Having a strong community is the foundation for having a stronger future for the leaders that follow us. Diverse leaders take necessary measures to strengthen their community through original problem-solving solutions. Thus, creating a stronger future.

Boiled down to one concept, the strengthening of rural communities is born out of new ideas and creative initiatives that pioneer leaders before today had not thought to implement. These new ideas to modern problems are solved by a diverse team of leaders, thanks to a variety of perspectives and experiences they bring to their community. When faced with a challenge, people of different race, gender, religion, upbringings, and more unique assets provide valuable insights to creating a strong future.

While our leadership elders have laid down the scaffolding for our community, it is the emerging young leaders that are needed for futuristic adaptation. According to the World Bank, over 40% of the global population is under 25 (Khokhar, 2017). How can we strive for a strong future if our world is changing at an accelerated rate, but current leaders don’t have the skills or knowledge to cope with this new change? Climate activist Amelia Telford is an incredible example of young women overcoming adversity and using it as a driving force for their passion. Telford harnesses her connection to Indigenous culture and knowledge to fight climate change. At the young age of 25, she is the National Director of Seed Indigenous Youth Network. She claims, “our connection to country is so important”; it is no surprise that thanks to her diverse background, paired with her youth, Telford was provided with a set of tools to help face climate change (Gee, 2020). Without a young diverse leader such as Amelia Telford, progressions made to fight climate change across Australia may have never occurred.

However, in rural towns, diversity is not a priority as leaders with variety are not seen as a major asset to achieving goals for a strong community. A common belief is that while having a diverse leadership team is positive, it is not crucial. That belief is exactly the thinking that prevents community growth from the fresh ideas young diverse leaders provide. When we face geographic diversity, why not incorporate leadership diversity to evoke new insights that ease struggles experienced by rural communities. In my personal experience, I see young leaders being the backbone of my community. The people in my community promote Italian culture, encourage young people to go and achieve their dreams, and advocate for equality across all fields of diversity. Through the unique experiences we hold, simply volunteering at the op shop, donating to local charities and being inclusive provides layers of progressive impacts that strengthen the community.

Without diverse leaders, our community will not be strong enough to adapt to change and show resilience in uncertainty. Thus, creating a bleak future indeed. So, I write this, actively and deeply encouraging the inclusion of diverse leaders for our small rural communities. Therefore, promoting an exciting future through the use of new concepts applied to the community.

Bibliography
Gee, O. (2020, March 6). Google. Retrieved from Australian SBS News: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/these-young-indigenous-women-are-leading-australias-creative-and-sustainable-future/6gtrqhwm8
Khokhar, T. (2017, April 17). Google. Retrieved from World Bank Blogs: https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/chart-how-worlds-youth-population-changing