Melati Wijsen

Melati is an 19 year old Indonesian/Dutch activist. She founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags with her younger sister and has been leading the movement driven by youth since 2013. They have successfully banned plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam on their home island Bali as of 2019. She has also started the people movement One Island One Voice and the social enterprise, Mountain Mama's. She has spoken at TED and the United Nations and has also been selected among FORBES top ten most inspiring women in the country. She is very passionate about protecting the ocean and an Alumni Member of the World’s Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council of the United Nations. Most recently, she graduated from high school one year early at the Green School and has since been honoured by TIME as part of the annual list of most influential teens in the world along with CNN Heroes Young Wonders. She is launching new youth empowerment project YOUTHTOPIA to empower youth through education and provide them with the tools they need to be change makers.