Melati Wijsen

I’m so excited to bring you a conversation with an extraordinary young woman who has dedicated her life to helping the world. I first met Melati Wijsen at the launch of her book, “Change Starts Now – 100 Lessons from a fulltime changemaker”. Soon after, I was lucky enough to see Melati speak to and inspire hundreds of students during a school visit, an activity which she says is central to the fulfilment of her purpose. A few weeks later, Melati spoke at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival about the power of youth to shape a more sustainable future.Melati began her changemaker journey when she was twelve years old, when she and her sister created an organisation called Bye Bye Plastic Bags. Melati has since inspired audiences all over the world, with appearances on important stages including the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, National Geographic’s Sustainability Week in Bangkok, and the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, where she opened for President Barack Obama. Melati’s three TED Talks have been viewed over two million times. When she was 18 years old, Melati founded Youthtopia, a free learning platform where young changemakers can come together and share the ways in which they’ve had an impact on a changing world. In this tumultuous time, I feel that it’s more important than ever to listen to the voices of young people whose vision, determination, optimism and sheer strength of character will be the building blocks of a more positive future. Melati’s is one of the most important of those voices. Please share this episode with your friends, and especially with the young people in your life. Learn more about Melati’s incredible work at https://www.youthtopia.world/ Oblivious Witness is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Oblivious Witness at michelleneeling.substack.com/subscribe