Change Making Women

Ziada and Mary Ann talk with Holiday Phillips about her article that recently went viral 'Performative Allyship Is Deadly (Here’s What to Do Instead)'. She tells us about what made her write it, the experience of it going viral and some of her other thoughts about racial justice and anti-racist practice in this time. Find the article at: https://forge.medium.com/performative-allyship-is-deadly-c900645d9f1f And Holiday on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holidayphillips/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/holidayphillips Her website: https://www.holidayphillips.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFIndcHQuGPPv9KLJC2kYQg?view_as=subscriber Holiday is a sociologist, coach, writer and speaker on the topics of philosophy, spirituality, culture and personal transformation. She is also co-founder of Kula, a consultancy that helps organisations develop conscious leadership and diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. All of her work is in service of this question: “What will it take to build a wiser, kinder world?” To that end, she is interested in exploring a wide range of topics that touch on soul and society – personal healing, non-violent communication, integral solutions to racial inequality, new economic models, and the practical application of ancient wisdom to name a few! Some quotes from this episode: 'I'm really, really passionate about anti-racism not recreating the same systems of violence that define racism, which are morality versus immorality, good versus bad, better versus worse.' 'I think one of the things that non-black people can do to be allies is to be able to hold space for that rage to be processed, without taking it personally, without getting defensive. Just understanding that this is something that needs to happen.' 'For the first time, there are so many ears willing to listen and because that space is being cleared, there will be an explosion of rage and rage rooted in grief.' 'And these societal issues are rooted in people having power, needing to have power over someone else, judging people, denigrating people. So we don't want to bring those methods into the new world that we're trying to create'.

In this episode, Ziada and Mary Ann talk with Animah Kosai about her work on Speaking Up in the workplace. Animah Kosai speaks, writes and advises on workplace sexual harassment & bullying, and speaking up on corporate wrongdoing. She formed Speak Up At Work and is co-founder of Speak Up Academy - a soon to be launched platform of thought leaders and change makers driven to create safe and inclusive work environments in the corporate world. Animah is Malaysian-British, based in London. She practiced law for 9 years in Malaysia, before joining the oil and gas industry as corporate counsel for 14 years - covering South East Asia (except Indonesia) and India. She has given talks and training in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore and London, as well as media interviews, on topics ranging from #MeToo to global corporate scandals. Find Animah's work on her website: www.speakupatwork.com Find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/animah-kosai/ Or Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpAtWork

Welcome to the second in a new series of episodes in which we are talking to women making a difference in this time of Covid-19. Today Ziada and Mary Ann talk with Esua Goldsmith author of a new memoir, The Space between Black and White about writing and publishing a book about her own life, why it was so important to her to share the story of being mixed race and how that has impacted her and the challenges of launching a book in the context of this pandemic. Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith is a writer, feminist activist and development consultant of English – Ghanaian heritage. In 1975 she was the first woman of colour to be elected President of Leicester University Student’s Union, while in 2001 she became the first woman of colour to be elected Chair of the Fawcett Society. In 1977-9 Esua served as one of the first black volunteers to be sent on Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in Tanzania. During her career she has acted as Commissioner for the Women's National Commission, Chair and Co-Founder of the Gender and Development Network, Vice-Chair of ActionAid UK, a Trustee of the Equality and Diversity Forum and a member of the UK Government delegation to the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. After reconnecting with her Ghanaian father and heritage in her 40s, she was enstooled as Queen Mother of Development of her village in Cape Coast, Ghana, in 2009. You can find Esua via https://www.esuantsiwagoldsmith.com/ and purchase the book from Jacaranda Press: https://www.jacarandabooksartmusic.co.uk/collections/jacaranda-imprint/products/the-space-between-black-and-white (please buy directly from Jacaranda if you can as independent publishers like them need support especially during this pandemic).

