Manuel Bergmann — Nour Livia

Meet Manuel Bergmann, a 23 years old activist from Germany.

Manuel has been living in Bali for the past 2 years. A few years ago, while working as a fitness instructor, he felt the need to try something new and started traveling. He ended up volunteering in Africa, which made him appreciate the small things in life and want to contribute to making our world a better place. He then heard about a holistic school in Bali, called Green School, and immediately signed up for a workshop that completely opened his eyes to our current environmental situation. Quickly, he fell in love with the island and decided to stay, interning at Green School for 1 year. That is how he started learning about climate change, made the switch to a more sustainable lifestyle and made it his mission to inspire others to do the same, through social media.

Manuel is also the founder of Coaching for Cause, a platform that helps people live a more sustainable lifestyle while giving back to environmental NGO’s. Check it out here: https://coachingforcause.com/

Manuel, you’ve been very active and vocal on social media about climate change, but how did you start caring?

The workshop I first attended at Green School, in Bali, switched my mindset to a more sustainable lifestyle. I started by slowly drifting towards zero waste, refusing single use straws, not buying plastic bottles, etc. Step by step, I became more and more sustainable, learned about fast fashion, veganism, palm oil… The more I was changing, the more I was realising there was a lot more to learn and change. I am still on the journey and I love inspiring others to do the same. I want to be part of the solution, not the problem.

How are you raising awareness in Bali?

I take a lot of photos of pollution, give talks... I recently started a sustainability coaching platform called Coaching For Cause, where I collaborate with sustainability influencers and coaches to help people on their eco-journeys. 30% of the benefits go to environmental NGOs, some of which are based in Bali. This allows me to go and visit them, create content for them and support them on their journey to raise awareness and money. I also create videos on waste reduction and sustainable tourism. I’ve realised that people are not aware of the waste issue when they come on holiday to Bali. They don’t know that when they order a coconut on the beach, the trash ends up in the oceans. I want to change this.

What are the challenges you are facing in Bali?

Trash burning. That’s the #1 issue here in Bali. A lot of people burn their waste because there isn’t a good waste management system. People have to pay if they want their trash to be disposed of properly, so if they can’t afford it, they burn it, which emits a lot of harmful chemicals. People also sometimes throw their waste in their backyard, but during the rainy season, it all gets washed into the ocean. There is a huge lack of awareness on the island and in the country in general.

What do you think are the biggest differences between Bali and Europe?

The Bali philosophy is all about harmony with nature, but yet, there is no connection with trash. You can’t tell people not to burn their waste without providing another solution. There is a recycling centre, but it charges amounts of money that locals can’t afford. And most Westerners don’t think about their ecological footprint when they’re in Bali or in any other holiday destination. A lot of people don’t know where their waste goes. They think if they put something in the bin, it will magically disappear but have no idea it will actually end up in the ocean or get burned.

What are your tips for people who would like to raise awareness in developing countries like you do?

Get started. Try your best. Take pictures and videos to document the reality. People think Bali is just this beautiful and perfect island, but the trash and pollution isn’t really portrayed, the reality is hidden. Choose a topic that interests you, like poverty, pollution, marine life or else, visit NGOs and offer them your help, create content for them, fundraise…

Why do you think it’s important to raise awareness in developing countries?

It is important to raise awareness in developing countries because we’re in a state of climate crisis. We don’t have much time and should all come together to raise awareness and help make the world a better place. If everyone does a little bit, we can make a big difference together. That’s what I try to portray with the community signs I regularly post on my Instagram. People in developing countries are the first to suffer from climate change, while they are the ones that contribute the least to it. It is not fair.