Welcome to the Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Storytellers Blog Series: Storytellers for Change. In this first feature, we’re proud to introduce Noveni Usun, a talented communicator and member of our multimedia team. Noveni has been at the forefront of documenting key moments during COP16, Climate Weeks, and community-driven events, offering a unique perspective that blends cultural heritage with a sharp focus on the voices of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LCs). Through her work, she brings to life the resilience, leadership, and stories that often shape global climate dialogues.
Stay tuned as Noveni shares her journey, experiences from the field, and the lessons she’s gathered while amplifying the power of her community’s voice on the global stage
I would like to open the journal by thanking my team at If Not Us Then Who (INUTW), for providing such space and opportunity to experience all of the things that I’m going to share with you. An experience that once again boosted my vision as a recent communicator, to be exposed to the amazing change-makers from different regions around the world that face similar problems.
This is one of my most unexpected and transformative work trip with INUTW, a journey that marked a series of “firsts”, where each one unfolding like a new chapter in a story I never even dreamed of, I started as a mentee at the Emerging Filmmakers program and one day got to be at a space where change-makers; Indigenous Peoples, Local Community, Afro-descendant leaders are coming together to shape a future holding a hard exhausting negotiation with the global leaders.
In this photo journal blog series, you won’t see many photos of me since I was the one behind the camera. But let’s start with the first time I set foot in South America, and with just a few photos of myself.
Colombia is a country I had been manifesting for a while. The plan was to visit for a few months and practice Spanish. My team had told me that it’s rare to have an activist who speaks Spanish, Indonesian, and English, and I understood how valuable it would be to speak those languages.
Walking around the city, I honestly had no expectations. I wasn’t prepared for the warmth of the people, and really appreciating how effortlessly they made me feel at home in a place so far from my own. The vibrant murals and graffiti that covered the streets weren’t just beautiful; each one told a meaningful story that deeply moved me. As a creative person, I found myself reflecting on the power of artivism—how art can be both an expression of identity and a tool for social change. Some of the pieces felt like a dialogue between the past and present, a visual conversation about resilience, resistance, and hope. These murals didn’t just decorate the city—they were the city’s heartbeat, and they inspired me to think more critically about how I, too, can use creativity to tell stories that matter.
And one of the places that stands out in my memory was Puerto Resistencia, to see communities come supporting one another, such a healing in today’s world.
This was a series of firsts for me. It was my first time attending Conference of the Parties (COP) and my first time receiving accreditation as part of the media/press crew with INUTW. I was incredibly proud to wear the badge, as it marked the beginning of a new chapter in my career and an important step in my professional development.
Now, if you please allow me to share some memories of my experience at the Biodiversity conference, particularly being part of one of our most impactful programs, ‘Our Village.’ This time was especially meaningful since we just hit a big milestone of 10 years of running an event that provides a platform for Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, and Afro-descendants to speak for themselves and share their stories. And we did it in the most fun and vibrant way—through Art, Photography, Music, Film, Food, Tradition, and Wisdom.
I can share all of these details because I was there, experiencing, witnessing, and even documenting them. I’m truly grateful and so proud to be part of making an impact most enjoyably and, most importantly, in a collective spirit. Consider this your invitation to attend our next ‘Our Village’ and experience it for yourself!
Two years ago I realized this strong feeling of wanting to working with community, as it makes me feel alive. It nourishes my soul and spirit, and I know I want to do more. But I never thought I would ever be super lucky to work with such an amazing organization with great kind soul people and to call them my team.
One of the reasons I feel so aligned with INUTW is because I want to be the bridge for people to tell their own narratives, and in this spirit, I’d like to share a piece of wisdom from my good friend Kalfein Wuisan: ‘Indigenous Peoples are the best storytellers.’ I couldn’t agree more with that statement.
Speaking of Kalfein, although he wasn’t physically with us during the event, his words and energy were very much present. I was thrilled when I saw the special merch, and I captured a candid moment of my senior, Hugo Metz, setting up his camera on the counter at the entrance.
During this trip, my main task was to document the events we held at ‘Our Village’ through my photography and welcome to Casa de Mono! This is where we spend whole week running Our Village + EC at COP16.
The opening was marked by a very intimate fire ceremony led by a local spiritual leader, Ernestina Miranda, a spiritual afro descendant elder from San Basilio de Palenque. She guided us through the blessing, where everyone gathered in a circle, the necessary quietness uniting our thoughts.
If you know me, you know how fascinated I get when youth are involved. Yes, the motto from my first film project, Through the Dance, is ‘We see, we copy.’ To me, this is one of the most effective ways to pass down knowledge, wisdom, tradition, and practices—everything you can name. I loved seeing the youth in the ceremony, especially when they were naturally engaged and learning by doing. That’s where the magic happens—when they’re able to witness and participate in something meaningful. To me, that’s how we ensure wisdom and culture live on. As my present today was also from seeing elders in my community fighting for their land to protect their forest.
