Motivations
The most significant factor that cultivated a love for the environment was early exposure to natural environments. This was a common factor among participants across both locations.
Many participants reported to have spent a lot of their childhood outside in the natural environment. Participants from Kulhudhuffushi reported that growing up most of their time after school or with friends was spent in natural spaces. They also reported an inexplicable affinity to nature at a young age that made them upset when they see nature harmed in anyway or rubbish thrown around. As Kf8 stated “I will get emotional at people cutting down trees”.
Additionally, the proximity to natural spaces and the ocean while living in the island enabled them to experience changes first hand. As a result, participants reported concern at observing the changes in the island such as erosion of beach areas and disappearing of green spaces as a motivation for fighting to protect the natural environment of the island. Some participants expressed sadness and frustration about natural spaces that they closely associate with their childhood disappearing and being replaced by housing or other physical buildings.
Similarly, all of the Hamilton participants spoke about spending a lot of time in natural environments at a young age that made them develop an affinity for nature. In fact, the single most significant motivating factor for the participants of Hamilton that made them develop a love and concern for the environment was early exposure to nature.
Role models were a strong motivating factor for most of the participants as well. Kulhudhuffushi participants were particularly motivated by a national climate change activist who was originally from the island and who was also a mentor for a lot of the participants interviewed. They were also inspired by the activism of environmental and sustainable development activists and organisations from the capital, Male’.
For a lot of Hamilton participants, knowing about or meeting young people who were trailblazers in politics or in areas of sustainability prompted them to follow in their paths. This included young activists such as New Zealand’s Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick and activists and bloggers outside of New Zealand. As Hf7 stated “I came across a blogger who could fit all of her waste from like 2-3 years in a small jar. And it was just quite confronting and made me realise that I had not been thinking about how my waste impacted the natural environment that I love so much. It woke me up to the fact that I could be doing a lot more than I was”.
Peers were a significant motivator for the Kulhudhuffushi interviewees. The majority of the participants started their environmental activism in school. After leaving school one of the participants started an environmental NGO and a lot the participants, who were also a part of her circle of friends, joined the NGO. As Km2 said, “I joined the NGO to support my friend, once I joined I realised this is something that cannot be left undone”.
Another influence mentioned less frequently by Kulhudhuffushi participants was family members, specifically grandparents. Kf1 stated “I spent most time in my childhood with my grandmother, and she loved the environment”. This could be due to the culture of living with extended families in the island, where grandparents looked after children while the parents worked or were occupied in other domestic activities. However, family members were not found to be a significant motivating factor for becoming environmentally or politically conscious for Hamilton participants. In fact, while some participants credited their exposure to nature at an early age to their parents and family, a lot of the participants reported that their family members were quite different to them in views about politics and the environment.
Knowledge
Internet sources were the most accessed source of information for the young activists of both Kulhudhuffushi and Hamilton. Majority of them used social media and obtained information from people and organisations they followed. As Kf8 stated, “I follow active people on social media and read from the links they post”.
For Hamilton participants who were members of NGOs or political parties their respective organisations were important sources of knowledge. These members attended meetings of the organisations, followed other members on social media and participated in Facebook and other chat groups hosted by their organisations. Participants from both of the locations obtained information particularly relevant to their respective countries from activists and environmentalists from the capital.
Participants who were university students, accessed academic journals to get more information on their areas of interest. Academic articles was reported by most of the participants who were students from both of the locations as the most trusted source of information.
Accessing information from personal blogs were common among the participants who were advocates of sustainable lifestyles. As Hf7 stated “I did read a lot of people’s personal blogs which potentially may not be as scientific but had kind of a human element to it because it was about how people can change behaviour and how people have gone on the same journey”. Hf9 reported that “There’s aren’t a lot of NZ blogs on such topics because the movement has kind of started”.
One significant source for information relevant to political activism for Kulhudhuffushi participants were the youth programmes on leadership and participation that was conducted by NGOs in Male’ during the years Maldives was undergoing democratic reforms after its first multi-party Presidential elections in 2008. This used to be an annual programme open to the participants from the whole country, but at the time of this research the annual programme had been discontinued. There were however some ad hoc programmes for youth that was still being held either in Male’ or at regional locations by Male’ based NGOs and UN organisations, which many of the participants of the research had participated. The participants reported that these programmes had helped them immensely and supported them to go ahead and carry out projects that they developed with the technical assistance they received. In addition, the participants reported that it enabled them to find out how government processes work and how to advocate for issues accordingly.
Additionally, Kulhudhuffushi participants reported that they gained a lot of knowledge during their activism against the destruction of the mangrove. After the issue grew into a national movement there were a lot of environmentalists and technical people, as well as political activists, who visited the island in support, and many of the participants were involved in showing them around the mangrove and the island. The participants reported that they learnt a lot about the special characteristics of mangroves, its relationship to climate change and disaster mitigation, as well as political activism in the process of being part of the movement.
Nevertheless, accessing sources of knowledge was one area where the Kulhudhuffushi participants found challenging. Some participants were enrolled in undergraduate programmes and had access to academic and specialist sources of information. However, most of the participants, particularly those residing full time on the island, relied on activists and groups in Male’, and technical people who visit for ad hoc workshops held in the island for information that were relevant to their location.
