In her new book Young Mongols, 2015-16 Luce Scholar Aubrey Menarndt tells the story of modern, democratic Mongolia and the young leaders working to shape its future. Building on her video profiles of young activists and professionals, the book explores a broad range of issues facing Mongolia today: the urban planning and pollution issues that plague the capital city of Ulaanbaatar; the struggles of women, the LGBTQIA population, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities to claim their equitable places in society; the challenge of providing education in the world’s least densely-populated country to prepare the workforce of tomorrow; and how to fairly divide the spoils of the country’s vast mineral resource wealth.

In an interview with The Diplomat, Menarndt “explains the role of the youth in the 1990 revolution, the lasting impact of the revolution on the country’s domestic and foreign affairs, and the challenges the country’s current young adults are tackling head-on.”

Menarndt spent her Luce Year as a Policy Advisor with the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Thirty years ago, a youth-led revolution upended Mongolia’s Soviet government and triggered a momentous transition toward multiparty democracy. Now, as the young Mongols of the past form the old guard of the present, the first Mongolians to live their entire lives under a democratic system are on the rise. In her upcoming book (to be released July 22), Young Mongols, Aubrey Menarndt tells the stories of Mongolia’s dynamic youth. The book builds upon a video series Menarndt produced while living in Mongolia, a piece of which ran here at The Diplomat in 2016 – highlighting the development of media in the country.

Read the full article