Episodes
-
Lindsay has been working for MSF for almost 20 years in various roles and locations mainly in Africa (Ethopia, Haïti, Congo…) and is now based in Stockholm.
MSF. Médecins Sans Frontières is known internationally as Doctors without Borders. Founded 50 years ago in France by a group of journalists and doctors, this NGO is now a worldwide movement of nearly 65,000 people. It provides medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.
We recorded this episode just before the war started in Ukraine.
Since the fighting broke out, MSF's teams have been working around the clock to meet urgent needs. Getting the right supply at the right place, preparing staff for large influxe of injured people, but also looking at the needs of the thousands people who have fled the fighting, starting mobile clinics to provide medical care.
I leave you with the initial episode where we speak more broadly about how an NGO like MSF works and especially how they maintain their independence, the humanitarian crisis around the globe and their colonial and post colonial origins but also how they are impacted by climate change.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Henrik BLIND is group leader for the Green Party in Jokkmokk.
Henrik is also Sami and together we will speak about the Sami people, their history and culture as well as their rights and fights.
TheSami are Europes’s only indigenous people whose land called Sápmi encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. An intact territory
made of mountains, wild rivers, pristine lakes and streams, tundra and forests,
where the Sami have lived since time immemorial. Their best-known means of
livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding, even though nowadays only 10% of
the Sámi are connected to reindeer herding,
This conversation will touch on the history of Swedish colonization and how it affects society today, the question of land and disputes with the forestry and mining industries, the impact of climate change
on reindeer herding but also explore the indigenous spirituality and how it
could inspire us today.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Missing episodes?
-
Today it is a new format: I will leave the floor to three dads so they can share their own experience on paternity leave. Emotion guaranteed!
Parental leave is 480 days in Sweden, which are more and more shared equally between both parents. It is well paid and during this first year there is no real childcare. On the opposite, afterwards the costs of pre-school is very limited. Also, the tax system in Sweden is individual (not based on the household revenue) encouraging the parent with low income to remain active. All those measures are good incentives for both mums & dads to take the parental leave but to go back to work afterwards as well. You will also learn that there are domestic classes in high school, where all boys and girls learn how to cook, bake, clean, iron, sewe and make errands.
Most of you, listening mums & dads probably did not get the chance of having such a long and equally shared leave. My husband & I certainly did not, but we still feel we fully enjoyed our babies and still spend a lot of quality time with them.
However, the parental leave set up in Sweden feels right, much more natural, fair for both parents and more profitable for kids and society as a whole.
Please, share your thoughts and comments, I am so interested to hear what you think!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
I have been willing to make an episode on paternity leave for a longtime, looking around for the right person to meet! That was until I discovered Johan’sexhibit called Swedish Dads. Johan Bävman is a photographer and has won several awards, including the World Press Photo, Sony Award, UNICEF PhotoAward. His series Swedish Dads had a tremendous impact and has been published/shared widely all over the world.
Together we will speak about paternity leave. A topic that is a lot less anecdotal than one might think at first sight. It is even a critical step to gender equality, but beyond that, it is a major milestone to a cultural mindshit that is key to rethink masculinity and reinvent a system around a wider set of values, changing from our current patriarchal software to a more modern and caring culture.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Very happy to welcome Sanna Ghotbi to talk about Participatory Democracy !
After working in politics for four years, Sanna is now working with municipalities and public institutions to design participatory democracy processes.
Together we discussed the need to reinvent democracy. We reviewed inspiring examples in various countries: in Spain following 15-M movement in 2011 (Indignados), in France with the tops & flops of the Citizen Convention for Climate, in Ireland on very controversial topics and even in Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan).
We then made a focus on Sweden, known as a Democracy landmark. Partly a myth according to Sanna, who hightlighted opportunities, challenges and specific initiatives going on at the moment.
At the end of the interview, Sanna shared her dream for Participatory Democracy in the future. She would want it to be built on 3 pillars: 1/ Better Representation: Allowing more people from different backgrounds to enter into politics, inspired by the movement "Brand New Congress" in the US, led by AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), 2/ Better everyday participation: thanks to permanent structures, such as for example rotational Citizen Assemblies, 3/ Better Organising on a grassroots level: through Community Organising within Civil Society, "and for that for people in Sweden to wake up ! We are not in this perfect equal country, we need to get organised ! to demand things, to cross pollinate between different movements (equal health care, less discrimination on the job market, better pensions, less segregation and dismanteled public services in disadvantaged areas)".
Hope you you will like this conversation as much as I did !
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Extinction Rebellion (also known as XR) was born in 2018 in the UK and today claims 100,000 members across 60 countries. This collective defends a radical change in our environmental policies and advocates civil disobedience & non-violence. Occupations of places, blockades with human chains, art performances, and no resistance in case of arrest.