Welcome to a new series of episodes in which we are talking to women making a difference in in this time of Covid-19. Today in our first show since the pandemic began Ziada and and Mary Ann talk with Immaculate Mukasa is the Executive Director of The Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for Young Women (MEMPROW), an organisation In Uganda that develops capacity of girls and young women in education and leadership, and advocates for a violence free environment. We hear all about the approach MEMPROW take and how it has been effected by the pandemic, the crisis that many girls and young women are facing as a result of the lock-down and the impact this situation is likely to have for some time to come. You can find out more about MEMROW and their work on their website: https://memprow.org/ Prior to leading MEMPROW, Immaculate spent five years as the Programmes Director. In order to address the negative patriarchal mindsets and social devaluation of women and girls, Immaculate engages with multiple partner organisations, various institutions and individuals nationally and globally. She is a proud member of the research community with a number of publications in the area of education and palliative care. She is a Certified feminist leader by CREA (Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action), with a Masters in Economic Policy Planning and a Bachelor in Economics, and a certificate in Public Administration and Management by Makerere University. Immaculate excels at planning, analysis and managing development work. She is a specialist in Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) with proven track record of several years designing and implementing M&E instruments, accountability mechanisms and community-driven development programmes. She has managed many multi-donor projects at grassroots and regional levels.

In this conversation, Melissa Pitotti talks with Nasra Ismail, Director of the Somalia NGO consortium. They talk about wellbeing in the context of the localisation agenda in humanitarian aid and why conversations about wellbeing require us to consider our privilege and to think about our work in radically new ways. Nasra is the director of the Somalia NGO Consortium and currently lives in Mogadishu, Somalia. She cares particularly about women’s rights, rights of minorities and people of colour, generosity and healing as ways to transform her own leadership and the issues the coalition tackles in the sector she works in. Her motto this year and decade is for all of us to connect with the communities we serve through the everyday practice of grace, coalition building across differences and laughter. And she loves to shine light on others through her use of social media platforms. You can follow her on Twitter @nas_isms Melissa Pitotti has been working in humanitarian affairs since 2003 wearing different hats: donor, UN member state, multilateral, NGO coalition, independent. She's also a mom, bookworm, and burnout-survivor. She is currently collaborating with Mary Ann on a project being incubated by CHS alliance looking at building care and compassion in aid and in humanitarian work. This episode is part of a special series of conversations entitled – Embodying Change: A series of conversations on care and compassion in Aid and Development curated by Mary Ann Clements and Melissa Pitotti and in partnership with CHS Alliance, Global Fund for Community Foundations, Healing Solidarity and Change Making Women Podcast. This episode was produced and edited by Ziada Abeid and the music was written and performed by Eleanor Brown who you can find at eleanorbrownmusic.com Find out more about ‘Cultivating Care and Compassion in Aid and Development’ an initiative being incubated by CHS Alliance here: https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/compassionate-organisations/

In this conversation, Melissa Pitotti talks with Kate Gilmore the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. They talk about wellbeing in the UN system and other humanitarian and human rights work, about how Kate sees the connections between personal and political and some tangible ways she has tried, in her role, to do things differently. Kate Gilmore was appointed United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights on 1st December 2015. She brings to the position diverse and longstanding experience in strategic leadership and human rights advocacy with the United Nations, government and non-government organisations. Prior to joining OHCHR, Kate was Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director for Programmes with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Previously she was National Director of Amnesty International Australia and then Executive Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International. Kate started her career as a social worker and government policy officer in Australia. She helped establish Australia’s first Centre Against Sexual Assault at Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital and her work over a number of years focused on prevention of violence against women. In Australia, she was granted honorary appointments to provincial and national public policy and law reform processes, including membership of the country’s first National Committee on Violence Against Women. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New England and a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Melbourne, and has pursued post-graduate studies in social work and community development in Australia. Melissa Pitotti has been working in humanitarian affairs since 2003 wearing different hats: donor, UN member state, multilateral, NGO coalition, independent. She's also a mom, bookworm, and burnout-survivor. She is currently collaborating with Mary Ann on a project being incubated by CHS alliance looking at building care and compassion in aid and in humanitarian work. This episode is part of a special series of conversations entitled – Embodying Change: A series of conversations on care and compassion in Aid and Development curated by Mary Ann Clements and Melissa Pitotti and in partnership with CHS Alliance, Global Fund for Community Foundations, Healing Solidarity and Change Making Women Podcast. This episode was produced and edited by Ziada Abeid and the music was written and performed by Eleanor Brown who you can find at eleanorbrownmusic.com Find out more about ‘Cultivating Care and Compassion in Aid and Development’ an initiative being incubated by CHS Alliance here: https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/compassionate-organisations/

