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Kehkashan Basu

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Kehkashan Basu
MSM
Born (2000-06-05) June 5, 2000 (age 24)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates[1][2]
NationalityCanadian
Alma materUniversity of Toronto[2]
Cornell University[3]
Occupation(s)Environmentalist, Human rights activist[1]
Years active2008–present
OrganizationGreen Hope Foundation
AwardsInternational Children's Peace Prize (2016)
Website

Kehkashan Basu MSM[4][5] (born June 5, 2000)[6][7] is a Canadian environmental and human rights activist[8][9] from the United Arab Emirates.[1][10][11] Basu also advocates for peace, children’s rights, education for sustainable development, nuclear disarmament, gender equality and climate justice.[12][13] She is the Founder-President of Green Hope Foundation,[14] the youngest Councillor of World Future Council,[15] the youngest Trustee of the Parliament of the World's Religions,[16] a KidsRights Youngsters member, and winner of the International Children's Peace Prize 2016.[17]

Biography

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Kehkashan was born on June 5, 2000 in Dubai to Indian parents from Kolkata.[18][19][20] At age 8, she was planting trees and organizing young people to recycle. At age 11, she addressed the TUNZA Children and Youth Conference in Indonesia, and the next year she set a record as the youngest delegate to speak at a press conference at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).[7]

She founded the Green Hope Foundation in 2012, with the goal of teaching and implementing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including through grassroots action such as tree planting.[2][21][22] The organization also involves young people globally in the SDGs through community-focused projects in climate justice,[23] halting land degradation, promoting sustainable consumption and renewable energy, and conserving biodiversity, as well as gender equality and social justice. Currently[when?] with more than 3000 members in total, across Canada, Suriname, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Australia, Kenya, The Bahamas, Chile, Vietnam, Seychelles, Sweden, The Netherlands, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Peru, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Kiribati and Liberia, the organization works by conducting workshops and conferences around the implementation of the SDGs.[14][24]

Basu attended the Deira International School in Dubai and graduated from the North Toronto Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Canada.[20][25] In June 2022, she graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction, where she majored in environmental studies, double-minoring in women and gender studies and physical and environmental geography.[26][27][28] Basu is currently an MBA student at the Cornell University Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management.[29]

In 2017, she published the short story book "The Tree of Hope", in collaboration with the illustrator Karen Webb-Meek.[13][30] In the book, a young girl creates an oasis in a desert by planting trees and persuading friends to help.[7]

In 2021, Basu was a keynote speaker at the first annual Peace Education Day Conference, held virtually.[31]

In 2022, Basu moderated a roundtable meeting at the United Nations' Conference of the Parties (COP27) summit.[32] The panel included international environmental policy-makers such as Susana Muhamad.

Basu spoke on Desertification and Drought Day in 2023 in an event titled "Her Land. Her Rights: Advancing Gender Equality and Land Restoration Goals at the United Nations Headquarters.[33] The event brought together leaders and gender equality activists to discuss how to advance women's leadership and decision-making in sustainable development. Other speakers included António Guterres, Amina J. Mohammed, Csaba Kőrösi, Katrin Jakobsdóttir, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, Tarja Halonen, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Sonia Guajara, Jennifer Littlejohn, Sima Sami Bahous, Ibrahim Thiaw, Natalia Kanem, Alain-Richard Donwahi, Achim Steinier, Qu Dongyu, Solange Bandiaky-Badji, Rex Molapo, and Lukwesa Barak.[34]

