“We Need Each Other To Win The Climate Change War”
I am Toini Amutenya, a Namibian conservationist and climate justice activist. What drives me is seeing communities live in harmony with nature and developing in such a way that is resilient and, preserving our ecosystems.
Being listed as one of the Top 100 Conservation Leaders is a prestigious honour and privilege that has continued to open doors to many unforeseen opportunities. It has provided an extra level of recognition of the collaborative work that I am currently undertaking. The list in itself is an inspiration to youth to consider conservation and the protection of nature as a career choice giving them hope to continue putting in work in projects that do not deplete natural resources.
Currently, I am working to promote conservation initiatives in the global arena of biological conservation through awareness, program hosting, and social media engagement. I have also been promoting conservation through research projects and educating local communities on the diversity of our ecosystems with reflections to their own. Globally, I affiliate myself with youth in this sector to draft conservation strategies and promote the voices of youth in biodiversity conservation.
The project run through Eco Learning Lab has partnered with the Pennsylvania State University in the Global Youth Engagement Programme in creating awareness on Sustainable Development and advocating about the Decade of Action on the SDGs by hosting local listening sessions. We also contributed to the Climate Planetary Emergency research through the Club of Rome partnership.
In the near future, we would like to invest in groundwork projects in promoting sustainable development through practical projects and, assist locals in adapting to climate change by practicing adaptation processes.