In this conversation, Mary Ann talks with Shuhba Chacko in India and Artemisa Castro in Mexico. They consider together how we might cultivate caring and compassion in our organisations and movements. Shubha Chacko is a joyful activist who has drawn strength, knowledge, and warmth from strong alliances and friendships forged with people from different walks of life. She is the Executive Director of Solidarity Foundation, an NGO that supports grassroots level organisations of gender/sexual minorities (LGBTIAQ+)and sex workers by building collectives, capacities and connections with resources. The broader goal is to enhance leadership of those currently excluded. Solidarity Foundation also works with companies and other organisations on their LGBT journeys. Shubha is also a researcher and has authored books, reports and articles and has been an invited speaker at many national and international conferences. Artemisa Castro is Executive Director of Fondo Acción Solidaria(FASOL) in Mexico. She is also a member of the Global Funders Alliance for Social Environmental Action. A biologist by training, she founded a local organization in Baja California Sur in the 1990s to spark and develop community action both to improve the local social and environmental conditions and to empower local women. This led to her collaboration with a group of other environmental activists and ultimately to the founding of FASOL in 2007, the first fund in Mexico dedicated to supporting grassroots community action through a programme of small grants, mentorship, capacity building and networking. Artemisa's dog also makes a special appearance in this episode! This episode is part of a special series of conversations entitled - Embodying Change: A series of conversations on care and compassion in Aid and Development curated by Mary Ann Clements and Melissa Pitotti and in partnership with CHS Alliance, Global Fund for Community Foundations, Healing Solidarity and Change Making Women Podcast. This episode was produced and edited by Ziada Abeid and the music was written and performed by Eleanor Brown who you can find at eleanorbrownmusic.com Find out more about ‘Cultivating Care and Compassion in Aid and Development’ an initiative being incubated by CHS Alliance here: www.chsalliance.org/get-support/art…-organisations/ Find out more about ‘Pathways to Power Symposium’ being co-ordinated by Global Fund for Community Foundations here: globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/what-we…-doing/

In this conversation, Mary Ann talks with Penelope Sanyu from Femme Forte (https://www.femmeforteug.org/) in Uganda about how she links space and wellbeing in her work. They are joined with Eshban Kwesiga who has experienced the spaces Penelope creates and who also shares his perspective on her work and it's importance. Penelope Sanyu is Team Leader and Founder of Femme Forte in Uganda. She is a young lawyer, thinker, writer and author, policy analyst, solution architect and Agent of Positive Social Change and Transformation. She has dedicated most of her career to building the capacity of young people to innovatively engage with and influence public policy in various spaces. She has experience using social arts as a tool for socio-political transformation and has organized several social arts platforms at a national level. Penelope has a wealth of knowledge working with Civil Society Organisations, the women's movement and feminist organisations in Uganda. Eshban Kwesiga is very interested in feminist scholarly thought. He has written on the limitation of economics as a tool to feminist progress. Eshban has also curated conversations for men in consent. His includes advocacy for inclusion of an anti-gender pay gap in the Minimum Wage legislation, legislation against sexual offences, advocacy to have more women in Uganda’s security forces and agencies and access to contraceptives for women and girls. This episode is part of a special series of conversations entitled - Embodying Change: A series of conversations on care and compassion in Aid and Development curated by Mary Ann Clements and Melissa Pitotti and in partnership with CHS Alliance, Global Fund for Community Foundations, Healing Solidarity and Change Making Women Podcast. This episode was produced and edited by Ziada Abeid and the music was written and performed by Eleanor Brown who you can find at eleanorbrownmusic.com Find out more about ‘Cultivating Care and Compassion in Aid and Development’ an initiative being incubated by CHS Alliance here: https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/compassionate-organisations/ Find out more about ‘Pathways to Power Symposium’ being co-ordinated by Global Fund for Community Foundations here: https://globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/what-we-stand-for/shiftthepower/a-symposium-on-people-led-development-pathways-to-power-new-ways-of-deciding-and-doing/