Awards and recognition

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Kehkashan Basu, Environmental and child rights activist, United Arab Emirates". www.standup4humanrights.org. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  2. ^ a b c "Kehkashan Basu". Forbes. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  3. ^ Friedlander, Blaine. "Student prods COP27 to include youth in climate solutions". Cornell Chronicle. Cornell University.
  4. ^ a b Government of Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada (2022-01-29). "Canada Gazette, Part 1, Volume 156, Number 5: GOVERNMENT HOUSE". www.gazette.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  5. ^ a b General, Office of the Secretary to the Governor. "Ms. Kehkashan Basu". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  6. ^ "Kehkashan Basu". World Future Council. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  7. ^ a b c d "2016 - Kehkashan Basu (16), UAE". KidsRights Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  8. ^ Jingco, Kaitlin (16 November 2017). "Environmental champion Kehkashan Basu brings hope". Canadian Immigrant.
  9. ^ "Kehkashan Basu is one of Canada's two young representatives who attended the pre-COP youth event in September and she tells CBC News Network about what she hopes comes from COP26". CBC. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Kehkashan Basu". Varkey Foundation. Retrieved 2022-01-19.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ a b Harris, Teresa. "Top 25 Women of Influence 2018: Kehkashan Basu – Women of Influence". Archived from the original on 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  12. ^ "I am Generation Equality: Kehkashan Basu, feminist youth leader and environmentalist from the UAE". UN Women – Arab States. 10 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Kehkashan Basu - Green Hope Foundation". One Girl. 2019-01-12. Archived from the original on 2021-03-30. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  14. ^ a b "GreenHopeFoundation – The Future belongs to us!". Archived from the original on 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  15. ^ "Kehkashan Basu". MESIA. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  16. ^ "Board of Trustees | Parliament of the World's Religions". parliamentofreligions.org. Archived from the original on 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  17. ^ Nianias, Helen (15 December 2016). "Dubai's teen eco-warrior: 'It was preordained that I'd take care of mother earth'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Kehkashan Basu, UAE-based Indian teen, wins Children's Peace Prize". The Hindu. 3 December 2016.
  19. ^ Ghose, Chandreyee (7 November 2013). "Teen with city roots shines at UN". The Telegraph.
  20. ^ a b "Kehkashan Basu's Story | UNCCD". United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  21. ^ Rodrigues, Janice (19 October 2021). "Meet the UAE's young eco-warriors fighting for a better tomorrow". The National News. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  22. ^ "Kehkashan Basu – Emirates Woman". Emirates Woman. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Kehkashan Basu, Founder, Green Hope Foundation". Women in Renewable Energy. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  24. ^ "Kehkashan Basu". NAAEE. 15 August 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  25. ^ Toronto, Nikki Gill for Streets Of (2019-10-23). "How a Toronto student became an eco-warrior on the world stage". Streets Of Toronto. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  26. ^ Adams, Susan. "From Climate Change To Chronic Truancy, Forbes' 30 Under 30 In Education Are Tackling Some Of The World's Toughest Problems". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2021-05-01. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  27. ^ "'Always dare to dream,' says U of T grad Kehkashan Basu, who started an environmental non-profit at age 12". University of Toronto News. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  28. ^ Chin, Amanda (1 January 2021). "Kehkashan Basu: Awards, goals and how it all began with a dead bird". Study International. Archived from the original on 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  29. ^ "Student prods COP27 to include youth in climate solutions". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  30. ^ Basu, Kehkashan (2017). The Tree of Hope (PDF). Illustrated by Karen Webb-Meek. Berkshire, United Kingdom: The Voices of Future Generations International Children's Book Series. ISBN 978-0956995520. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  31. ^ "Peace Education Day Conference Speakers". Peace Education Day. Archived from the original on 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
  32. ^ "Student prods COP27 to include youth in climate solutions | Cornell Chronicle". news.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  33. ^ "Desertification and Drought Day 2023 global observance". UNCCD. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  34. ^ "Desertification and Drought Day 2023 global observance". UNCCD. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  35. ^ Phillips, Vicki (2020-07-14). "#GenGeo: Introducing our spring 2020 National Geographic Young Explorers". National Geographic Education Blog. Archived from the original on 2021-04-11. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  36. ^ "Youth Fusion wins the Gorbachev/Shultz Legacy Youth Award". Basel Peace Office. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  37. ^ "Kehkashan Basu". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  38. ^ "World Literacy Awards - World Literacy Foundation". worldliteracyfoundation.org. 2021-09-07. Archived from the original on 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
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