Elvin is 21 years old and tells how he became an activist, his vision for the future and how XR is building on historic legacies (Civil Rights Movement, Gandhi, the Suffragettes) as well as social science. He also explains the logic of civil disobedience, and how disruption is forcing friction and debate in society.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Sepehr Mousavi is the Co-Founder of SweGreen, where he is in charge of Sustainability, Innovation and R&D. He is also a Futurist and Green Tech advocate, TedX speaker and keynote for many otherconferences.
SweGreen is an Agtech and Vertical Farming innovation company based in Stockholm. How do we address population growth and urbanization? Can we promote biodiversity and reduce risks related to climate change? Can tech be used for good? Could food grown in a controlled environment be more tasty, richer in nutrient and truly sustainable? We discussed all that and went through the incredible synergies that the pilot farm here in central Stockholm has managed to leverage to be fully circular.
Actually, this discussion took us much further than that: from the reinvention of our food system to the necessary mindshift that we as Human need to go through collectively, moving away from this win-lose logic that leads to inequalities and environmental disaster.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Helene Ählberg is a Purpose guide, she helps develop progressive organizations with a purpose-driven culture where employees contribute and grow. She is also the founder of Teal for Teal Sweden. A network to spread ideas and models for new ways of working in our rapidly changing world.
During this conversation, we learn more about what a Teal Organization is, referring to the famous book of Frederic Laloux, Reinventing Organizations.
To introduce the subject, we go through the challenges organisations need to address today: lack of agility, need for more rapid innovation but also employees disengagement & "brown-out", as well as the higher expectations from the younger generation around meaning and autonomy.
Helene explains the different stages: Red, Amber, Orange, Green and Teal, and then goes through the 3 fondamental principles of Teal organizations: Self leadership, Wholeness & Purpose.
We then discuss the benefits of such transformation in a country like Sweden, known for its consensus and work-life balance culture. Finally, Helene observes that the context of the pandemic is accelerating this paradign shift, but stresses that things need to change even quicker if organisations are to stand up and address the urgent Climate change challenge we are facing now.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Joakim Levin, on slow fashionCEO of Nudie Jeans
Joakim is the CEO of Nudie Jeans, a denim brand that has won many awards in the field of sustainability since it was created in 2001 by Maria Erixon.
The fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions, and nearly 20% of wastewater. Production has doubled over the past 15-20 years, due to constant change of collections and cheap prices. As a result, 40% of our wardrobe is rarely or never worn.
But in this conversation, we will see that it is possible to challenge this “fast fashion” model
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Linnéa Engström worked as a green member of the EU parliament for 5 years. She has written a book on climate justice and feminism. She was elected First Vice-Chair of the Committee on Fisheries and is currently working as program director at the Marine Stewardship Council.
During this conversation, we discussed climate, feminism and Ocean’s governance for sustainability but also learnt about Linnéa's engagement in politics and in civil society.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Julian is the co-founder of Brave Business, a sustainability and innovation consultancy, but also co-founder of two start ups Brave Brews and Food Facts, a real slasher!
During this conversation, you will learn more about all his activities but also about his personal journey and understand how his paternity leave has radically changed his outlook on career and success.
We have discussed:
- Future of work and explored what it means to be a slasher and an e-ployee
- Swedish working style, and its two main characteristics: work-life balance and consensus
- Brave Business' frameworks: growth&impact gaps and the human centric approach, illustrated by great Adidas example
- Food waste and how Crumb Beer start up is specifically addressing bread waste
- Responsible consumption with Food Facts, another exciting new venture
A little more than 30 minutes of friendly and very informative conversation !
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Pella Thiel,
Founder of End Ecocide Sweden and Rights of Nature Sweden
PELLA THIEL WAS APPOINTED SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL HERO OF THE YEAR 2019
Should Nature have rights? Today a corporation can have standing to be represented in court whilst animals or ecosystems can’t. President Macron said he would support the creation of a crime of Ecocide in international discussions and so did the Belgian govenment, the Danish parliament and the Swedish labor party. Even the Financial Times raised the question in an article on Oct 25!
An idea whose time has come it seems!
Pella is co-founder of End Ecocide Sweden and Rights of Nature Sweden and was appointed the Environmental Hero of the Year in 2019. Discover what it would change concretely if Ecocide was recognised as an international crime, and meet a beautiful person, who embodies engagement with softness and sparkle.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Tomas is an applied Philosopher and a Social Entrepreneur, founder of the Eskäret Foundation and of many other initiatives in Stockholm, London and Berlin.
In this conversation, we will speak about meta-crisis and the possibility that humanity is undergoing a ‘phase-shift’, this will raise questions around democracy, education and inner-development. Tomas will share what he calls the Nordic Secret, and give his vision of what could be this post-modern world that is emerging and how to facilitate its emergence.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Can a burger company be a role model on sustainability? In Sweden, the favorite fast food starts with a M but it is not the one you think! It is Max Burger, a family owned company, that received UN’s Global Climate Action Award at COP25 in Madrid.
Meet Kaj Török, Chief Sustainability Officer at Max Burgers.
