From organising peaceful protests and fighting forest fires, to painting banners and working on digital content to spread awareness, Greenpeace volunteers come from all ages and backgrounds but are united in their passion for climate justice.
Meet a few of our volunteers in Asia as they share their inspiring stories about volunteering with Greenpeace and how they are fighting to protect our planet.
Fighting fire
© Afriadi Hikmal / GreenpeaceDwi Agustya Ningrum, also known as Tya to her friends, started volunteering as a Greenpeace firefighter after the great forest fire in Riau in 2015. “The sky was filled with smoke. Visibility was only about 1 to 2 meters,” remembered Tya.
“My family was my main reason to sign up. My parents had a respiratory infection caused by the haze. I had to see them use oxygen cylinders at home. Small children, who are supposed to play with friends their age outside the house, were also forced to stay at home. What is certain is that we are directly impacted by the forest and peat fires.”
Now, every year, as summer rolls around, Tya gets worried because that’s when most forest fires occur, either naturally or as a result of land or plantation clearing. “In my opinion, forest and land fires that most often occur in Indonesia, especially Riau, are the result of human activities of those who no longer think about clean air,” she said.
“It’s important for me to volunteer as it’s time for us to take on any role, no matter how small or big. Because when the fire is burning and the haze is everywhere, it’s a sign that we’ve lost but the real defeat is if we do not do anything to prevent it from happening.”
Before carrying out actual tasks in the field, she had to take a volunteer firefighting course conducted by Greenpeace Indonesia. Along with other volunteers, she was given training on fire prevention in peatlands as well as navigation, safety and security protocols. “Peat is a highly flammable soil and difficult to extinguish. Where I live, almost 50% of the land is peat soil,” said Tya.
As a newly enrolled firefighter, Tya’s first few duties have been to carry out awareness campaigns to talk about the dangers of forest fires, especially peat fires, to nature and to human health. In order to protect nature, she encourages the public to reduce their use of single-use plastic and also to carry portable ashtrays to hold cigarette butts. “It could be simple acts but the effect that is felt is extraordinary, especially when people around you are also slowly becoming more aware of climate issues,” she said.
In 2016, Tya and her team spent two weeks extinguishing fires in the Bukit Timah area. On one of the days, a strong wind had picked up, flaming the smouldering, underground fire back up to the surface where it quickly started getting more aggressive. Back at camp, situated in the safe area, Tya and her other colleagues were worried for the safety of their teammates out in the field. Fortunately they made it back safely, but “their faces looked more tired than usual,” said Tya, who had to be rushed to the hospital because of smoke inhalation. “I learnt a lot in a very short time,” she said.
Despite the challenges, the courageous young woman stands ready to do what she can to protect the environment. “As a firefighting volunteer, I must be ready when called upon in the event of a fire and ready to be placed wherever I am needed.”
What do you hope for with your action? I want to continue to see the sky as it is now, blue and without the haze, and we can live our lives as usual. I want the children to be able to play happily outside the house and all of us do not have to worry about the threat of respiratory infections anymore.
Healing through stories
It was early November in 2013 when Ronan Renz Napoto and his family in Eastern Visayas, Philippines, heard over the news that there was a typhoon coming. “Living in the Pacific, we’re used to having typhoons so we weren’t very worried,” he said. When Typhoon Haiyan hit, they were unprepared for its ferocity as it ripped through the Philippines. One of the most powerful typhoons in history, it caused widespread devastation and loss of lives.
For years after, Ronan would have nightmares of the day, often waking up with tears running down his face. “I can still remember the sequence of everything, even right now everything keeps on flashing back to me. It’s still painful to remember those events,” he said.
It was on his journey to process the trauma that led Ronan down the path of climate advocacy. Already a youth community leader and trash crusader, the natural disaster drove his awareness of the urgency of the climate crisis and his need to act.
After taking part in a story sharing event organised by Greenpeace Philippines, he started to actively volunteer with Greenpeace, participating in brand audits and helping with administrative duties. When the Rainbow Warrior was anchored in Tacloban as part of the Climate Justice tour, he volunteered to be a guide. Ronan is also engaged in influencing policy makers in his community about creating effective environmental and plastic policies.
