Leadership and transformation - Future for Nature
Jasper Folmer (Fred Foundation), Farwiza Harhan, Oliver Nsengimana and Constance Scholten.
A very special lady - Rascha van Nuijten - invited me to join the conference of Future for Nature Foundation and the Fred Foundation on May 12,2022: a yearly get-together of ‘young’ nature conservationists to meet each other and discuss how to drive change through personal leadership.
What a week! I met leaders like Farwiza Farhan, Oliver Nsengimana and Constance Scholten. Even Jane Goodall joined us via video. Such inspiring persons!
Wiza works on Atjeh to save the beaches she loves so much. “Even though I am not a people person, I need to rally people to make a change.”, she says. Wiiiza teaches women on Sumatra how to stand up for their own rights. “And if they do, they will also know how to defend their nature”. So the women meet with the illegal lumberjacks, invite them to share their lunch and ask only then whether they realize what their actions mean for the village these women live in.
Oliver -once known as the gorilla vet in Rwanda - decided it was unacceptable that there are more cranes kept in captivity than in the wild. By involving the local women, he managed to double the amount of free cranes in not only Rwanda, also Uganda and Tanzania. Birds know no borders nor conflicts. He was beaming with pride when he showed a photo of a released crane who had found her mate and hatched three little chicks.
Constance stepped on stage after a difficult period in her career at EarthToday. This was her very first time speaking about it. She spoke straight from the heart and explained that when your mission is under discussion, it gives you an opportunity to grow and to believe even more firmly.
I was slightly intimidated by all these ‘warriors for great causes’. But then I remembered the words of Jane Goodall, the opening keynote: “Thinking globally and acting locally? That is depressing, that makes you give up. Think locally and decide what small things you can do to make a difference for our planet.” 💚
So this is where my tiny story fits in. My story of becoming a chef, the difficult journey of changing my profession and finding a way to combine a selfish need to a meaning. There is no compromise between a good meal and a good planet. By showcasing plant-forward gastronomy I hope to entice a couple of people to eat more plants. It can be that easy to help our earth.
foto: Manon Bloemer
Thanks for having me on stage @fred foundation and @future for nature. I salute all of the ‘young people of all ages’, all of those strong people who are walking the talk and keep on looking for differences they can make. To quote Robert Swan: ‘The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
Do you also want to contribute to a healthier planet? Invite me as a speaker at your event. I'd love to show your guests how easy it is to eat the world a little bit better. We all eat - at least - three times a day. And every single time you have the opportunity to do good with your fork.
