Doutzen Kroes是國際知名的超級模特兒，兼專注守護大象的社會運動家，在國際保育的議題上有相當影響力。最近在倫敦舉行的世界青年峰會上，Doutzen 公開讚揚著名靈長類動物學家 Dr Goodall 的貢獻，並表示 Dr Goodall 正是啟發她年幼開始關心動物和環境的人。就在世界氣候會議舉行前夕，The China Current 訪問了 Doutzen 。
我是節目主持人 James Chau。Doutzen，大家都了解你對時裝界的貢獻，亦很清楚你的慈善工作，但我想由你的名字Doutzen開始我們的訪問。這名字是什麼意思？有沒有特別的喻意？
這是我祖母的名字，去年我更發現它代表「和平使者」，我覺得這個名字很有意義。
你是一個經常出差旅行的人，也會在很多不同的城市工作。你對現今的世界有甚麼體會？
我認為人類彼此之間可以更加親密和友善，我們好像失去了對人和大自然的同理心。我感到擔憂，因為我有兩個孩子，我想為他們留下一個美麗的世界。今次來到世界峰會讓我十分鼓舞，我遇到一群想法相近，同時又很有感染力的年輕領導人。
你的孩子還很年幼，我想他們還不到10歲。我們現今的世界，也就是他們的將來，實際上處於一個非常脆弱的狀態。如果現在有機會扭轉破壞，並恢復地球原來的狀態，你是否認為現在為時已晚？
我不想說是否太遲，而是我們應該做點什麼，即使一小步都可以。現在世界已開始改變，我有幸參與其中，我感到非常有使命感及充滿希望。
我想和你談談國際社會可以幫助推動這個改變的方法。在此之前，可以跟我分享有關 Knot on My Planet 的工作嗎？是不是用「K」開首的「Knot」？
對，是「Knot」。我們是一個守護大象的組織。很不幸，很多野生大象被人類非法狩獵，牠們的數量正在不斷減少。打結是古代人把不想忘記的事情記錄的方式，而大象就以永遠不會忘記事情見稱。兩者合起來，我們覺得可以用打結的方式，提醒世人永遠不要忘記大象。我們會以打結展開了我們的行動，去提醒人們大象正在消失的事實。事實上我們為大象危機基金會籌集資金，希望可以把這個劣勢改變。現時 (中國）禁止象牙貿易，本來象牙是手工藝文化的一部分，也有藥用價值。我們必須制止及改變這種文化，並用其他東西代替。
你希望中國可以做更多嗎？下一步，中國又可以做些甚麼？
最重要的，是我們要清楚徹底的改變不可能在短時間內發生。2017年實施的象牙貿易禁令是一個好消息，好開始，逆轉一個文化很難。大象與人類非常相似，牠們跟人類都有情感。當大象去世時，牠的族群會回到同一個地方哀悼。如果可以告訴大家大象有多特別，以及人類不可能在沒有其他動物的環境下生存，人類依賴大自然生存。大象是非洲自然環境的建築師，保護了大象，就可以保護整個生態系統。
我知道你在中國工作過，到過中國很多次嗎？
只有一次
去了哪裡？
我在上海工作，在那裡待了幾天，體驗當地文化。
只有你自己一個？
我和姐姐一起去，我很喜歡上海，然後去了北京。我們去了萬里長城，還有我很喜歡當地的食物。
在不同的文化環境中，你的感覺如何？
我習慣了適應不同地方的文化，並且喜歡吸收其他文化和學習它們。旅行又可以結識不同背景的人，你會學到很多東西，這很重要！如果我們所有人都願意認識不同的文化，世界就會很不一樣。如果我們旅行時都樂意認識當地的文化，思想開放一點，我認為世界可以變得很不一樣。世界氣候會議即將舉行，又是推動世界往好的方向發展的另一個機會。
事業以外你還是兩個孩子的母親，以及作為各地年輕人的代表。你希望一眾參加本屆會議的政治領導人，能夠做一些甚麼他們未做好的事情？
我希望大家學會少說話，多採取行動，因為我們已討論了很多年了，不可以再拖延。我崇拜像 Greta Thunberg這樣的人，他們會付諸行動並為目標奮鬥，是真正的社會運動家。我希望我們都可以這樣做，努力以赴，盡力把這個劣勢改變，否則就真是太遲了。
Doutzen, you are known for helping shape the fashion industry. You are known also for philanthropy. But I want to start with your name, 'Doutzen'. What does it mean? What does it carry for you?
