Salsabila Khairunnisa
Indonesian environment activist (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Salsabila Khairunnisa (born 2003) is an Indonesian environmental activist. At the age of fifteen years old, she co-founded the Jaga Rimba youth movement, which aims to fight deforestation and exploitation in Indonesia. In 2020, she was nominated as one the BBC's 100 Women Award.
Salsabila Khairunnisa | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2003 (age 22–23) |
| Citizenship | Indonesia |
| Occupations | Student; Environmentalist |
| Organization | Jaga Rimba |
| Known for | Campaigning against palm oil |
| Awards | 100 Women (BBC) |
Biography
Khairunnisa was born in 2003 in Jakarta.[1] In March 2019, at the age of fifteen years old, she co-founded the youth organisation Jaga Rimba, which aims to counter deforestation and act as an advocate for the environment in Indonesia.[2][3] Jaga Rimba is closely connected to the community who lived at Laman Kinipan, which was evicted from the village in 2018 by a palm oil company.[3] The company, PT Sawit Mandiri Lestari (SML), claimed they held the rights to use the land, which the community lived on to grow palm.[3] The company evicted the villagers, resulting in famine, as well as affecting the community of orangutans who lived in the area.[3] Jaga Rimba campaigns to ensure that the indigenous people of the Kinipan Forest, one of Borneo's last rainforests, do not lose their land.[1][4]
"The pandemic has given us a collective awareness that we are all under the same capitalist and patriarchal system that bases its existence on profit. It is time to unite in solidarity, and lead a green and just recovery.”
— Salsabila Khairunnisa
In addition to her work with Jaga Rimba, Khairunnisa is one of the leaders of the school strike for climate in Indonesia.[1] She is inspired by Greta Thunberg and Mitzi Jonelle Tan.[2] In 2020, she was nominated for the BBC's 100 Women Award.[5]