Amanda Leonie

Amanda currently works as the Director of the School of Acting Justly, Loving Tenderly, Treading Humbly (SALT), an organisation that focuses on Indigenous minority rights and environmental degradation. Amanda works with Indigenous communities and makes documentary films as an advocacy tool to raise awareness of the impact of dam development on Indigenous communities in Sabah, Malaysia. Through youth-led initiatives, SALT aims to empower Indigenous youth in protecting their rights. SALT promotes the importance of protecting Indigenous cultures, and youth participation in different decision-making processes; and organises a 2-week annual human rights training program for Indigenous students from various tertiary institutions in Malaysia. Amanda aims to use the training received in this program as a means to improve her advocacy skills in protecting Indigenous peoples’ rights, particularly in engaging with government and the private sector. She also intends to apply the knowledge gained during the program to raise awareness for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in a creative way.