Youth Are Awesome, commonly referred to as YAA, is a blog written by youth for youth.
YAA provides the youth of Calgary a place to amplify their voices and perspectives on what is happening around them.
Youth Are Awesome is a program of Youth Central.
Any views or opinions expressed on this blog belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people or organizations that the blog may be associated with, unless explicitly stated. All content is for informational purposes only.
The good and the bad, year 2015 cannot be described in one word. However, it can be summarized by these 17 photos. The refugee crisis, the Paris attacks, and more, these images, in unranked order, convey more than any words could.
As if leading the way, a dolphin jumps in front of a raft of Syrian refugees arriving near the shore of the Greek island of Lesbos October 21, 2015. source
“People mix the wax of candles with the French colours outside the French embassy in Lima, Peru, during a ceremony in homage to the victims of the deadly attacks in Paris” source
The sun shines as a bird flies in front of the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was darkened and remained closed for 3 days as the country mourned the victims of the November 13 Paris attacks.” source
“Tumblr user Swiked, whose real name is Caitlin, posted a photo of a striped dress on February 26, 2015. She has since removed the post, but she originally asked if the garment was white and gold or black and blue. From there, the photo took on a phenomenal life of its own, with over 10 million tweets about it in under a week. While the dress was determined to be blue and black, it will still go down as one of the most debated viral images in years.” source
“A paramilitary police officer investigates the scene before carrying the lifeless body of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi from the sea shore, near the beach resort of Bodrum, Turkey, early Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015. A number of migrants are known to have died and some are still reported missing, after boats carrying them to the Greek island of Kos capsized.” The photo of this drowned Syrian boy went viral, sparking sympathy and grief worldwide and shedding light on “the greatest humanitarian crisis of our era”, as the United Nations has called it. (source)
“Volunteers walk on a pile of lifejackets left behind by migrants, many of whom seeking refuge in Western Europe, who arrived by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos on Dec. 3, 2015. (Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty)” source
“A runaway hippo on the loose in the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia. June, 14 2015. Portions of the Tbilisi’s zoo were destroyed, due to severe flooding in the capital, allowing many animals – including six tigers, six lions and eight bears – to break free of their enclosures and roam the streets.” source
Justin Trudeau is embraced by his mother as he is announced the Prime Minister of Canada. The Liberals surged to victory in a majority government win, a a new and fresh face for Canada. source
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau personally greets Syrian refugees and helps them to winter jackets, during their arrival at Pearson International airport, in Toronto, on Friday, Dec. 11, 2015. Canada has pledged to welcome 25 000 refugees in the upcoming months. source
“Nepal: The death toll, which climbed over the course of months, is estimated to have exceeded 9,000 following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake (the worst in over 80 years) struck on April 25. The earthquake destroyed dozens of UNESCO heritage temples in Kathmandu and triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest that killed 19 people. A major aftershock struck on May 12.” source
The UK’s Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, appear with their baby daughter outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, in London on May 2. The duchess, gave birth to a girl named Charlotte, the couple’s second child and sister to 1-year-old Prince George. source
#BlacksLivesMatter protests shot up all across United States of America this year, protesting the killings of numerous, unarmed African Americans such as Eric Garner, Mike Brown and Tamir Rice. source
“The Confederate battle flag is lowered as it is removed from the Capitol grounds on July 10. The removal of the flag followed a horrific attack” many considered was motivated by racism, “on members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17”. source
A humanitarian crisis brought international attention when Rohingya migrants were found stranded in South-Asian waters with little to no food and water. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand were unwilling to accept them initially… more here. source
“Pluto as seen in an image taken by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) aboard NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, when the spacecraft was 476,000 miles (768,000 kilometers) from the surface. July 13, 2015.” source
Ireland legalizes gay marriage. Along with other countries, the Supreme Court of the United States of America also legalized same-sex marriage nationwide while the hashtag #LoveWins went viral as support. source
Donald Trump is attacked by a bald eagle during his photo shoot. One of the most controversial American presidential candidates ever, Trump has been criticized for his proposals to deport all Muslims living in USA, his views against immigration, and more. source
Your ordinary cat lover, biology enthusiast, and advocate for social issues.
The type of person to stress, yet procrastinate, make goals and schedules but forget, and the type to sleep late at night for no reason at all. Regardless of a few bad habits, I put 105% effort in everything I do. I tend to get excited over little things, like color-coded outfits and stationary, and I find pleasure in serving my parents and others. I often find myself wanting to make a difference in the world, however I realize that by striving to understand myself and others and by expressing my voice, I already am. And you are too.
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."
Hafsah Syed • Muslim • Grade 11 Student, Crescent Heights High School
