'I saw how personalising education and helping students feel represented in their classrooms inspired them to lead marches calling out the industry and demanding action. 'Youth across the globe are using storytelling, art and innovation to express ourselves. 'Young people are having an impact all over the world. In Ukraine, young advocates monitored compliance with the country's smoke-free law. In Mexico, young leaders are campaigning for higher tobacco taxes. And these are just a few examples.' She said the fight against tobacco is personal for young people. 'We've seen our loved ones get sick and die, our air polluted, and our friends becoming addicted to new harmful and addictive products. 'But young people are fighting back. We are here not just to ask for change; we are here to lead it.' The youth, said Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control project coordinator Gene Navarra Gesite Jr., want a greener, healthier world. 'We are not looking for empty promises and rhetoric, but a genuine opportunity to contribute to the solution. 'We seek justice and accountability – we demand governments comprehensively ban all nicotine products because there is no such thing as a 'safe addiction'.' Agreeing, Indonesian Youth Council for Tactical Changes executive director Manik Marganamahendra said it is the role of the government to speak up for the people and to act in the best interest of those who voted them into power. Tobacco control, he said, requires a tactical, multisectorial approach – especially in the age of social media. The marketing of tobacco products has gone into the digital space, making it difficult to implement tobacco control laws, he said, adding that it is a challenge for policymakers to keep up with the Internet. 'The government must be faster in coming up with policy. 'It's also important to meet with influencers and to inform them of tobacco control regulations so that they know not to promote tobacco products online,' he said. Youth, he added, are not just about street protests. 'We can be a friend to the government and should be involved in public policy matters - we are strategic too and we are very important in helping to create meaningful policies at national and even regional levels,' he said, adding that as changemakers, youth organisations must be inclusive and collaborative to be impactful. When young advocates, policymakers, researchers and institutions work together, the result is not just progress – it's power, said Agamroop. 'Continue investing in youth – not just as beneficiaries but as partners – because we are not waiting for a seat at the table; we are already building one,' she concluded. Note: All interviewees featured were participants of the recent World Health Organization (WHO) World Conference on Tobacco Control (WCTC). Held from June 23 to 25 in Dublin, Ireland, the conference was organised by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. How to be a changemaker Want to make an impact but don't know where to start? Agamroop and Lu have some practical advice. > Take a chance on yourself You are the expert of your own story and experiences, and you know how to serve your community best. > Lean into the skills and talents you already have and build from there Are you someone who loves art, writing or coding? All of these are skills that can be translated into advocacy. > Bring your friends and peers along, join a coalition, or reach out to organisations and advocates You might hear a few 'no's', especially in the beginning, but it's worth to keep persisting because you'll end up with many friends and people you've never met before. Working alongside others is energising, and where you'll truly find the motivation and support to continue. > Steps become stairs and stairs make buildings Take things one step at a time. Start small. > Get a mentor When you see other people doing impactful work, you will believe that you too can do this someday. So much is possible when intergenerational collaboration becomes the norm. The strength of advocacy stems from the relationships we build with one another, with our mentors, and with the leaders and institutions that join us.