In this conversation, Mary Ann talks with Penelope Sanyu from Femme Forte (https://www.femmeforteug.org/) in Uganda about how she links space and wellbeing in her work. They are joined with Eshban Kwesiga who has experienced the spaces Penelope creates and who also shares his perspective on her work and it's importance. Penelope Sanyu is Team Leader and Founder of Femme Forte in Uganda. She is a young lawyer, thinker, writer and author, policy analyst, solution architect and Agent of Positive Social Change and Transformation. She has dedicated most of her career to building the capacity of young people to innovatively engage with and influence public policy in various spaces. She has experience using social arts as a tool for socio-political transformation and has organized several social arts platforms at a national level. Penelope has a wealth of knowledge working with Civil Society Organisations, the women's movement and feminist organisations in Uganda. Eshban Kwesiga is very interested in feminist scholarly thought. He has written on the limitation of economics as a tool to feminist progress. Eshban has also curated conversations for men in consent. His includes advocacy for inclusion of an anti-gender pay gap in the Minimum Wage legislation, legislation against sexual offences, advocacy to have more women in Uganda’s security forces and agencies and access to contraceptives for women and girls. This episode is part of a special series of conversations entitled - Embodying Change: A series of conversations on care and compassion in Aid and Development curated by Mary Ann Clements and Melissa Pitotti and in partnership with CHS Alliance, Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF), Healing Solidarity and Change Making Women Podcast. This episode was produced and edited by Ziada Abeid and the music was written and performed by Eleanor Brown who you can find at eleanorbrownmusic.com

In this show Zena Tenga tells us all about the intiative she co-founded, HerAfrica. Zena Maajar Tenga is a PR and Communication Practitioner with a vast experience in Corporate Social Investment strategy. She has worked for both local and international organisations. Her recent focus is social responsibility and community development; focusing on community engagement and providing sustainable growth and development within her community. Zena is co-founder of the Hassan Maajar Trust an NGO which aims to improve the learning environment in schools for every Tanzanian child as well as co-founder of HerAfrica, which aims to change the African girl child narrative, through sharing os stories, knowledge, skills and tools aiming to elevate one girl at a time. She is a growing philanthropist in her own right, with a passion for writing, art, food and all things vintage. Zena is also a novice blogger, through her Lifestyle blog 'Mint and Tea’. Her free time is always dedicated to her two children Nakazael (8) and Moyo (5). Zena is married to Rashid Karl Tenga and lives and works in Dar es Salaam.

This week we are re-playing Episode 55 which featured a conversation between Mary Ann and Alessandra Pigni who sadly died recently. In the show, recorded last year before she died, they talk about Alessandra's book ‘The Idealist’s Survival Kit. 75 Simple Ways to Avoid Burnout’, the causes of burnout in the Humanitarian Sector, why you aren’t alone if you are experiencing it and why a mixture of strategies are the best way to address it. Alessandra Pigni was a humanitarian psychologist, organisational consultant and author of The Idealist’s Survival Kit. 75 Simple Ways to Avoid Burnout. After serving with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders in Palestine and China. She dedicated her work to understanding the connection between meaningful work and burnout. She was also a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and her work has a wide following among humanitarian practitioners, activists, and academics. Find out more about Alessandra at www.mindfulnext.org And purchase her book at https://www.parallax.org/product/idealists-survival-kit-75-simple-ways-to-prevent-burnout/