It's my grandmother's name and I found out last year that it means 'peacemaker'. So that's actually a really nice meaning to a name, to have.
Especially in the world today, you're someone who travels extensively for your work and you work as such in many different communities. What do you make of the world today, as you see it?
I think we could be a lot more friendlier to each other and welcoming. I feel like we're losing a lot of empathy towards each other and towards the natural life. And this is something that bothers me because I have two children. I want to leave a beautiful world for them behind. And it's just very inspiring to be here at the One Young World Summit, to see so many inspiring young leaders that feel the same way.
Your children are young, I think they're under the age of 10. And the planet that you speak of, which you and all of us will leave for them to inherit, is now in a very fragile state. Do you think it's too late now, for us to reverse the damage and to restore what it was supposed to be?
I don't want to say it's too late. But how it's supposed to be maybe it is, but I think every little bit helps. So the fact that we are now... this global change is happening, and to be part of that feels very empowering and hopeful.
I'd love to talk to you a bit about some of the countries who can help enact a positive transformation. But first, tell me about Knot On My Planets. And that's not with a 'K'.
It's knot with a 'K' because we are an organization that's trying to save the elephants, because they are unfortunately being poached at a very big rate, and are disappearing. People are known to tie knots to not forget anything. And elephants are known to never forget something. And to bring that together, we feel like we should tie knots to not forget elephants and this was our initial campaign. We would tie knots to raise awareness for the fact that elephants are disappearing. And now we actually are also raising money for the Elephant Crisis Fund. And hopefully, we will create the reverse.
There is now a ban on the ivory trade and the ivory is part of the culture, in the arts and the crafts, for the medicinal values. But it's had to stop that and then reject that culture, and replace it with something else. What would you like China to do more of, or what do you think it could do next?
I think the most important thing is that we need to we cannot expect change within a very short time and for us, the fact that there was a ban in 2017, for us was incredible news, because it's a really great start. To reverse a culture is something that's very difficult. Elephants are very similar to humans, we have very similar emotions. They mourn when an elephant dies, they come back to the same place. So to show them the incredible animal an elephant is and that we cannot live without animals. We cannot live... because we thrive on nature, human beings. And elephants are architect of the African landscape. If you protect elephants, you protect the huge habitat of ecosystems.
You've obviously been and worked in China. Many times?
No, only once.
And where was it to?
I worked in Shanghai, and I stayed a couple of days to experience while I was there the culture.
You stayed on for yourself?
Yes, I went with my sister. And I really enjoyed Shanghai and then went to Beijing and we were at the Chinese Wall and the food of course!
What was it like for someone who's grown up in very different setting?
I'm used to different cultures and I love to absorb different cultures and learning. And I think you learn so much from travel and meeting different people from different cultures. It's very important. If we all would do that, the world will be a whole different place. If we would all travel or at least if we would all meet different cultures, and be open to each other's cultures, and ne open minded, I think the world would be a different place.
The world will meet again very shortly for the Climate Change Conference . Yet another opportunity, yet another chance to do the right thing. As not just your own person but as a mother with two children and as a champion of young people everywhere, what do you want the political leaders at this conference to do now, if they have not already?
I would love them to talk a little bit less and take more action, because we've talked about this for so many years and we don't have so much time left. So I love people like Greta Thunberg, who just takes action and go for it and are true activists. And I think that's the approach we need to have because we need to fight really hard to further reverse [climate change], because otherwise it's too late.
