"Waterman and Nestman encourage Changemakers: India's Social Action Mobilizer works towards a more environmentally friendly future"

The Social Action Mobilizer (SAM), a youth-led organisation, has embarked on an ambitious journey towards a greener, cleaner, and more resilient India. With a firm belief that leadership belongs to the young, SAM organised the Plant Your Future Campaign (PYFC) 2025, which culminated on 30 August 2025 at the India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi.

The campaign, which was the brainchild of SAM, was also supported by IFOAM Organics Europe. The focus of the event was on organic farming's contribution to a sustainable future through knowledge-intensive plant health care strategies, rather than input-intensive methods like synthetic pesticides or GMOs.

The Grand Conference day of PYFC 2025 mobilised over 350 participants, including volunteers, institutes, organisations, corporates, and citizens. Notable attendees included Shree Rajendra Singh, Shree Rakesh Khatri, and Ms. Vijaya Bharti Sayani.

Over the course of the month, PYFC recorded 13,500+ volunteers across campaigns and activities. On-ground outcomes included planting 9,000+ trees, dispersing 100,000+ seedballs, collecting 6,000 kgs of waste, recycling/upcycling 1,000 kgs of paper, and conducting 100+ community events.

The movement built by SAM is practical, plural, and rooted in local knowledge. To further its ambitions, SAM plans to engage 50,000 schools and colleges in climate literacy.

The conference celebrated grassroots excellence by awarding the Green Impact Champion Award, the Eco-Mobilizer Award, and the Green Innovation Award. DonateKart was the Title Sponsor, and the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) was the Award Sponsor for PYFC 2025.

SAM intends to train 500,000 youth leaders and aims to double its impact each year over the next ten years. The organisation's ten-year ambitions also include planting and protecting 10 million trees, seeking to convert volunteer energy into sustained systemic change.

The conference featured a panel on "Harnessing Diversity into Collective Action for Environment," highlighting the importance of diversity in driving collective action towards environmental sustainability.

In the words of SAM, "Our goal is a greener, cleaner, and more resilient India, starting today, not in ten years." With its practical, plural, and locally rooted approach, SAM is making significant strides towards this goal.