This week we talk with Ernee Bee Neeplo from Formidable Initiatives in Liberia about her work with women and girls and particularly their work to address sexual violence and abuse. Ernree has over twelve years of experience in the nonprofit sector and earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Cuttington University and a Bachelors’ degree in Sociology from the African Methodist University both in Liberia respectively. She has a wealth of experience in the public health sector and expertise in program designs, policy formulation, management and systems strengthening. Ernree is a humanitarian, women’s rights activist, change-maker, an administrator and is evidence-based results oriented. She is an ethical leader, a woman of formidable intelligence, human-centered designer, open-minded and a reliable team player with strong interpersonal skills. She is skilled in organizational and programs development, projects management and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, training facilitation, research, among others. Over the years, Ernree has founded, volunteered and worked with several community-based organizations, local and international NGOs making contributions aimed at increasing adolescents and young women’s access to sexual and reproductive health information and services including other positive health outcomes. She is the founder of the Formidable Initiatives for Women and Girls, a nonprofit organization committed to advancing the rights of women and girls and providing them opportunities to rise above their challenges in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment. She is currently the National Program Officer-Gender and SGBV at UNDP Liberia serving as the focal person for the EU/UN Spotlight Initiatives/Liberia. Ernree is driven by a strong passion and commitment to youth development, gender equality and women's empowerment. She envisions a society where youth especially girls can grow up to be healthy, socially and economically empowered leaders in their communities. Find out more about Formidable Initiatives at http://www.fiwgliberia.org/

This week Ziada and Mary Ann talk about homelessness and shelter insecurity in Tanzania and beyond.

This week Ziada and Mary Ann talk with Christine Gatwiri about the #myalwaysexperience campaign in Kenya in which women used social media to share their expereince of using Always menstrual products.

This week Ziada and Mary Ann talk to Nicole Lewes-Keeber, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Masters in Social Work who is also a Speaker, Business Therapist, Mindset Coach and Podcaster about her work assisting entrepreneurs to reveal the blocks and blindspots in their businesses. She reveals the importance of the relationship we have with our businesses and how negative experiences in our past can impact the way in which we relate to them. Nicole’s articles about the impact of small t trauma on entrepreneurship can be found on Medium and in her blog. Find Nicole here: https://nicole.lewis-keeber.com/ Her articles here: https://medium.com/@nicole_22488 And connect with her here: https://www.facebook.com/nicolelewiskeebercoaching

We've released our 75th show today celebrating International Women's Day. Hear us reflect on why our own stories matter, how storytelling might be 'balanced for better' and celebrate some of the shows we have loved in the past year. #BalanceforBetter #IWD2019

Esther Otieno works as Senior Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Manage with IRC Tanzania. She is based in Kigoma in North-Western Tanzania. This week she tells Ziada and Mary Ann all about her mental health work in Refugee Camps and what motivates and challenges her about it. They talk about the passion Esther has for her work, the successes she has had in encouraging refugee communities to access mental health services and how she deals with challenges and looks after herself in her work. Esther works with IRC Tanzania: https://www.rescue-uk.org/country/tanzania Her project runs 5 wellness centres which have, to date, carried out over 14,000 consultations and mental health outreach staff working with the project have visited over 6000 homes to provide information about mental health and support the development of resilience and coping mechanisms. The project has reached over 50,000 people in the community and made them aware of the mental health services and the existing referral pathways through outreach and awareness activities.

In this show, Ziada tells Mary Ann all about her recent trip to Sauti Za Busara, a Music festival held in Stone Town on Unguja Island, Zanzibar. They talk what music really excited her and Ziada gives us some top listening tips as well as telling us which festivals are next on her 'bucket list'!

Ziada and Mary Ann re-introduce themselves for 2019 and give an update on what they have been up to since the last show.

In their first book club episode, Ziada and Mary Ann have been reading Mighty Be Ouw Powers by Leymah Gbowee, the Liberian Peace Activist whose leadership helped bring an end to Liberia's second civil war.

In this episode, the first of season two. Mary Ann tells Ziada all about Healing Solidarity a conference she is currently working on which you can find more about at healingsolidarity.org. They also catch up after the summer and discuss Mary Ann's re-brand.

This week on the podcast Ziada and Mary Ann talk about the women who inspire them personally. They share the characters and moments that inspire them most and why they choose to draw inspiration from a whole range of different women, including the women who they are lucky enough to interview on the podcast! They also share about something new coming soon on the podcast. The Change Making Women Book Club where they will talk about a book written by a woman who has created change. They also invite listeners to get involved with this. Listen to this episode to find out more!

