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Russia Turns Ukraine's Fertile Farmland into a Battleground; Ukraine and Russia Sign Grain Export Deal; Dangerous Sea Crossings Surge as World Focuses on Ukraine; Going Green to Preserve the Planet. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired July 22, 2022 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[10:00:31]

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Some relief for the global food crisis in the works. Any moment now Ukraine and Russia are expected to sign

a crucial deal to take shipments of grain moving again. And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hate this boat. I hate it. I hate it because they take my son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Anguish and unthinkable choices. A look into the world's deadliest migrant route. Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you broke the law - - can't say that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: What the former U.S. presidents just couldn't bring himself to say about the January 6th Capitol rioters.

I'm Becky Anderson live from London for you where the time is 3:00 p.m. Hello, and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD.

Well, a major step towards easing the global food crisis due to happen any minute now in Turkey. Ukraine and Russia will sign the United Nations

brokered deal to free up Ukrainian grain exports for global shipments.

Now Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan who helped negotiate that deal will attend the ceremony in this room that you are looking at now.

Ceremonies in Istanbul, along with the U.N. secretary-general. This deal coming after Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Mr. Erdogan last

week during a trilateral summit in Iran.

And the numbers we are talking about are huge. Some 20 million tons of grains stuck in silos due to Russian blockades of Black Sea ports. Grain

prices and food prices in general, as you would be well aware of, have skyrocketed this year across the globe increasing fears of food insecurity

or even famine in some of the world's poorest nations.

Well, even with the blockade lifted, Ukrainian wheat farmers will still face big challenge in what is this now nearly five month-long war. This is

what our Ivan Watson found when he toured one of those farms. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is absolutely surreal. We're amid the wreckage of previous battles, armored

personnel carriers, military vehicles. And then you've got farmers out here that are harvesting wheat right now. The vehicles that have been destroyed

here this could have happened back in March, February, much earlier. But we're also seeing these impact craters from shell strikes that we're told

probably took place within the last couple of weeks.

(Voice-over): Despite the threats these brave farmers still bring in their harvest only to face another obstacle.

(On camera): This is 3,000 tons of wheat from last year's harvest. He can't sell this wheat because the Russian military has blockaded Ukraine's ports.

So there's no way for this to be sold except at an enormous loss.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: The lifting of that blockade then will hopefully put some of that grain back on the market.

Want to talk more about this looming deal with Nada Bashir, she's in Istanbul, and our international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is in Kyiv.

And as we begin to speak, so I am told we are awaiting the entrance of the Turkish president alongside Ukrainian and Russian defense ministers. This

deal, of course, brokered by the U.N. so Antonio Guterres expected to arrive in that room momentarily as well. And there you see him arriving.

Before we get to the speakers here, Nic, very briefly, how will this deal work? And logistically how quickly can we get this grain back on the

market?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Ukrainians are saying days, could be 10 days before some of that grain can at least get moving.

There will be guaranteed or at least agreed shipping channels. Rather than get rid of the sea mines that have been defending Ukrainian ports,

Ukrainian pilots will board the cargo vessels to navigate them through that area.

Turkey will oversee, along with all concerned parties, will oversee and check that the ships stay in their lanes and that the goods that they're

carrying don't break any sanctions.

[10:05:11]

So there's oversight. But I think you get a sense of how tenuous this can be, potentially, because there's no hard and fast ceasefire around the

ports. That's not part of the agreement here. And the Ukrainians have already said, the adviser to President Zelenskyy has said in a tweet today

that if the Russians fire on those ports, then obviously the exports will stop. So it is a deal that Russia signs with a U.N., that Ukraine signs

with the U.N. but they don't sign together. And that again tells us the tensions that exist.

But a huge diplomatic achievement for the United Nations, for Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and certainly, for him, the opportunity to

present this as possibility and hope going forward in the future.

ANDERSON: Stand by. Let's listen in to what Antonio Guterres has to say.

ANTONIO GUTERRES, U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL (through translator): His Excellencies, Mr. Erdogan, the president, His Excellencies, ladies and

gentlemen. Today, in the Black Sea, we now have a light of hope. We have this light of a possibility. We have a light of a recourse the world needs

this more than ever.

