QF’s Doha Debates Honors Young Climate Activists At Global Youth Conference

A Qatar University medical student is among 26 young climate activists worldwide who were honored as Doha Debates’ #SolvingIt26 at the Youth4Climate Pre-COP26 conference in Milan, the precursor to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November.

The #SolvingIt26 initiative features and celebrates young climate activists and innovators whose vision and work inspire hope and real change. In the weeks leading up to COP26, Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates will salute the #SolvingIt26 in a social media campaign highlighting the impactful work of the climate preservation champions.

Lifelong Qatar resident Lina Al-Tarawneh, who is Jordanian, is being honored for her work as founder of Green Mangroves, whose mission is to protect oceans after initially focusing on preserving the picturesque mangroves on Qatar’s Purple Island. Al-Tarawneh launched Green Mangroves as a teenager after visiting Purple Island with her family, and her environmental work has prompted plaudits from the United Nations, Harvard University, and other prominent institutions.

Al-Tarawneh is among #SolvingIt26 honorees from 22 nations and territories on six continents.

The #SolvingIt26 announcement was made during a special climate-focused Doha Debates #DearWorldLive program at the Youth4Climate conference in Milan, where Doha Debates was one of several Qatar Foundation entities participating in the Pre-COP26 gathering. The #DearWorldLive program included UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake.

Inspired by Doha Debates’ #SolvingIt illustration series showcasing the work of young changemakers, #SolvingIt26 includes activists who are lesser known – trailblazers from places under-represented in the media or whose voices have too often been ignored.

Each #SolvingIt26 social media profile will include an original illustration of the honoree by Pakistani-American artist Emmen Ahmed.

Amjad Atallah, the managing director of Doha Debates, praised the #SolvingIt26 honorees, saying: “As we face grave climate-related challenges, these young changemakers provide much-needed hope and direction. They deserve the world’s admiration, support, and gratitude.”

To see the full list of #SolvingIt26 honorees and learn more about their work, visit DohaDebates.com/SolvingIt26.