Event Summary: 2025 J.U.C. Awards Showcase | In Support of the #WaterActionDecade


By Mimoza IRTEM, Project Asistant of the LMGlobal.Org & Youth Rep. to the United Nations Department of Global Communications (2024)

[LMGlobal.Org] On April 26, 2025, the Light Millennium Global Organization proudly hosted the third round* of the 2025 J.U.C. Awards Showcase, titled “Let’s Make Creative Waves!”. The Showcase spotlighted award-winning high school students and their remarkable contributions in media, research, innovation, and writing, all tied to the global #WaterActionDecade initiative, along with the following quote by acques Yves Cousteau, “We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.”
 This powerful quote alone led a special award to honor Cousteau in the Innovation Category. The award-winning students were announced at the award ceremony in four categories, including overall excellence and three special awards on World Water Day on March 22, 2025. Initially, the Guidelines and concept theme of the 2025 J.U.C. Awards were announced on March 24, 2024.
This special online event brought together international participants, educators, dignitaries, and supporters from across continents to celebrate youth-led solutions and raise awareness about global water challenges.

The Booklet#5 of the J.U.C. Awards Ceremony

The event was opened by Bircan Ünver, founder of the Light Millennium Global Organization and the author and director of the J.U.C. Awards Project. She welcomed guests from around the world—including ambassadors, presenters, students, and schools—with a powerful poetic performance titled “I Am the Water,” symbolically framing the day’s theme. The poem emphasized the interconnectedness between humanity and water, calling on all participants to make “creative waves” for water action.

Ambassador Yogendra Kumar (Retired) of India, author and member of the 2025 J.U.C. Awards Evaluation Committee, delivered insightful opening remarks that highlighted the crucial role of youth in advancing sustainable water solutions. He began by expressing gratitude to the Evaluation Committee and commending the students for their enthusiasm and determination to drive meaningful change. Emphasizing that no single country can resolve today’s complex challenges alone, Ambassador Kumar underscored the importance of unified international cooperation. He praised the student entries for shining “the light on millennial wisdom” through innovative actions at the high school level. The evaluation process and the showcase, he noted, clearly demonstrated the students’ commitment to thinking creatively about water conservation and applying these ideas in practical, everyday ways.

The Showcase started with some of the past and current award recipients:

• Muhammet Ali Turan, 2023 Overall Excellence Award recipient, presented from an unfinished book project’s Chapter 4 of “Underwater Mysterious” by John Unver Culkin, showcasing a narrative exploration of the mysteries beneath the ocean’s surface.



• Miss Supuni Sandunika Jayaratne, Whyteleafe Performing Arts Academy, Sri Lanka, Overall Excellence Winner of 2025, shared the compelling narrative behind her award-winning animation “A Drop of Hope,” which had been screened at the opening of the event. Supuni, eloquently described her creative process and her animation’s message about the fragility and hope associated with water.



• Defne Durdağı, First Place Winner in the Writing Category from ITU, Türkiye, presented her thought process behind her evocative essay “In the Arms of Fate, We Must Confide.” Her piece reflected on the spiritual and existential dimensions of water as a life-giving force.



• Helitha Rehan Athukorale, Third Place Winner in the Writing Category from Whyteleafe Performing Arts School, Sri Lanka, followed with his heartfelt presentation of “Drops of Hope,” offering a poetic and personal take on water as a symbol of resilience and transformation.



Due to a social responsibility project camp for the children in the earthquake region in the Southern Türkiye, which overlapped with the J.U.C. Showcase that the event also featured a pre-recorded group video showcasing the top three winners of these students in the Innovation Category from Darüşşafaka High Schools in Türkiye:
1. Rukiye Özçelik – “AquaGuard: The Future of Water Protection” (First Place)


2. Defne Aslan – “OxHygiene” (Second Place)


3. Kağan İpek – “Sustainable Water Management” (Third Place)


Their presentations highlighted inventive solutions such as filtration systems, water sanitation technologies, community engagements, and policy recommendations for sustainable management practices.

In the Research, Innovation, and Media segments of the showcase, several award-winning students spoke passionately about the inspiration and process behind their projects.
The First Place in the Research Category, Çağan Aras İncel, TED Ankara College, Türkiye, presented his award winning piece, titled “Grey Water Systems for Sustainable Urban Water Management: A Case Study Approach“, with a particular focus on the irrigation systems for agriculture and gray water systems through a case study, with a particular focus on its in both social beneficial points along with the needed engineering infrastructure.
Shai Rukshan (India via IGEN), who received Second Place in the Research Category, shared how he developed “Water Scarcity Challenge and Solution” by studying local water issues in his community and proposing practical, community-driven strategies to address them.
Vebinesh Kumar (India), the 3rd Place recipient, explained his experimentation with natural substances and how his project, “Water Purification Using Organic Materials,” was motivated by a desire to find sustainable, affordable purification methods accessible to underserved populations. 
Harish Gyani, recipient of the President’s Special Award, described the journey behind “Water: Our Precious Resource,” and how his passion for conservation fueled the creation of a model promoting water-saving innovations at the household level.
M. Vikaash Kumar, awarded for his “Nanotechnology based waste water Treatment System for Textile Industry” titled paper with the Jacques Cousteau Special Award, reflected on the philosophical and environmental inspiration behind of the 2025 J.U.C. Awards through his famous quote, “We Forget That the Water Cycle and the Life Cycle Are One,” emphasizing the interconnectedness of life and water in both design and message. 
Azra Bildik, winner of the Atatürk Society of America Special Award with her “Save The Marine” titled research project, spoke about how current events and national resilience inspired her innovative approach to water sustainability.
Thirandi Perera from Sri Lanka, recipient of an Encouragement Award, discussed how her project “The Water Cycle and the Life Cycle Are One” combined creative storytelling and scientific curiosity to highlight the beauty and fragility of Earth’s water systems.

