Show Notes
In this new series of the Better Angels podcast, Sarah Brown is exploring how different personality types call for change. In this episode of the series, Sarah speaks to a range of guests about the new styles of campaigning, ones that look different to what we usually see and don't always start with big budgets. These campaigns are often down to one person, affected in a personal way, which can launch some of the most innovative ideas. First we hear from James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand, co-founders of Oscar's Book Prize, an annual prize for the best books written for under-fives, awarded each year in memory of Oscar Ashton. Sarah talks to James and Viveka about their young son Oscar, who passed away 2012 when he was three and a half years old and how Oscar's Book Prize has grown over its six years of operation. Next, Sarah speaks with Ivan Rosales, a campaigner whose own immigration status gave him insight into the experiences of those living in limbo right now in the United States, as undocumented young people. Using his experience, he founded the New York State Leadership Council, an organisation that empowers immigrant youth to drop the fear and challenge the American immigration system. Sarah then speaks with Carys Afoko, co-founder of Level Up, a new feminist organisation launched at the start of 2018, with a mission to build a community of feminists who can work together to end sexism in the UK. Paul Divakar, a renowned Dalit activist and former General Secretary of the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights, based in Delhi, speaks with Sarah about a personal trauma that inspired him to act. Finally we hear from Kirsty Mcneill, Executive Director of Policy, Advocacy and Change at Save the Children, who is leading teams to galvanise the public and influence policy makers on humanitarian action, global development and help for children here in the UK.
More from Better Angels with Sarah Brown
This year, Theirworld launched the Act For Early Years campaign, calling on world leaders and global institutions to act to support the world's youngest children.
To celebrate the 100th episode of Better Angels on World Children's Day, Sarah handed over her hosting microphone to Andrew Jack, global education editor of the Financial Times, for a wide-ranging interview with her and her husband, Gordon Brown, about the state of global education. Andrew asked Sarah and Gordon, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, about their motivations for advocating for children's education and what actions world leaders need to take to give all children around the world a quality education. "If we could become the first generation in history where every single child had an education and where instead of developing some of the potential of some of the children in some countries, we developed all the potential of all children in all countries, then that would, in my view, make the biggest difference to our prospects and possibilities as a world," said Gordon. Sarah reflects on her career as an activist and shares her insights from working with youth activists, displaced families and global movements for change during her 20 years as founder of the global children's charity Theirworld.
In November, the world will gather in Egypt for COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to discuss ways to tackle the climate emergency. In this episode, Sarah Brown speaks with Keya Lamba, the co-founder of Earth Warriors, an organisation bringing climate education to curriculums around the world, and most recently, with the support of Theirworld, to schools in Zambia and Botswana. Keya talks about how climate education empowers students to take action to make the planet safer and greener. Sarah also speaks with Maria Mphanza, a teacher at Mnyaula Community School in Zambia, one of the schools about to begin Earth Warriors' curriculum, about her hope that the programme will help to combat deforestation in her community.
Right now, 260 million children are not in school, and many more are in the classroom but not receiving a quality education. Let down by poorly trained teachers, outdated curriculums and lack of digital connectivity, they risk not reaching their full learning potential. Next week, world leaders will debate solutions to this crisis at the historic Transforming Education Summit in New York during the United Nations General Assembly. To mark the summit, Theirworld Chair Sarah Brown spoke with Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, and two Theirworld Global Youth Ambassadors, Mathilde Boulogne and Yuv Sungkur, who will be attending the event. The Envoy spoke about why it is crucial for world leaders to listen to young campaigners and offered advice to young people trying to make their voices heard. Mathilde and Yuv discussed why they are supporting the #LetMeLearn campaign, and what action they hope world leaders will take to avert an education catastrophe.
In the final episode of Theirworld's 20th anniversary special, Theirworld Chair Sarah Brown talks with Beatrace Ndisha Mwanjala, a Global Youth Ambassador from Kenya, about what needs to be done to ensure we meet the United Nations goal of inclusive and quality education for all children by 2030. Beatrace shares some of her own struggles accessing education, including what it was like to walk long distances to school when faced with the threat from wild animals. Sarah also speaks with Justin van Fleet, President of Theirworld and Executive Director of the Global Business Coalition for Education, about his hopes for the future, and the power of education to fight inequality. "Education has the power to be a great equaliser," Justin says. "It can be a rising tide that can lift all boats, and I think getting equity in educational access and then the quality of education delivery that all young people deserve, that's going to be the biggest challenge we're facing."