https://biggerthanus.film/en/melati-wijsen

Protagonist, ‘Bigger Than Us’; Founder, Youthtopia

Melati (a young Indonesian/Dutch activist and changemaker) established Bali’s ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags’ campaign when she was just 12, and successfully banned plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam on the environmentally vulnerable island. She has subsequently spoken at TED and the United Nations, where she is an Alumni Member of the UN World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council. Named among TIME Magazine’s “Most Influential Teens” and CNN’s “Heroes: Young Wonders”, Melati has now launched her own youth mobilisation project YOUTHTOPIA to empower youth through education and provide them with the tools they need to be changemakers.

Creative Development Manager, Indigenous X

https://indigenousx.com.au

Rachael Hocking is a Warlpiri woman from the Northern Territory, currently living on Gadigal land in Sydney. She is a journalist, curator and presenter who is passionate about sharing First Nations stories. Her work can be found across Black media, from the national Indigenous newspaper Koori Mail to NITV. She is a director on the board for the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma (Asia Pacific), and Common Ground.

https://run4it.org/

Politics doesn’t have to suck. Run For It is a powerful movement of young people working to rebuild our democracy and create a better kind of politics for future generations. Young people can determine election outcomes.

In order to see young people represented in politics and create major change in Australia, we need to see young people more informed, engaged, and involved in all types of decision making. 

Run For It builds young leaders who will be ready to take on the established political class by demanding economic, social and climate justice for all.

CEO, Foundation for Young Australians

https://www.fya.org.au/

Nick Moraitis is CEO at the Foundation for Young Australians. Nick’s passion is creating a more engaged democracy and backing young people leading the way. Prior to joining FYA, Nick spent eight years as Executive Director of Australian Progress, the leading capacity-builder for civil society organisations. Over the years, Nick has worked in New York, Toronto, London, Sydney and Melbourne on issues ranging from the digital divide and human rights to climate change and education.

www.athesiamusic.com

Multi-talented Athésia was born in Montreal to Haitian parents. A popular vocalist (in French, English, Créole and Portuguese) with her band Athésia and the Gentlemen, she has performed in Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Asia just to name a few. Athésia is currently the presenter and producer of the radio show Jazz around the World on ABC Jazz, and is familiar to local cinemagoers as the host of exclusive post-screening Q&A events. She believes in the responsibility of entertainment with consciousness, meaning and purpose, a mantra that keeps her heart in tune with her mission.

https://biggerthanus.film/en/melati-wijsen

Protagonist, ‘Bigger Than Us’; Founder, Youthtopia

Melati (a young Indonesian/Dutch activist and changemaker) established Bali’s ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags’ campaign when she was just 12, and successfully banned plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam on the environmentally vulnerable island. She has subsequently spoken at TED and the United Nations, where she is an Alumni Member of the UN World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council. Named among TIME Magazine’s “Most Influential Teens” and CNN’s “Heroes: Young Wonders”, Melati has now launched her own youth mobilisation project YOUTHTOPIA to empower youth through education and provide them with the tools they need to be changemakers.

National Welfare Officer at the National Union of Students 

NUS.asn.au

Billy Zimmermann is the Welfare Officer with the National Union of Students, the peak representative body for post-secondary students. He is studying Arts and International Relations at the University of Adelaide.

Executive Director, Advocacy & Campaigns, Foundation for Young Australians

Foundation for Young Australians

Lee Carnie has worked on strategic litigation, campaigns and advocacy for a range of equality law reforms across Australia, including marriage equality, stronger human rights and anti-discrimination protections, hate speech laws, birth certificate reforms, and access to gender-affirming treatment for trans young people. Prior to joining FYA, Lee was the Strategic Advocacy & Policy Manager at Victoria Legal Aid, focusing on Robodebt, urgent COVID-19 measures to prevent poverty and homelessness, and advocacy to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.

Impact Producer and Documentarian, The Dove Media

Felicity is the Australian Impact Producer for Bigger Than Us (supported by Kismet). Impact Producers create strategic campaigns that link audiences to opportunities for real-world changemaking action. 15 years ago Felicity established The Dove Media to create and amplify true stories that change hearts, minds and behaviour.

https://biggerthanus.film/en/melati-wijsen

Protagonist, ‘Bigger Than Us’; Founder, Youthtopia

Melati (a young Indonesian/Dutch activist and changemaker) established Bali’s ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags’ campaign when she was just 12, and successfully banned plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam on the environmentally vulnerable island. She has subsequently spoken at TED and the United Nations, where she is an Alumni Member of the UN World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council. Named among TIME Magazine’s “Most Influential Teens” and CNN’s “Heroes: Young Wonders”, Melati has now launched her own youth mobilisation project YOUTHTOPIA to empower youth through education and provide them with the tools they need to be changemakers.

