At YouthMundus & Inner Voice Artists, we aim to not only be a platform for music, film and global change, but for the artists and global changemakers who create them.
Our Artist Spotlight series aims to create a space for discovery of new, budding global talent, while simultaneously offering you an exclusive glimpse into their creative process.
This week, YouthMundus is beyond thrilled to announce another special edition of Artist Spotlight featuring one of our YouthMundus Global Ambassadors, the young, influential climate activist, Lilly Platt!
Though she had always cherished her outdoor strolls with her grandfather, especially considering they resided in scenic Holland, 11-year-old Lilly Platt never could imagine that one simple stroll would influence the course of the rest of her life. During her short stroll, Lilly counted a staggering 91 pieces of litter. After doing so, her grandfather, affectionately nicknamed “Grandpa Jim”, began explaining the dire toll plastic has had, and continues to have, on the environment: “He told me, ‘anything that falls to the ground will make it’s way to the sea – it may take a day a week, a month or year but it will. It’ll make its way to the water turn it into plastic soup!”
As Lilly began educating herself, she discovered more harrowing facts about non-biodegradable materials, like how plastic remains on the Earth, only to break down into smaller pieces referred to as “microplastics” and, eventually, into even smaller pieces known as “nano plastic.” Unsuspecting animals often consume these “micro” forms of plastic, forced to endure the life threatening consequences of an environmental issue entirely perpetuated by humans.
However, Lilly was not the only one inspired by her newfound environmental enlightenment; after organizing several plastic pickups of her own, Lilly was featured in an edition of her local newspaper in 2017. The national news quickly found it, did their own feature, and suddenly, Lillyfound herself at the center of the plastic coalition. Literally. Lilly became the Youth Ambassador of the “Plastic Pollution Coalition.” As their youth ambassador, Lilly learned all about what she calls the “the 4 Rs – recycle reduce renew, and the most important R of all – refuse single use plastic!”
Lilly continued to preach the importance of the 4 Rs, as well as her own personal philosophies about the significance of eliminating wasteful materials in one’s life, and in doing so, was invited to Norway in order to take part in an expansive shoreline clean-up hosted by the Plastic Whale Conference.
“My advice to anyone who wants to be a schoolstriker or an activist is to be brave and to always remember that you are never too small to make a difference. You all have a green heart. Don’t lose it. You should always keep going.”-Lilly Platt
Since then, Lilly has made a variety of videos dedicated to spreading awareness about her pickup initiative and mission to rid the popular use of harmful plastics, the latest video by Maatschapwij and Brightvibes has been seen over 1 million times on Facebook.
Lilly’s growing social media presence led to several invitations by a personal inspiration of hers, Dr. Jane Godall, who has expressed her own support of Lilly’s initiative and passion to help the Earth.
Lilly continues her plastic pickups, now often referred to as “Lilly’s Pickups”, often with her Grandpa in 2018 together they have picked up more than 25000 pieces of litter and single use plastic.
In September 2018, Lilly saw a video of Greta Thunberg, admired 15-year-old climate activist, speaking about the Paris Agreement and was immediately stirred to action.
On Friday, September 21, 2018, Lilly started her first schoolstrike. After the success of her first strike, Lilly was able to meet the very person who inspired it, Greta Thunberg herself, and only a few weeks later, the two girls organized another schoolstrike.
Since 2018, Lilly has now been deemed the longest schoolstriker in Holland. Every Friday, Lilly strikes outside the town hall in zeist. Her widespread political and environmental strides and enormous social media presence, have forced the population’s awareness away from the dramatics of politics and instead into ensuring the perpetuation of the Paris Agreement. Due to Lilly’s influence and passion for change, her grandfather even gave her his vote in the EU election.
By empowering Lilly with the right to vote, Grandpa Jim started the seedlings of the campaign #ICanVote, which has been publicized by both BBC and NBC and whose influence has reached the Pope, Antonio Guitteres, and Christiana Figueres.
When asked about the people who have, and continue to, inspire her activism, Lilly cited the very person who ignited it: Grandpa Jim. “He was a geologist who travelled to many corners of the world and he has books on every subject,” Lilly gushed, “if I have a question, grandpa knows the answer, and if he doesn’t, he has the book that does!”
Thank you for your continuous support and love,
Lots of love,
#Team IVA