There is something deeply inspiring about a hall full of young humans who are passionate about saving the planet. Tired narratives about apathy and disengagement dissolve as those who are inheriting ecological wounds inflicted by past generations seek solutions and healing.
That passion for problem solving was on full display last Wednesday, as more than 150 students from six local high schools gathered at the Byron Youth Service (BYS) for the inaugural Ocean Voices event.
Part of the solution
‘They truly have an amazing capacity to want to become part of a solution,’ event organiser and founder of Ocean Voices, Simone Roseler said.
‘They just need to be valued, and given an opportunity to get involved.’
Getting involved was a key theme during the event, with speakers from across the ecological spectrum talking about how to make a difference.
Among them was Mike Smith, the founder and CEO of Zero Co, a company which home-delivers personal care and home-cleaning products without any single-use plastic.
Mr Smith shared how the catalyst for Zero Co had been witnessing tonnes of rubbish being dumped in the ocean during a trip overseas.
‘The speakers who were more like every day people were inspiring,’ said one student from Byron High School who attended the event.
‘I felt like I was listening to a person that was like me and here to share their experience…’
A number of other students said they were struck by what could be achieved relatively simply.
‘It was really interesting how fast the rubbish could be cleared from the river by both Seabin and Zero Co,’ another Byron High student said.
‘It seemed very doable.’
After the speakers, the students were broken up into groups and invited to come up with ways of raising awareness about challenges to the marine environment.
The ideas were strikingly creative.
‘We had students coming up with awareness raising posters that said things like “pick up your line or the fish pay the fine”,’ Ms Roseler said.
‘Others were talking about company tax, where companies are held to account publicly for their poor environmental credentials.
‘Another group came up with this hip-hop piece to developer their message…another one came up with a Shakespeare-style play.
‘This all happened in one hour… Imagine what they could do in a week!’
Youth’s top concern
A recent survey of 19,000 young people conducted by Mission Australia found that the state of the environment was the top concern of youth in Australia, followed by mental health.
It was with this in mind that Ocean Voices came into being, grounded in the belief that young people have the power and the passion to create and deliver real change given the right environment and resources.
The project is funded through the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation’s Backing the Future program.
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