Networks
The group of environmental activists in Kulhudhuffushi had a close-knit network among themselves. Those who left the island for education or employment also kept in contact with those who remained in the island.
However, for most of those who remained in the island there was limited connections and support networks with the wider national organisations and almost no connections with international organisations. Km4 reported that he worked alone in advocating for the causes he was concerned about, that included talking to people and posting messages on social media. Kf3 did report making connections with other activists she met when she participated in workshops in other islands. Those from the island residing in Male’, however, were part of wider national networks in environmental and political activism. Participants who were doing their undergraduate studies in the capital had access to more academic and technical networks and established environmental groups in the capital. Some had participated in international conferences on climate change.
In contrast to the participants of Kulhudhuffushi who were all part of a group of individuals who had mobilised for a cause together, the participants from Hamilton were from different environmental and political organisations and also individuals who had no connection to a particular group. As a result they were not part of the same network and participants had varying levels of connection with other people and networks within and outside Hamilton.
The participants who were part of organisations had more networks than those who were not. Participants who were members of an NGO, for instance, had opportunities to be part of the wider network of that NGO nationally, participate at events outside of Hamilton, and through these events, make connections with people who were active and leaders in their fields.
On the other hand, participants who were not part of any groups did not have as many connections with people and organisations in their area, especially outside of Hamilton. Active groups and individuals within Hamilton were also quite limited and a lot of the communication and networking happened for events and actions that were national in scope. Nevertheless, there was still a group of people in Hamilton that coordinated and organised advocacy events.
There’s definitely like a little bit of network in Hamilton. Different kinds of similar groups who work together like allied groups on things (Hf1)
However, some participants observed that since the group of people participating in those events was so small, there would normally be the same people who always attended such events.
When it came to social networks most of the Kulhudhuffushi participants reported that their close circle of friends were like-minded people as well. For some of the participants their friendship circle changed as a result of ideological differences.
My social circle is environmentally conscious. I have lost friends because I have to argue about these things. They can be politically on different sides but we agree on environmental issues (Km2)
However the social networks of Hamilton participants varied in terms of ideology with most of the participants reporting that people in their friend circles were not active politically, had different political views and did not necessarily lead sustainable lifestyles. Hm4 reported that “I still have friends I get along with quite well but we don’t agree on certain things. But we’re adults and there’s one belief that I have like 99.5% of people if they ask them what they really, really care about its exactly the same things as I do. They just have different ideas of how to get there”.
Nevertheless, some participants from both locations did report that some people in their social networks were influenced by their lifestyle to change their behaviour. For instance Hf7 reported “My close social circle is not necessarily into the same environmental stuff but I had noticed that over the years I’ve seen them make small changes. That’s super encouraging for me because it means that I’ve done a good job in making the whole zero waste movement relatable and achievable”.
Spaces
Horton [44] highlights the importance of spaces for communication and participation for the expression of alternative ideologies. However, in the case of Kulhudhuffushi there was an absence of such spaces. Participants reported that a lot of the meetings and idea generating happened in living rooms of people’s houses. There were spaces in some educational institutions that the participants could access for organising events but this was due to personal contacts within these two institutions and not from an established institutional policy granting access to use their spaces for such purposes.
There were no spaces such as a particular café in the island, as found in Horton’s study, that was a known place to hang out for young people with similar ideologies. In fact, most participants reported that they did not frequent cafés or restaurants at all due to financial constraints. However, many of the participants spoke of meeting in open natural spaces like the beach for organising events as well as for social gatherings within the group.
During the time the interviews took place the country overall was facing severe government-imposed restrictions to freedom of expression and spaces for assembly. While the participants were not aligned with any political party, their protest against the destruction of the mangrove was perceived as being critical of the then government’s airport project. As a result, the participants reported harassment by the supporters of the government in public, as well as threats on social media. As a result some of the participants had stopped being publicly involved in activism, and had stopped social media activism as well under the advice of their family members. However, shortly after the interviews took place the government was voted out at the Presidential elections of 2017, and was replaced by a government that was perceived to be more democratic in terms of allowing the space for expression and activism.
As with Kulhudhuffushi participants, Hamilton participants did not identify any specific spaces in Hamilton that were frequented by or considered as a hangout for people with similar ideologies and lifestyles. Go Eco, the environment centre in Hamilton, was mentioned by most of the participants, as an organisation that either collaborated with them or hosted an event organised by them. However, there were some participants who had not had any interactions with the centre and also those who did not consider that many events and spaces in Hamilton were particularly attractive to young people.
I love what Go Eco do, but I often don’t feel inspired to be involved in their stuff. I don’t know whether that’s just a generational thing or … ” (Hf1)
It was interesting to note that while a lot of the Hamilton participants were university students, they did not find their university to be a site that promoted activism or facilitated organising by young people. Even participants who were part of organisations reported that the spaces where they end up doing a lot of the organising were the homes of members. Hm4 states that “We find there are spaces but there’s almost always a cost involved”.
