Power, People and Planet

In this special episode, which concludes Season 2 of the podcast, Kumi speaks with Indian activist Harsh Mander. This episode was recorded in August 2022 at a time when Harsh was under intense scrutiny for his activities by the Indian government. At the time of recording, he was on the point of returning home to India despite great risks to his personal liberty and pressure from family and friends not to do so. Still, he returned, committed to standing with those in need and fighting hate, Islamophobia, homelessness and violence. Learn more about Power, People & Planet on the website:https://powerpeopleplanet.orgTo watch full episodes of the podcast follow Kumi's YouTube channelFollow Kumi on social media:LinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebook-----------------------Power, People and Planet is produced in association with the Green Economy Coalition, the world’s largest movement for a green and fair economy:https://greeneconomycoalition.orgAdditional support for the podcast was provided by the Robert Bosch Stiftung:https://www.bosch-stiftung.de/en

Kate Raworth is a renegade economist focused on making economics fit for 21st century realities. She is the creator of the Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries, and co-founder of Doughnut Economics Action Lab.-----------------------Learn more about Power, People & Planet on the website:https://powerpeopleplanet.orgTo watch full episodes of the podcast follow Kumi's YouTube channelFollow Kumi on social media:LinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebook-----------------------Power, People and Planet is produced in association with the Green Economy Coalition, the world’s largest movement for a green and fair economy:https://greeneconomycoalition.orgAdditional support for the podcast was provided by the Robert Bosch Stiftung:https://www.bosch-stiftung.de/en

In a wide-ranging discussion on South Africa with veteran activist Vishwas Satgar, Kumi explores the country's political past, present and future. With crucial elections taking place in 2024, what impact will they have for a country in crisis? What are the systemic issues that perpetuate these problems? And what can be learned from the historical victories and failures of South African political resistance?Our Guest:Vishwas Satgar is an associate professor of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He is the editor of the Democratic Marxism series, and is the principal investigator for the Emancipatory Futures Studies in the Anthropocene project and a democratic eco-socialist.Follow Vishwas's work:Emancipatory Futures website: https://emancipatoryfutures.co.za/On X: https://x.com/VishwasSatgarLearn more about Power, People & Planet on the website:https://powerpeopleplanet.orgTo watch full episodes of the podcast follow Kumi's YouTube channelFollow Kumi on social media:LinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebook-----------------------Power, People and Planet is produced in association with the Green Economy Coalition, the world’s largest movement for a green and fair economy:https://greeneconomycoalition.orgAdditional support for the podcast was provided by the Robert Bosch Stiftung:https://www.bosch-stiftung.de/en

Global leader María Fernanda Espinosa and feminist activist Meena Raman discuss engaging global power dynamics, systemic issues in governance, and the necessity of deep structural changes in global systems. They explore the challenges faced by civil society in the Global South, emphasizing the need for collective action and sustainable leadership to address global crises and promote justice worldwide.

Civil rights activists Clare Farrell and Marta Benavides discuss the importance of civil disobedience in resisting unjust laws and restrictions on freedoms. They explore the role of love, compassion, and justice in activism, urging for peaceful but persistent resistance. The podcast also examines the power of creative communication strategies, media literacy, and global movements in challenging societal norms and advocating for climate justice.

The contribution of the legal community through innovative, strategic litigation and other legal efforts is going to be one of the most critical undertakings in the fight for climate justice. Currently, there are more than 1,400 climate lawsuits underway. These legal battles address the destruction of our ecosystems and the attempts of indigenous people to uphold their rights through a range of different struggles.Litigation and legal strategy has been a critical part of ensuring the strength of the activist community. Indeed, the legal community has a critical role in defending the shrinking democratic space in multiple countries throughout the world. However, the challenge remains in determining how legal strategies intersect with other mobilising strategies. Another challenge is determining the proportionality of effort that should be afforded to litigation battles, especially given that the wheels of justice turn very slowly in many countries: the climate crisis cannot wait for deliverance from protracted litigation in new areas of environmental law, corporate law and elsewhere.Our guests:Markus N. Beeko was appointed Secretary General of the German section of Amnesty International in 2016. He has been active in leadership positions for Amnesty in Germany and the International Secretariat in London since 2004. He is the Chair of Amnesty’s international steering group on "Human Rights in the Digital Age". He chairs the board of trustees of Stiftung Menschenrechte, and he is also Vice Chair of the board of the German Institute for Human Rights.Follow Markus’s work:Twitter: @mnbeeko LinkedInNani Jansen Reventlow is an internationally recognised human rights lawyer specialised in strategic litigation at the intersection of human rights, social justice, and technology. She is the Founder of Systemic Justice, the first Black-led, majority BPOC organisation in Europe working to radically transform how the law works for communities fighting for racial, social, and economic justice.Follow Nani’s work:Website: https://www.nanijansen.org/Twitter: @InterwebzNani -----------------------Learn more about Power, People & Planet on the website:https://powerpeopleplanet.orgTo watch full episodes of the podcast follow Kumi's YouTube channelFollow Kumi on social media:LinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebook-----------------------Power, People and Planet is produced in association with the Green Economy Coalition, the world’s largest movement for a green and fair economy:https://greeneconomycoalition.orgAdditional support for the podcast was provided by the Robert Bosch Stiftung:https://www.bosch-stiftung.de/en

Activists Sharan Burrow & Alnoor Ladha discuss engaging with those who disagree on climate and economic justice. They explore activism challenges, redefining capitalism, alternative values, challenging corporate dominance, and the need for well-being over GDP growth.

