Samsung Electronics-UNDP Selects 5 New Youth Leaders for 'Generation17'

Generation17 Launched in 2020
Joining Forces with Young Leaders to Solve Social Issues
Marine Protection, Climate Action, and Quality Education

Samsung Electronics announced on the 15th that five young leaders have newly joined the 'Generation17' program, which is jointly operated by the company and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Five young leaders newly joined the 'Generation17' project. Photo by Samsung Electronics

The new members include Brigitta Gunawan, a marine and climate protection activist from Indonesia, and Jose Francisco Ochoa, a biologist and co-founder of the edutech platform 'Academia del Oceano,' which provides education on marine protection and sustainability.

Generation17 is a program by Samsung Electronics and UNDP that discovers and supports young activists who create change to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals) adopted by the UN by 2030. The 17 Global Goals include quality education, poverty eradication, ending hunger, healthy lives and well-being, and gender equality.

Since the launch of Generation17 in 2020, Samsung Electronics and UNDP have supported young leaders worldwide?from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, to North America?participating in solving 17 social issues.

Samsung Electronics provides young leaders with the latest Galaxy technology, global networking, and mentoring opportunities to help them widely share their stories and carry out their activities smoothly.

Choi Seung-eun, Vice President and Head of Marketing Team at Samsung Electronics MX Division, said, "As we accelerate efforts to achieve the Global Goals, we are very proud to welcome new young leaders to Generation17. The passion, creativity, and dedication of young leaders to solving global challenges embody the spirit of innovation that drives meaningful change." He added, "We look forward to seeing the new young leaders use technology to engage their communities and continue to exert positive influence for a sustainable and fair world."

Akim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, said, "Youth are the future of global development, and less than five years remain to achieve the Global Goals. Based on our long-term partnership with Samsung Electronics, UNDP will continue to support young people in proposing solutions to climate change and human rights issues and encourage the next generation’s participation to create a more sustainable and equitable world."

Meanwhile, the partnership between Samsung Electronics and UNDP began in 2019 with the launch of the Samsung Global Goals app, a sustainability application for Galaxy smartphones. Galaxy users can learn about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals through the app and accumulate donations by watching ads within the app and increasing ad revenue through wallpapers. Samsung Electronics also participates in donation activities by operating a 'matching fund' that donates an amount equal to the ad revenue generated within the app. Since its launch, about 300 million Galaxy users have used the Samsung Global Goals app, and the cumulative donations have surpassed 20 million dollars.

To encourage participation from Galaxy users, Samsung Electronics introduced a donation leaderboard and social features to invite friends in 2023. Last year, limited-edition endangered species wallpapers that can be applied to Galaxy smartphone backgrounds and watch faces were also provided through donation goods.