Hovannes is a kind and reserved dentist and med student from Aleppo, Syria.
Underneath his bushy eyebrows hide dark eyes, that subtly sparkle with mischief.
We met in Freiburg, South germany to talk about Climate Change & Mental Health.
We are sitting in his kitchen. He sips his tea and patiently looks at me.
>"Do you feel like Climate Change affects your day to day life?"
" Yes i feel like i have become more responsible, more aware of the impact i have.
I am currently eating less meat than when i lived in Aleppo, i try to buy less plastic and use public transport instead of driving a car.
>Where did you get your information from?
He pauses to think and twirls his long beard in his fingers.
"I only started at age 22/23 to inform myself. It wasn't a topic at all in Aleppo, due to cultural reasons. Europe is a good example for developping Countries. Here in Germany people are more aware, for example when i started language school here we had texts about climate change, plastic pollution. Children now learn about it in schools, it's great!"
>Does climate change affect your emotional well beeing?
I think all this talk about it affect me positivly. Because i can understand what we can do in the future to improve things. I have a lot of Hope for the future, i think that positive thinking is an important ressource. Activists have more an more impact on other people, and all generations are beeing better informed than before.
> Do you feel included into society through groups/ events related to ecological topics?
He smiles. "Yes i do, even though i am not part of any group. I feel like it's a mental shift happening, that connects me to others people. I change positively and become more aware of my impact. It's all about making conscious decisions"
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