Article in Le Petit Journal about Melati Wijsen’s visit
At the age of 22, Melati Wijsen has already made a significant contribution to a number of ecological breakthroughs around the world. On her home island of Bali, her activism led to the adoption of a ban on single-use plastic. Again in Indonesia, she began at local level with the Bye bye Plastic Bag project, and has since expanded her action with the Youthtopia platform. On a global scale, she became famous for reporting on ecological actions in seven countries, resulting in a poignant documentary called “Bigger than us”.
This film was screened on Tuesday October 3 at the Jardine’s auditorium of the Lycée Français International de Hong-Kong, to open the Sustainable Development Film Festival, in the presence of the Indonesian activist. Welcomed by festival director Iv Charbonneau, the following day she also took part in a day-long workshop with some 60 high school students, in partnership with Hong Kong charity Crossroads. Through Youthtopia, Melati Wijsen will also be taking part in various online workshops throughout the school year, which will be offered to festival participants in Hong Kong and throughout the region. In the meantime, on the sidelines of the inaugural session, she answered a few questions about her commitment.
No need to solve everything overnight
What do you expect from a trip to Hong Kong?
This trip to Hong Kong is especially dedicated to working with the French International School to launch this Sustainable Development Film Festival. I see my role here as adding inspiration and motivation for the students leading this project, but also to provide some advice, encouragement and experience.
What would you say to a young person your age living in Hong Kong who wants to get involved?
Don’t wait until you’re older to create change, but also break down what you need to do. You don’t have to solve everything overnight. Maybe a good place to start is volunteering. In any case, we need you and your skills.
Hong Kong’s green innovations are a first step
Would you say that rich and poor countries should make the same effort for the environment?
This is often a focus of a lot of the conferences I go to: the Global South versus the Global North. I think it needs to be more of a collaboration, more of a recognition that the Global North needs to learn from its mistakes.
There’s a lot of green innovation going on in Hong Kong. Do you think ecological problems can be solved through innovation?
I think technology can take a very big part, but also, coming from Bali, that one of the most important elements of our cultures is the human connection to nature, and maybe that’s where technology is building a wall instead of a bridge. But how can we use technology to make this connection? There are, for example, technologies that bring nature into school classrooms.
My general rule is to be optimistic
What can we do on a day-to-day basis when we live in Hong Kong to advance the ecological struggle?
There’s a lot we can do, and we should be doing things like not using single-use plastics, or paying more attention to our modes of transport, volunteering with different organisations… But it’s important to talk not just about individual actions, but also about systems change, lobbying governments or corporations to create change.
Has your world tour made you optimistic or pessimistic?
It depends on the day, but I think my general rule is to be optimistic.
Do you dream of a world without plastic?
Yes, an ideal world would be one without single-use plastics. It’s even more than that, it’s how we live in harmony with the environment, with the people around us and our community, and how we are in balance with our self-awareness. It’s a concept called Tri Hita Karana in Bali. It’s a way of life, living with the community, nature and our personal consciousness.
Original article: https://lepetitjournal.com/hong-kong/melati-wijsen-lycee-francais-hong-kong-ecologie-maintenant-369723
