Philo Magdalene (INDIA)
Youth Mentor at the POP (Protect Our Planet) Movement, Philo Magdalene captures the stories of POP youth from around the world driving extraordinary grassroots action and writes about their contextualized environmental efforts that thrive on passion and leadership. She supported the implementation of the Second World Sustainable Development Forum in Durango in March 2020 and co-led the documentation process. Philo holds the position of Research Analyst at the Center for Human Progress, an organization that promotes health and human rights among key populations. She was selected as the International AIDS Society Youth Ambassador for 2020 International AIDS Conference (Virtual) and participated in the Youth Ambassador Program with young activists and professionals from across the globe.
She has been involved in developing case studies and reports for WHO’s public health research project on self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health, focusing on vulnerable and key populations. She has also been part of the documentation process for conferences like “Civil Society and Community Consultation on Universal Health Coverage” jointly organized by the country office of WHO and UNAIDS, and “Youth Consultation on Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5 and 8” organized by UNAIDS India.
An ardent lover of philosophy and social sciences, Philo is currently pursuing her Masters in Literary and Cultural Studies in the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad. Academia and out-of-classroom experiences have revealed to her how critical humanitarian and environmental concerns have been dangerously normalized in society. An existentialist, she tries to find her meaning by attempting to partake in the denormalization process, driven through social and political awareness, using the tool of Development Communications.
