How can we be effective changemakers?
It’s good to step outside your usual circles. It’s how we broaden our minds — that was the thinking behind why I joined a webinar hosted by The Resurgence Centre and Eco Resolution last week. It was pitched as a collection of short talks from front-line, grassroots activists about what it means to be a leader and changemaker.
While change-making leadership feels familiar, activism is new ground for me (unless you count flirting with XR Leeds and toddling along miner’s protests in the 90s). So I ventured there might be a spark of energy, wisdom and insight I could capture from the speakers, one I might relate back to the people I coach.
A who’s who of changemakers
The online guests were an eclectic mix of four lively speakers, each tackling fundamental problems facing humanity, like climate change, social injustice and the effects of rampant inequality.
They were:
- KMT Freedom Teacher: activist and mentor, using hip-hop for social awareness and social cohesion.
- Lyla June: indigenous environmental scientist, student, educator, community organiser.
- Noga Levy-Rapoport: leader from UK Student Climate Network and protester.
- Salvador Gómez-Colón: climate resilience and youth empowerment advocate.
Consider this my report back on what their front-line experiences of leadership and organising change might teach us, about our own…
