A 16-year-old Indian girl (Kehkashan Basu) based in the UAE has won the International Children’s Peace Prize 2016. She speaks on her win and much more.
Q You have been campaigning to protect the environment at an early age. How will this award help you in your project?
My work involves engaging and empowering children and youth to conserve the environment and achieve a sustainable future. It transcends geographical boundaries and seeks to bring together the voices of future generations in demanding a life of dignity for us all. For the past 5 years I have worked internationally to increase outreach and strengthen the demand for a greater inclusivity of the children and youth fraternity in the decision making process . Winning this award will take my work to the next level and give me a platform through which I will be able to reach out to a wider audience and hopefully influence a larger section of civil society.
Q There were around 120 entries for this award, what made you win this award? What does this award mean to you?
All the entrants are change makers and winners in their own right it is a huge honor for me and I feel humbled to be chosen as the winner. I believe the jury recognized the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability and the need for children to be involved in driving this change while deciding on the winner. People will now know that children's rights and environmental protection are connected and extremely important for the future generations.
Q The past winners of this award have been teens like Malala Yousafzai, Abraham Keita, Michaela Mycroft, do you feel the winners often get lost and are not able to go on with their campaign for what they have got the award for?
I would tend to disagree. It is our passion and belief that drives us, not the award. All the past winners continue to work tirelessly in achieving their objectives. When I planted by first tree 8 years ago I did it with only objective -- to create a green future that can sustain all of us. Winning an award was the farthest from my mind. My passion for youth engagement in sustainable development will contribute till we achieve the future we want .I always believe that what comes from the heart stays. Every award that I have won in the past has motivated me even more to carry forward my work and this award will enable me to reach out to even more people. This award proves that children have a voice and we must listen to them.
Q At the age of eight you organised an awareness campaign for the recycling of waste in your neighbourhood in Dubai. Can you tell us about that?
This was my first community engagement initiative. During that period, I had the privilege of attending a lecture by noted environmentalist/ explorer Robert Swan, who said “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it". His words inspired me to take action in making a difference I had read about recycling and its benefits and also I visited some restaurants and beauty parlours in the neighbourhood and spoke to them about the need to recycle. They used to keep the cans for me which I used to take to the recycling plant. At the beauty parlour, I spoke to them about why they should not use harmful chemicals in their products which is not only bad for the environment, but also our health. I even told them about the importance of saving water.
Q According to Assocham-KPMG, India is the fifth largest producer of e-waste. What can India do to reduce e-waste in the country?
We live in a digital world and while it has tremendous benefits in communication, there is also a flip side which is the menace of e-waste. With a population exceeding one billion India is one of the largest consumers of electronic related items and therefore it is no surprise that we are also one of the largest e-waste generators. Our planets natural resources are finite and at the current rate of consumption and wastage, it is said that by the year 2050, we will need three Earths to sustain the human race. Therefore, it is imperative that we practice sustainable consumption, reduce wastage and promote upcycling. This holds true for combatting e-waste as well. We must learn "to do more with less". All sections of civil society must be engaged in this process. Legislation on e-waste reduction is not the answer - involvement of civil society, especially youth, in spreading awareness about sustainable consumption will hold the key to this issue.
Q Do you feel that Donald Trump's administration could roll back US environmental protection?
I don't think that one person can roll back a global movement. He is the representative of the American people and I sincerely believe that the man on the street in USA believes in environmental protection and mitigating climate change. The President is duty bound to listen to the choices of his people. The Paris climate change accord has been ratified and accepted and there is no looking back. There have always been people skeptical about the climate change movement but this adversity has never deterred us. Rather, it has spurred us to press forward with greater passion in achieving our dreams.
Q Do you feel India should fill in the leadership void if US pulls out of climate negotiations?
India should and I believe, is already taking a leadership position in the climate change negotiation process. She is putting words into action. I read recently that India has now installed the world's largest solar power plant. This demonstrates that we have gone beyond rhetoric and are taking steps in adopting renewable energy which has a huge impact on mitigating climate change. The developed nations are the worst CO2 emitters and they expect the developing nations to accept emission cuts. This is grossly unfair - each and every country must be responsible in this regard and not pass on the onus of CO2 reduction.
Q How can peace be brought in the world through environment conservation?
All the Sustainable Development Goals are interlinked and one cannot be achieved without the other. How can we ever achieve peace is we do not have an environment that can sustain us? The deadly impacts of climate change have given rise to a new term - "climate refugees". Millions of people now are forced to flee their homes and native lands due to floods, droughts and tsunamis, as a consequence of climate change. Amongst these are children and women who face a bleak future and a life of uncertainty. The prospect of lasting peace will remain a mirage unless we address the pressing issues of global warming and environmental degradation. We owe it to future generations to pass on a planet with the same pristine environment that our forefathers inherited.
Q What’s your message to the world and kids?
Ever since I embarked upon this journey, my greatest challenge has been overcoming the biased mindset of certain adults who doubt the potential and capability of children. The rules relating to our engagement need to change. We must be allowed to decide for ourselves. It is of greatest concern that even today, there are several United Nations entities which do not allow children below 18 to participate. This must change and I have always worked to highlight this issue. My efforts received a huge boost when, at the age of 12, I was elected as the Global Coordinator for UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) Major Groups for Children and Youth, making me the youngest person and only minor to ever hold this position. This was a vindication of my belief that children could also be global change makers and make a difference. My youth organization, Green Hope, which I founded after my return from Rio+20 also has the same objective - to provide young people a platform to express themselves through ground level actions on mitigating climate change, promote the need to move away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy, adopt sustainable consumption, protect our biodiversity and active future justice. Every tree that we plant, every beach that we clean, every can that we recycle, all take us a step closer to our dream. We are not daunted by the nay-Sayers, we chart our own path forward. My message to the world remains, “Every child has the undeniable right to a life of dignity. We must have the freedom to take our own decisions and determine our own destiny. The future belongs to us."