The Multi-Hazards Podcast

How can faith and community influence our climate action? Look no further. Canada and the world are blessed to have people like Areej Riaz, fighting for the planet and humanity. Areej is a climate change consultant based in Ontario, Canada, with a diverse industry background and in-depth knowledge and work experience from around the world. Her Muslim faith and community is one of the key strengths in her approach to life and the environment.  She has contributed much, even at her young age, to global efforts in climate action, access to finance and technology, environmental education and environmental sustainability.

Join us and learn how to walk the talk when it comes to saving the planet and all the living creatures on it, including billions of people!

Study Guide here, click where it says "PDF" on the middle left: https://multi-hazards.libsyn.com/faith-community-climate-conversation-with-areej-riaz

Link to Our Climate, Our Stories: A Collection of Stories and Poems by Canadian Youth: http://www.enviromuslims.ca/our-climate-our-stories/

Areej Riaz' Bio:

Areej Riaz is a climate change consultant, with a diverse industry background working with nonprofits, government agencies, consultancies and corporations in Africa, Asia and Europe focused on climate action, access to finance and technology, environmental education and environmental sustainability. This included being a contributing author to three provincial climate change policies in Pakistan, implementing sustainability initiatives in 90 business and industries in Scotland, and coordinating Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN)’s program across Asia in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Indonesia and Pakistan.

Areej has authored and co-authored numerous publications, including whitepapers, policy briefs, newspaper articles, and most recently a chapter on gender-driven environmental action in a multi-author book on sustainability being published in the UK. She is currently a member of the climate finance working group, renewable energy and the energy efficiency communities of practices of Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) Global Partnership. She also serves as an advisor on program development to Hum Pakistan and sits on the board of Upper Canada Fibershed and Books Art Music Collective.

She is currently working as Director of Climate Programs with EnviroMuslims, as Head of Research and Education with the Community Climate Council, and as a sustainability advisor to National Zakat Foundation and Oxfam.

Who is fighting for indigenous rights, especially for climate change adaptation, at the United Nations? Among the many articulate and courageous indigenous rights advocates is Ghazali Ohorella. His aim is to inspire and empower 476 million indigenous people worldwide. And with the runaway climate crisis often treated lightly by the rest of the world, indigenous people are in place to take a leading role in this existential challenge of the 21st century.

Join this exciting episode and learn the power and wisdom of indigenous people the world over!

Study Guide here (left side where it says PDF): https://multi-hazards.libsyn.com/indigenous-activism-climate-change-adaptation-with-ghazali-ohorella

Ghazali Ohorella Bio:

Ghazali Ohorella is indigenous from Maluku in the Pacific. He's always travelling to United Nations meetings to advocate for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. He has many years' experience in the indigenous rights, diplomacy & advocacy scene. Ghazali's passion and goal is to inspire and empower Indigenous Peoples so that they can do what inspires them. Ghazali calls himself an idealist. In addition, he describes himself as an anteambulo. This is a term from old Rome, which meant someone who "goes in front of" or “clears the path,” proceeding in front of their patron anywhere they traveled in Rome, making way, communicating messages, and generally making their lives easier. Ghazali is often described by friends as a “machine” working to open up spaces and to provide tools for Indigenous Peoples. In doing so he has worked with many indigenous movements, organisations, governments, NGOs and State representatives around the world. Ghazali is the host of the Gomaluku Podcast in which he documents his process and talks with Indigenous Peoples’ representatives on a wide range of topics including their thoughts, failures, the lessons they’ve learned, the hard, their aha moments, and the sacrifices they made to claim their rights.

Ghazali Ohorella's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1JaYC9XX1ORGSYEa0CQr3r

Yes, it's been one whole year of the Multi-Hazards podcast.  We're 70 episodes in now and running strong!  Here host Vin Nelsen answers questions such as: - Where's Multi-Hazards at now? - What kind of praise & criticism have you received? - How has Multi-Hazards changed you? - How has the podcast assisted you with Networking, with connecting with others who are professionals or lay people in the fields focused on protecting communities? - What's your method? How do you produce your podcast episodes? - What are your plans? How do you see the future for the Multi-Hazards podcast?