President Erdogan and the government of Turkey, your facilitation and persistence have been essential. Through every step of this process. Shock

to secure therein. Thank you very much. To the representations of the Russian federation and Ukraine, you have overcome obstacles and put aside

differences to pave the way for an initiative that will serve the common interests of all. Promoting welfare of humanity has been the driving force

of these talks.

The question has not been what is good for one side or the other, the focus has been on what matters most for the people of our world. And let there be

no doubt, this is an agreement for the world. It will bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most wonderful

people on the edge of famine. And to help stabilize global food prices, which were already at record levels even before the war. A true nightmare

for developing countries.

Specifically, the initiative we just signed opens at best for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the

Black Sea, Odessa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhny. The shipment of grain and food stocks into world markets will help bridge the global food supply gap and

reduce pressure on our prices.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, this agreement did not come easy. Since the war started, I have been highlighting that there is no solution to the

global food crisis without ensuring full global access to Ukraine's food products and Russian food and fertilizers. Today we took important steps to

achieve these objectives. But it has been a long road.

In April, after being received by President Erdogan, I met with President Putin and President Zelenskyy to propose a plan for solutions. And we have

been working every day since. It took immense efforts and commitments by all sides and weeks of around-the-clock negotiations. The commitment and

dedication are even more vital today. This initiative must be fully implemented because the world so desperately needs it to tackle the global

food crisis.

We count on the government of Turkey have to maintain its critical role going forward. And I'm here to pledge the full commitment of the United

Nations, will remain closely involved in working for the agreement's success. We are ramping up efforts to ensure the U.N. is positioned to

deliver on its commitments. I'm grateful for the work of the two U.N. task forces that developed a parallel, coherent and coordinated approach.

One led by Martin Griffith and the secretary general for Humanitarian Affairs, and including the International Maritime Organization, focused on

the shipment of Ukrainian grains to the Black Sea. Today we are announcing the establishment of a joint coordination center to monitor implementation

of the Black Sea Initiative. The other task force led by Rebecca Grynspan, secretary general of UNCTAD, centered on facilitating the unimpeded access

to food and fertilizers originating in the Russian federation to global markets.

[10:10:10]

And this also resulted in an agreement. I urge all sides to spare no efforts to implement their commitments. We must also spare no effort for

peace. This is an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in bloody conflict. But that conflict continues, and people are dying every

day. And fighting is raging every day. The beacon of hope on the Black Sea is shining bright today, thanks to the collective efforts of so many.

In this trying and turbulent time, for the region and all globe, let that beacon guide the way towards easing human suffering and securing peace.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Hopefully they will come to a secure and safe position. Distinguished parties, now I would like to invite

Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of the Republic of Turkey, for his address. I would like to invite him to the (INAUDIBLE).

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translator): Distinguished secretary general, dear ministers, dear members of delegations, I would

like to greet you all with love and respect.

Civilizations and continents meet in Istanbul and I would like to welcome you to this city. On 29th March, we held a meeting as an important turning

point in the negotiations, and after this meeting we are together once again.

You, our dear friends, are here in Istanbul for yet another historic day. And it is a great pleasure for me to be hosting you here today. The world

has been busy for a long time, with the solutions for the global food crisis. And this initiative will play an important role. And we have this

righteous pride of paving the way forward, along with a deal made today from Africa to the Middle East, from America to Asia.

Millions of people will be relieved of this danger of hunger and we will be contributing to this solution all together. In food stuffs and agricultural

products, the world needs to establish food security, which is very important in many aspects. Now we have been experiencing heat waves which

will lead to losses in the yield, which will need mean some additional price increases. But this deal will be blocking that process.

And it will also assist in the management of the global inflation in food prices. Of course, this has not been a two-day process. There is grain

waiting to be exported through the Black Sea in Ukrainian ports. And we talked with United Nations representatives and also the relevant parties.

This has been a very struggle-laden process. And we have always been in contact with our Ukrainian counterparts, throughout.

The two countries have their expectations and concerns. And in order to relieve them, we have held some very comprehensive consultations. Ministers

of Foreign Affairs have been working on this quite a lot. Now, Mr. Guterres and his team prepared the first draft of the plan and they contributed to

it in a very significant way. We would like to appreciate their efforts, and Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelenskyy, I would like to thank them for the

leadership they have demonstrated.

