10 Men We Were Grateful For In 2017

Too much happened in the year of 2017 for us to let it end without giving thanks to all the people who made a difference and whose actions or achievements inspired us. In case you missed it, we talked about the 10 women we were grateful for in 2017 in an earlier article, and now, it's time for the men to be mentioned. There were a few tough calls but here are the 10 men we were so grateful for in 2017.

1. Yogendra Yadav

Yogendra Yadav is the man responsible for pointing the people's attention exactly where it needed to be - on our country's farmers. He was the driving force behind the two-day protest in November this year. The protesting farmers came from all over the country -- Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra -- to demand farm loan waivers and fair prices, among other things. Thousands of farmers participated, to bring to light the plight of lakhs of poor farmers in the country. We just hope this doesn't get forgotten and that their needs are met - soon.
 

4. KP Kelly

No other way of saying this... He's the man who ran 100 marathons in 100 days all for charity - again, all 100 of them. The causes he's trying to raise money for range from cancer, cystic fibrosis, Tourette syndrome, wounded war veterans... The list is long. The famous philanthropist and marathoner has been running long distance since he was 18. If that doesn't inspire you to get out of your cozy seats and make a resolution to at least complete you 10,000 steps a day, we don't know what will.

5. Farhan Akhtar, Shyam Benegal and Ashoke Pandit

Earlier this year, the CBFC, or, as it is more popularly known, the Censor Board, refused to certify Lipstick Under My Burkha as it's story was too "lady-oriented" for its liking. The CBFC letter, tweeted by Farhan Akhtar, also implied that the material of the movie would offend Indian Muslims. Immediately following this, Farhan Akhtar, Shyam Benegal and Ashoke Pandit publicly spoke out against this decision. And with good reason - what about a movie being female-oriented is worth censoring? The decision was overturned in April, and, thankfully, the movie was cleared for release and we got our 'lady-oriented' movie of the year.

7. Ryan (Last name unknown)

On a lighter note, it's just the traditional type of hard work that pays off. Sometimes, you can make your way into the world by doing exactly what you love - age no bar. Ryan, who is only six years old, made 11 million dollars this year by - get this - reviewing toys on Youtube. If that's possible, how can one not believe in their wildest dreams, huh?

8. Hasan Minhaj

The sharply, cutting, acerbic speech that Hasan Minhaj made at the White House Correspondents' dinner this year is the kind of stuff that makes us believe in the power of the written, and spoken, word. It was the best 25 minutes (and another 25, because you can't just watch it once) I spent on Youtube this year and then of course, his Netflix special, Homecoming King, definitely did not disappoint. And it's not just all about the jokes or his political opinions - the first minute alone of his speech pretty much sums up why him being on that podium was so relevant this year.

9. Navdeep Bains

Earlier this month, Navdeep Bains, Canada's Innovation Minister, openly stated that Canada will stay committed to the principles of Net Neutrality. A statement issued by his ministry quoted him as saying, 'Net neutrality is one of the critical issues of our times, much like freedom of the press and freedom of expression before it.' This was even more momentous since it came right after US FCC voted to repeal the rules that ensured a free and open Internet for all. At a time when faith in political leaders around the world has taken a major hit, it's good to be able to look up to some of them, somewhere. It makes us feel like there's still hope left, don't you think?

10. Prince Harry of Wales

Last month, after months of speculation about which way their romance was headed, the news of Prince Harry's engagement to Meghan Markle was made official. This announcement actually shows how far the British monarchy has come for there to be (finally) no objections to the marriage of a royal to an American, divorced woman. Not only that, she also happens to be half African-American, on her mother's side. A step closer to an ideal world? Maybe. It'll definitely be a royal wedding unlike any other.

Was there someone you were grateful for in 2017 who didn't make it to our lists? Let us know below.