The Common Ground Podcast: Recent Episodes
Francesca Fearnley
In a time of ecological and climate crises, of rising inequality, social justice and global instability, it can all seem just a little bit overwhelming.
That's why The Common Ground Podcast brings you the stories of those in the social and environmental sector who, driven by passion, are striving fiercely to make our common home better for all those who live here.
Each week we'll hear from a new guest, who'll tell us the issue that spurred them to take action and how they got started, to help inspire you to create positive change in the world.
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Welcome to the final episode of season 2, our special episode in celebration of Earth Day 2021!
In this episode, we’re doing something slightly different - we’re pulling together the best bits, the lessons learnt, the key themes and the takeaways from across our previous 6 episodes.
In this series we’ve heard from Arctic Angels Emma, Evelyn, Beth, Mitzi, Freia, and Divya from countries all across the world including The Philippines, Norway, India, Uganda and the United Kingdom to give you an insight into what it’s like to mobilise for climate justice across different parts of the world.
There was so much knowledge and wisdom that flowed from each episode so we thought it would be a lovely celebration to hear the highlights all in one place.
A huge thank you to all of the #ArcticAngels featured for sharing their stories with us. I hope that you’ll stand with them in their work and their actions as well as joining with #GlobalChoices in their fight for the protection of the Arctic and our Global Commons.
Follow the Arctic Angels on Instagram @gcarcticangels and Twitter @gcarcticangels
Find us on Instagram @commongroundco_
If you've enjoyed the series and the episodes, then we have a small favour to ask. Please do share the episodes with a friend or a family member, or leave a review and rating on your platform of choice. A lot of work goes in to making the episodes and I'd love for more people to be able to hear what our guests have to say!
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Divya Nawale, my guest on this week's Common Ground Podcast, was 22 when she was first chosen to become part of the expedition to Antarctica with the 2041 Foundation, led by Polar Explorer and record holder, Robert Swan.
The expedition changed her life and set her on a course of environmental activism and advocacy.
Divya has a Masters degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Pittsburgh and continues to pursue her research on climate related policy analysis in the Arctic and Antarctic.
Please do follow Divya and the 2041 Foundation on Instagram to keep up with all of their incredible work.
Follow the Arctic Angels on Instagram @gcarcticangels and Twitter @gcarcticangels
The Artic Angel joining me on this week's episode of the Common Ground Podcast is Freia Catana Aasdalen from Norway.
Freia is a Human Geography student and also a member of the Central Board of Nature and Youth (Natur og Ungdom) a youth organisation of over 9000 members. The group is the biggest environmental organisation for youth in Norway.
Most recently, Freia was involved in the People vs. Arctic Oil lawsuit, where they took the Norwegian government to court to protest their decision to open up new oil frontiers in a particularly sensitive area, the Barents Sea.
Please do follow Freia and Nature for Youth on Instagram to keep up with all of their incredible work.
Follow the Arctic Angels on Instagram @gcarcticangels and Twitter @gcarcticangels
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Joining me on Episode 4 of our special collaborative season is Mitzi Jonelle Tan, a climate justice activist from Manila, the Philippines.
Mitizi is the convenor of Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP) - a multi disciplinary team formed of activists, engineers, artists and many others. She's also a key organiser with Fridays For Future International.
A core foundation of Mitzi's activism is her advocacy for the voices of those Most Affected Peoples and Areas (MAPA) ensuring they are heard, amplified and given space.
To find out more about the campaign to Clean Up Standard Chartered Bank, take a look at the Fridays For Future website.
Follow Mitzi, YACAP and Fridays for Future on Instagram.
We can be found @commongroundco_ and the Arctic Angels network can be followed here - @gcarcticangels
As ever, if you've enjoyed our conversation please do subscribe and leave a review - we'd love to hear what you think of the episodes so far!
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Arctic Angel and climate activist joining me this week is the wonderful Beth Doherty from Dublin!
Beth first got involved in the climate movement as an organiser for Fridays For Future, helping to organise the first major global strike on March 15th 2019.
