Future Council: children shaping the future | Ruby Rodgers, Joseph Wijaya & Hiva Grube | TEDxSydney
Could children have the creativity and moral compass that is needed in the world right now? Three children from different parts of the world hit the TEDx stage to explore how businesses might operate differently if they were accountable to future generations. Youth isn’t wasted on the young if we listen to them and empower their ingenuity. Facilitated by film director Damon Gameau. www.futurecouncil.earth Ruby Rodgers is ready to take the world by storm, and she’s still only 15 years old. Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Climate Change Warrior, Student, Leader – it’s only just the start for this talented and dedicated young woman.
When you’re from a big musical family and spend your life surrounded by musicians, it’s so entrenched in your DNA that making music is almost as important as breathing. Her debut single, Hits the Heart was released through EMI Australia / Universal Music in December 2024.
Ruby was recently invited to be one of only eight schoolchildren from around the globe to take part in Damon Gameau’s documentary film, Future Council.
Future Council gathered a host of inspiring young minds who each brought their own personal experiences and “superpowers” to the table (Ruby’s superpower was as a songwriter / poet / storyteller). They travel across Europe spending time in nature, learning about eco solutions, sharing their concerns and fears for the future, and confronting multinational mega-polluters.Joseph Recycling began in 2022, inspired by a moment when 10-year-old Joseph Wijaya saw his friends collecting metal and cables from rivers while fishing. Realising the value of recycling, and with encouragement from his father, Joseph decided to start his own initiative to collect and process recyclables while giving back to his community.In March 2022, he delivered his first recycling bin to a local co-working space. By 2025, his network has grown to over 200 members, including schools, homes, and businesses.Each week, Joseph collects, sorts, and processes recyclables, partnering with a facility in Java when needed. Funds raised help pay for children’s education. In 2023, he paid for 24 children to attend school, and in 2024, he supported 30.He believes every child deserves the chance to learn and grow into future leaders.Joseph also leads beach cleanups and runs a plastic collection program where children earn English lessons focused on sustainability. He now creates and sells keyrings at markets to support his mission. In 2025, he launched a recycling curriculum to educate remote schools. At just 13, Joseph dreams of building a school where students can pay their fees with plastic waste—turning trash into opportunity.Hiva is a 13 year old Norfolk Islander on a mission to protect Earth’s wild spaces. Armed with his camera and an insatiable curiosity for birds and their habitats, Hiva advocates for a planet that is rich in biodiverse forests and abundant in humans that care about nature.Every time he learns of another bird species going extinct, Hiva hears the wake-up call - and he wants you to hear it too! Birds are the ambassadors of our biodiversity, exhibiting countless variations of colour, shape, size and function that reflect the ecosystem around them - as they disappear, so do our chances of saving our planet.Hiva wants to show his human friends that they too are part of nature, so that we can all start safeguarding our wild spaces for future generations. For more information on Hiva’s mission, visit www.wildtavake.com This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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