With these words the Generation17 Dialogue was started by Nadine Khaouli, a 26-year-old activist from Lebanon fighting to end poverty, and a mobilizer of civic action in response to the Beirut blast in 2020. Nadine and Oğuz Ergen, a young advocate from Turkey who rallies NGOs, academia and government together to address the climate crisis and protect the coastal Aegean region, were masters of ceremony of the virtual Generation17 Dialogue.