In the coming days, we are going to see the start of the ship traffic. And with that many countries around the world will be able to have a breath of

fresh air. Now this will contribute to the entire process from the exports to the arrival in destination and on all points we have made an agreement.

Of course, the execution and inspection will be covered by the Joint Coordination Center to be established in Istanbul.

In order for this plan to be implemented with great success, we require of course the support of the international community.

[10:15:06]

It is very important undoubtedly. Dear friends, about four months ago we were again in Istanbul talking about Ukraine and Russia in our

negotiations, in our auspices, and we did cover some ground there, and we were able to freshen up the hopes for the end of the war. Unfortunately the

developments after the meeting exacerbated the conflict.

From the beginning we have been saying that this war will not have a winner and not only the parties but the entire world will suffer losses by reason

of this war. For about five years the conflict has been nonstop almost and there are global implications, unfortunately confirmed our vision. As the

war goes on and the weapons are being discharged, we see some losses in the humanitarian side, as well as economic losses.

Of course, the war is affecting not only the parties of this conflict, but the entire humanity around the entire world. However, this developments

will end in our opinion. We don't believe that this will go on. And we hope that this conflict that created humanitarian issue should end as soon as

possible. And we all know that there won't be a fair winner out of this conflict. The Russian and Ukrainian side are here in order to take this

joint step with us. And this step will hopefully be a new turning point that will freshen the hopes for the end of the conflict.

Now the developments in the fields can take different turns. Regardless of these terms, the war will end on the negotiations table. Now, we are

creating this peaceful atmosphere and we hope that this attitude will contribute to the efforts to end the war and this will be for the benefit

of the entire humanity. We have this consciousness given to us, and we will continue to act on the basis of that consciousness.

Until we have full peace in our region, and we will do whatever is necessary under our law of neighborhood. May God assist us along the way.

And with these thoughts ending my speech I would like to thank you and every one of you for your efforts once again.

Today we are going to sign this deal and I hope that this agreement will be for the benefit of our countries and the entire humanity. And I would like

to thank everyone who has contributed to this deal.

On behalf of my nation and on behalf of myself, and I would like to say goodbye yet again with love and respect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We would like to thank our distinguished president for his address.

ANDERSON: Well, that is one of the shortest speeches I think I can remember by the Turkish president who followed Antonio Guterres there in Turkey.

Antonio Guterres opening his speech by describing this agreement on Ukrainian grain as a beacon of light in the Black Sea. He thanked President

Erdogan for his critical role in getting this agreement and said this is not about what is good for one side or the other, but he said this is an

agreement for to the whole world, helping some of the most vulnerable people around the world, specifically the initiative which is to open

maritime routes from three Ukrainian ports.

He said didn't come easily. This hasn't been an easy agreement. Today he said we have taken important steps to address the global food crisis. This

must be fully implemented. And he hopes that it will be. The president of Turkey then described this deal as the result of much negotiation. It will

he said help in the management of the global food inflation environment. And he thanked, by names, Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy, for the part that

they have played in sealing this deal.

In order for this plan to be successful, it requires the help of the international community. And as I speak here, we are seeing the signing of

this agreement to critical grain exports out of Ukraine by the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministers.

From the beginning, President Erdogan said there will be no winner in the war, and that includes the global community.

[10:20:08]

But he said he is confident this will not go on forever. The Russians and Ukrainians are here, he said, and you see them both there at the table. And

he hopes that this initiative will be instrumental and further efforts to peace. The presidents of Turkey suggesting this war will end at the

negotiating table. And a very symbolic handshake there by the Ukrainian and Russian counterparts behind the head of the U.N. and the head of Turkey

there.

Two very important stakeholders in what has been a critical deal to get grain exports out of Ukraine. I can't underscore just how important this

is, and how seeing the Russians and the Ukrainians at the same table is a big moment in what has been a more than five months long war.

Nic Robertson is with me. And as we look at these pictures, Nic, I think it's important just to point out that this has been a longtime coming. We

are getting very little detail on how this deal will work logistically and how quickly this grain can get to market. Do we know any more at this

point?

