Posted on May, 08 2017

Manado, Indonesia:  Indonesian environmental youth champion, Adeline Tiffanie Suwana and the Indian wildlife and environment cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty have won this year’s WWF International President’s Award for their efforts to inspire change and attitudes towards nature.
 
The award is the global conservation organization’s top accolade to recognize outstanding leadership in young conservationists from around the world.
 
Adeline Tiffanie Suwana, on accepting the award said, “I am proud to receive this honour, it inspires me to continue working with children, teenagers and communities to love and care about their environment and also understand how they can help save this precious Earth. As a young girl I became worried about what climate change was doing to my community and beyond. Those concerns encouraged me to start asking children to understand, commit and act to save our Earth. It started with planting mangrove trees and coral reefs but now also includes tackling different environmental problems, such as cleaning debris on coastal beaches and initiating green clubs in schools, where young people take active exemplary roles in environmental action.”
 
“Adeline’s influence is vast. As an environmental champion and founder of Sahabat Alam “Friends of Nature” Foundation as a young girl, she continues to inspire the young generation. Her ideas have been presented in schools, with cooperation of governmental agencies and international organizations. She has been outstanding at forming a community of youth who love nature and the environment and are prepared to do something about it, despite their differences or languages” said Yolanda Kakabadse, President of WWF International.
 
Speaking about the award, Rohan Chakravarty said, “I am honoured to receive the title, which, more than an award, is a reminder of my responsibility to both my art and my muse- wildlife. Cartoons and humour ensure that a reader not only retains a message but also responds to it, and are hence indispensable tools in both communication and conservation. I thank WWF for giving cartoons the importance they deserve, and for empowering me to do more with this art form.”
 
“Rohan’s work has the ability to translate complex messages on wildlife issues and conservation into simple hilarious images. His cartoons make people laugh, but they also come with a serious conservation message. His dedication and amazing talent are a perfect vehicle to educate and create awareness, connecting people with nature to understand its immense value to humanity,” added Kakabadse.
 
“The courage and selfless vision of exceptional young people like Adeline and Rohan has the power to transform communities and societies. What Rohan and Adeline have both done is remarkable and truly inspiring. They are bringing critical issues to the fore and reaching people in innovative ways to drive change and thinking around why nature is so vital for livelihoods and life itself” said Kakabadse.
 
The 2017 WWF International President’s Award is presented in Manado, Indonesia. The award acknowledges and encourages outstanding achievements of young people under the age of 30 who are making significant contributions to nature conservation. Nominations are invited annually via WWF offices around the world.
 
---ends---

Media contact:
Julien Anseau
Media Relations Manager
WWF International
E-mail: janseau@wwfint.org
Ph: +65 9060 1957