“I want to be a catalyst for young people. A catalyst is something that accelerates qualities in others without changing themselves.
“Young people most of the time don’t lack the gift, or the empathy, or the ambition; it’s just that they are looking for purpose.
“Those other things, they are not going to get them in a package. The truth is, we are helping them find purpose.
“Mahatma Gandhi famously said, ‘Find a purpose, the means will follow.’”
Mr Tripathi believes that it is the responsibility of teachers, parents, and politicians to help inspire young people to their purpose in life.
Following his numerous roles as an investigator, economist and legal expert, Mr Tripathi is now Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet.
Satya Tripathi, left, spoke with pupils from Balerno and Currie Community High Schools about their current sustainability efforts and about their hopes for change in the future. (Image: © Lesley Martin/Lesley Martin Photography)
He has spent much of his life in public speaking and worked in a variety of contexts across the globe, helping solve political and environmental problems. But he believes that his current role is no less important.
Young people are at the core of conversations about the future, Mr Tripathi said.
When one Balerno pupil expressed a mixture of excitement and nervousness about the chance to vote for the first time in the upcoming election, Mr Tripathi was quick to provide perspective:
“This is not scary for you. The politicians should be very scared. They are dealing with a voting population that really represents the mood of the nation.”
With voting rights for 16-year-olds extended to UK elections and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) incorporated into Scots law, he said that it is more important than ever to offer young people opportunities and inspiration.
“And there will be surprises, make no mistake.”
Mr Tripathi’s visit was part of a programme organised by a wide group of partners, including North East Scotland Climate Action Network Hub (NESCAN), the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and Action for a Fairer World.
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Over the course of three days in Edinburgh, Mr Tripathi’s schedule included a meeting with government ministers, an evening with politicians during a Holyrood reception hosted by Scottish Greens Co-leader and MSP Ross Greer, and a symposium on climate action and the just transition at Edinburgh University.
The visit to Balerno was first on the calendar. Mr Tripathi spoke with a mixture of pupils from Balerno and nearby Currie Community High School and Deans Park Primary School.
The pupils gave presentations about the work they do at their school around climate awareness and sustainable practices, and shared ideas with Mr Tripathi and the organisers about what changes they would like to see in public policy.
From tales of mediation in post-war Bosnia to words of wisdom about trusting in the lessons their parents and teachers are sharing, Satya Tripathi’s conversation with pupils left them fascinated and – organisers hope – inspired. (Image: © Lesley Martin/Lesley Martin Photography)
These conversations are crucial, Mr Tripathi said, because he recognises that young people are not only the future decision-makers, they are some of the most active participants in community conversations about sustainability and climate action.
“I have never stopped trying to help young people find purpose, because they are going to change the world.
“I travelled this far, if at least one person changes their mind, my efforts have been worthwhile. It is the power of one person, one trigger, one change, one domino effect.”
Listening to the group discussions following Mr Tripathi’s talk, it was clear that the young people took his message to heart. The room was filled with pupils who had taken part in Mock COP events, established various clubs focusing on sustainability, equality and fairness, and worked extensively in their communities.
Closing the session on Thursday, David Innes, chair of Action for a Fairer World, reminded the pupils to trust that their voices deserve to be heard. When Mr Innes and others were looking to arrange a conversation with Mr Tripathi, they had an idea for a thirty-minute online meeting. Instead, they got a three-day visit.
“We hope this visit will help people in Scotland work together to take action to improve things for people and the planet. We want the visit to help turn the vision and ambition that sits behind the Sustainable Development Goals and Just Transition policies into actions that benefit communities locally and globally.
“Satya can bring a global perspective to the issues we are dealing with locally and inspire us with examples from around the world where community-led initiatives are having a direct and positive impact on the planet.”
Satya Tripathi’s message to young people was clear: their voices matter, and they should not be shy about using them. (Image: © Lesley Martin/Lesley Martin Photography)
And Mr Innes made it clear that the trip to Balerno was the platform for the rest of the work to come.
“We wanted to start by speaking to young people. You are the first conversation we wanted to have. The conversations we are about to have with cabinet secretaries and MSPs at Holyrood – your voices will be going into those other meetings.
“That’s why this morning is so important, because what happens next matters more to you than anyone else. That conversation starts now.”