At Climate Week 2025, one conversation stood out for its clarity and care: “Practical, Holistic, and Emotionally Intelligent Climate Solutions,” hosted by Daughters for Earth and Vital Voices. The panel—filled with passionate youth voices—brought together Farwiza Farhan (Indonesia), Alexia LeClerq (Start:Empowerment, USA), and Ayisha Siddiqa (Pakistan), moderated by Shyla Raghav. Together, they shared a common truth: lasting solutions are rooted in relationships—between people, place, and nature.
Beautifully, this youth-led discussion was followed by a conversation with Dr. Sylvia Earle, age 90, demonstrating how climate solutions transcend generations. The connection between these panels was unmistakable—climate solutions must be intergenerational, intercultural, and grounded in wisdom that bridges heart, science, and spirit.
Grounded in community. Farwiza spoke from a place of deep connection—rooted in her home ecosystem in Aceh, where she works alongside local communities to protect the Leuser forest. She emphasized the importance of approaching people with trust, not judgment, and recognizing that love of nature already runs deep in many local cultures. Real progress, she said, comes from working with communities and anchoring every intervention in local values and traditions.
Rooted in connection. Alexia highlighted youth and frontline organizing across the U.S., underscoring that many solutions already exist at the grassroots and deserve support. This recurrent theme of Climate Week 2025 again reminded the audience that we must act together—without silos—seeing the interconnection between people’s health and the health of the planet.
The takeaway is simple and hopeful: when women and Indigenous leaders are centered, climate action becomes practical, holistic, and human. It strengthens communities, honors culture, and invites all of us to participate—one real step at a time.
Led with emotional intelligence. The panel spoke about how Indigenous peoples have always carried wisdom about living in balance with nature. Ayisha invited listeners to see empathy and emotional awareness not as softness, but as strength—an approach that allows us to move from grief to courage, and from fear to action.
The deeper message of this session was both practical and profound: when women, youth, and Indigenous leaders are centered, climate action becomes holistic, culturally grounded, and deeply human. It strengthens communities, honors interconnection, and reminds us that every act of care—no matter how small—ripples outward.
What simple action will you take to create ripples of change this week?
- Learn & uplift: Explore Start:Empowerment or HAkA in Aceh and share one post with a friend
- Listen & reflect: Notice how your health and the planet’s are intertwined. Take one action that nourishes both.
- Support & sustain: Follow or donate to a woman- or Indigenous-led project in your area (even $5 keeps momentum alive)
Because the future we build must not only be sustainable—it must be shared, trusted, and full of love for nature.
