Greenpeace St Andrews members share their thoughts on meeting Greenpeace Executive Director, Kumi Naidoo.
Neyme Veli: People often warn that it’s bound to be a disappointment to meet your hero but hearing Kumi Naidoo’s talk on tackling global warming was anything but a let down. He appeared totally unflappable and wickedly humorous as he spoke about the injustice of climate change- how the richest groups were benefitting from destruction while the poorest paid the price- and how he looked to the world’s youth for drastic new thinking and eventual solutions. This is a man who has seen firsthand the devastation of healthy environments, felt the frustrations of broken agreements and believes in the impact of action.
Galen Brown: I was honoured to have the opportunity to meet the international director of Greenpeace, Kumi Naidoo. When we joined him for lunch I was impressed by his general down-to-Earth manner and easy approachability. Later that day, when we listened to his talk, he spoke about the need to see environmentalism and poverty as 'flip sides of the same coin'. He expanded passionately on the 'Fair' aspect of the 'Fair, Ambitious and legally Binding' (FAB) deal that was hoped for in Copenhagen, and that we must aim for again at the Durban climate summit at the end of next month. Overall, I admired his humility and his dedication to social justice as well as environmentalism. I think that Greenpeace has a great future ahead with Kumi's leadership.
Tris Colledge: Kumi is quite simply an awesome bloke. Completely free of any airs or graces that might be associated with such a prestigious position, he met us with an incredible warmth as though we were meeting an old friend at the pub. With most of us fairly awestruck, he quickly made us comfortable in his presence, making sure to chat and joke with us to us all individually. As a speaker, he is truly captivating, mixing anecdotes and humour to present a very accessible message about governmental action on climate change. It makes me proud to be a member of Greenpeace with such an inspirational figure as Kumi.
Gen Yam: When I first received the email saying that I would be able to meet Kumi Naidoo, the international executive director of Greenpeace, I was super excited. Never in my life would I have imagined that I'd be able to experience such a wonderful opportunity. Meeting him was phenomenal, and I think I sat in awe for a while before I could actually say anything to him. I was slightly intimidated by the idea that he is such an influential person in the world of environmentalism and international affairs. But he wasn't intimidating at all. He was down to earth, funny, and...wise. I couldn't believe that I was sitting in a pub, with Kumi Naidoo, and he was talking about his travels and experiences with us. He was extremely kind, and was interested in everyone who sat at the table. He talked to each of us individually, and with his busy schedule (he was going to meet the environmental minister after lunch with us.. what?), he still made the time to sit down with us for a nice lunch, and that is what really amazed me.
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