From the outside, the life of an environmental activist may seem filled with public support, awards and recognition. In reality, it often involves years of self-education, constant pressure, criticism and the ongoing need to defend one’s position. In this interview with Ayol Qadri, Mutabar Khushvaktova speaks about what it truly means to be an environmental activist in Uzbekistan.
AQ: What does it mean to be an environmental activist in Uzbekistan?
– From the outside, it may seem that I have a lot of support, that I am well known, that I have received an award from the President, that I am invited to interviews and various projects. It can look as if everything comes easily and that whatever I do is automatically accepted and supported.
– In reality, being an activist in Uzbekistan means living with two opposing realities at the same time. On the one hand, there is tremendous support from people. On the other, there is a constant struggle with the system. Things are not nearly as smooth or easy as they may appear from the outside.
I go online only when I have the energy and when I have something worth sharing. And most of the time, what I share are positive stories and good news.
What people do not see are the thousands of messages sent to the same person, the countless official complaints and appeals, the criticism, the censorship and the pressure. All of that remains behind the scenes.
My family is my greatest source of support. That is what keeps me moving forward. Without their support, this path would be much more difficult.
My greatest motivation is my children. When I look at them, all the problems seem to fade away, and I find the strength to keep going.
AQ: Why is the desire to protect nature not enough?
– Many people think that environmental protection is simply a form of activism. That you can go out and say, “Plastic is bad,” “This shouldn’t be allowed,” or “That shouldn’t be allowed.” But the reality is far more complex.
An environmental activist needs a solid foundation of knowledge. When you are an activist, you cannot simply declare, “I’m an environmentalist.” You need to study research, understand why plastic can be harmful, in which situations it is necessary, and why humanity cannot yet completely abandon it.
If I simply tell people, “Stop using plastic,” it would sound meaningless. Slogans are not enough. Knowledge is essential.
And finding that knowledge in our own language is very difficult. Environmental issues are much more developed and widely discussed abroad. But even when reading materials in English or Russian, you still need to fact-check everything.
There is also the issue of greenwashing. Some studies contradict other studies. Environmental impact assessment reports can reach completely different conclusions about the same project. Errors in facts, statistics and interpretations are not uncommon.
That is why an activist has to constantly verify information, compare sources and critically assess every claim before sharing it with the public.
That is why it takes an enormous amount of time and patience to verify everything. Sometimes I think, “That’s it, I’m done studying.” Especially when you have young children.
It is difficult, self-directed work. No one is going to give you a grade for it, and no one is going to pay you for it.
But if you do not gain that knowledge and rely only on slogans, sooner or later someone will expose your lack of competence.
That is why environmental activism is not just about protests and loud statements. You need to be knowledgeable. You have to understand the issues you speak about and be prepared to support your position with facts and evidence.
Source: @urikguli social media
The Public Council under the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan serves as a platform for dialogue between the state and society on environmental issues. The Council participates in discussions on environmental policy, analyzes public opinion, reviews proposals from civil society organizations and develops recommendations on current environmental challenges and priorities.
The Council consists of 20 representatives of civil society, experts and public figures. Among its members is environmental blogger and activist Mutabar Khushvaktova, who is known for raising public awareness of environmental issues and promoting dialogue on sustainable development and environmental protection in Uzbekistan.
AQ: How do you cope with criticism and hate?
– It has happened. For a long time, I thought that everyone liked me. Then one day, a real wave of hate and bullying hit me on Twitter.
I watched as thousands of posts about me appeared in response to a single tweet. People criticized my actions, my appearance and the things I said.
Many of those people were complete strangers to me. But among them were also people I had once been friends with, worked alongside, or had good relationships with.
Recently, another hateful video about me appeared online. I looked through the list of people who had liked it and saw names of individuals I had once worked with.
Some of them were people I had supported in the past when they invited me to participate in UN events and other projects.
And that is when I realized something important: people do not actually hate me. In reality, many people support what I do.
But the moment even a small reason for criticism appears, you suddenly see how many people are opposed to you, to activism, or to certain things you have said. They see it all as pointless and unnecessary.
AQ: Why do you keep going despite everything?
– Yet I have always seen that ordinary people are interested in the topics I write about and discuss on my blog. And that is where the contradiction lies.
Why do people keep saying that society is not ready, that people do not care? They do care. They are not indifferent. The challenge is presenting information in a way that makes them want to keep watching, reading and engaging with it.
When people understand how an environmental issue affects their health, their children and their daily lives, they begin to pay attention.
People are not indifferent. They simply need information explained in a language they can understand and a conversation that is honest and relatable.
The Environmental Movement Is Already Thousands of People Strong
According to the Youth Community for Climate Action, a regional network of young environmental leaders and volunteers has already been established. Today, it brings together more than 10,000 eco-volunteers and 55 eco-champions who are implementing environmental initiatives across Central Asia and the Turkic world.
To coordinate these efforts, an Advisory Committee on the Environmental Agenda of the Central Asian and Turkic States operates in Tashkent. The Committee brings together youth organizations, environmental activists and public leaders working in the fields of environmental protection, sustainable development and climate action.
Its mission is to strengthen regional cooperation, support youth-led initiatives and provide a platform for sharing experience and implementing joint environmental projects.