Since then, Beth's been a delegate to the RTE Youth Assembly on Climate in the Irish parliament, where she wrote one of the final 10 proposals which were presented to the Irish government and the President of the UN General Assembly and has been active in policy and education surrounding climate action, working on the Advisory Group for a Climate Action course in the Irish curriculum, and with various organisations such as the National Youth Council.
In 2020, she was elected as the national sustainability representative for young people in Ireland, where she is working on furthering youth voice around all areas of sustainability, and engaging students with decision-makers and the issues that matter most to them.
Follow Beth on Instagram here (@bethdohertyc). We can be found @commongroundco_ and the Arctic Angels network can be followed here - @gcarcticangels
As ever, if you've enjoyed our conversation please do subscribe and leave a review - we'd love to hear what you think of the episodes so far!
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Joining me this week is Arctic Angel Evelyn Acham from Uganda!
She's an incredible climate justice activist, Land Management graduate, the national coordinator for the Rise Up Movement and an active member of the Youth for Africa and Fridays for Future groups.
Eve was recently arrested, along with two of her colleagues, for protesting outside the Parliament Building in Uganda. They were held and released with the caution that they could never again hold a strike in a public place.
As many of you will be aware, a day after our episode is released on the 18th March 2021, Fridays for Future will be holding their global protest, demanding bolder action on the climate crisis. Sadly, Eve will be unable to join those strikes in public because of the risk to her safety and the potential for her future arrest.
We know Eve and her colleagues had been working hard in preparation for the 19th and so we wanted to take this opportunity to let Eve tell you her story and to encourage you to stand with her in the actions she'll be taking.
I really hope you enjoy our conversation as Eve so honestly and urgently lays down the realities of what it's like to be facing and fighting the climate crisis in Uganda.
Follow her on Instagram @evechantelle and Twitter @eve_chantel
Follow the Artic Angels on Instagram @gcarcticangels and Twitter @gcarcticangels
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
I'm thrilled to be bringing you Season 2 of The Common Ground Podcast in collaboration with Arctic Angels, a global youth-led network fighting for the protection of the global commons and in particular, raising awareness of the polar ice crisis.
In this series, "Activism Across the World" we'll be hearing from incredible female climate and climate justice activists from all over including Uganda, Norway, India, the UK, the Philippines and Costa Rica. In each episode, we'll hear from an Angel who'll be telling us all about their work, what it's like to be an activist in their country, how the climate crisis is affecting them and their thoughts on what we can be doing to fight for our planet and our global commons.
We'll be dropping a new episode every Thursday in the run up to earth day 2021 which is on the 22nd April, starting with this episode with Emma Grace Wilkinson which we've launched in the week that also appropriately hosts International Women's Day. By the time of Earth Day, you'll be able to hear the full series.
I really hope you enjoy the episodes and the season to come. It was a huge honour to be able to speak to these incredibly inspiring women, many of whom carried out their interviews in English, which is not their first language. I'm hugely grateful to them for sharing their stories with you. Please do support them by joining their campaigns and standing in solidarity with them.
Find out more about the Arctic Angels at www.globalchoices.org or by following them on Instagram @gcarcticangels
To follow Emma and her work, find her on Instagram @emmagracewilkinson
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As many of you know, we are currently experiencing the 6th mass extinction - specialists estimate this could be at a loss of at 200 to 2000 extinctions per year, at conservative estimates. My guest this week, the wonderful Bella Lack knows this all too well. Bella is a renowned animal conservationist, writer, presenter of a very exciting new documentary "Animal", as well as Youth Ambassador for organisations such as the Born Free Foundation, The Jane Goodall Institute and the RSPCA to name a few. These are roles that have seen her cross the world and the TedX stage. What makes this even more impressive is that she’s only 17 years old.
Join us as we discuss activism, starting your own environmental campaigns as well as what it’s like to present your very own documentaries.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As many of you know, we are currently experiencing the 6th mass extinction - specialists estimate this could be at a loss of at 200 to 2000 extinctions per year, at conservative estimates. My guest this week, the wonderful Bella Lack knows this all too well. Bella is a renowned animal conservationist, writer, presenter of a very exciting new documentary "Animal", as well as Youth Ambassador for organisations such as the Born Free Foundation, The Jane Goodall Institute and the RSPCA to name a few. These are roles that have seen her cross the world and the TedX stage. What makes this even more impressive is that she’s only 17 years old.