Campaigns Lead, Tomorrow Movement

https://tomorrowmovement.com/

Desiree Cai is a campaigner and organiser working at Tomorrow Movement to build an unstoppable movement of young people fighting for a future with good jobs, great public services and a safe climate for all. She is passionate about organising young people to build power in their communities while campaigning on climate, economic and racial justice, and lives on Wurundjeri land in Naarm (Melbourne).

https://www.seedmob.org.au/

Seed is Australia’s first Indigenous youth climate network. They are building a movement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people for climate justice with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Their vision is for a just and sustainable future with strong cultures and communities, powered by renewable energy. Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing humanity, but Seed also knows it is an opportunity to create a more just and sustainable world.

Executive Director, Movement Building, Foundation for Young Australians

Foundation for Young Australians

Laura is a takatāpui (queer and Māori) human from the lands of Te Ātiawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Whakaue and Ngāruahine in Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as County Kerry in Ireland. Prior to joining FYA, Laura was the director of ActionStation, an independent campaigning organisation with over 400,000 members working towards a society, economy, and politics that serves everyday people and Papatūānuku (Earth Mother). In 2014, Laura co-founded RockEnrol, a youth-led and volunteer-powered initiative to build and activate electoral power for young people.

Kelly Albion has been a climate activist since they were in high school, and joined 350.org in November 2019 with a fire in their belly to take on the fossil fuel lobby. Kelly manages the Fossil Free campaigns team and supports the Organising Team to inspire hundreds of new activists. Previously they were building a generation-wide movement to solve the climate crisis at the Australian Youth Climate Coalition in various roles including campaigns, communications, schools program coordination and supporting the work of Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network. Kelly enjoys dancing, hiking and taking on the bad guys.

https://biggerthanus.film/en/melati-wijsen

Protagonist, ‘Bigger Than Us’; Founder, Youthtopia

Melati (a young Indonesian/Dutch activist and changemaker) established Bali’s ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags’ campaign when she was just 12, and successfully banned plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam on the environmentally vulnerable island. She has subsequently spoken at TED and the United Nations, where she is an Alumni Member of the UN World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council. Named among TIME Magazine’s “Most Influential Teens” and CNN’s “Heroes: Young Wonders”, Melati has now launched her own youth mobilisation project YOUTHTOPIA to empower youth through education and provide them with the tools they need to be changemakers.

Co-National Director, Australian Youth Climate Coalition

The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is Australia’s largest youth-run organisation. Their mission is to build a movement of young people leading solutions to the climate crisis. Young people have the most to lose from global warming, but they also have a lot to gain. Climate change is our best opportunity to create a world that works for everyone, not just a few. We can power our lives with the wind and sun, and ensure access to clean energy and job opportunities for all.

CEO, Foundation for Young Australians

https://www.fya.org.au/

Nick Moraitis is CEO at the Foundation for Young Australians. Nick’s passion is creating a more engaged democracy and backing young people leading the way. Prior to joining FYA, Nick spent eight years as Executive Director of Australian Progress, the leading capacity-builder for civil society organisations. Over the years, Nick has worked in New York, Toronto, London, Sydney and Melbourne on issues ranging from the digital divide and human rights to climate change and education.

Impact Producer and Documentarian, The Dove Media

Felicity is the Australian Impact Producer for Bigger Than Us (supported by Kismet). Impact Producers create strategic campaigns that link audiences to opportunities for real-world changemaking action. 15 years ago Felicity established The Dove Media to create and amplify true stories that change hearts, minds and behaviour.

https://biggerthanus.film/en/melati-wijsen

Protagonist, ‘Bigger Than Us’; Founder, Youthtopia

Melati (a young Indonesian/Dutch activist and changemaker) established Bali’s ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags’ campaign when she was just 12, and successfully banned plastic bags, straws and Styrofoam on the environmentally vulnerable island. She has subsequently spoken at TED and the United Nations, where she is an Alumni Member of the UN World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council. Named among TIME Magazine’s “Most Influential Teens” and CNN’s “Heroes: Young Wonders”, Melati has now launched her own youth mobilisation project YOUTHTOPIA to empower youth through education and provide them with the tools they need to be changemakers.

Boorloo Justice

https://www.facebook.com/boorloojustice/

Toby is a four-year trained primary school teacher. During his studies he worked as an Aboriginal Liaison Officer, and Aboriginal Teacher Assistant. He also tutored a homework club of Aboriginal boys in care with WA’s Department of Communities. In 2020, Toby joined Boorloo Justice, a First Nations-run, not-for-profit grassroots organisation advocating for BIPOC/LGBTQIA+ people.

Executive Director, First Nations, Foundation for Young Australians

https://www.fya.org.au/

Roxanne Moore is a Noongar woman and human rights lawyer from Margaret River in Western Australia. She was the Executive Officer for the National Peak body on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS). Before joining FYA, Roxanne was an Indigenous Rights Campaigner with Amnesty International Australia and Principal Advisor to Change the Record Coalition.

Screen director Sam Lara is the WA chapter head of the Australian Directors' Guild. Her first feature documentary, Laura’s Choice, has been nominated for and won multiple awards, including the Doc Edge International Film Festival's 'Fearless Award'. Sam is a lifelong activist who wrote her first letter lobbying the Prime Minister when she was 10.