Youths are able to solve many problems and changes.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian youngsters can contribute to the climate justice movement by encouraging world leaders to realize more equitable climate change mitigation and adaptation, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said.

"Involving the younger generation is very important because currently, there are 1.8 billion people aged 10 to 24 years worldwide. In Indonesia, 65 million people or 20 percent of the population are included in this age group," she pointed out here on Monday.

At the graduation ceremony for the participants of the second batch of the Green Leadership Indonesia Program, she emphasized that young people must actively preserve the environment from various environmental damages caused by climate change.

She recalled that many major historic events in Indonesia have happened because of the ideas and works of young people.

"Youths are able to solve many problems and changes. The Youth Pledge (in 1928), the Rengasdengklok Incident (in 1945), as well as the Reformation (in 1998) were some of the evidence (of the youth movements) that had immediate (and) significant impacts," the minister said.

A young leader with a sense of social and ecological justice will be capable of realizing a development vision through a more adaptive road map with real impacts, she added.

She said she believes that the younger generations will be better prepared to face the current triple planetary crisis, namely climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

The Green Leadership Indonesia Program was initiated by the Indonesian Green Institute and supported by the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), the Indonesian Traditional Fishers Association (KNTI), as well as the Association for Community and Ecologically-Based Law Reform (HuMa).

The environmental education activity requires participants to take part in fieldwork and scientific debriefings. One of the graduates, Julia Dahlan, said that the Green Leadership Indonesia Program has taught her the importance of sustainability.

Throughout the program, the participants also learned to think more critically, act sustainably, and lead their lives ethically, as well as apply their knowledge and skills to benefit the environment and society, she added.

“As I look to the future, I have great hope and optimism for a more sustainable and just Indonesia. I believe that our generation has the capability to collaborate to change history and create a future that is more sustainable, fair, and equitable," Dahlan said. (INE)

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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Uyu Liman
Editor: Atman Ahdiat
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