Global Social Leaders Podcast: Recent Episodes
Global Social Leaders
GSL is a global movement of innovative changemakers dedicated to making real change in their community and beyond, through social action.Our vision is a world is led by socially conscious leaders. Join us each week to hear about amazing initiatives transforming the world by addressing the UN Global Goals. Think Globally, Act Socially, Start Now.
In this episode we will be talking about period poverty with Het Joshi, the founder of Adira Foundation. We will be looking into the inspiration behind the project, the obstacles faced by the team and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the project. We will also explore the importance of social media and the impact made by Adira so far. It is International Women’s Day on the 8th of March and we couldn't think of a better guest to share their message to all the young women around the world.
About Adira:
Adira is a youth-powered Non profitable organization fighting to end period poverty and taboo across Globe through service and awareness camps. They hold camps in remote villages, urban slums and orphanages where they educate women and young girls about menstrual health and hygiene and provide them with sanitary products. The reason for getting involved in the GSL movement is to reach out like minded people across globe and help all those girls and women who's dreams are stopped because of a basic issue.
About Het Joshi:I'm Het Joshi, the leader of Adira foundation, 16 years old, studying in The Rajkumar College, Rajkot. I'm a national level classical dancer, debater and a social worker. Our team strongly believes in women empowerment, Equality and that hygiene and sanitation is everyone's basic right. We are a team of 4, on a mission to make the world a better place.
For more information visit:
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/adira.foundation/?igshid=1fq7vakmctdmu
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ADIRA-Foundation-103180884992653
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSYGJ9UdsA0&feature=emb_title
d’Arcy Lunn’s dreams and daily life are dedicated to see a world with access and opportunity for everyone, everywhere!
For the past 20 years d’Arcy has experienced more than 90 countries, given over 1300 presentations to 120,000+ people and worked with leading development, environmental, social justice and global education organisations and people.
About Teaspoons of Change:
Teaspoons of Change are small but significant ideas and actions that have a positive impact on people and the planet. I aim to engage, activate and integrate the Global Goals for Sustainable Development into the vision, purpose, culture and daily practices of individuals, businesses, education institutes and governments, making the Goals fun, accessible and attainable!
Because of social action and living my passions I love waking up - even on Monday mornings! I also live by the formula small actions X lots of people = BIG change! Let's see what happens when we get involved in social action and what positive change we can create :)
Find out more and connect:
- Website - http://teaspoonsofchange.org/
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/teaspoonsofchange
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/darcylunn
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/teaspoons-of-change/
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/teaspoonsofchange/
Dilara, the founder of team DySlexia, a team of 3 young girls who are dedicated to eliminating special learning disparities in education and promoting social and economic inclusion for all irrespective of learning difficulties.
They achieve this by building upgrade education tools that are dyslexia sensitive and by providing inclusive and effective learning environments for dyslexic children.
In order to achieve this goal faster, they are closely partnering with NGOs such as Turkish Dyslexia Foundation.
Find our more about the project:
- About the DySlexia project
- Instagram Page
- Blog - (DYS)LEXIA: DON’T WORRY, WE UNDERSTAND YOU!
Introduction from our guests:
At least 1 in 10 people are dyslexic. Dyslexic brains are ‘wired’ slightly differently, having a different way of processing, causing challenges in reading, writing, spelling, rote learning, memory and concentration. 98% say teachers need more training in how to support dyslexia.
We had been volunteering at Turkish Dyslexia Foundation for over three years. Çınar, one of our most creative and intelligent students, had to leave 1st grade and start school again because his teachers and parents did not have the resources or training to help him. Unfortunately, without the proper support, confidence and love of learning of a struggling student with dyslexia like Çınar can fade. Thus, in order to empower millions of children with dyslexia around the world like Çınar to excel in their academic journey, we got involved in the GSL movement. In our project, to raise awareness and provide tools to meet the special education needs of Dyslexic children, we facilitated and organized workshops, seminars, and conferences.
We hosted academicians, psychologists, special education teachers, pedagogues, and language therapists. In collaboration with universities, municipalities, special education centres, schools and Turkish Dyslexia Foundation, we reached out to 3200 parents and teachers all around Turkey.
With Covid-19 pandemic, we shifted our focus to technological tools to equip dyslexic children globally and remotely. Currently, we are developing a mobile app to effectively teach letters to dyslexic children by creating graphic awareness due to our special illustrations of letters and continuing to organize seminars online.
We launched a series of online trainings this week, and in our first three live broadcasting events, we were able to reach to 250 participants. We will continue to democratize education so that every dyslexic child is understood and given the right support to reach their brilliant potential.
Kitty discusses the safety issues in her local area, her own experiences and thoughts about certain issues, such as parking on the pavement.