Join us as we discuss activism, starting your own environmental campaigns as well as what it’s like to present your very own documentaries.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In 2016, it was estimated that 75% of people in the UK may not get the help that they need for mental health problems and that staggeringly, people who identified as Asian/Asian British were 14% less likely than average to be in contact with mental health services.
My guest this week Shuranjeet Singh knows this all too well. As a result of his own experiences of mental ill-health during his University years, Shuranjeet was compelled to found the not-for-profit Taraki, a word meaning to progress to an improved or more developed state of being, in 2017, which specifically caters and advocates for culturally appropriate mental health support to those within the Punjabi community.
Join us as we discuss everything from localised health solutions to the role of faith and faith institutions in breaking the taboo around mental wellbeing.
In 2016, it was estimated that 75% of people in the UK may not get the help that they need for mental health problems and that staggeringly, people who identified as Asian/Asian British were 14% less likely than average to be in contact with mental health services.
My guest this week Shuranjeet Singh knows this all too well. As a result of his own experiences of mental ill-health during his University years, Shuranjeet was compelled to found the not-for-profit Taraki, a word meaning to progress to an improved or more developed state of being, in 2017, which specifically caters and advocates for culturally appropriate mental health support to those within the Punjabi community.
Join us as we discuss everything from localised health solutions to the role of faith and faith institutions in breaking the taboo around mental wellbeing.
Joining me this week is the wonderful Zach Boakes, conservationist and NGO founder. Alongside local villager Ketut, Zach started the coral reef conservation project in a small village in Northern Bali after seeing the damage being done to the local environment and reef system.
I hope you enjoy our chat as we delve into some of the key issues facing our coral reefs, the power of community engagement as well as what it’s like to set up your own NGO in a country thousands of miles from home.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Joining me this week is the wonderful Zach Boakes, conservationist and NGO founder. Alongside local villager Ketut, Zach started the coral reef conservation project in a small village in Northern Bali after seeing the damage being done to the local environment and reef system.
I hope you enjoy our chat as we delve into some of the key issues facing our coral reefs, the power of community engagement as well as what it’s like to set up your own NGO in a country thousands of miles from home.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
My guest this week is the incredible Laura Young, or Less Waste Laura as you might know her – an environmentalist, Ted X speaker and ethical influencer. Laura’s Instagram platform has over 36.5k followers, a platform she sees as a space where we learn together, covering everything from fast fashion to growing vegetables – all the things you need to know to live a life in greater harmony with the planet.
Join us as we discuss her journey to the Ted X stage, piles of milk bottles and the role individuals play in creating change.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
My guest this week is the incredible Laura Young, or Less Waste Laura as you might know her – an environmentalist, Ted X speaker and ethical influencer. Laura’s platform has over 36.5k followers a platform she sees as a space where we learn together, covering everything from fast fashion to growing vegetables – all the things you need to know to live a life in greater harmony with the planet.
Join us as we discuss her journey to the Ted X stage, piles of milk bottles and the role individuals play in creating change.
My guest this week is the tour de force that is Daze Aghaji. Back in 2019, Daze, a History and Politics student at Goldsmith University, hit the headlines for being probably the youngest candidate in the UK to stand as a Member of the European Parliament at the 2019 European Elections. She stood as a Climate and Ecological Emergency Independent, something she was spurred to do with the guiding hands of Extinction Rebellion’s Roger Hallam.
Join us as we have a joyful discussion about rising through the Extinction Rebellion ranks, the power of youth movements and what it's like to be a Black activist in an environmental movement that’s historically be seen as anything but diverse.
My guest this week is the tour de force that is Daze Aghaji. Back in 2019, Daze, a History and Politics student at Goldsmith University, hit the headlines for being probably the youngest candidate in the UK to stand as a Member of the European Parliament at the 2019 European Elections as a Climate and Ecological Emergency Independent, something she was spurred to do with the guiding hands of Extinction Rebellion’s Roger Hallam.
