In this episode, we're joined by climate activist Sophia Kianni for a conversation about her changemaking journey, the model of change behind her organization Climate Cardinals and her advice for young changemakers. Sophia is the founder and executive director of Climate Cardinals, an international youth-led nonprofit that works to translate information about climate change into over 100 languages. She represents the United States as the youngest member on the United Nations Secretary-General's Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. Learn more about Climate Cardinals here: https://www.climatecardinals.org/

The sentiments and opinions in this podcast do not reflect the opinions or stances of UNA-USA, the Youth Observer program, or the UN Foundation.

In this episode, we're joined by Hannah, Elliot and Giulia from The Institute of Civic Organizing (TICO) to chat about the importance of civic engagement. Listen in as members of the TICO discuss their own civic engagement experiences and their thoughts on how we can encourage civic participation. TICO serves the integral role of innovating political and institutional engagement in the US through crafting civic organizing solutions. Learn more about the organization here: https://www.ticoorg.org/about

The sentiments and opinions in this podcast do not reflect the opinions or stances of UNA-USA, the Youth Observer program, or the UN Foundation.

In this episode, Mike and I have a chance to explore his changemaker journey, the work that he leads at Roadtrip Nation and the power of storytelling to support our efforts to find our purpose. Upon graduation, Mike hit the road with two college friends in an old, green RV to interview leaders across America and learn how they got to where they are today. That roadtrip was featured in Forbes Magazine and later turned into the book, Roadtrip Nation: A Guide to Discovering Your Road in Life (Random House). Roadtrip Nation creates and distributes best-in-class career exploration content, products, and experiences to help individuals pursue fulfilling careers based on what’s important to them. Learn more at https://roadtripnation.com/

The sentiments and opinions in this podcast do not reflect the opinions or stances of UNA-USA, the Youth Observer program, or the UN Foundation.

In this episode, I'm joined by Adi and Julia from the Intergroup Dialogue Project for a conversation on the power of dialogue to change our world. The Intergroup Dialogue Project is an academic initiative grounded in theory and practice that creates community across difference through critical dialogue at Cornell University. Learn more by visiting https://idp.cornell.edu/

The sentiments and opinions in this podcast do not reflect the opinions or stances of UNA-USA, the Youth Observer program, or the UN Foundation.

In this episode, Shawon and I explore his own leadership journey, the power of public speaking, and the theory of change behind his organization Vocal Justice. Shawon launched Vocal Justice because he believes that every student, especially those who have been proximate to the pain of injustice, should feel inspired and prepared to advocate for positive change. 

Vocal Justice has a mission to empower undervalued Black and Brown youth to become socially conscious leaders, by teaching them how to communicate authentically and persuasively about social justice issues. The program teaches public speaking with a critical lens. Students learn how some persuasion tactics (e.g., respectability politics and “poverty porn”) can be counter to a long-term justice agenda, even if they are “effective” at getting buy-in in the short-term. Ultimately, Vocal Justice goes beyond building students’ confidence and communication skills to building their critical consciousness.

The sentiments and opinions in this podcast do not reflect the opinions or stances of UNA-USA, the Youth Observer program, or the UN Foundation.

In this episode, Sam and I explore the power of youth leadership, the impact of the Millennium Fellowship and the importance of building the capacity of young people to be changemakers.

Sam Vaghar (he/him/his) is the Executive Director & Co-Founder of Millennium Campus Network - MCN.  He co-founded this organization in his Brandeis University dorm room and has led MCN for 12 years.  MCN and the United Nations Academic Impact present the Millennium Fellowship. In addition to this work, Sam serves as an Advisor to the Executive Director of UN Women.  He is a graduate of Brandeis University and also holds two Honorary Degrees.  This year Sam is also a student again - he is a graduate student at the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he is also a Gleitsman Fellow at its Center for Public Leadership.  You can engage with Sam on social media @samvaghar.

In 2019, 805 Millennium Fellows collectively advanced all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, contributed nearly 100,000 hours to 422 projects, and positively impacted the lives of 564,366 people in 15 nations.  Over 15,000 young leaders on 1,458 campuses in 135 nations applied for the Class of 2020.  This is a robust global network and undergraduates worldwide are invited to apply for the Class of 2021.

In this episode, Nishchal and I talk about the importance of fostering youth entrepreneurship, the story behind Nepal Tea and the impact the organization has working directly with communities to provide economic and social development.

Nishchal Banskota is the Founder of Nepal Tea, a social enterprise that distributes high mountain organic teas from the foothills of Mt. Kanchanjangha. The enterprises empowers farmers economically by providing better revenues, and works to uplift the communities they work with socially by providing free housing, free education to their children and distributing cows for additional income. You can learn more about Nepal Tea by visiting nepalteallc.com.

The sentiments and opinions in this podcast do not reflect the opinions or stances of UNA-USA, the Youth Observer program, or the UN Foundation.

In this episode, Diana and I explore her changemaking journey, the way her own personal narrative shapes her work, building coalitions for change and the importance of taking a systemic approach to transforming pathways to women empowerment through her work as Founder & CEO of Yielding Accomplished African Women.

Diana Wilson is the Founder & CEO of Yielding Accomplished African Women, an expertly crafted, innovative and forward-thinking NGO that serves to economically empower the lives of African women, and in turn enrich the global market. She is a passionate advocate for SDG #5 - Gender Equality who believes that economic empowerment of women is not just a philosophical dream but determinative of an enhanced existence. 

The sentiments and opinions in this podcast do not reflect the opinions or stances of UNA-USA, the Youth Observer program, or the UN Foundation.

In this episode, Rachel and I revisit our first moments learning about the United Nations, the importance of speaking up for what one believes in, why the United Nations should matter to Americans across the country and more about the work she leads as the Executive Director of UNA-USA. 

Rachel Bowen Pittman serves as Executive Director of UNA-USA, a grassroots movement of more than 20,000 Americans in over 200 chapters across the U.S. who are dedicated to supporting the work of the United Nations in communities, on campuses, and on Capitol Hill. Rachel works to maximize UNA-USA’s advocacy impact by guiding the strategic vision for the organization, overseeing membership expansion, and managing partnerships. Rachel works closely with UNA-USA’s National Council and Affinity Group leadership to spearhead new initiatives that support a strong U.S.-UN partnership. Before she was appointed Executive Director in June 2019, Rachel served as UNA-USA’s Senior Director of Membership and Programs. In this role, she managed UNA-USA’s national programs and events, including the annual Global Engagement Summit at UN Headquarters, Global Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., and UN Day events across the country. She also led a nationwide fundraising campaign to provide education to youth in refugee camps. Learn more about UNA-USA by clicking here. 

The sentiments and opinions in this podcast do not reflect the opinions or stances of UNA-USA, the Youth Observer program, or the UN Foundation.

In this episode, Saad and I had a chance to connect about the mentors we had along our changemaking journey, love for nature, the difference young people can make and the importance of getting out to vote. 

Saad is the founder of Plus1Vote, a nonprofit organization dedicated to getting out the vote on issues like climate change and equality. Find out more on their website here.

The sentiments and opinions in this podcast do not reflect the opinions or stances of UNA-USA, the Youth Observer program, or the UN Foundation.