Join this episode of Multi-Hazards and be part of a movement to change the world!

Cover photo by Hugo Jehanne on Unsplash

Outro: "Basa Basa Beat" by Nana Kwabena

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Vin Nelsen's Bio

Vin Nelsen has a passion for protecting communities. While continuing to teach immigrants at Douglas College on unceded Salish Nations' land in Vancouver, Canada, he continues podcasting, writing articles and scheming schemes to protect "vulnerable" populations with education, activism and action related to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). This currently includes focusing more on anti-racism, promoting justice, equality and diversity and opposing movements that stick to the status quo.

Vin studied a Grad Diploma in Climate Risk Management from the University of Waterloo, a Certificate in Climate Change Policy & Practice from the University of Toronto, courses from Yukon University's Graduate Diploma in Climate Change Policy, as well as a Diploma of Emergency & Security Management, Certificate in Emergency Management and Certificate of Emergency Management Exercise Design from Justice Institute of BC (JIBC), plus courses in First Nations' Studies, meteorology, technical writing and cyber security while volunteering with a local Emergency Preparedness program and Red Cross these last 2+ years.

He has a Master of Arts in Cross-Cultural-related studies (Trinity), a Bachelor of Arts, double majors of Communication (Media) and French as well as a Certificate of Liberal Arts (Simon Fraser University), a Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (Vancouver Community College), and passed the Real Estate Trading Services Licensing from the University of British Columbia (UBC).

His previous work including many years in immigrant helping organisations as program manager, career and job search counsellor and instructor, English language instructor and real estate agent. He worked six years in Asia and has worked with diverse people, especially with non-Westerners, since his youth. For the next few decades, he will dedicate himself to protecting communities from extreme weather events, geohazards, security threats and damaging social and political trends.

«Être fort pour être utile.» ("Be strong to be useful")

Where can we find emergency food for families and individuals who really need it? Food rescue or food recovery is where folks safely retrieve edible food which otherwise goes to waste, and distributing it to those in need. This recovered food, such as fruits, vegetables, and proteins, can solve both problems of hunger and nutrition deficiency, potentially leading to diet-related disease and also food waste.

Join us in this motivating and mind-expanding podcast with Maddie Hague, Program Manager of Food Stash in Vancouver, Canada!

Study Guide here, where it says PDF on the left under the audio file: https://multi-hazards.libsyn.com/food-security-solutions-conversation-with-maddie-hague

Maddie Hague's Bio:

Maddie Hague is Program Manager at Vancouver's Food Stash, a Registered Canadian Charity aiming to rescue surplus food directly from suppliers and redirecting it to households in our community that experience food insecurity, while reducing the environmental impact of food waste. In 2011, Maddie moved from Ontario to Vancouver to study Sustainable Community Development. Over time, Maddie gained experience with several non-profits which taught her that in order to make progress towards a healthier environment we need to put social justice first. This led Maddie to pursue a Masters in Resource and Environmental Management with a focus on respecting Indigenous rights and title. Maddie is deeply inspired by the work of Food Stash and is excited to meet you and everyone in the food security community!

Outro music: Moonquake - Nana Kwabena

To be a leader is tough, and especially so in another culture.  But cross-cultural success requires the right attitudes and skills.  In this episode, world-renowned cross-cultural guru Diana Watson, a long-term resident of Taiwan but originally from the USA, shares her life and expertise on how to adapt and learn a new culture.  Whether you are a business person, traveller, hobbyist, NGO or government worker, this episode contains vital information for you.  Join us and become a learner and leader in world cultures!