An eloquent orator and natural storyteller, he often speaks at Greenpeace events about climate justice and the science behind climate change. “I also talk about food and agriculture, the impact of agriculture on climate change, and other topics revolving around climate,” he said.
His most memorable activity with Greenpeace is also the one closest to his heart, and that is collecting stories from the different communities in the yearly commemoration of Typhoon Haiyan.
“It reminds me that behind the science of climate change, there are real people with real stories,” he said. “Statistics are important but we don’t want to be just remembered as numbers, we want to be remembered and our stories to be remembered about who we are and how we struggled.”
Ronan, who works with different organisations on research about community engagement and building resilience, is also the founder of Balud, a youth-led organisation that promotes ecological consciousness in the Visayas. “Coming from the provinces, I wanted to highlight the youth leaders from outside the big cities. We want to create more opportunities for people who are considered to be minorities or coming from vulnerable communities so that everybody acknowledges that we also have powerful stories,” he said.
The process has not been easy for the young man but Ronan’s determination and passion keeps him focused on his advocacy.
“We have in our local language the word Padayon, which translates as ‘to keep going’. Because advocacy can be very hard and sometimes, you never know if there is going to be a light at the end of the tunnel. But it’s worth it to keep on going, to keep on trying and moving forward, especially to bring your agenda forward. Nothing will happen if we just stop.”
Art for change
Lee Hui Ling was exposed to environmental and social issues at a young age. Born into a family of artists, her mother had a strong environmental conscience, which she had expressed through her art and imparted on her daughter. “As a child, I would worry about the ozone layer expanding, acid rain, rubbish pollution, flora and fauna going extinct. Very serious topics for a little girl!”
After graduating from the Sarah Lawrence college in New York and moving back to Malaysia, Hui Ling’s concerns for the environment grew, particularly after the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011, her mother’s hometown. “Greenpeace was very active in investigating the extent of the pollution at that time and I was very impressed by how transparent they were with the information, as opposed to a lot of cover ups,” she said.
Hui Ling responded by setting up a Greenpeace Malaysia online community on various social media platforms. This was instrumental in the eventual setting up of the Malaysian office in 2017
A committed volunteer and a natural leader, Hui Ling was involved from the very beginning. She helped to organise and lead at meet-ups in cafes and community halls, as well as run workshops, training and retreats. Taking direct action, she has participated in various campaigns such as Radioactive Ruse, Stop The Haze, and Break Free From Plastic.
“Environmental activism has taught me that doing good is not a sprint, but a marathon, and we need to develop the endurance and resilience to make it through the difficult times,” she said. “I think activism has been normalised, and with that kind of normalisation, it brings a level of safety. It becomes a very effective way to speak about social issues and affect change.
An artist and educator, Hui Ling organised participatory art projects in line with Greenpeace Malaysia campaigns on deforestation, plastic pollution and consumerism. One of them was the Wings of Paradise project, where she led a team of 30 youth volunteers in creating a 64-meter long mural as part of a global street art campaign against deforestation in Papua.
“We see the inequalities between the Global North and Global South exacerbated through climate change. This is a climate emergency,” said Hui Ling. “However, there is a beacon of hope in the youth activism of the last few years. The youths of today are well organised, articulate and passionate in expressing their desire for positive change and a green and sustainable future for all.”
What change would you most like to see in the world? As a whole, I would like society to be more kind, generous and inclusive. I would also like to see a more proactive sharing economy and sustainable models of entrepreneurship, production and consumption.
What does it mean to be a Greenpeace volunteer? I think, first and foremost, one comes with the idea of wanting to effect change. It comes from a place of empathy and being passionate about environmental issues in a very deep and involved way. Greenpeace volunteers are different in a sense that they’re more involved in environmental issues, it’s not just greenwashing or a PR thing. I think that’s what sets Greenpeace volunteers apart, that there’s more direct action.
Living without plastic
© Wason Wanichakorn / Greenpeace
