By Ayele Kebede Gebreyes (ELP 2023), Program Manager at the Swedish International Development Agency

My professional career started some 30 years ago as a biology teacher at a rural high school in Gambella. It is a small town in Ethiopia located some 777 km from the capital Addis Ababa. The region is a lowland area known by its hot weather. For someone to lead a modest life in this challenging environment, it is highly demanding to have basic facilities to bear with the weather condition. Sadly, there was none in existence at that time. Imagine 30 years ago, deciding to go and work in this area, for a just graduated young man who only knows life in a city. It was hard-hitting decision. My family and close relatives worried much more. They even tried to persuade me change my decision, yet they couldn’t.

The story and my attachment to environmental leadership begins here when I was assigned as a leader of the school environment club. Incidentally the time was just two years after the historical Earth Summit conducted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. By then the concept of sustainable development was a ground-breaking topic that sparked a lively discussion at different levels. Every person was having the certainty that the concept of sustainable development as an attainable goal for all the people of the world. That was the context and the driving force for the government deciding to have environmental clubs established in every high school in the country. Currently I am struggling to further understand the concept looking at the self-contradictory relationship between sustainability and development, as the first implies stability and balance, while the later implies dynamism and change. I will leave the debate for your personal thought.

I have fresh memory of my determination and passion while running the environmental club established in our school. I was very young with full energy and concentration. My only focus was making my club influential, and perceptible to stimulate the understanding and actions of the school community. I was busy reading about the new concept, taking the lead in all environmental initiatives, giving lectures to students and communities using every opportunity available. I recall that, my speeches and presentations were always ending with the famous motto “When it comes to the environment, every action counts”.

Fortunately, my effort was utterly appreciated by many of the students and the communities around. On the other end, some of my colleagues were not happy about my move. I was receiving some discouraging words from this group. Of course, that never pulled me back, instead I tried my best to make them understand my intention. I was involved in the process not just for the annual performance evaluation, as they thought. I was doing it that way because it was, and it is my passion. By the time, it was only me but no one, who thought of my long-term dream to become an environmental leader. In the following year our club has got national recognition under my leadership. I was invited to the capital to receive the award as best performing environmental club from 100 school clubs in the country. That was historical moment in my life. Receiving a prize from the president of the country, incredible. The award has further enhanced my commitment to continue the work in a more passionate and coordinated manner. Amazingly, after the national recognition my career development was very fast. Many training opportunities and job offers start tapping my door. At one point I decided to move to the capital, to continue my work joining an environmental advocacy and communication organization called Forum for Environment (FfE). My passion to educate both myself and the community pushed me to attend and organize quite several awareness-raising skill trainings and conservation initiatives. Just to mention one, during my stay at FfE, I took the leadership in the establishment and consolidation of regional environmental activist groups in 12 major cities in the country. The purpose was to create a nationwide green movement. Currently these groups are active and vigorously drive to influence policy and public thinking on environmental matters. That is just a piece in my cruise in environmental leadership. Many more similar stories are landmarks in my 30 years excursion as an environmental leader. My current position at the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) has given me the opportunity to continue my effort dealing with the complex factors involved in sustainable natural resource management with better understanding of the bigger picture. In my view, giving a strong focus on strengthening continental voices to shape policymaking with due consideration of the complex nexus of natural resource management and climate change with an array of interrelated factors, is something to be given grater attention.

I strongly believe that my decision 30 years ago was a perfect choice. Especially when I recall the time, while attending this mind changing Environmental Leadership course, in this prestigious and world class university, my decision was faultless. That is why I started writing this piece with a question, how far is Gambella from Berkeley, just to indicate the two edges in my life. Good to note here that my story related with ELP started in 2012. I was given the opportunity two times previously, but unable to attend for personal reasons. Now is the time, because currently I am having a very supportive and sympathetic boss, and management in the embassy, who sincerely assisted me make my long-term dream a reality.