Some participants talked about informal gatherings organised by specific groups they were a part of where they got the opportunity to interact with like-minded people and be a safe space to express their views.
We do things like green drinks. So we go to a pub or a bar or a café or whatever once a month and you can just talk about things you have in common, meet new people or talk about issues that you want more information on and learn what other people’s perspectives are. I guess the thing is like its people coming together and creating the space rather than like a building where you go (Hf3)
A substantial amount of interaction, organising and communicating happened on virtual spaces to overcome the lack of physical spaces. This included Facebook groups, Facebook messenger, Twitter, chat applications, and the Slack app for specific campaigns. Chat groups were also the medium though which more senior members of organisations that participants were a part of and those that reside in Male’ in the case of Kulhudhuffushi or other cities in the case of Hamilton guided and mentored the participants in carrying out activities or provided information and advice.
Practices
Participants of both the locations demonstrated a spectrum of practices involving active and engaged citizenship within both their private lives and in the public sphere.
They lead environmentally conscious lifestyles such as becoming vegetarian or vegan, choosing to walk over the use of motorised vehicles, avoiding single use plastic, purchasing less and being responsible consumers. Some participants facilitated sustainable practices for others as well. As Kf3 reported “I bring metal straws in bulk from eBay and distribute to those who want to commit to not using plastic straws”.
In addition to leading sustainable lifestyles, participants were active in campaigns and participated in activities in their political and environmental organisations. Those who were not part of a formal group, and even some participants who were, engaged in political and advocacy activities in their individual capacities as well, particularly the participants from Hamilton. This included a wide ramge of activities such as writing blogs on sustainable living, volunteering, doing research or running for Mayor and City Council.
Some of the participants from Kulhudhuffushi were also continuously engaged in monitoring the effects from the mangrove destruction, and communicating them on various social media platforms. This information was used by national activists to lobby and hold relevant government agencies to account. Participants also participated in broader national environmental and other areas of activism, or volunteered for social causes. Some participants reported feeling compelled to act responsibly due to their reputation as environmental activists. As Kf8 stated “I have to be more careful, I have to show by example”.
However, participants in both of the locations reported that they faced challenges in engaging in sustainable lifestyles and advocating for environmental protection. They report the sense of always going against the grain. As Kmf states “I refuse plastic bags from shops. They used to look strangely at me but now they know I don’t take it”. Hamilton participants talked about challenges they faced in getting other people involved and active in Hamilton, one of the main issues being the attitudes and beliefs of other people.
Public will is one thing. Public not being on board, and there’s still climate change deniers! (Hf2)
People don’t really care or think there’s nothing we can do. There’s lots of people who think that (Hf1)
This was mirrored by Kulhudhuffushi participants as well, as Km2 stated “I feel very troubled by the fact that people are not concerned about these issues. They will say I don’t care. What they don’t realise is that at some point, what they say they don’t care about will eventually affect them”.
Participants also talked about the practical difficulties of living more sustainably in a system that is based on increasing consumption. Hf3 stated that “One thing I’ve noticed is how hard it is to live differently in our society because everything is mass produced and just simplified for the majority and if you want to live any differently it’s so hard”. Some of the participants at times found going against the grain in terms of their practices quite challenging.
I’m afraid that some of the appeal I have (in my job) is that I am quite “normal”. I would like to make further changes but I would also like to be employed and progress in society” (Hm4)
It can sometimes feel a little bit lonely (Hf7)
Some of the participants referred to the conservative nature of Hamilton when compared to other areas in terms of both political affiliation and culture as not being very conducive for political and environmental action. But one participant stated that perhaps the more political minded individuals move out to places like Wellington which is considered to be more politically active, and hence the perception people have of places becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Identity
When participants talked about their conception of what it meant to them to be citizens two main common themes arose from the descriptions.
The first theme was a sense of responsibility. All of the participants across the two locations reported feeling a sense of responsibility for being mindful of other people’s rights as well as protecting the rights of the environment. For most of the participants, the responsibility to contribute to the society was as important as the rights that comes with citizenship. For Māori participants from Hamilton their sense of responsibility comes within a Māori worldview. As Hm4 states “It’s the same kind of belief we have in my iwi,Footnote 1 the idea that we’re only here for a small period of time and we need to ensure that over that period of time we are not damaging it so much that people who come after us can’t use it anymore”.
The second common theme that came through was being engaged politically and to have their voice in policy and decision making. For instance, Kf3 emphasised that “You can really call yourself a citizen if your voice is heard in the place you live. You have to talk about policies, your rights. Just voting is not enough”.
The major difference between participants from both locations was the connection to place. Kulhudhuffushi participants had a strong connection to place and when they talked about the concept of citizenship there was an emphasis on responsibility towards the place they were from.
In contrast, the theme of connection to the local community or place did not come through from Hamilton participants. This may be because a significant number of participants were from other areas of Waikato region or outside who had moved to Hamilton for education or employment. Most participants had a more generalised perception of at the level in which their responsibility lies. As Hm4 stated: “Waikato is not my iwi, but when they talk about long term sustainability projects or long term goals for people here or New Zealand as a whole it still connects with me”.