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At MLI, my work is rooted in mobilising multicultural communities toward climate action—because building a climate-safe future is not just urgent, it’s essential.

For over 25 years, I supported migrant communities fleeing crisis, advocating for safe homes and futures. Today, that mission has expanded to protecting our shared home: Earth. As Director of Programs at MLI, I now lead the Community Climate Leadership Movement—empowering CALD communities to lead in climate solutions through workshops, training, and advocacy.

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As a Tongan, I’ve seen firsthand the impacts of a crisis we didn’t create. In the Pacific, rising seas, extreme drought, and intensifying cyclones are displacing families and destroying ecosystems. Communities like Kiribati rely on bottled water; ancestral lands are becoming uninhabitable. This is the human cost of climate inaction.

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Pacific nations contribute the least to global emissions yet suffer the most. For us, limiting warming to 1.5°C isn’t policy—it’s survival.

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With COP31 on the horizon, Australia has a pivotal role to play in regional climate leadership. We have the tools, resources, and responsibility to lead with purpose and in solidarity with the Pacific.

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The question is: Do we have the will?

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I came to Australia as a young dental student, focused on my career and building a better life, completely unaware of the climate crisis. That changed when I became a mother. Having children shifted my perspective—suddenly, I was thinking about the world they would inherit and the legacy I would leave behind. When I learned about the scale of the climate emergency, I knew I couldn’t look away.

I reduced my clinical hours to dedicate myself to climate advocacy. Speaking up wasn’t easy: as a female migrant from a conservative cultural background, raising my voice publicly felt uncomfortable and even risky. But I realised my personal discomfort and cultural barriers were insignificant compared to the security and future of my children and their generation. That conviction fueled my determination to act.

In 2022, I gathered a group of like-minded people to found Asian Australians for Climate Solutions. Our mission is to bridge cultural gaps, normalise climate conversations, and empower Asian Australian communities to see climate action as part of everyday life, not a distant political issue.
My story is just one among many. When ordinary people choose to act, extraordinary change becomes possible. Together, we can bridge divides, protect our planet, and ensure a safe future for the generations to come

Seven years ago, my daughter Yolanda moved to Cairns, by the Great Barrier Reef. One day she showed me photos of the corals—once dazzling “underwater rainbows,” now pale and lifeless. My heart sank. That was the moment I woke up.
As a health consultant, I already knew: there is no health without a healthy planet. If our oceans choke and our soils crack, what will be left on our plates?

Yolanda’s group, Divers for Climate, shared a truth that struck me deeply: A diver’s voice travels fast underwater, but real change begins when we speak on
land.

So I stepped forward.

As a mother, I now speak out about rising ocean temperatures—because when the seas warm, marine life suffers, coral reefs bleach, and entire food chains are disrupted. This isn’t just about oceans; it’s about the very cycle of life that sustains us all.

As a health advisor, I encourage local food to cut emissions and nourish our bodies. As a neighbor, I share water-saving tips and help grow community gardens. Of course, doubts whispered: Can I really make a difference? But then I saw my neighbors proudly harvest their first tomatoes, and families choosing local carrots instead of imported ones. I realised—yes, every small step counts.

In early 2025, I joined the nonprofit Multicultural Leadership Initiative as Director of Civic Participation. This role deepened my conviction: an individual spark may seem small, but when we ignite each other and move together, we can create a galaxy of change. Now I work alongside communities, helping turn worry into action. Through our
Shared Future Program (offered in both English and Chinese), people tell me they’ve learned the science behind climate change, felt empowered, and discovered hope. Many thought, “I can’t help.” Now they know: “I can.” Because in the end, protecting our oceans is about more than preserving beauty or recreation. It’s about safeguarding the balance of life itself—the food we eat, the air
we breathe, and the world we will hand to our children.

Together, we can weave a brighter, bluer future—for our families, our communities, and for the Earth we all depend on.

After the Vietnam war, countless Vietnamese families fled in search of safety. In the 1970s and 1980s, my parents were among them, finding refuge in Australia. I wasn’t forced to leave myself, but I grew up with the echoes of their displacement. Their trauma shaped our family life. It influenced how I understood security, resilience and the weight of rebuilding life from nothing. As a result of this, it gave me both pain and perspective, showing how displacement reverberates across generations.

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This shapes how I see the climate crisis today. We are entering a new era where families will be displaced not only by conflict, but increasingly by climate change. In the near future, entire communities will become climate refugees, forced to leave their homes as seas rise and extreme weather intensifies. Because of my family’s story, I feel deep empathy for those who will face this reality, and a fierce resolve to ensure that displacement does not define them.

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Across Vietnamese communities, I hear familiar yet extraordinary stories of resilience. Forced to start again, we became resourceful, adaptable, and creative. Known for our hard work, strong survival instincts, and cultural pride, we embody the very qualities needed to contribute to global climate solutions.

Research shows Vietnam is one of the few countries balancing social wellbeing with relatively low resource use, demonstrating how to thrive within planetary boundaries.

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As the world prepares for COP31, this is a vital lesson. The inclusion of Vietnamese people and their lived wisdom and knowledge is a strategic lever for building a climate-safe future that is resilient, efficient and capable of meeting the scale of the challenge.