Hey Changemaker!

Neil Datta: Anti-Gender and Anti-Rights Movements in Europe

Understanding the anti-gender and anti-rights movements in Europe is essential to defending and safeguarding human rights and democracy in Europe and across the world - and for pushing for more progressive change for gender equality, human rights and in essence sustainability. 
My guest is Neil Datta, Founder and Executive Director of European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights. Neil has over fifteen years’ experience in the field of political involvement in population and development. Throughout this period he has conducted in-depth research on anti-choice activity in Europe, publishing a report in 2018 that continues to receive worldwide media attention.
Our conversation is really about the anti-gender and anti-rights movements in Europe, what they look like, where the funding for them comes from, their growth and development in recent years. We also speak about what we can do to defend gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights. 
If you’re interested in reading the reports published by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights go to epfweb.org 

Sharon Kathryn D’Agostino: The Power of Stories

Storytelling is an essential part of the life of any changemaker, and it is a necessary part of connecting with our own humanity and the humanity of others. 
In this episode, Sharon Kathryn D'Agostino, founder of SayItForward.org and co-host of The Power of Stories podcast, shares why storytelling is so powerful. We talk about the different ways (and why!) she is creating space for people, and women in particular, to share their stories and connect with their own truth. Sharon also hosts monthly Women's Circles that are an important part of my own self-care, which we also talk about. You can learn more about submit your interest in joining a Women's Circle at girlsglobe.org/womenscircle.
This is such an uplifting episode, as Sharon connects us with her belief in the power of love, compassion, and gratitude in shaping a kinder, gentler, more compassionate world for all.
 

7 Ways to Consistently Move Forward

It isn't easy to keep moving forward towards you dreams and goals - especially as a changemaker. In this episode, I share some simple things you can do to help you consistently move toward your goals and dreams. These small things can be life changing, and can really help you move forward this year. 
 

Audit Your Mindset, Changemaker!

As you plan for the year ahead and set your goals, you’ll notice that you may have to start new habits or build new beliefs about yourself. You'll have to work through disappointments and failures. Even research shows that working towards your goals can result in an emotional and physical toll. 
In this episode, I share how you can begin to consciously audit your mindset and the thoughts you have about yourself, the world and success. I share some personal journal entries and talk about how the stories we tell ourselves have so much power - and what we can do about it. 
I hope you join me on this journey, because the world really needs you, and most importantly - YOU need you! 

”If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough”

What President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia said is especially true for changemakers.  "If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough. The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them.”
So, how do we set goals as changemakers? 
In this episode, I share a strategy to set holistic goals that looks a bit different from everything we've been taught about goals. Grab your journal and a pen, and let's think through the year ahead together. It's time to go beyond S.M.A.R.T goals and leave hustle culture behind. Who do you want to be this year, changemaker? 

New Beginnings

A new year is a perfect time for new beginnings - a time to reflect on our desires and goals, and to grow. For me, it isn’t about setting new year’s resolutions, but to tune in to my vision, my purpose and the big dreams I have for myself in the world. It’s about reflecting and creating an environment for positive change on a personal level. 
Join me for the entire month of January and let's gain clarity for the year ahead, to define success and set goals as changemakers in a world that's burning. 
I hope you'll join me. 
 

Setting boundaries and building global solidarity

This year has been pain upon pain upon pain for so many. We are managing both direct trauma of a rangde of different crises or the secondary trauma of witnessing them unfold in front of our eyes. 
For me, it has been incredibly important to name the trauma of being a changemaker, activist or advocate (whaterver you want to call it) in a world full of crises and pain. 
In this episode I share some of my learnings and commitments after a difficult year, from self care to how I'm dedicated to do more. I also share some news from Girls' Globe about our new free memberships and how YOU can be a part of a global feminist media movement for gender equality, human rights, social justice and sustainability. 
Sending you so much love, gratitude and solidarity in a world of crisis and pain. 
See you next year, changemaker! 

Celina de Sola: Transforming societies by doing what works

This episode is one that really looks into HOW to do socially transformative work in societies that are seen as extremely difficult and violent. My guest is Celina de Sola, co-founder and President of Glasswing International, an organization that addresses the root causes and consequences of poverty and violence in 12 countries across Latin America. They do this through community-based education and health, as well as youth empowerment. 
Celina has 25 years of experience working in international development, as well as in humanitarian settings. 
Our conversation digs into the work of Glasswing International, her journey to being a part of starting the organization, and the impact the organization has had since then. We also talk about focusing on and truly SEEING people when working with social change, about trauma and hope. Celina also shares her best advice to other changemakers and social entrepreneurs. 
I’m so grateful for this meaningful conversation and all the wisdom that Celina shares with us. I hope you find it helpful too! 

Maliha Khan: Women Deliver, Decolonizing Development and Youth Leadership

Dr. Maliha Khan is President and CEO of Women Deliver and has over 25 years of experience in international development and girls’ and women’s empowerment.
 
In this episode, Maliha shares what brought her to work for the rights and health of women and girls in particular. We talk about her new role at Women Deliver and taking over after the organization’s reckoning with racism and white saviorism. Maliha shares her views on international aid and development, a sector in need of decolonization. 
 
We also talk about the upcoming Women Deliver conference in Kigali, Rwanda in July 2023, and why it is an important opportunity to convene and mobilize. 

Marit Törnqvist: Refugees’ Stories and The Big Loss

Marit Törnqvist is an award-winning illustrator and children's book author. She has been involved with children's rights and book projects around the world. In recent years, she has worked to support asylum-seekers in Sweden and the Netherlands. On International Refugee Day 2022, Marit attracted attention with the installation 'The Big Loss' outside the parliament in Stockholm, where she had captured the stories of 502 refugees that individuals and families in Sweden have lost. 
We talk about how Marit uses her work to make a difference, and how she started her journey as a changemaker. She shares her personal story of how she got involved with Afghan refugees in Sweden, and talks about the tremendous pain so many have endured since 2015. We talk about what we can do to make a difference and how artists can use their art for impact. 
Learn more about Marit Törnqvist and her work at www.marittornqvist.nl
If you speak Swedish and want to learn more about the situation for refugees in Sweden, I recommend the book Tjugofemton: till asylrättens försvar, in which I've contributed a chapter. Get it here: https://tjugofemton.se