ROBERTSON: We don't. What we heard from Antonio Guterres there was the limited detail that's been made explicitly public. And he talked about this

sort of joint controlled sense that it will be in Istanbul that will oversee the implementation of the agreement. He seemed, in the way that he

structured his speech, to say that that was sort of overseeing the Ukrainian part of it and when he spoke about the Russian part of it I felt,

at least, perhaps it was just the way he structured a speech, but it felt at least as if there was even less detail on that and less detail on

oversight.

But we understand the two agreements that have been signed here are a mirror of each other. I think it was very telling that you had the

Ukrainian and the Russian at the opposite end of the table yet they were looking at each other when they were signed. And I think for anyone looking

at the optics of this huge diplomatic lift, as you've so accurately described it, many, many months in the making.

The fact that they shook hands speaks volumes for how far they've come. But I think again, this lack of detail that we have underscores some of the

tenuous nature in trying to reach an agreement. You know, we see many agreements agreed around the world. And the more extensive the detail on

the agreement, the more tightly it is woven. And the less there is, if you will, that could go wrong.

We know that here, for example, there's no cease-fire. Hard and fast. So Russia would have the opportunity to shell the port of Odessa. That they

have been doing until very recent days. Now including the agreement that the concept of the agreement is that they don't do that. But it's not hard

and fast written. We know from the Ukrainian side that if there is a military strike, they will also respond.

Neither side is going to sit on their hands. The war goes on despite that handshake. But it is a very, very big day and the first time, really, since

the conflict began back in late February that we can see a diplomatic albeit, you know, the secretary general describes it as a light, as a

beacon. One has to caution and just say that is on a very distant horizon. But for this immediate need of food, it is absolutely the guiding light

that should, in the short-term, make a difference.

ANDERSON: Let's bring in Nada who is there in Turkey. The president meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin of course just a few days ago in

what was a trilateral summit in Iran. I just think it's important that we point to the role that the Turkish president has played in bringing this

initiative to the table, allowing for this very symbolic moment in what has been such a grim war to date.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, Becky. And that role won't go unnoticed by the Turkish president, nor Turkish media. Of course this is

a significant breakthrough deal. But this is also a major diplomatic win for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here in Turkey. Now he has long been

sort of an outlier, if you like, from his NATO allies in terms of not independently laying sanctions on Russia.

[10:25:02]

He has condemned the war in Ukraine. He has supported the Ukrainian armed forces in supplying military hardware. But he has also maintained that

channel dialogue and deep negotiation with the Russian federation. And clearly, now, as we see that real symbolic handshake, this breakthrough

agreement, this has proven to be quite the positive move for the Turkish government and quite the diplomatic win.

This has taken weeks, months of negotiations, of talks with the Ukrainian side and also with the Russian side along with the United Nations. This has

been going on, as we heard, from Antonio Guterres since April when he raised this matter with both President Erdogan and with Zelenskyy and

Putin.

And President Erdogan in turn has really tried to mediate those efforts for a significant amount of time now. And we are of course seeing those

somewhat positive results. Guterres describing it as a beacon of hope at least when it comes to this food security crisis at this stage. And we

heard from President Erdogan saying that the Turkish government and he himself take great pride in being able to push forward this agreement at

this stage to focus on securing a resolution on this food security crisis.

He also underscored the urgency of this agreement because of course Ukraine is still waiting to explore some 20 million tons of grain. And that could

very well rot in the silos that it is being kept at as a result of this blockade on Ukraine's southern ports. So this is a really significant move,

and particularly for President Erdogan as well. But of course there are also questions around the implementation.

Turkey is set to play a very prominent role on the implementation of this agreement and we heard from a senior U.N. official speaking earlier today

describing that joint coordination center that is going to be established here in Istanbul as the heartbeat of this operation. So Turkey will be

charged with the responsibility of overseeing this joint coordination center along with representation from both Ukraine and Russia, as well as

representation from the United Nations.

But they will also be overseeing the inspection of these vessels to ensure that this can operate safely through these safe corridors that are going to

be established. So it is a huge responsibility for Turkey to undertake. And of course all eyes will be on the implementation, whether or not this can

work and whether all this can work in time of course because there is a massive amount of time pressure and urgency on this operation.

ANDERSON: Very, very good point. Nada and Nic, for the time being, thank you.