The YouTube video that brought instant recognition is “Black Woman Wins Chinese Speech Contest *English Subtitles*” from June 11, 2018 is over 3 million views: https://youtu.be/IiYqLE3wr_I. It has also been shared an innumerable amount of times on other platforms such as WhatsApp, WeChat, Line, etc., which don’t necessarily add to the YouTube numbers.

Study Guide here: https://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/6/c/8/6c869ae71ec57e44/STUDY_GUIDE_-_SEASON_4_EPISODE_8_Cross-Cultural_Leadership.pdf?c_id=103734911&cs_id=103734911&destination_id=2085620&expiration=1621612475&hwt=5cfae566d468589672c9fcd1b8b4818f

Diana Watson's Bio:

Diana is an author, four-time national speaking champion and cultural immersion expert. Her latest speech in Mandarin "Am I Strange?" had over 1,000,000 views only two weeks after it was posted onto YouTube and transformed how the world views Blacks who speak Chinese. Diana trains individuals and organizations on how to effectively immerse in other cultures by emphasizing foreign language public speaking, cross-cultural leadership and cultural intelligence, so they will obtain critical knowledge that leads to profitable outcomes and also make a positive impact on the local culture. Her book, The Speaking Seed: Secrets to Successful Foreign Language Public Speaking, is the first book ever dedicated to foreign language public speaking, and she also co-authored Called to Lead: Success Strategies for Women on sale now on Amazon. Diana has lived in Taiwan for almost 16 years and considers it home.

Outro Music: Circle Dance - SefChol from YouTube Audio Library

Main Photo: Photo by Robert Pastryk on Pixabay

Racism in the United States as well as other countries continues, not just through overt public discourse, but also in its overall system - in housing, banking, schooling, policing, etc. These policies especially affect African-Americans, as well as indigenous people and other people of colour. As Dr. Robert C. Smith, professor emeritus of political science at San Francisco State University explained in his 2010 book Conservatism and Racism, and Why in America They Are the Same, policies that racially discriminate at ground level have found a home in the last half century in the Conservative movement. This has been their means of winning elections and supporters, from Barry Goldwater to Ronald Reagan, from Richard Cheney to Donald Trump. Even progressives have supported policies that end up hurting African-Americans and other minorities in the USA.

It's not just what you say, but the end result of your actions that can constitute racism. And after decades of conservative policies on housing, jobs, policing, incarceration, the war on drugs, etc. have disproportionately impacted African-Americans. Can this ever change? Will progressive movements that are anti-racist in nature win the day instead?  Listen in to find out!

Dr. Robert C. Smith Bio:

Robert C. Smith is professor of political science at San Francisco State University. An honors graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, he holds a master’s degree from UCLA and the Ph.D. from Howard. He is author or co-author of scores of articles and essays and ten books including Race, Class and Culture: A Study in Afro-American Mass Opinion; Racism in the Post-Civil Rights Era: Now You See It, Now You Don’t; We Have No Leaders: African Americans in the Post-Civil Rights Era; African American Leadership; Contemporary Controversies and the American Racial Divide; Conservatism and Racism and Why in America They Are the Same; John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama and the Politics of Ethnic Incorporation and Avoidance, What has This Got to Do With the Liberation of Black People?: The Impact of Ronald W. Walters on African American Thought and Leadership and Polarization and the Presidency: From FDR to Barack Obama. He is former associate editor of the National Political Science Review and general editor of the State University of New York Press African American Studies series. He has taught African American politics and American government for more than thirty-five years.

Professor Smith is co-author of a leading textbook in the field (American Politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom) and the Encyclopedia of African American Politics. He is currently writing a biography of Ronald Walters, his mentor and longtime Howard University professor who he argues is the most consequential African American political scientist of the last half century. In addition to his teaching and research, Professor Smith appears frequently on local and national radio and television programs analyzing American and African American politics. In 1998 he was recipient of Howard University’s Distinguished Ph.D. Alumni Award.