Join us as we have a joyful discussion about rising through the Extinction Rebellion ranks, the power of youth movements and what it's like to be a Black activist in an environmental movement that’s historically be seen as anything but diverse.
This week’s guest, Alex Staniforth, is an author, adventurer, overcomer of personal adversity, endurance athlete, fundraiser, Everest attempter and Director of the soon-to-be charity Mind Over Mountains.
I really enjoyed our conversation as we discuss everything from overcoming the noise of childhood bullies, his own struggles with negotiating his physical and mental health, to the journeys to not one but two Everest attempts... as well as why he's so passionate about getting people into nature.
This week’s guest, Alex Staniforth, is an author, adventurer, overcomer of personal adversity, endurance athlete, fundraiser, Everest attempter and Director of the soon-to-be charity Mind Over Mountains.
I really enjoyed our conversation as we discuss everything from overcoming the noise of childhood bullies, his own struggles with negotiating his physical and mental health, to the journeys to not one but two Everest attempts... as well as why he's so passionate about getting people into nature.
This week’s guest is the hugely inspiring stand up paddle boarder, ocean advocate and adventure seeker Cal Major. Did I also mention that she’s a vet too?
In 2018, Cal set two new world records for stand up paddle boarding from Lands End to John O’Groats. She’s the first and fastest person to ever do so.
I hope you enjoy our conversation as we discuss plastic pollution, setting world records and using her paddle board as a vehicle to talk about positive mental wellbeing.
This week’s guest is the hugely inspiring stand up paddle boarder, ocean advocate and adventure seeker Cal Major. Did I also mention that she’s a vet too?
In 2018, Cal set two new world records for stand up paddle boarding from Lands End to John O’Groats. She’s the first and fastest person to ever do so.
I hope you enjoy our conversation as we discuss plastic pollution, setting world records and using her paddle board to discuss positive mental wellbeing.
Now did you know that it’s thought that 1 in 7 indigenous plant species are under threat of extinction and that each year, one plant goes extinct in each English county? My guest this week is the renowned ecologist, botanist and conservationist Joshua Styles.
Dismayed at statistics like these, Josh set up the North West Rare Plant initiative in 2017 to conserve some of NW England's rarest plants.
Join us as we delve into the magical world of species like the Bastard Cabbage, as well as what it’s like to go against the grain to set up your own plant conservation project.
Now did you know that it’s thought that 1 in 7 indigenous plant species are under threat of extinction and that each year, one plant goes extinct in each English county? My guest this week is the renowned ecologist, botanist and conservationist Joshua Styles.
Dismayed at statistics like these, Josh set up the North West Rare Plant initiative in 2017 to conserve some of NW England's rarest plants.
Join us as we delve into the magical world of species like the Bastard Cabbage, as well as what it’s like to go against the grain to set up your own plant conservation project.
I was thrilled to be joined on my first ever episode by Dr Imogen Napper, Marine Biologist, National Geographic Explorer, Expedition Scientist and Sky Ocean Scholar.
Imogen’s research projects have also influenced significant Government decisions including the banning of microbeads in scrubs.
I hope you enjoy our episode as we discuss the journey to her PhD, what it was that got her interested in plastic pollution… as well as the many exciting adventures she’s had a result!
I was thrilled to be joined on my first ever episode by Dr Imogen Napper, Marine Biologist, National Geographic Explorer, Expedition Scientist and Sky Ocean Scholar.
Imogen’s research projects have also influenced significant Government decisions including the banning of microbeads in scrubs.
I hope you enjoy our episode as we discuss the journey to her PhD, what it was that got her interested in plastic pollution… as well as the many exciting adventures she’s had a result!
The warmest of welcomes to this introductory episode for The Common Ground Podcast!
In this short episode, you can find out a little more about me, your host Francesca (Chess) Fearnley, as well as why I started the podcast, what this podcast is all about and what having Common Ground truly means!
We're really looking forward to sharing our first few episodes with you - it's been a blast getting to know so many fantastic inspiring young change-makers.