"I added real life narration of the fear I felt walking along the road. It's an important topic to discuss and there could have been much more to say!" - Kitty
For her podcast, Caitlin talks about the circular economy and why she is passionate about this issue. Caitlin discusses the negative impacts if we keep our linear economy, and how we can create a circular economy.
In her podcast, Amelie talks about how she donated her hair to the Little Princess Trust. She donated 17cm of her hair, to be made into a wig for someone that has suffered from hair loss while undergoing chemotherapy.
Sean has done a podcast based on the Bertha Earth Challenge and talks about the many things he loves about the planet!
In Alyssa's podcast she speaks about the SightLife Wales Organisation and how they have helped her for the last 10 years.
In James' podcast, he explains how and why he went about raising money for Tz Rising - a charity that helps women in Tanzania escape poverty.
"I took photos of a glass jar of raisins and asked people to pay £2 to guess how many raisins were in the jar. All the money would go to the charity and the closest guess would win a bag of sweets. I publicised the campaign online and through a mailing campaign."
Cherry Sung is the founder and leader of 'Greener is Cleaner', the winners of GSL Competition 2019-20 Winner! Cherry is also South Korea’s environmental education youth leader and Green Peace Korea's youngest campaigner.
This episode is an absolute must listen for every students taking part in the GSL movement. Cherry's story and insight is incredibly inspiring. This episode is packed with practical advise on starting your own movement and venturing into the world of activism. From organising climate strikes to influencing government policy. Cherry is taking us on a journey of passion, adventure and impact!
About Cherry:
Cherry loves communicating with people and reading news articles related to environmental issues or governmental policies from around the world. Cherry believes this is how she got to build her knowledge and passion for environmental activism. This year, Cherry first got to know of Global Social Leaders, and fell in love with the GSL movement. "Initially, my teacher (Ms. Rosanna Luzarraga) introduced me to GSL, telling me to take a look at its website when I am free from schoolwork. As soon as I was fully informed of what GSL does, I knew joining the GSL Competition would be a life-changer for me; and as I expected, it was a life-changer. I found my true, potential self through joining the GSL movement."
About Greener is Cleaner:
Greener is Cleaner's mission is to prompt the community to develop keen minds that consider the environment and our future before anything else by basing their choices on the UN SDGs. Cherry's actions vary from organizing climate strikes to requesting the Green New Deal with a Hologram Action in front of the National Assembly, executing plastic straw attacks at big corporations, upcycling items, cleaning the trash in the community, producing media, and monitoring the status quo of national environmental education.
Find out more:
- Greener is Cleaner website: https://www.greeneriscleaner.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gic_chadwick/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtZMSobWSQTJABJg7XllZ0w
- Ted Talk: My Battle with Anorexia | Cherry Sung | Chadwick International - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP0H0nckP-M
Rosanna is the Middle School Service Coordinator & Middle School Math Teacher at Chadwick International in South Korea.
Rosanna is from the Philippines and has been teaching in international schools for 17 years, 22 years in total (PHL). She taught in Taiwan, Kuwait, Bermuda, Venezuela, and now in South Korea. Rosanna enjoys traveling, trying variety of food & coffee, and taking photos of landscape, buildings, patterns, and food - "I love everything that is colorful."
In this episode we discuss the Philippines Service Learning - a club started by Rosanna when she was new at Chadwick International that slowly became student led. It is now running 2 feeding programs that provide breakfast and lunch for 110 students in 2 different schools in the Philippines (zero hunger, no poverty, quality education, reduced inequality, partnerships for goals).
We will also discuss Chadwick's Middle School Student Service Leadership Group where Rosanna supervises student leaders and guides them in their journey in leading their own service clubs. There are many clubs running currently including Greener is Cleaner, DREAM, Nepal Service Learning, BRIGHT, and Pushcart Library.
This is a very special episode filled with passion and practical advise for all adults support youth social action. It is a must-listen for all teachers and educators!
In her Podcast, Bethan talks about the ways that we can help people with cancer and support their families.
Ash gave their podcast the title 'Chit and Chat with Ash'.
Ash discusses topics that are important to them and want spread awareness about.
In his podcast, Ibrahim talks about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China. He explains what is happening to them in China and ways in which people elsewhere can help to prevent this from continuing.
In Ridhi's Podcast he discusses the issue of Child Abuse and the NSPCC. He explains the issue and why it is so important to prevent abuse from happening. Ridhi also talks about the NSPCC and what the are doing to stop Child Abuse in all it forms.
In Robert's podcast he aims to raise awareness of the charities and organisations that can provide support for children and teens who are going through having a loved one with cancer.
"These organisations are really great and helped me a lot when my Mum was ill!
