"What is the root of social change - an idea of how things can be different. During the pandemic societies have transformed. We are reimagining ways in which people can participate."
Dash Dhakshinamoorthy, mentor and co-creator of the Youth Changemakers programme, was delighted to see the changemakers in-person. "Most young people should participate in changemaking - creating impact and making the world a better place to live in. We as elders can just help and facilitate this," he says.
Joshua Dilawar, 28, runs the Artivism Academy in Pakistan that uses Art as a medium for social change. A theatre practitioner himself, the social enterprise he developed uses theatre, filmmaking, music, and painting to create a safe and inclusive space for young people for dialogues on sexual and reproductive health and rights and break stereotypes and bust myths. Maternal mortality is a huge challenge in Pakistan. Young people engaging in policy is extremely low, even though 70% of Pakistan's population is under 30. This initiative aims to address all these challenges, he shares. For him, diversity and inclusion are of utmost importance, like inclusion of religious and sexual minorities, as well as of the physically disabled people.
Danica Marie Supnet, 30, works with the Manila-based Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) on climate governance in some of the most vulnerable communities in the Philippines. A grantee of ARROW's WORTH initiative that works on climate change and gender justice, her project in Guiuan, in the Eastern Samar province, encourages men, women and youth to engage in policy making on climate change. It advocates with local development planners in order to mainstream gender and development into climate action.
Danica explains the vulnerability of climate change in Philippines, an archipelago with many small island communities. Climate change is impacting many sectors, such as agriculture and fisheries.
"At the local government level we have a climate change policy action plan and gender and development planning. These policies are implemented in silos at the local level. Our aim is to help local governments be responsive to climate and SRHR and gender," she says.
Danica adds that usually when it comes to climate change we are looking at direct change such as sea level rise. But for many small island communities this means that they must rely on water from the mainland to ensure potable water for household use. This has led to water shortage in homes. Climate change has a domino effect. While sea level rise is a direct impact, its indirect impacts is on daily activities - not just sanitation but also nutrition.
Danica's project actively engages youth and promotes community engagement so that solutions are acceptable and understandable to the community while also touching their lived reality. At present the project is reaching out to about 20 representatives from local government and 100 people from the community.
The festival aims to foster learning and sharing between countries at the regional level. Welcoming the participants to the festival, Sai Jyothirmai Racherla, Deputy Executive Director, ARROW, congratulated them for their commitment to gender equality and sustainable development. "You have been very brave through the pandemic. You have executed ideas for social change. We are here to celebrate your achievements and learn from each other. You have travelled from far off places, for many perhaps this is the first opportunity to travel outside your country," she added.
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