Ruby is the CEO and Co-Founder of WUKA Wear. She is a passionate environmental scientist who combines her scientific knowledge and passion for lean startup methodology to solve the problems that surround disposable menstrual products. She was born and brought up in Nepal and with WUKA , she wants to break taboos around period worldwide. This week on Change Making Women we talk to Ruby, who is originally from Nepal about how she developed the idea for Wuka Wear Period Pants and went about testing, developing and launching the product. Listen to the show to hear more about the process of envisioning an innovative product, the environmental imperative for us to get into the habit of using reusable menstrual products, breaking down the stigma and taboos about our bleeding and the importance of addressing period poverty worldwide. Find Wuka Wear at www.wuka.co.uk.

This week Mary Ann talks to Julie Daley about her life and work. They talk about Julie's exploration of Awakening Eros and how we might flourish in our essential nature at this time, overcoming our conditioning to do otherwise. They explore what it means to feel deeply connected and to experience joy and wonder. And they talk about how the work Julie does support people with a whole range of backgrounds to embrace more of who they truly are.

In this week’s show Ziada and Mary Ann speak to Marcie Goldman about her approach to coaching and supporting women around food and nourishment. We hear about why she does the work she does, why she believes that flourishing is feminist and how she helps women unpick restrictive dieting and eat what they want.

In this show, we talk with Nicole about her book 'The Heart of the Labyrinth' about a woman who takes a journey to rediscover her lost connection with Mother Earth and the sacred feminine. We find it what motivated her to write the book, how she created the conditions in which it could be written and the impact she hopes the book will have on those who read it. Find out more at http://nicoleschwab.com.

This week Ziada and Mary Ann talk with Wambui JL the creator of Hairpolitian Lifestyle, an online magazine that focuses on African women who have or want to return to their natural hair. Wambui, who is based in Nairobi Kenya is also a Graphic Designer with a passion for women in Business. We talk following your gut as a way to do business, almost giving up (but not quite), sharing your struggles to inspire others (and also get support) the way that creative ideas emerge at 3 in the morning (we don’t know why!)

Today Mary Ann talks with Sara Lim Bertrand about Proteknôn, a consultancy group and foundation she co-founded which is focused on the protection, care, and wellbeing of children internationally. They discuss how the group came together, the strategies they use to enable flexible working across many geographies and how they blend consultancy work with activism about the issues they care about.

This week Ziada and Mary Ann speak with Ilana Landsberg-Lewis about how she become so interested in talking with Grandmothers, building global solidarity between them and sharing their voices. Ilana also shares with us why she is passionate about a feminist, egalitarian and anti-colonial model of the solidarity work and the significant - and often undervalued contribution that older women have made to the world of humanitarian assistance and development.

In this episode, Mary Ann talks to Jo Casey about how she supports people to run meaningful businesses that reflect their values and make a difference in the world. We talk radical approaches, challenging accepted wisdom and re-making our work in a way that feels true for us.

This week Ziada and Mary Ann talk with Madeleine Forbes one of Mary Ann's collaborators in www.jijaze.com about her life in Portugal, her own project www.theseasonedyear.com and why she believes that leaving seasonally is a choice that can sustain and nourish us all.

This week we spend some time talking with Chelima in the middle of her European Tour which marks the release of her first EP, The Beholder. She tells us about her love of singing and how she discovered, after many years working in the business with other artists, that she wanted to become an artist and create and perform music of her own. We talk the evolution of our work in the world, the things that sustain us and taking the difficult path of following our dreams. Chelima in action Live: https://youtu.be/MwiNayt_1cA The beholder video: https://youtu.be/6Vsgp2V9p7k

Our guest this week is Beverley Glick the 'Story Archeologist' who Co-Founded the Story Party with Mary Ann. She shares with us her process for supporting people to share and tell their stories and why it can have a profound impact on both them and their audience.

