Juliana Kaneda

SDG 5: Gender equality resonates with me the most because I believe that if this goal is truly attained, all other SDGs have also been attained. Gender is a pervasive, overarching, and internalized bias that I believe one cannot easily disentangle from any of the other SDGs. To me, gender equality is not a “checklist” issue–it’s not adding more gender diversity into classrooms or trades–it is a continual internal process that we must work through every single day. I want to see kindness as revered as strength. I want to see a world that’s less binary, where people are free to embrace all aspects of life regardless of gender identity.

We in the Western world have really bought into individualism, but the human species absolutely needs connection and community. I find this is especially true as a queer person. I got into community development after realizing that while a lot of the queer community spaces I existed in were affirming of my sexuality, not a lot of them were affirming of my whole self. As a racialized person, I always felt like I had to compromise aspects of my being in order to feel included or accepted. I started organizing because I guess I was just tired of having to trade away pieces of my self to feel safe. I wanted spaces where I could exist wholly.

• The further one removes oneself from power and ego, the more impactful their work will be. Continually work on yourself.
• Take. Up. Space. Young people, especially “othered” young people, are taught early on to make themselves small. For me, the hardest part of becoming engaged was challenging the norms around me that constantly told me my voice didn’t matter. Your voice is powerful, so use it to make ripples.