Daniel Abreu Mejía - An Educator Empowering Climate Youth

Part of the reason we face climate change and many nature-related crises
is that we have forgotten we are part of nature.
We belong to nature—we do not stand above it.

█ Daniel Abreu Mejía, consultant for UNESCO and the Presidency of the Dominican Republic

I have many tipping points in my life—two of them almost coincided, very different yet somehow connected.

I used to be a climate-change negotiator for my country. It’s a long story how I ended up doing that; I didn’t even work for the government and I was tasked to negotiate on the Paris Agreement, which sounds very fancy. At that point, I thought I’d rather be in a real war than there—it was so stressful, complicated, and frustrating.

Speaking to Humanity

I remember being in the middle of the negotiations, feeling all the negative emotions together—anger, frustration—having to convince people of things I thought you shouldn’t need to convince anyone about. My task was to make sure education was part of the agreement. Would you think any country would be against that? I had like 50 countries against it, including some developing countries. That’s how complicated the process was.

In that moment of observing such a cold, detached system—we were discussing the future of the earth—it felt like a financial conversation. How was it resolved? Humanity.

I ended up offering and sitting down with people—coffee, beer, water, juices. We became human again. I spoke to the humans, not the countries, reminding people we are beyond our country roles. Speaking to the humans was the only way we ended up breaking the deadlock.

Education became the first topic agreed on in the Paris Agreement. Every topic was blocked until education; we were the first to say we were all in agreement. I believe it was because we became human.

▲ After a transformative whale-watching experience, Daniel hopes more people can undergo a similar change, shifting his focus from political negotiations to grassroots education.

Sharing the Earth with All Sentient Beings

Shortly after, I came back home. My wife and I went to see whales. The Dominican Republic receives most of the northern hemisphere’s humpback whales. That moment of watching a whale close by was incredibly powerful—and at the same time depressing because of the human experience around it: in the boat, loud music, terrible behavior. The whales seemed aware of what was happening—they started jumping very high, higher than normal. People who were very disrespectful suddenly became silent. I felt something changed in them, and I felt I wanted to help others go through that transformation.

I slowly became aware that part of our problem with climate change—and many problems we have with nature—is that we’ve forgotten we are nature. We’re part of nature, not above it. I started—and continue—to provide experiences for people to connect with whales respectfully, facilitating experiences that raise awareness of other sentient beings with whom we share the planet. We humans must learn humility; we can learn so much from other species.


I’ve read that in Taiwan you can see many dolphins in certain parts. I invite you not to go for entertainment but with the awareness that you can connect with a species that may be even more intelligent than us—just open that possibility. I’m not saying they are; just go wondering, “Could I learn something from this species? Could this species teach me something that would help my humanity expand?” Not to compare intelligence, but to ask whether I can expand my consciousness by engaging, with awareness, other species.

You have a treasure here in Taiwan that other countries don’t—have that experience. I feel that if we go and have those connections something inner changes and allows us to make better change outside.

◀ Daniel and his wife, Ayala, co-authored the children’s book Kai y la Canción de la Madre Tierra (Kai and the Song of Mother Earth), using storytelling as a bridge to nurture the next generation’s sense of responsibility toward the planet. (Image source: Daniel’s Facebook)





Profile

Daniel is both a representative at international negotiation tables and a practitioner who facilitates dialogue within communities. He holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies and Climate Change from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam, as well as a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Barcelona. His work focuses on how development issues and climate justice can be implemented at the policy level.

▶ (Image source: Daniel’s Facebook)

He has worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Human Development Researcher and with UNICEF to promote youth participation. As an international negotiator, he has participated in five global climate conferences, including negotiations for the Paris Agreement. At the same time, he has been involved in climate education initiatives in collaboration with UNESCO and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), working to transform climate issues into forces for education and action.

Daniel is also a facilitator of the spiritual ecology framework The Work That Reconnects, emphasizing that climate action must return to a deep reconnection between humans and nature. Together with his wife, Ayala, he co-founded the “Youth Leaders for the Earth” initiative and co-authored the children’s book Kai and the Song of Mother Earth, using storytelling as a bridge to nurture a sense of responsibility for the planet in the next generation.
 

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Daniel Abreu Mejía - An Educator Empowering Climate Youth

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Resource: Issue 512 of Humanity Magazine, Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation