Opinion: what Bali activist Melati Wijsen learnt after over a decade on the frontline

It’s interesting to me that as a movement, we always talk about the changes that need to happen in the outer world: no more single-use plastic bags, a sustainable energy transition, less animal agriculture and more organic and circular solutions. 

But what about us? As individuals and collectively?

Growing up in this movement, I’ve had no choice but to adapt as a 12-year-old to a teenager and from a teenager to a young adult. I’ve grown up in the movement.

No doubt, there have been many changes. I’ve seen the radical shift from the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) to the circular discussion; the push of “sustainability” as a start to the comprehensive ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) implementations; my opinions, experiences and encounters with other youth and world leaders alike—all of this have guided me to become who I am today.

From the optimistic 12-year-old to the burnt-out 16-year-old, from a frustrated high school graduate to a full-time founder and CEO of a company, and from the focus on plastic bags to the focus on education.

Read more: What matters to me: Melati Wijsen, co-founder of Bye Bye Plastic Bags

As a student at the time, I knew that change could start in the classroom. As they say, “With great knowledge comes great responsibility.” But what are we learning? And who teaches it? Who inspires the way forward? 

After ten years with Bye Bye Plastic Bags, I wanted to build a platform that could host the lessons we had learned along the way. 

Introducing Youthtopia, a free global peer-to-peer learning platform that has hosted over 200 programmes for more than 5,000 students. All of our programmes, like the masterclasses and workshops, are led by a young changemaker who shares their lived experiences creating change. 

Through this, we hope to inspire a new way of learning that empowers us all to become the best versions of ourselves that the world and our communities need us to be. We want to change the narrative of what it means to be a changemaker.

Read more: Plastic roads? This startup’s mission is to make plastic waste into sustainable bricks for roads

Each and every one of us is a changemaker. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, it’s in each decision we make, from the clothes we wear to the food we eat. 

Changemaking is a lifestyle.

Today, I introduce myself as a full-time changemaker.

But here’s the biggest thing: at 24 years old, I don’t want to change the world anymore.

I just want to feel like I’ve done everything in my power to create a future I can be proud of. I want to work towards a world and community where a true sense of belonging exists, where we leave nobody behind, and basic human and nature rights are an achieved reality.

Some might say that sounds like a nice vision. In order to do that, we need to dream. 

Something I’ve observed in my decade-plus journey as a changemaker is that the people who are leading positive change are also the people with the biggest dreams. With climate anxiety on the rise, it is easy to feel stuck, hopeless and in a loop of fear, waiting for someone else to take action. But this is where a new form of exercise needs to take over radically.

Whether you’re 12 or 24 years old, change starts now—and it starts with you.

Now, meet more Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow from the Sustainability sector. 

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