What Can Three Youth Activists Teach Us About Tackling Discrimination, Gun Violence, and Digital Privacy?

Global, MMN Correspondent: What does it take for a young person to turn a painful experience into a force for change? For the activists featured in Amnesty International's Digital Disruptors project, the answer begins with personal history and quickly grows into something much bigger. On International Youth Day, their stories show how discrimination, gun violence, and digital privacy are being addressed by the people who know these challenges best: young people themselves.

In Guatemala, 24-year-old Pablo Mendoza knows what it feels like to be left with no support. He came out at 15 and faced rejection from the people around him. For a long time, he felt isolated and alone, with no information or networks to help him understand his own identity. That experience stayed with him. Today, Mendoza co-leads Disruptorxs, a digital platform built by 14 young people from different parts of the country. The platform offers mental health resources, sexual health information, and personal stories that reflect the real lives of LGBTIQ+ youth living on the edges of cities. Mendoza believes that representation is not just symbolic. When young people see their own realities mirrored in accessible content, it becomes easier to imagine a way forward. His hope is simple: if one young person finds the support he didn't have at 15, the project has already made a difference.

In Sweden, Dina Alami found a different kind of turning point. After losing someone close to gun violence, she co-founded Kollectiv Sorg, which translates as Collective Grief. What started as an open letter about street crime turned into a youth group and then into a wider movement. Alami and her peers wanted to challenge the way society talks about gun violence. Instead of focusing only on statistics, they encourage people to see the human lives behind each headline. They created Collective Talks, a peer support group for relatives of victims. It gives people a space to share grief without judgment. The group also organizes public exhibitions and conversations in Stockholm, creating room for difficult conversations about safety and hope. For Alami, grief does not have to remain private. It can be transformed into action, and compassion can become a form of leadership.

In Kenya, Christopher Arunga learned about digital privacy in the most direct way possible. His own personal information was shared online without consent. Screenshots of his name, photos, and home address appeared on websites and in media coverage. That violation inspired him to co-found Linda Data, a campaign that means Protect Data in Kiswahili. The campaign started when five young activists met at a Digital Disruptors workshop and surveyed hundreds of young Kenyans about their digital concerns. Unauthorized access to personal data came up again and again. Kenya is one of the youngest and most digitally connected countries in the region, and young people use social media for education, communication, and activism. And those same platforms can expose them to cyberbullying, scams, and data exploitation. Linda Data works directly with young people through campus visits, community conversations, and online campaigns. The goal is to help them understand digital rights, informed consent, and privacy. Arunga sees digital rights as connected to personal safety, mental health, and freedom of expression.

These three stories are part of a larger shift. The United Nations reports that there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24, representing 16% of the global population. Many of them are already working on solutions to the issues they care about most. The Digital Disruptors project supports this work by offering training, resources, and a platform for youth led advocacy. It recognizes that the people most affected by a problem are often the best equipped to solve it.

The problems these activists address are real and urgent. In Guatemala, LGBTIQ+ people continue to face high levels of discrimination. A 2020 report by the Human Rights Campaign documented at least 30 LGBTIQ+ people who lost their lives in the country between 2018 and 2020. In Sweden, gun violence has become a national concern. The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention recorded a rise in deadly shootings from 17 in 2013 to 45 in 2022. In Kenya, digital privacy is a growing issue. A 2021 report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights drew attention to cases of surveillance and data breaches.

What stands out in these stories is the sense of possibility. Mendoza says the shared knowledge he has found with other activists stays with him. Alami points out that grief can bring together people who might otherwise never have met. Arunga believes that informed young people become confident digital citizens. Each of them shows how listening to one another and acting together can create meaningful change.

Their work also points toward the deeper changes needed in institutions and policies. Alami argues that meaningful conversations about safety need to include issues like inequality and racism. Mendoza notes that information only matters if it reaches the people who need it most. Arunga calls for more accountability from tech companies and institutions that collect personal data.

These activists are not waiting for permission to lead. They are already showing what youth led solutions can look like in practice. Their work is a reminder that change happens when people come together, share what they know, and take action. The next generation is not just preparing for the future. It is shaping it right now.