Melati Wijsen – Cultivating High Agency Traits, Youthwashing at Climate Conferences, and Why Welcoming Change is Always Possible
Changemaker and Founder of YOUTHTOPIA on why welcoming change is always possible.
"Once we do the inner work, recognizing the strengths, the invitation of being a part of this movement is what needs to happen next."
Today, I’m joined by the world-renowned changemaker and speaker from Bali, Indonesia, Melati Wijsen. Half-Dutch, Melati has dedicated half of her life to creating a positive impact in her community. Since founding Bye Bye Plastic Bags at the age of twelve with her sister Isabel, Melati has developed a passion for environmental education and policy change. She has been honored by TIME as part of the annual list of most influential teens in the world, by CNN Heroes, and by Forbes 30 under 30.
Her other accomplishments include speaking at the UN, co-chairing the World Economic Forum Global Plastic Action Partnership Committee, and premiering her film, Bigger Than Us, at the Cannes Film Festival. Building on ten years of advocacy, Melati continues to share what she’s learned since the age of twelve in classrooms, boardrooms, and world stages through her company YOUTHTOPIA–a free learning platform for young change-makers around the world to learn from each other and accelerate change.
In the first half of our conversation, we discussed how YOUTHTOPIA integrates an intergenerational approach to bridging different generations for collaborative actions, how growing up as an island girl and being immersed in nature cultivated her strength to mobilize people and act with high agency, and the importance of inner work in an ever-noisy world.
On the back half, Melati underscored how parents and educators could create safe spaces for young change-makers to take action, the toggle between hope and mental frustration at high-level climate conferences, and sharing the concern of youthwashing in the next decade of change.
Show notes:
- Learn more about Melati Wijsen’s work on her website.
- Check out YOUTHTOPIA’s free masterclasses and join other changemakers worldwide.
- Watch Melati Wijsen’s latest TEDx talk (‘Time’s Tipping Point: How The Past and Future Shape Our Now’)
- Watch the trailer of Melati Wijsen’s documentary BIGGER THAN US(2021), directed by Flore Vassuer.
- Follow Melati Wijsen on her Instagram.
Portrait illustration by Kay Lam.
Listen & Rate: Spotify | Apple Podcasts
