• Viyana Pietersz’s vision as Miss Earth Sri Lanka 2023

Step into the enchanting world of Viyana Pietersz, the reigning Miss Earth Sri Lanka 2023. With the grace of a dancer and the wisdom of a business scholar, she’s a captivating blend of talent and purpose. In conversation with the recently crowned pageant winner, The Daily Morning Brunch uncovered what inspired Viyana to become an environmental ambassador on the global stage and her unique journey in mastering traditional dance and drumming. Together, we embarked on a journey through her story, where the arts meet the Earth.

What inspired you to participate in Miss Earth Sri Lanka 2023 and represent your country on the global stage?

During my childhood, I was always fascinated with how things in nature were truly perfect. Growing up in a country surrounded by the beautiful blue ocean with greenery in every corner, I was fond of how perfectly our mother nature flows through time and I always felt a strong bond towards nature. This sensation was like a calling to speak for nature.

I’ve seen that many of us take our planet and nature for granted. We don’t see the value of our environment; even though many of us speak about it, conservation of our environment and protecting what we have is something we don’t really focus on, which is one of the main reasons I thought of participating in an environmental pageant “to be the voice of mother nature”.

I’ve been a ramp model for a while, for the past two years. My choreographer and teacher Rukmal Senanayake taught me about the industry of ramp modelling and beauty pageants. My advocacy trainer Tharaka Gurukanda was also someone who I should appreciate for his constant support and guidance related to advocacy, and I have to appreciate the support that my national director Thusitha Perera has given.

 Can you tell us more about your journey in mastering traditional Sri Lankan and Indian dancing styles as well as traditional drumming?

Traditional forms of Sri Lankan dancing were something I started during the early years of 2005 when I was a mere child. I loved how dancing could express emotions along with a pinch of culture. Initially, I started learning the Kandyan style of dancing: as a child, to be honest, I loved how colourful the Kandyan dancing attire was, but as I moved forward, I learnt that the Kandyan form of dancing had generational values as well. After learning Kandyan dancing, I moved my focus towards low-country dancing, which was quite different from Kandyan. As time moved on, I learnt Sabaragamuwa dancing as well.

Kathak dancing is an Indian form of dancing that illustrates stories through “mudras”, along with pure facial expressions. This form of dancing was considered as a unique style for me. As a person who learnt Sri Lankan traditional dancing, learning Kathak was an interesting experience for me. One of the reasons that I love dancing is because of the history that it carries; whether it’s Sri Lankan or Indian dancing, each style has its own unique way of expressing a story. To educate myself further, I completed my exams from Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya and obtained the title “Vishard” as well.

To follow my passion, I am currently following a bachelor’s of performing arts at the University of the Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo.

As a dancer, rhythm is always in my soul. Sri Lanka has four traditional drums, which I started learning when I was around 12 years old. Being a woman, traditional drumming is not an easy task, and the dedication required to learn the art of Sri Lankan traditional drums is immense. I was blessed enough to learn drumming from a generational teacher who used to say: “She plays drums like a mature man”.

My parents still say: “She danced before she crawled.” I believe the blessings that my parents and my teachers give is the reason that I stand here today.

Your family seems to have a diverse background. How have your parents influenced your path, considering their involvement in education and fashion?

My parents are both entrepreneurs. My mother is from the beauty and fashion industry and has been a make-up artist ever since I could remember. She was the major reason for my desire to grow in the fashion industry, and she would constantly teach me what fashion was and how to apply perfect makeup. Her impact in my life provided a positive approach.

My father is from the education industry and so is my brother. From an early age, my parents taught my brother and me about entrepreneurship. The drive that imprinted my parents as entrepreneurs was to create an opportunity for everyone; their drive isn’t financial gain alone. Their pattern of thinking is why my brother became a successful entrepreneur and their drive is what makes me seek the wellbeing of others in life.

My brother and I are very close. I would say that he is the shadow that always protects me. He is what I would call my daily dose of motivation. Currently, my brother is in Australia on his journey of entrepreneurship, but even though we may be miles apart, he is someone who I can always rely on throughout my life. As our parents encourage us, we were able to bring out the best versions of ourselves to the world.

 You mentioned your commitment to various social causes. Could you share more about your experiences and achievements in these areas?

Empowering social causes, according to my view, is the responsibility of every individual in this world. We stay in this world for a very short period of time, but as humans, the impact that we create either positively or negatively will last for generations. As eco-entrepreneurs, one of the major sources of encouragement is for the world to hear about their journey, which is one of the major things I do. Small approaches are also things that I focus on. It’s not only the environment that I look into, but rather every social cause. I work as a volunteer for several organisations that focus on child protection and women empowerment in rural communities.

During this year, I was awarded the title “youth peace messenger” and this award was provided due to my involvement in peace and conflict resolution. It’s true that major conflicts may not be something that I could be involved in; however, I believe that every individual step counts to create a greener earth.

 How has your experience in modelling and business shaped your perspective on the environment and sustainability, especially in the context of Miss Earth?

Modelling and beauty pageants are two industries that have been intertwined. Modelling is an art, the way I see it. For almost two years, I’ve been learning modelling. However, I stepped into the industry when I was around 15 years of age. Beauty pageants are very competitive and each pageant has a focus on an area that becomes the essence of the pageant. For instance, Miss Earth is focused on the environment and nature. From the early stages of modelling, I thought of working with brands related to sustainability, which was one of the other reasons that motivated me to look into the beauty pageant industry as well.

As Miss Earth Sri Lanka 2023, what are your goals and initiatives to raise awareness and take action to protect and preserve the environment?

First and foremost, I believe that before starting any new initiative, it’s important to encourage existing initiatives around the island. Every now and then, I’ve met eco-entrepreneurs who are determined to bring their vision to reality. During most occasions, I feel that innovation should be encouraged, but at the same time, our Sri Lankan eco-entrepreneurs should obtain the support that they require.

I have created a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) that I am focused to achieve each year. Currently, I have taken steps to create awareness about environmental issues around the island and the impact of these issues. However, I believe that action is required rather than just discussion, which is why one of the other actions that I focus on is to encourage children’s activities – such as gardening – from a young age. When children live with nature, they will love the environment that they live in.

What message or advice would you like to share with young individuals who aspire to make a positive impact on the environment and follow in your footsteps?

Think of nature as a part of your body. We would never ill-treat ourselves since we know the pain. It's the same with our environment. Each of us can make a positive change towards nature; for instance, we all speak about starting small, but it’s action that’s required. Planting a tree or even watering a garden are small steps that we can take towards a greener earth.

According to my perspective as the next generation of Sri Lanka, encouraging eco-entrepreneurs is another step that we can take for a progressive and sustainable future. Encouraging eco-entrepreneurs should be one of the major aspects that we should consider. The journey of an entrepreneur is not easy; things are even more difficult for a person who is in the sustainable or eco-industry.