You are looking at pictures of what was a historic signing, it has to be said, just moments ago. Hopefully allowing for the critical grain at the

moment stuck in Ukraine to be exported through the Black Sea and out to parts of the world that need it so desperately. That grain really sitting

behind one of the really critical impacts of this war. The food inflation situation.

So when can this grain start moving? Well, in the next hour of CONNECT THE WORLD, I'll put that question to one of the chief architects of today's

agreement. You saw him there, U.N. security general -- secretary general, Antonio Guterres. He will join me live on this show from Istanbul. Do stay

with us for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:30:47]

ANDERSON: Well, some relief for the global food crisis. A crucial deal between Ukraine and Russia, signed just moments ago. More on that as we

move through this hour.

As Russia's war on Ukraine of course rages on we've seen countries across Europe welcoming Ukrainian refugees with open arms. But a lot of aid groups

are saying the focus on Ukraine means that other crisis are frankly being ignored.

One thing that's fallen off the radar is the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. Since 2021 there has been a major uptick in the number of

people trying to cross into Europe.

CNN's David McKenzie takes an exclusive look at the world's deadliest migration route.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Through Kelibia's faded fishing boats, Samia Jabloun searches. Where is that boat,

she asks. Did they take it back to sea? Samia wears Fadi's image on her shirt. She still sees her son in her dreams.

SAMIA JABLOUN, MOTHER: This boat that takes my son. I hate this boat. I hate it. I hate it because they take my son.

MCKENZIE: In this video, you can see Italy in the distance. It is Samia's last image of Fadi before he vanished.

In Europe, millions of Ukrainians are given shelter from the war. But we're in Tunisia, tracking what the U.N. and Tunisian officials call the biggest

surge of illegal migrants in years. From across the African continent, migrants make the desperate journey across the Mediterranean through a

loose network of dangerous criminal gangs.

MCKENZIE (on camera): So our producers are just going to speak to the smuggling king pin who works on trying to get people out of Tunisia into

Europe. We are just seeing if he is comfortable to talk in this neighborhood.

(Voiceover): But this is his zone, these are his people. He says his gang pulls up to 20,000 U.S. dollars for a boat of migrants, that's up to $2,000

each, live or die. There are no guarantees at sea, he says, because we could take you, but the authorities could catch you. Unless you die, then

death is your destiny.

A destiny like this, crammed into vessels leaving at night. This passage is the planet's deadliest known migration route, says the United Nations. More

than 24,000 have gone missing just since 2014. But still they go. Next time I'm taking my wife and daughter, says the smuggler.

(On camera): Even though you know some people don't make it?

(Voiceover): Yes, they'll be in God's hands. Whatever God wants for us.

Those prayers often go unanswered. These migrant boats piled up by the coastguard harbor

(On camera): A small boat like this could put 10 people on it to go to Italy.

AYMAN MBARKI, COMMANDER, TUNISIAN COAST GUARD: OK. Imagine it's -- that we have 10 people on board of this small boat for a trip of 120 miles.

MCKENZIE: 120 miles?

MBARKI: 120 miles. For that, sometimes, the operation of looking for immigrants becomes operation of assistance and the recuperation of dead

bodies.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): Even with the latest gear funded by the European Union and U.S., Colonel Yman Mbarki says the coast guard can't possibly

trace thousands of migrants trying to leave. When they catch them, he says, they often say they will try again.

MBARKI (through translator): No matter how well you are trained and equipped, if you do not cure the economic and social causes of illegal

migration, then it will continue, for Tunisians and for other Africans.

MCKENZIE (on camera): So we have met this group of Ivorian, they're coming through this place near the sea. Not only is it dangerous, this perilous

journey to Europe, but they're afraid while they're here on Tunisian shores.

(Voiceover): They live a marginal existence, working for years just to save enough money to pay the smugglers, often as laborers and maids.

[10:35:02]

Here in Tunisia, it's bad, we live illegally, says Deborah, who wants to take her 4-month-old daughter on a smuggler's boat. When we get to Europe,

we will be illegal, too, but the conditions are better, we have no liberty here.

(On camera): Are you afraid of this journey?

(Voiceover): Often I'm afraid, but sometimes I'm not because when I see the problems that I am going through, she says, when I see a future in our

dreams, my fears vanish. She says, Ukrainians are welcome because they are European.