In addition, Dr. Smith's book, From the Bayou to the Bay: Autobiography of a Black Liberation Scholar was published earlier this year by SUNY or State University of New York Press. And - exciting news! - later this year Dr. Smith's book How Character Shaped the Trump Presidency will be published by Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Outro: "Loud In The Cloud - Nana Kwabena" from Youtube Audio Library

Collage Photos:

Top left: Photo by Jakayla Toney on Unsplash Top right: Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash Bottom left: Photo by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay Bottom right: Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

This episode is a reading and explanation of "Disasters Mirror Society", an article written by Multi-Hazards host Vin Nelsen, inspired by his recent podcast with Vincent B. Davis. Disaster Doc Mark Keim so graciously put the article on his website as a guest blog. Within the article are important lessons, because the next few years and decades will be all about "the vulnerable" in pre/during/post disaster work. Thanks to these wonderful experts, and also Heather McGhee (The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together) and Debora MacKenzie (COVID-19: The Pandemic that Never Should Have Happened and How to Stop the Next One) for their excellent, scholarly work.  Study Guide here:

Other Links: https://disasterdoc.org/disasters-mirror-society/ (This article may have disappeared from here by now; please check the PDF link on my podcast website). Articles about the Simon Fraser University alumni in a racist incident: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/black-alumnus-of-sfu-charged-after-controversial-arrest-by-police-at-burnaby-campus-1.5848978 https://thetyee.ca/News/2021/03/26/Canadian-Universities-Racism-Problem/

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash Outro Music: The End - Coyote Hearing from YouTube Audio Library

Vin Nelsen's Bio

Vin Nelsen has a passion for protecting communities. While continuing to teach immigrants at Douglas College near Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada, he studied a Grad Diploma in Climate Risk Management from the University of Waterloo, a Certificate in Climate Change Policy & Practice from the University of Toronto, courses from Yukon University's Graduate Diploma in Climate Change Policy, as well as a Diploma of Emergency & Security Management, Certificate in Emergency Management and Certificate of Emergency Management Exercise Design from Justice Institute of BC (JIBC), plus courses in First Nations' Studies, meteorology, technical writing and cyber security while volunteering with a local Emergency Preparedness program and Red Cross these last two + years. He finished in December 2019, then COVID-19's disruption came in March 2020, so this podcast at least lets him release some of that pent-up steam while seeking ways to contribute to the fields of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

He has a Master of Arts in Cross-Cultural-related studies (Trinity), a Bachelor of Arts, double majors of Communication (Media) and French as well as a Certificate of Liberal Arts (Simon Fraser University), a Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (Vancouver Community College), and passed the Real Estate Trading Services Licensing from the University of British Columbia (UBC).

His previous work including many years in immigrant helping organisations as program manager, career and job search counsellor and instructor, English language instructor and real estate agent. He worked six years in Asia and has worked especially with non-Westerners since his youth. For the next few decades, he will dedicate himself to protecting communities from extreme weather events, geohazards, security threats and damaging social and political trends.

«Être fort pour être utile.» ("Be strong to be useful")

Uncertainty is a crucial issue in the COVID-19 pandemic and with other ongoing issues such as climate change, disasters, systemic injustice, the future of younger generations, etc. Join renowned author and speaker, Dr. Margaret Heffernan and Multi-Hazards podcast host Vin Nelsen as they discuss uncertainty and the incredible findings from Margaret’s latest book, Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future. Have a listen!

