“Small acts can create great impacts”.
It is with this thought in mind, that team Why Waste? in collaboration with Global Changemakers organized the second webinar under the umbrella of the ‘Hopeschooling’ initiative.
Held on 17 May 2020, this webinar focused on the theme ‘Planetary Policy Changes’. We witnessed three stalwarts in the field of sustainable development- Waste Engineer RJ Raja, Co-founder of volunteer-driven community AIKYAM Sandeep Anirudhan and Gaurang, the Content and Editorial Director of ‘Why Waste’ exchange their ideas on creating a more sustainable world.
The webinar began with RJ Raja describing his journey towards becoming an entrepreneur championing for sustainability. He emphasized on the need for challenging the status quo and implementing innovative solutions while citing that he changed his marketing style to make it more people-centred.
Sandeep Anirudhan then went on to describe how the pandemic is forcing humankind to rethink their lifestyles and to focus on resolving climate change. The very fact that this virus originated from wild animals and reached humans is a testament to the fact that we are destroying their natural habitat.
Gaurang ventured to ask the entrepreneurs how people who were passionate about sustainability could reach out to them. Replying to this, Raja stressed on using social media an effective tool to make meaningful connections.
During the webinar, we witnessed in-depth discussions on the need for closing the loop – ensuring that we engage in healthy consumption and reduced levels of waste generation. The panellists also shared their views about revamping the education system in order to cultivate responsible citizens who gravitate less towards monetary gains and more towards positive social impact.
As the webinar moved towards its final stage, the panellists shared with the audience their initiatives during the quarantine period to spread awareness about sustainable living. Raja said that he has been involved in a lot of creative activities such as collecting oranges to sell zero-waste juices while Sandeep took to talking about the increased number of talks and webinars that he has been attending to spread the word about sustainable lifestyles.
Through this webinar, the audience was able to gain a deeper insight into the need for a paradigm shift towards an eco-friendly way of living and the role of entrepreneurs, educators and ordinary citizens in bringing about this change.
This article was written for Why Waste? by Anagha Rajesh.
Anagha Rajesh is a recent high school graduate based in UAE. She is a passionate debater, voracious reader and a youth activist aspiring to bring about positive changes in the society. She is the co-founder of the e-magazine ‘MindChamps’ that offers youngsters a platform to open up about mental health. She also serves as a facilitator for the Digital Exchange Program and as a member of the Girls in Science 4 SDG’s platform under the aegis of the United Nations.
A recording of this session can be found on our YouTube channel.