I discuss my personal experience of how it felt when Mum got sick, meeting her Macmillan nurses and other organisations who have supported me and my family, as well as speaking to others going through similar situations, and how things are now, as well as aiming to raise awareness, in the hope that they may help another young person going through the same or similar." - Robert
Ailsa gave her podcast the title 'Code Red! - We Must End Stigmas Surrounding Periods'.
She speaks about three of the many issues surrounding periods. The first is the lack of education in her school about periods and how little help girls get when they're struggling with their period. Also, about the shockingly high prices of tampons and pads compared with other essential toiletries. Ailsa explains that the stigma around periods needs to be broken and the only way to do that is to educate us all.
Chloe gave her podcast the title "Little Voices, Big Changes".
In her podcast, Chloe discusses different areas of inequality and how we can create change. Chloe was lucky enough to interview Laura Perkins who is the Director of Fundraising at the Young Women's Trust charity, who shared lots of insights about what motivates her to work in charity fundraising, the particular issues affecting young women's rights, and strategies for campaigning and fundraising.
George talks about inequality, how it affects the community and the actions people can take to make a difference.
Grace's podcast discusses how some young people suffer in the education system because it is not set up to accommodate everyone's needs. She covers how students who are not engaged or enjoying school can experience lower self esteem and mental health problems. Also, how young people with Special Educational Needs struggle to fit in at school and are often not given all the support that they need.
Sophie and Lily explained how period poverty can effect young girls and their education.
Ashna gave her podcast the title 'The Rights of the Wronged'. She discusses the reasons for war, and how it impacts people and causes them to seek refuge in other countries. Ashna also talks about her book, Vision of the Past, and how she will give the money that she fundraises to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).
In Naveen's Podcast he discusses eradicating poverty and the steps that can be taken to do so. For example, by not wasting food at diners and supermarkets and donating to those that are less well off.
In her podcast, Anne discusses Sustainable Development Goal 1: Poverty. As well as giving some of the shocking global poverty statistics, she tried to delve deeper and think about what the numbers truly mean below the surface. Anna gave her thoughts and ideas on how to solve poverty on both a global and local scale.
Megan's podcast is about homelessness. In the podcast she discusses several statistics about the issue as well as ways in which the public can help make a difference to the number of rough sleepers on the streets.
Beth gave her podcast the title 'Art Club - promoting wellbeing through creation and connection.'
In her podcast, Beth talks about the affect that lockdown had on people's mental health and wellbeing. She includes the testimonies from others, as well as where the idea of Art Club came from.
Issie has given her podcast the title “Never Underestimate a Smile”. She wanted to show the power of little actions in tackling mental health.
"I didn’t want mental health to be forgotten or left behind whilst the battle against coronavirus rages on, as mental health and physical health are very much linked, so I wanted to spread the word in my ideas to help people who have suffered with loneliness over lockdowns and quarantines." - Issie
In their podcast, Anisah talks about the coronavirus and that some people in Nigeria still believe that it is a myth and do not try to observe safety precautions, Anisah also includes a few suggestions for how to solve the problem.
Hamza's podcast is about Mental Health and explains why it is an important topic of discussion. As part of his challenge, Hamza chose to support Mind - a charity that provides help and support to those who are affected by mental health.
"I feel mental health issues are very underrated and looked over in today's society." - Hamza
Arvia's podcast is about mental health in young people. Arvia aims to raise awareness of the issue and suggests ways to help people if they are experiencing bad mental health.
"I discuss things that can help yourself or help someone else that is maybe not so cheery one day, for example that they can make a playlist of they're favourite songs when they're down."
- Arvia
In Ivan's podcast he talks about returning to school in the current situation and his opinions on the issue of face masks being used in schools in the UK and the world.
In Kevin's podcast, he explains COVID-19 and how to stay safe and healthy in these times.
Edith discusses the issue of littering on our beaches and plastic pollution in our ocean. She interviews a number of individuals from a group of litter pickers called the Litter Angels.
In her podcast, Zara explains what people can do to help put an end to plastic pollution.
In his podcast, Sebastian talks about his concerns with water pollution and its affects on the environment.
Luke talks about what plastic pollution is and how it affects us, as well as sharing what we can all do to help.
Alia discusses plastic pollution in her podcast. She explains why it is important that we stop using plastic and how it can benefit the environment.
In Karan's podcast, he talks about the Eden Project and explains what he did for his Eden Challenge.
Amy's podcast explains why we should all celebrate wasps and their role in our ecosystem, and what we can do to conserve these amazing creatures.
"The wasp population is decreasing as much as the bees yet they are associated with negative words such as 'stinging', 'pain' and 'rage', whilst bees evoke more positive terms such as 'honey', 'flowers' and 'pollen'. But wasps are more than they just appear to be. I was inspired to discuss this topic through the charity 'buglife's' campaign of 'wonderful wasps.'" - Amy
Iris discusses her passion for the environment, explains why we need to do more about global warming and climate change, and gives some ideas for ways you can reduce your carbon footprint and the impact of climate change.
