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With the objective of “reconciling humanity with itself and with the living world", the forum acted as a platform for invited speakers and the public to discuss the planet’s most pressing contemporary challenges to foster ecological balance and the wellbeing of humanity. During this year’s event, two UNESCO Green Citizens took the floor. Twyla Edgi Masuzumi, representing the Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta initiative, and Anne-Marieke Eveleens, co-founder of the Great Bubble Barrier.

As a guardian of the Boreal Forest in Canada, one of the largest intact forests in the world, Twyla Edgi Masuzumi and the Dene community have experienced the effects of climate change first hand. This exceptional evening entitled ‘Meeting under the Canopy’, brought together forest guardians from primary forests on each of the five continents. In a moving speech, Twyla conveyed the threats to their land and traditions, and why it’s important to protect them.

“Everything is connected. The animals, the water, the trees… everything is protected by our people, because these are the source of our life. If we take care of the land, the land takes care of us.”

Her project targets threats, such as slumping and lake draining, by monitoring data every year. Employing local community members, the Ts’udé Nilįné Tuyeta initiative uses this data and the knowledge of elders to study and adapt to the effects of climate change on their land.

The project also works to revive Dene traditions, which have a huge spiritual connection to nature. Through camps, elders pass on their knowledge, about living in harmony with and protecting the land, to young people.

Despite the pressing threats their forest faces, Twyla bestowed the audience with some hope for the future. When she first joined the foundation, there were 60 guardian programs across Canada. Now, there’s 145, and she hopes these will continue to grow across the world. Twyla and four other indigenous leaders have been highlighted in the documentary ‘Forest Guardians’, representing communities fighting to preserve hubs of biodiversity. This LATO SENSU Productions and ARTE documentary will be broadcast at the end of 2023. 

Growing up as a keen sailor in the Netherlands, Anne-Marieke Eveleens spent a lot of time on the water. This meant she was constantly confronted with the way her local waters were changing. In this UNESCO Campus event dedicated to Women and Climate Change, Anne-Marieke shared the journey leading her to co-create the ‘Great Bubble Barrier’. Confronted time and again with plastic pollution in their waters and shores, Anne-Marieke and her friends decided to do something about it. Realising that awareness-raising and changing individual behaviour weren’t facilitating fast enough change, she drew on her scientific background.

After a crazy brainstorming session, the collective found the piece that might just complete the puzzle: a wall of air. Although the technology already existed, no one had ever implemented it to target waste in waters. And so, the Great Bubble Barrier was born. This perforated ‘bubble curtain’ creates a wall of air bubbles that rises into the water. If placed diagonally into a river, can guide all floating waste into one corner, scoop it up, and enable it to be removed before it reaches beaches and lakes. 

In a dynamic exchange with students, Anne-Marieke responded to questions about the challenges she faced in her journey.

“As a scientist, and also as a woman, when you have a great idea going into technology, it’s not always taken as seriously as it should be. So, there were a lot of people who didn’t believe in it or think we could manage it. But the key message is to listen to the right ones, ignore those saying no, and just keep on learning and developing.”

Currently, the barrier has been implemented in two rivers in the Netherlands, but students were enthusiastic to hear that the project might expand to other urban areas that might need it. Anne-Marieke imparted the audience with an inspirational message.

“If you’re very passionate about something, keep on digging into it, keep asking the same questions, and try to find the answers. Put that energy into the greater good. For social gestures, for gender equality, for the environment.”&�Բ�����;&�Բ�����;