Saul Whelan age 16 is from County Offaly in Ireland and is a member of a youth program called Comhairle na nOg. Saul explores the management strategies he uses to cope with mental illness and anxiety He shares his struggle with mental health and how to be more of an asset than a liability to those like him who struggle with their mental health.

Salim Kajani age 18 is from Dublin in Ireland and is a member of the climate activist group ‘Fridays for Future.’ He is also a mental health campaigner. In this talk Salim talks about how he manages his mental health and finding coping mechanisms to navigate mental illness.

Ava Prendergast aged 18 is from County Laoise in Ireland and is a member of a youth program called Comhairle na nOg. In her talk Ava explores how sometimes in our fast-paced society we cannot help but feel a false sense of exclusion by our community. Ava speaks about finding her tribe, her place of belonging and how she believes, as human beings, this is what we need most of all.

Kenneth Bracken age 16 is from County Offaly in Ireland and is a member of a youth program called Comhairle na nOg. In this talk he explores the importance of providing young people with opportunities to get involved with community initiatives and policy making so that they can develop leadership skills, contribute to their local communities, local politics and be a force for good.

Sarah Meacle age 18 is from County Laoise in Ireland and is a member of youth program called Comhairle na nOg. In this talk Sarah talks about her interest in criminology after her uncle became a victim of an aggravated burglary and wants to demonstrate the importance of community in helping victims recover. She believes that being willing to support one another through difficult times is vital in today’s society. Sarah’s talk will show how community support is essential in helping families affected by crime.

Muireann Byrne age 15 is from County Laoise in Ireland and is a member of youth program called Comhairle na nOg. She shares her love of language and its capacity to connect us through technology and books. Muireann shares her experience of running the family home when her parents became ill with Covid19 and the learning that came from that experience.