In the Media Category, the First Place Winner Nushadi Hasarangi, student at Whyteleafe Performing Arts School in Sri Lanka, unfolded her video project titled, “The Drop – Universal access to safe drinking water”, through a power point presentation, which also screened for the closing of the session.
The Second Place Winner in the Media Category Sehas Gamage, student at Whyteleafe Performing Arts School in Sri Lanka, he presented his A.C.E. Ocean Guardian video project focused on #WaterForAll, which offered five prong approaches.
Jowish J. Agnelo, applied through Institution of Green Engineers (IGEN) from India, who earned the Third Place for his video project “Water for Life,” shared how he used animation and visuals to depict the critical importance of water conservation, aiming to raise awareness through powerful imagery and accessible messaging.

Kavisha Amandi Jayaratne, the First Place Winner and Rukhshana R.A., the Second Place Winner of the 2023 J.U.C. Awards in Media Category, who is also International Student Coordinator of the 2025 through IGEN based in India, in turn both presented the winners in the Media Category including in the Encouragement Award.
Further, Vrushali Gaikwad, board member of the LMGlobal.Org, also presented students in multiple categories.

Ange Loulla Horimbere based in Burundi, who received an Encouragement Award in the Media Category with her “Water Action Decade” titled video, and shared her perspective on the creative process and the message she hoped to convey through her project. Further, Ange talked about ongoing extensive water pollution issue in Burundi, then expressed her commitment towards working #WaterAwareness in her country.

Following the student presentations, H.E. Mr. Teburoro Tito, Ambassador of Kiribati to the United States and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, gave brief but impactful remarks. He acknowledged the students’ inspiring efforts and reaffirmed the importance of global cooperation and youth engagement in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly around clean water and climate action.

The ceremony concluded with a Concluding Remarks by Ambassador Rodrigo A. Carazo, former Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations (2018–2022). Ambassador Carazo currently serves as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva, Advisory Board Member of Light Millennium Global, and Co-Chair of the 2025 J.U.C. Evaluation Committee.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Carazo praised the depth of thought, empathy, and innovation evident in the student submissions. He highlighted the essential role of young people in shaping a more just and sustainable future and encouraged participants to continue channeling their energy and creativity into local and global action. He underscored that the work recognized in this forum contributes to a broader movement of youth leadership in addressing the challenges of our time.

Throughout the session, links to the 2025 J.U.C. Awards Ceremony video, the full “I Am the Water” poem, the Student and Evaluation Committee Bios, and the Booklet of the Award Ceremony were shared by the project assistant Mimoza Irtem in the chat to enhance engagement and access to the materials.
The event concluded with gratitude extended to all award winners, schools, and contributors. The Light Millennium Global Organization also announced the successful delivery of 16 monetary awards, including three distinguished Special Awards: President’s Award, Jacques Yves Cousteau Special Award by Light Millennium TV, and Atatürk Society of America’s Special Award.

This Showcase not only honored the exceptional talents of young individuals across the globe but also amplified their collective voice in support of clean water and sustainable futures. The students’ creativity and commitment served as a vivid reminder that the next generation is not only aware but ready to act for the planet’s most vital resource—water.

As it is presented!

The participated schools and organizations in the 2025 J.U.C. Awards are:

• Darüşşafaka High School (Istanbul, Türkiye)
• Whyteleafe Performing Arts Academy (Colombo, Sri Lanka)
• The Institution of Green Engineers (IGEN) (Chennai, India)
• Association of Young Leaders United for Sustainable Development (Burundi)
  Also:
• Atatürk Society of America through a Special Award
  

[*] Besides the 2025 J.U.C. Awards Evaluation Committee meetings, as the first one, all finalists were interviewed based on their submissions on February 21-22, 2025, which determined the placements of the awards. The Roundup Meeting of the Evaluation Committee produced three Special Awards.
The second and main one was the 2025 Awards Ceremony on March 22, 2025. Thus, the Showcase is the third and final round of the 2025 J.U.C. Awards. #JUCAwards2025 | #JUCAwardsCeremony2025 | #JUCAwardsShowcase2025