BONUS EP: Nika Kovač the activist from the Slovenian gondola

Oct 3, 2024

Nika Kovač is a controversial Slovenian activist and Obama scholar, known for her dynamic role as the founding director of The Research Institute of 8th March. In this lively conversation, she discusses her successful campaigns against water privatization and political media influence. Nika reveals her ambitious goal for free and accessible abortion throughout the EU, sparked by the Roe v. Wade overturn. She emphasizes the importance of collective action and community support in advocating for reproductive rights, inspiring listeners to engage in the movement.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

From Publicity to Activism: A Journey of Connection and Change

02:32 • 4min

Empowerment Through Collective Action

06:07 • 3min

Advocating for Reproductive Rights in Europe

09:00 • 9min

Empowered Voices in Activism

17:59 • 7min

I do these bonus episodes occasionally whereby I interview someone I serendipitously met on my adventures and who I wrote about in my books AND who struck a chord with readers. I track them down to see where they are now, and there is ALWAYS the most amazing follow-up story.

This time, Nika Kovač, a controversial Slovenian activist and Obama scholar who once invited me on a gondola ride with a communist philosopher when I was stranded without a bed for the night and pregnant (read This One Wild and Precious Life to learn more) found me. And it turns out I’d been following her activist work from afar…without realising, she was the dynamic founding director of The Research Institute of 8th March, which won two referendum campaigns, one against the privatisation of water in 2021 and the other against political influence on public media in 2022.

Nika also led the most extensive “Get-Out-The-Vote” campaign in Slovenian history ahead of the 2022 Parliamentary election, contributing to a 71 per cent voter turnout. BUT HERE’S THE JUICY BIT: Her latest campaign could achieve free and accessible abortion for all women in the EU. I’ve asked her to explain how the campaign works so everyone here can help achieve the goal…it’s a wild goal (and it’s a wild, wild life), but if anyone can do it, it’s Nika. Join us for the ride!

SHOW NOTES

You can learn about Nika here and follow her on IG here.

You can get This One Wild and Precious Life in the US, UK, Australia, Spanish, Lithuanian, and more…here.

Listen to my previous chats with The Lady in Red and Mammoth Dude.

Watch and join the conversation on Substack.

To get involved in the campaign with us:

1. Read more here, and if you’re an EU citizen, sign here.

2. Send the info to all your EU friends.

3. Share this Mark Ruffalo IG post and tag or message a Euro celebrity in your midst.

4. Look out for posts by Nika and I on Instagram and share those too.

If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" page

For more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it’s where I interact the most!

Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious Life

Let’s connect on Instagram

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