During the opening night, we had a documentary screening about one of the senior figures, Lucia Ixhiu, a Mayan Indigenous K’iche woman, cultural promoter, journalist, and feminist who has been on the move since she was 13 years old. It was such a powerful and inspiring moment for me, to witness her courage, her consistency.
On another occasion, I also captured a couple of candid shots of her during an interview my team conducted, and they became some of my favorites from the journey. Looking at those photos, I think about how exhausting it must have been for her, yet there she was—standing tall and still telling her story.
I’ve shared with you some of the intimate and meaningful part first half of the opening night, now are you ready for the fun part that involves powerful singing and dancing? First, I would invite you to search Agojie de MUDE on the streaming platform. Or if you use Spotify, let me make it easy for you; here is the link to their Spotify.
Agojie de MUDE was one of the highlights of the night. Yes, we got to talk about resistance, feminism, activism, and rights—out loud, in the most fun way, through music and powerful lyrics. Artivism once again impressed me that advocacy could be done in a fun way. At the end of their performance, some of my good friends went to thank them, and I quickly captured a warm moment of them embracing one another in joy. Some of these photos even made it to a local online news outlet in Cali, Que Pasa en Cali Vel. Seeing my work published on a foreign page with over two hundred thousand followers is quite something.
Indigenous leaders from various villages of the Sierra Nevada were also present at the Our Village space
For me to be surrounded by people who have make big impact for the whole planet and many people, just such a healing moment.
Aterciopelados
Who would have thought I’d have such an up-close interaction, documenting a legendary duo with such humility and passion? And the fact that they even reposted my photos—wow. I shook Andrea’s hand as they were leaving. I thanked them for using their influence to discuss climate and Indigenous issues. I know no better.
La Guardia Indígena del Cauca Camp
When I was told we were going to screen our films at the camp of La Guardia Indígena del Cauca, I was nervous but excited at the same time. It was located at one of the universities with a large green space in Cali. I had no expectations, so you could say my reaction was completely candid. It was such a powerful moment to be there, and it reminded me of home—the way they welcomed us with open arms, the way they served food, and made sure we were comfortable.
Alongside my friends Tirza Ixmucane, Peregrino Shanocua Cha, and Elio Cunampio, who also shared their work, it was such an honor for me to screen my film Through the Dance, especially since their films are so impactful with strong narratives. Some of the films are award-winning. In between the screenings, one of the mobilizers gave a speech about the importance of film, photography, and arts as mediums for passing on knowledge and communicating our problems to the world. I really wish I had recorded that moment so I could rewatch it. Hearing those words was a reminder for me of why I do what I do and that it means something, and that the other young generations need to hear it, too.
Blue Zone
To be on duty at the Blue Zone, what is Blue Zone at COP?
“The Blue Zone at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP) refers to the area where official negotiations and key meetings take place. It is a highly secured space that is primarily accessible to government delegates, negotiators, UN staff, and accredited members of the media and observers. The Blue Zone is the core venue for the conference, where high-level discussions about climate policy, agreements, and action plans occur.” Yes, something like that.
On the first day of my commission duty, I had to head to the Blue Zone early to pick up my accreditation badge before starting my coverage. As you read above, I needed it to access the venue. The traffic was super busy since it was rush hour, but when I was going to order a ride to the venue, I discovered that ‘Uber Moto’ exists for female passengers in Cali. As an Indonesian who’s very used to riding and driving motorcycles, this was such great news for me. I could enjoy the city and get to places faster than everyone else stuck in cars.
I was somewhat flabbergasted when the driver who took my order turned out to be a woman. I asked for her permission to record and take photos with my action camera, and she was very kind to let me. As soon as I took the photos and videos, I immediately spread the excitement to my colleagues as they checked on me “where are you” I replied with this photo.
During my coverage days, there were so many moments where I found myself in awe, witnessing such powerful statements from the leaders who were present. It gave me a sense of relief, knowing that they are the ones chosen to speak for us. I might not be able to share all of the photos, but here are some that I think I want to share.
Match of Our Lives
Another interesting “firsts” was when I had the honor of playing soccer alongside Indigenous leaders from different regions, a friendly match against a professional female soccer team—an experience I never thought would come my way. Each of us united by a shared purpose, There was something so special about that moment: the power of sports to connect, to bridge cultures, to break barriers. Once again I am so grateful to be part of people with such creativity, holding a campaign for such topics in the most fun way. Photo credit to Mariel Jumpa, our amazing communications manager.
And with this, I bring this photo journal to a close. I want to take a moment to once again express my heartfelt gratitude to my incredible team for believing in me and for involving not only myself but other Indigenous youth in this journey, who will also share their experience.
Your unwavering support and commitment to our voices have made all the difference, and I am proud to have been part of this meaningful collaboration. Together, we’ve captured more than just images—we’ve shared stories, built connections, and celebrated our culture in ways that will resonate for years to come. Thank you for this opportunity to contribute, learn, and grow.
Blog written by
Noveni Usun
Dayak Bahau I Indonesia
Photographer & Mentorship Comms Officer
Follow Noveni: Instagram I LinkedIn
To contact Noveni for press moments, or speaking opportunities, contact: [email protected] and [email protected]