Blue Voices Ambassadors 2024: Parental Platform And Community Leaders In Encouraging Air Quality Improvements

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - The National Children's Air Foundation, also known as Air Talks, a non-profit organization focused on education and advocacy for improving air quality in Indonesia, held the 2024 Blue Voices Ambassadors event at Gordy HQ, East Cilandak, South Jakarta, on Saturday, July 20.

Novita Natalia, Co-Founder of Air Talks, said that this event is a forum for parents and community leaders to voice their concerns regarding air pollution and encourage changes through education and policy advocacy.

"Indonesia Gold 2045 is the current target of the government. The role of parents in the realm of policy is often not involved, even though they are those who prepare children to realize Indonesia's gold," said Novita.

Novita continued, Biru Voices 2024 prioritizes the active role of parents in conveying the impact of air pollution on the health of children and families, environmental quality, and policies that affect increased pollution.

Not only preparing children, but they really care about the environment, especially in urban areas where air pollution is very unhealthy and has an impact on children. Through Biru Voices Ambassador, Air Talk provides a forum for parents and community leaders to play an active role in public education, and oversee policies regarding the handling of air pollution," he added.

It is known, Biru Voices 2024 activity is inspired by similar movements abroad, such as Moms Clean Air Force in America and Moms for Lungs in the UK. Moms Clean Air Force is known to carry out campaigns and advocacy by contacting representatives of local governments, the DPR, and DPRD to pay attention to air pollution as a health problem. Meanwhile, Moms for Lungs was founded in 2017 by a group of mothers who realized the high level of poison from air pollution in the UK while walking with their babies.

Tiara Yunanda Putri, one of the Blue Voices 2024 participants who is also a social activist and working mom, also shared her experience.

"My son and I, Juang, are survivors of asthma who are very sensitive to air pollution. After collaborating with Air Talks to organize last year's 'SENGAL' screening film, I hope to hold cross-sectoral collaborations in the form of events related to the issue of air pollution," said Tiara.

Unlike the previous edition, the involvement of parents in Biru Voices 2024 intends to carry out a mission so that parents' anxiety about air pollution can be conveyed to the public and even to policy makers so that more parents feel related and concerned about this issue.