With the crises in front of us so complex, are their solutions to be found at the global or local level? Will our technologies emerge fast enough to avert the greatest threats and, if not, how do we prepare for that unknown future? And how can even the boldest of activist movements hope to have an impact against overwhelming economic and cultural power? In this episode Kumi discusses ways to reimagine and reinvent the ways we live with one of Britain’s leading figures in the fight for a better world.Our guest:George Monbiot is a trained zoologist and scientist but is most commonly noted for his journalism, writing and his political and environmental activism, in which he has been engaged for over 30 years. He is a columnist for the Guardian and was awarded the 2022 Orwell Prize for Journalism. His latest book Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet explores a new future for food production, one of the most climate-devastating industries humanity currently engages in. Follow George's work:George’s website: https://www.monbiot.com/Twitter: @GeorgeMonbiot -----------------------Click here to watch a full video version of this episode.Learn more about Power, People & Planet on the website:https://powerpeopleplanet.orgTo watch full episodes of the podcast follow Kumi's YouTube channelFollow Kumi on social media:LinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebook-----------------------Power, People and Planet is produced in association with the Green Economy Coalition, the world’s largest movement for a green and fair economy:https://greeneconomycoalition.orgAdditional support for the podcast was provided by the Robert Bosch Stiftung:https://www.bosch-stiftung.de/en

The right to participation is one of the most powerful and basic rights, and far too often people who are living in the frontlines of various struggles at the grassroots levels are spectators where they should be central players. In the climate movement we have seen how activists from the global south and the lives of everyday people are consistently sidelined in the climate summit negotiations.These spaces often purport to be an opportunity for activists to engage with power but in reality these engagements and spaces only reify the current power dynamics while serving as tokenistic acts for both activists and those in power. Bringing the voices of those that do not make it out of the congested media environment, which is already stacked against them, is one of the many struggles that face grassroots activists in poor and marginalised communities around the world. So what do we need to strengthen the voices of grassroots activists? What are the barriers to the voices of grassroots activism being heard? Our guests:Luisa Neubauer was one of the lead organisers of Fridays For Future in Germany - a movement that brought 1.4 million people to the streets of German towns and cities in September 2019. A talented community organiser and rousing public speaker, she has since become a powerful voice among a generation of young Germans who are taking a stand against climate inaction.Follow Luisa’s work:Twitter: @Luisamneubauer Instagram: @luisaneubauer Sashi Kiran is the trailblazing founder and chief executive officer of a grassroots not-for-profit that provides economic opportunities for underserved communities in Fiji. She started FRIEND as it is better known, after Fiji’s 2000 political crisis to create income generating opportunities for women and men from rural and peri-urban settlements and villages, youth and people with special needs; and to strengthen relations between Fiji’s two main communities. She has worked with the Commonwealth Foundation, and networks such as CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education and serves on the Regional Advisory Group Member of the Global Network of CSOs on Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR). Follow Sashi’s work:FRIEND Fiji website: http://friendfiji.comLinkedIn -----------------------Click here to watch a full video version of this episode.Learn more about Power, People & Planet on the website:https://powerpeopleplanet.orgTo watch full episodes of the podcast follow Kumi's YouTube channelFollow Kumi on social media:LinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebook-----------------------Power, People and Planet is produced in association with the Green Economy Coalition, the world’s largest movement for a green and fair economy:https://greeneconomycoalition.orgAdditional support for the podcast was provided by the Robert Bosch Stiftung:https://www.bosch-stiftung.de/en

In this episode, we reflect on the critical importance of the power of intersectional approaches between different movements so that they might win bigger battles faster. Intersectionality refers to the interconnected nature of social categories such as race, class, and gender. They create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. Intersectionality is a lens that allows us to view the hidden and invisible connections in our society. While many in civil society and different movements recognize this theoretically, there’s still far too high a propensity towards siloed activism. Our guests:Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, columnist, and international bestselling author of eight books including No Logo, The Shock Doctrine, This Changes Everything, No Is Not Enough and On Fire, which have been translated into over 35 languages. She is a Senior Contributing Writer for The Intercept. She was the inaugural Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture and Feminist Studies at Rutgers University, and is now Honorary Professor of Media and Climate at Rutgers.Follow Naomi’s work:Website: https://naomiklein.org/Twitter: @NaomiAKleinLaura Garcia is a Mexican feminist who has advocated for human rights, social justice, and civil society throughout her career. Before joining Global Greengrants as CEO, Laura served for seven years as the Executive Director of Fondo Semillas, a Mexican non profit organisation that finances grassroots organisations to achieve gender equality. Laura has co-created networks to promote community philanthropy in the Global South. She currently serves on the boards of Oxfam Mexico, Co-Impact, and the Global Fund for Community Foundations.Follow Laura’s work:Global Greengrants Fund website: https://www.greengrants.org/Twitter: @lauragarciacGeorgia Hirsty is the co-founder and executive director of Frailty Myths, a community-rooted diversity, equity, and inclusion group that uses hands-on activities and the principles of practice to transform oppressive cultures and advance justice. Georgia has worked extensively with Greenpeace and across social and environmental movements in a variety of leadership roles, with a focus on direct action, empowerment, and a deep interest in long term behaviour change. All of her work grows from the ethos that we must practice being in the new world we want to live in so as not to replicate destructive patterns. Follow Georgia’s work:Frailty Myths website: https://frailtymyths.org/Georgia’s blog: https://georgiafayehirsty.wordpress.com/-----------------------Click here to watch a full video version of this episode.Learn more about Power, People & Planet on the website:https://powerpeopleplanet.orgFollow Kumi on social media:LinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebookPower, People and Planet is produced in association with the Green Economy Coalitionhttps://greeneconomycoalition.orgAdditional support provided by the Robert Bosch Stiftung