Check out the Study Guide here: https://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/5/2/8/5281f06c01b8caa2/STUDY_GUIDE_-_SEASON_4_EPISODE_5_Dr_Margaret_Heffernan.pdf?c_id=101635166&cs_id=101635166&destination_id=2085620&expiration=1619313001&hwt=28100128042cc3b238be70dd599ed176

Margaret Heffernan’s Bio

Dr. Margaret Heffernan produced programmes for the BBC for 13 years. She then moved to the US where she spearheaded multimedia productions for Intuit, The Learning Company and Standard&Poors. She was Chief Executive of InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and then iCast Corporation, was named one of the "Top 25" by Streaming Media magazine and one of the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter. The author of six books, Margaret’s third book, Willful Blindness : Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. In 2015, she was awarded the Transmission Prize for A Bigger Prize: Why Competition isn’t Everything and How We Do Better, described as "meticulously researched... engagingly written... universally relevant and hard to fault." Her TED talks have been seen by over twelve million people and in 2015 TED published Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes. Her most recent book, Uncharted: How to map the future was published in 2020. She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath, Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute’s Responsible Leadership Programme and, through Merryck & Co., mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Bath and continues to write for the Financial Times and the Huffington Post. Text and photo taken from her website: https://www.mheffernan.com/biography.php#modal-close

Coastline communities worldwide make up 40% of the world's population and face enormous climate change impacts. Join Dr. Moushumi Chaudhury, Community Resilience Program Director of Coastal Risk & Resilience for The Nature Conservancy and Multi-Hazards podcast host Vin Nelsen as they discuss how coastal communities can become more resilient with our planet's ever-worsening climate crisis. Have a listen! And check out the Study Guide here: https://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/4/c/c/4ccc37c7ea3141da/STUDY_GUIDE_-_SEASON_4_EPISODE_4_Dr_Moushumi_Chaudhury.pdf?c_id=101259791&cs_id=101259791&destination_id=2085620&expiration=1618883870&hwt=9817616ba446c931ef383bb6c99d52cf

Dr. Moushumi Chaudhury's Bio

Dr. Moushumi Chaudhury is the Community Resilience Program Director for The Nature Conservancy in Arlington, Virginia in the United States. She works in the Protect Ocean, Land, and Water unit. Moushumi leads and implements projects to help climate vulnerable people in coastal areas minimize the impacts of climate change by building their capacity to integrate nature-based solutions into disaster risk reduction planning. Moushumi has worked in the field of climate change adaptation and resilience for over a decade. Prior to joining TNC, she was a technical expert on climate resilience at the World Resources Institute and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security. Her work on climate change adaptation involved research and capacity building for adaptation decision making. She has also worked with UN agencies, IUCN, CIFOR, ICIMOD, and BRAC on a range of environment and development topics. She has worked in Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, Kenya, and Fiji, as well as at the regional level in East Africa and globally. Moushumi holds a PhD in International Development from University of Sussex, an MS in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan, and a BA in Anthropology & Sociology from Smith College.

Taken from: https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/our-people/moushumi-chaudhury/

Part 2 of 2! Emergency Management should be Vincent B. Davis' middle name.  He has seen it all, from civic to community to corporate, as he has endeavoured to protect communities all over the United States.  Here at the Multi-Hazards podcast, Vincent B. Davis and podcast host Vin Nelsen discuss how disasters mirror everyday life and how underprepared we really are.  With compassion and empathy, Vincent shares the traumas of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lived experiences of Black Americans as racism lives on in all its ugliness.  Vincent B. Davis is one of the rare truth-tellers in Emergency Management, a man who doesn't sugarcoat things. Have a listen!

Study Guide here: 

Vincent B. Davis' Bio:

Vincent B. Davis is Founder of Preparedness Matters Consulting and Director of Disaster Services for Feeding America. Prior to this, Vincent was Workplace Resiliency Manager at Amazon.  His portfolio of success includes 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, Air and Army National Guard, and emergency management roles at FEMA, American Red Cross, Walgreens and Sony.  He has also done extensive work in underserved communities including training and preparedness planning, with tribal partners, community organizations, and veterans. Vincent B. Davis is the author of three books: Lost and Turned Out, A Guide to Preparing Underserved Communities for Disasters (2012), and The Native Family Disaster Preparedness Handbook (2017), and the Emergency Guidebook for Broadcasters Serving Indian Country in collaboration with Native Public Media.

Photo by Braden Collum on Unsplash