In their podcast, Adya discusses some of the problems facing the Earth and what you can do to help.
Abby's podcast is titled 'Global Warming: Save Our Planet'. Abby explains what Global Warming is, what it is caused by and its impacts, as well as what we can do to stop it.
In his podcast, Henry discusses the issue of deforestation. He explains the oxygen cycle and that as more trees are being cut, more carbon dioxide is remaining in the atmosphere and less oxygen being produced for us to breathe.
Miriam's podcast is about combatting climate change. She has given three pieces of advice - to buy less, turn off lights in rooms you are not in and use your voice.
"Whilst recording the podcast, it almost felt like I was talking to a friend as I added some personal elements and expressions, and spoke from my heart (whilst also following a script of course). I found it a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be, which made me consider making a podcast in the future!" - Miriam
Alex draws upon 30 years of experience in education and outreach at school, local authority, national and international level.
Prior to becoming Director of Portland Education, he led two London schools in challenging circumstances to be Ofsted rated 'outstanding' and designed and delivered bespoke facilitation in Asia, Europe and North America for a range of schools and other organisations.
Alex has designed education and outreach programmes for international government, museums and charities, is a sought-after professional coach to senior leaders and a mentor to emerging talent.
We will discuss the state of education during the Covid-19 pandemic, unpack the best ways to engage and inspire youth. We will look at best initiatives young people can get involved in during lockdown and beyond.
Useful Links:
http://www.LinkOnlineLearners.org - a weekly global youth-led online cultural exchange.
www.ThisIsOurChance.Education - the world's first free online film festival about education starting in June.
http://www.PortlandEducation.co.uk - my global coaching consultancy for leadership and innovation
Maysoon lives and studies in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Together with her friends she started an amazing initiative to support access to education in refugee camps. We discuss Maysoon's motivation, the importance of having strong local partners and how to get them on your side, creating a relevant curriculum and managing your expectations.
'We aim to reach out to refugees around the world, both living in refugee camps and ones that live in foreign countries. We hope to raise money for the refugees as well as develop a curriculum for the children in the refugee camps to follow. We also aim at raising awareness for refugees from all levels of oppression ranging from bullying to human right violations.'
Toby is from team Sustaina from St Paul's College in Hong Kong who are working hard to reduce the stress levels in their school. Due to the coronavirus pandemic Toby and the team had to pivot their project and move most of their activity online. Listen to find out how they are adjusting to the new conditions and to hear what their teacher has to say about their initative.
Project Objectives
- Reduce the stress of students from school
This aims targets students from our school. We hope that their participation in the workshops will help them reduce stress from their tense school lives and enhance their well-being. For example, by achieving work-life balance, not only students would be benefited but also teachers and other staff at our school. We will emphasize the importance of work-life balance so that everyone will have a healthier lifestyle. - Finding inadequacies in the education system of Hong Kong and suggesting measures to improve it
Apart from helping students directly, it is also very important to search for the root cause of the problem. Since the education system of Hong Kong currently is regarded as very competitive and ‘unhealthy’, we would like to improve the education system. - Increase Hong Kong students’ awareness of the lack of quality education in less developed parts of the world and raising funds
This aim would benefit children from less developed areas in the world as we would like to provide them with economic aid as well. With the money we raised from our fellow schoolmates, it will benefit those children by improving their learning environment and books or resources for learning. Hong Kong students will understand how lucky they are to have the chance to learn and better treasure their learning opportunities.
We hope to raise awareness so that more people can know about this issue not only in Hong Kong but also around the globe. We aim at initiating changes in the current education system to make it less stressful, and make Hong Kong students more willing to know more about education problems in other parts of the world.
Jack from Worle Community School (UK) is the leader of Climate Justice Revolution (CJR). Their one simple aim is to reduce the effects of global climate change.
CJR’s slogan is ‘Fighting for our future’. 'We believe that for us to be able to have the same opportunities our parents did in the future, we need to fight climate change which can lead us to solving more world problems.
CJR does our best to encourage young people to join our movement or start their own. Our belief is that if you have a worthy cause that you believe in, then you should be able to have the opportunity to help that cause.
We plan to incorporate the Global Goals in more of our projects across WCSA to show students the wide range of problems that need solving and how they can make a difference.'
Jack and the team joined Greta Thunberg in Bristol to strike for climate. The CJR team has done a brilliant job being our official GSL correspondents of the day. To find out more about Jack's work read his awesome blog - https://www.globalsocialleaders.com/climate-justice-revolution/
CJR Social Media Links