(On camera): The millions of Ukrainians are being led in by the European Union. Why aren't they letting more Africans into the European Union?

RAMADAN BIN OMAR, TUNISIAN FORUM FOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS (through translator): Political systems still look at humans based on their color,

gender, religion, and ethnicity, and don't look at them as people who are entitled to the same rights at the same level.

JABLOUN: These are the photos of my son, Fadi.

MCKENZIE (voiceover): Surrounded by her son's image, Samia says at least one migrant on the smuggling boat made it to Italy. They told her Fadi

swam, too. Then, like thousands before him, he vanished.

(On camera): But do you still have hope he's alive?

JABLOUN: Yes, of course. Yes, yes. I suffer. Every day I suffer. When I look at his photos, I hurt. I hope that God helps him. I hope --

MCKENZIE (voice-over): David McKenzie, CNN, Tunis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, a major step towards easing the global food crisis happening just moments ago in Turkey. Ukraine and Russia signing a United

Nations brokered deal to free up Ukrainian grain exports for global shipment. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who helped negotiate a

deal in attendance in Istanbul along with the U.N. secretary general. The deal coming after Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Mr. Erdogan

last week during what was a trilateral summit in Iran.

U.N. Secretary General Guterres joining me in my next hour for more on this critical deal and the details on how it will work. More on that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELATI WIJSEN, BYE BYE PLASTIC BAGS FOUNDER: I grew up on the island of Bali. I saw nature and the beauty of nature and the natural world every

single day. Whether that was the rice fields, the ocean, the beaches.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When she was 12, Melati Wijsen and her sister started a youth campaign to make Bali plastic bags

free. After seven years and a conversation with the governor, they succeeded. Bali's governor signed a law banning single use plastics in

2019. Now at 21, Melati is on to her next challenge.

[10:40:01]

WIJSEN: Throughout the journey of Bye Bye Plastic Bags, I found myself in other students' classrooms, spending more time in other students'

classrooms than in my own classrooms.

Who here is a story-teller? Who likes to tell stories?

And when they realized is that I always got one question no matter where I was in the world, whether that was New York, Tokyo or here in Indonesia.

And that question was always, Melati, how can I do what you do?

Why did you do it?

We are growing up in a world where, when we turn on the television or listen to the radio or swipe or scroll through our social media, every

other post, every other story is about the world that we are living in. The world where every living thing is slowly starting to die. This is our

reality so that's where Youthtopia comes in. We are learning platform where young people can learn from each other how to create change.

MADOWO: Youthtopia runs 153 youth workshops for young changemakers. They are tackling the climate crisis through education.

WIJSEN: This booklet is that an educational tool.

MADOWO: Melati works with 200 young changemakers around the world. Together they have educated more than 4500 students with their programs. She has

spoken all over the world from the World Economic Forum stage in Switzerland to the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

WIJSEN: I think back that the reason why I'm building Youthtopia is for 12- year-old Melati. Back when I started, I wish a platform like Youthtopia existed because how cool would it have been to call changemakers around the

world and say hey, I have this idea, what do you think about it?

BRUNHUBER: Melati hopes her story will empower young people around the world to join in on her mission.

WIJSEN: To all of you young people who are watching this, just go for it. Don't wait until you are older to start creating change.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: For this and more stories about the next generation of climate environmentalist you can visit CNN.com/GoingGreen.

All right. The German women's football team are through the semis of the European Football championships in what was a hard-fought victory over

Austria, Now Austria making the match closer than the 2-0 final score suggests. Germany sealing the win with one more unusual goal, as you will

see. This year, Alex Thomas is here, we've seen some terrific football in this tournament to date.

ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORTS: Yes, that was quick thinking by Alexandra Popp, who's Germany's captain and star striker. And interestingly she's

missed the last two Euros to injuries, really bad luck. So making a European Championship debut, Germany liking (INAUDIBLE), won all three of

their group games. Now they're through to the semis. The possibility of that England-Germany final awaits us, Becky. We've seen a few of those.

ANDERSON: Right. More on the in "WORLD SPORT," that's coming up after the break. I'll be back with the second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD after that.

So do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)

END