One from the archives! The Replay of our show from this week in 2017 when we talked about International Women's Day - why it is celebrated, what it means to them and why we should think about women and their rights each and every day of the year!

This week we have a rich, deep conversation with Sophie Macklin about what it means to grieve, not only the loss in our lives, but our pain and sadness about things in the world and in our particualr cultures which we feel sad and angry about. We explore what it means to express our grief and how we think that doing so can enrich our lives and help us to support one another.

This week Ziada and Mary Ann discuss their perspectives on the recent Oxfam Scandal about sexual abuse and aid workers. They talk about the reaction whilst this story has been high profile in the UK and what needs to change on International Aid and Development in future.

This week Mary Ann talks to Alessandra Pigni author of 'The Idealist’s Survival Kit. 75 Simple Ways to Avoid Burnout' about the causes of burnout in the Humanitarian Sector, why you aren't alone if you are experiencing it and why a mixture of strategies are the best way to address it.

This week we talk to Carrie Brownlee about financing international work for non-governmental organisations. We discuss the challenges of growth, sustainability and future planning, why fundraising and finance are part of the work and what she thinks needs to change in the sector in relation to resourcing.

A replay of one of our favourite shows from 2017 with Tanya Geisler, coach and reluctant expert in the Imposter Complex. In this episode we spoke with her about about why you shouldn't let your own self-doubt stop you from making the difference you are passionate about making in the world. We talk some common signs of the Imposter Complex, why if you feel it you definitely aren't a fraud and concrete strategies for moving through your fears and getting on with the work you long to do.

On the podcast this week Ziada and Mary Ann look forward to 2018 and share some of their hopes, plans and dreams for the year to come.

On the podcast this week Ziada and Mary Ann look back over 2017 and share some of their own reflections about the year gone by, who and what inspired them, what they have been reading and listening to and their own most important personal learning and challenges.

Revisiting an episode from early on 2017 in which Mary Ann talks to Pamela Brannon, Executive Director of Children of Uganda. They speak about the experiences that inspired her to make a difference, the work of her organisation and their belief looking after ourselves is an important part of how we make a difference.

This week Mary Ann talks to Hannah Thompson about mothering and humanitarian work, the challenges of travelling and risky contexts when you are a mum and how becoming mothers has affected our approach to our work in the international development sector.

This week Ziada and Mary Ann talk with Rachael Maddox a trauma resolution educator, coach and guide about how she supports people to heal from sexual trauma in their lives, the new book she is currently writing and raising funding for and why healing our trauma is such important work in the world right now.

This week we talk to Liz Remande-Guyard about her work as a Shadow Work Facilitator and Coach. Mary Ann, also a Shadow Work Coach shares her experience as well while Ziada asks the questions this week. We find our what Shadow Work is and how it can help us to create change from the inside out.

Revisiting another of our favourite shows in this show Mary Ann talks to Claire Mahon, a human rights lawyer based in Geneva who consults, coaches and mentors others to do human rights work as well as running her own not-for-profit human rights legal work. We talk about how she got in to human rights work, what motivates and inspires her, what she has learnt along the way and how she has learnt to look after herself as well as the crucial work she undertakes.

Unfortunately, this show is no longer available.

In this episode Ziada and Mary Ann discuss '#MeToo', the hashtag that went viral recently as a means of identifying our experience of sexual harassment and assault. They talk about whether 'hastag's matter and what the impact of this one has been and might be in future. They also discuss the phenomenon of things going 'viral'.

Mary Ann asks Ziada about the Kipilipili Expose that will take place on Sat 4th Nov. They talk about how the event has changed from last year, what Ziada and her business partner have learnt in the process and all the exciting things that will be happening during this years event.

#46: Beating Burnout by Change Making Women

Revisiting another of our favourite shows. In this one Mary Ann talks to Aisha Hannibal about their work together establishing the Red Tent Directory and how it has organically grown now lists dozens of Red Tent Circles for women across Europe. They talk about what they have learnt in the process about sustainable growth and leadership, what is important to them about attending Red Tents and other women's circles and the part they think they have to play in making a difference in the world