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Awaiting our own environmental Malala
The youth engagement program has to be mainstreamed rather than allowed to continue on an ad-hoc basis.
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This July 18, 2016, file photo shows Malala Yousafzai chatting with panelists on stage at a benefit lunch for Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization whose mission is giving confidence to girls, in Omaha, Neb. (AP/Nati Harnik)
“People are busy exploring options for life on Mars — why don’t they fix and protect our Earth instead?” said Krishna, a college student in environmental management, when asked about his interest in environmental protection.
Krishna, 21, participated with 19 others in a boot camp as part of the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Indonesian Young Thought Leaders on Environment program. The 20 were selected from almost 100 applicants through a nationwide essay competition.
When it comes to voicing concerns globally, youth are taking charge and acting to protect the environment and support threatened livelihoods. In the United States, for instance, a movement to fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline began with a group of teenagers who later established the International Indigenous Youth Council (IIYC).
The youth movement believed their cause had to spread, not because they necessarily believed they could stop the pipeline but because the movement had brought together youths who initially were disconnected and unfamiliar with this issue. Young Hollywood actress Shailene Woodley has also been consistently vocal in the protest.