Max aims at reinventing the burger industry, replacing beef by greener options. Target for 2022 is that every other meal served should be without beef. Today, it is already a little more than 40%. The veggie burgers accounted for 2% of the volume sales in 2015 and for 22% in 2019!
In this episode, Kaj explains Max journey toward limiting its impact in line with the 1.5° target of the Paris agreement, in 3 steps:
1/ Make the full diagnosis of the company activities through a GHG protocole, looking at scope 1, 2 and 3
2/ Reduce emissions in line with the 1.5° target, focusing on the biggest impact and being ready to change one's core business, replacing beef by plant based options in the case of a fast-food company.
3/ Capture carbone, through reforestation programs, because reducing the emissions is not enough, it is now urgent to sequester carbon.
Kaj gives tips and pitfalls and replies to all my questions around packaging, the very business model of fast food, capitalism and growth or controverse about carbon offsetting. If you thought that a burger company could not be a driver for good, you might change your mind after that podcast!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Jean-Baptiste introduces us to this Ocean, that represents two-thirds of the earth surface but is still vastly unknown. It is a reservoir for future discoveries with great potential on marine genetic resources and new medicines (which is particularly relevant in times of COVID), but also a life support system as it regulates climate, absorbs carbon and provides us with the air we breathe. But human pressure is enormous (fishing, shipping, offshore industries, development of renewable energy, plastics), leading to multiple impacts such as ocean acidification, bleaching of coral reefs, and ocean warming with the risk of reaching tipping points with vicious feedback loops (when the ice melts, less heat is reflected and more heat is absorbed by the ocean, which in turn increases the ocean temperature ultimately leading to more ice melting). Impacts such as sea-level rise can also have geopolitical consequences. We talked about the Blue Economy and its acceleration and how collaboration can help address the challenges ahead, the important role of finance and of course the need for international governance. We mentioned how we (western consumers) should change our habits and eat less but better-selected fish. Jean-Baptiste also gave us his point of view on the opportunity to leverage the COVID crisis to accelerate transformation for sustainability. We closed on the overview effect and the value of talking about the ocean in the singular rather than plural.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Jonathan Milläng, on Happiness, AI, Freewill and Political Engagement
Board member at PUSH Sweden and former Digital Director for Democratic super pac For Our Future
Jonathan is a graduate student at Columbia in New York. He’s already had several working experiences in green finance, digital and sustainability. He is also a board member for Push in Sweden. PUSH is a platform made to gather all Swedish youth organisations and young individuals who want to actively work for a long-term sustainable society. During this conversation, we spoke about Youth, Happiness and Engagement but also Artificial Intelligence, Freewill and Politics.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Mattias Goldmann, one of Sweden's most influencial in sustainability accepted my invitation to share around this very special period we are living through and what good we can expect from it. We focused on the links that can be made with transition and climate change. Mattias points out that solidarity seems to prevail on selfishness, the need for politicians to listen to science, and the importance to relocate basic supplies. This crisis also demonstrates that people can change behavior as long as they understand the urgency and exactly what they should do, it also puts a focus on the most important things in life: health, food, education, arts and social relationships...sectors that are all low carbon impact, so perfectly in line with a more sustainable society in the future.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Coronavirus is a huge test of resilience for our modern society. What is the capacity of our socio-economic system to bounce back, adapt and transform under this period of stress and disturbance? I met Albert Norström from the Stockholm Resilience Center a few weeks before the Coronavirus outbreak in Europe. Still his thoughts have peculiar resonnance now that we are more and more to be confined in our homes. Albert defined resilience, underlined the vulnerability of our globalised world where everything is interconnected, stressed the importance of communication and collaboration when countries are facing turmoil, and also talked about the need of providing narratives on better futures to be able to identify and engage on what we are aiming for.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
So happy I met Åsa Stenmarck! Åsa is a researcher at IVL, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, expert on sustainable consumption, circular economy and waste management.
Why is it urgent that we reinvente our economic model, built around growth & stuff ? Does the Swedish waste and recycling system deserve its good reputation ? Why won’t circular economy resolve it all and should companies rethink their business model to sell services rather than products ? Åsa gave us a clear outlook on these topics and challenges misconceptions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Thomas STERNER is a renowned environmental economist, he was involved in the IPCC as one of the authors in charge of the chapters on policy design. He has published hundreds of scientific articles and more than a dozen books on various topics such as energy, climate, transport, resource management and carbon pricing. Thomas shared his vision of the current climate situation as well as key outputs from the latest IPCC report. He then explained why Carbon Tax is the best tool at our disposal, how it works and also how it could ultimately be used to systematically integrate externalities in prices. We also discussed its acceptance, comparing the case of France with the yellow vests crisis, with Sweden, where Carbon Tax has been created as early as 1991! That lead us on various topics such as energy transition, inequalities in revenue but also inequalities between cities and rural areas and of course on politics, and how the risks could escalate if we have bad policies on top of the environnemental crisis.
Thomas shared all that and more with his warmth and humour, providing us with insights and hope!!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Show more
