Ijunad (Iju) Junaid was a participant in the 2023 CoalitionWILD EXCELerator program. CoalitionWILD, driven by the potential of young people to improve the health of our planet, facilitates youth leadership in conservation. It does so through mentorship, capacity building programmes and amplifying young voices through collaborative platforms for policymaking and impactful storytelling. The EXCELerator Program is one such leadership development programme offered by CoalitionWILD. This is Iju’s story, the first in a three-part series from participants in the 2023 cohort showcasing the love for nature at the heart of their work, and the power of youth leadership to make the planet a better place.
I think of nature as inseparable from myself. Nature is the air I breathe, the ground I walk on, and the water I swim in. Nature is also the complex relationships playing out every single second in our ineffable ecosystems. I love, fear, and respect nature.
I created Moosumi Magazine to share tales of culture, ecology and liberation from small islands amidst the climate crisis. In our fragile era of violent environmental degradation, we turn to stories of joy and hope. We want to reconnect with ourselves, our loved ones, and the Earth on which we stand. And so Moosumi is an ode to the rhythms and cycles of Earth and a love letter to those who revere our water, air, and soil.
I believe wholeheartedly in #NatureForAll’s perception of humans as part of the natural world. It seems like the clearest fact that we overlook. I do not look at the leaves on an oak tree and think of them as separate from the tree itself, nor do I look at ourselves as separate from the earth. I believe this shift in our self-perception can have beautiful consequences for how we tread on this world.
I believe that a playful attitude to life itself can drastically change our relationship with nature. As kids, nature is the most beautiful place of play. Why can’t we have this as adults as well? We can let our imagination reshape how we see ourselves in the natural world. Sometimes when I walk in cities, I keep my eyes out for the tiniest plants sprouting in between the pavements, the little insects crawling the walls, and of course, adore the city trees and foliage. However, I also acknowledge that a life of stress, terrible working conditions and hours, anxiety, and loneliness can often cloud this view of the world; by no fault of our own. We must acknowledge that we are living under structures that impose an extractivist impression of nature. For instance, in the Maldives, many locals are virtually unable to enjoy the beautiful beaches and coral reefs that are ‘owned’ by resort companies. This is just one example of the barriers to nature across the world.
At Moosumi Magazine, I want our writers to portray nature as beautifully and honestly as they can. To pay homage to the complexities of nature; and the complexities of the life and structures we impose on it. Moosumi’s writings blur the boundaries between nature and society; for it is strange to make that separation in the first place.
We have recently launched the second issue of the magazine and I lovingly invite you to read it on www.moosumi.com. If you are from a small island and would love to write something for Moosumi, let’s get in touch at ijunadj@gmail.com