Interview with Celina Leila Coelho Bloomtrigger ambassador

Celina Leila Coelho in Barigüi Park, Curitiba-PR-Brazil.

Celina Leila Coelho is from Belém-PA (Brazil), it is in the middle of the Amazon forest. When she was little, she loved to go to the zoo, where the most beautiful and mysterious animal for her was the black ounce (a type of jaguar). She is graduate in advertisement and finishing a post-graduation in social management and sustainability in Curitiba. She is also a part of several initiatives, such as AIESEC-Belém (Biggest students run organization in the world), HUB Curitiba (an international coworking space) and Follow the Women Brasil.

* Click here to visit Celina’s bloomtrigger profile!

* What inspires you?
Creativity, innovation, perseverance and meeting people who do things that seem almost impossible.

* What makes you angry?
Intolerant people who are small minded and do not respect other peoples point of view.

* What is your personal mission?
I want to help other people to realize their visions for the good of the community. In today’s world of increasing globalization people have a lack of responsibility in their own community. So in order to improve communities and peoples quality of life, we need to be empowered to take action and I believe that is the key to long term prosperity and sustainability.

* If you were Prime Minister, what would be the first thing you would change?
Well, if I was in power in Brazil I would be the president not the prime minister and I think the most important thing would be to invest in education and in news ways for learning. Because in Brazil we are taught to be part of the bigger organization and not to think for ourselves, we need to invest in the long term, so people can question the way the things are done.

* Why did you agree to become a bloomtrigger ambassador?
It was an honour to be invited, I think this is a good initiative and it can make the difference, besides its very easy to be a part of it, anyone can help the cause.

* Can you describe a typical workday?
Now I’m applying for a master degree, so a typical workday for me is reading and writing, probably in a cafe or in the coworking space at the Hub.

* Can you think of a place or event you have been that has really inspired you?
I worked in a NGO located in Bogotá, Colombia. I was inspired because the people who lived in the community and who were part of the project were very poor, but they did many things with very little.

* How do you define success?
Living according to my values.

* What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?
An aikido sensei (A non-violent martial arts master) once told me: If there is a sword pointing in your direction, you tend to see only the sword, but a black belt can see the entire context and thousands of alternatives around the sword. To emphasise his point he demonstrated this in front of me.

* What’s your favourite book or film of late?
I love Invictus, the film about Nelson Mandela and Women who run with wolves by Clarissa Pínkola Estés.

* If you could get anyone to become a part of the bloomtrigger project who would it be and why?
You! who is reading this right now but is still not a part of the bloomtrigger project. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and join us!

* How do you go green in your daily life?
I think that the first step to be truly sustainable is to start asking questions: From where the clothes that I wear come from? And what is the impact that I cause when I make a decision? when you begin to question these things, then the true sustainable consciousness appears. So I wonder if the decisions I make today will impact in the future.

* What would you most like to happen to protect the planet?
I would like for people to become more tolerant about other human beings, respecting the people who you don’t know is the way for us all to share a healthy planet.

* Do you have a favourite quote you can share with us?
I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul – William Ernest Henley.

* If you found yourself stranded in a rainforest, what is the one thing you would like to have with you?
A raincoat is very useful to protect you from the rain, it would also be a shelter and besides it is possible to capture rainwater.

* To find out more about bloomtrigger’s ambassadors and to apply to become one click here!