Protect The World

In this episode of Protect The World, I speak with Jigar Ganatra, Frank Papushka, and Simi Nickmanova from the African School of Storytelling (AFRISOS).Based in Tanzania but working across the African continent, AFRISOS exists to provide opportunities to the next generation of African nature filmmakers and community-based storytellers. Over the years they’ve delivered dozens of innovative programs, and collaborated with a range of Indigenous communities to produce authentic, impact-driven films.The team joined me live on location in Tanzania’s spectacular Eastern Arc Mountains, and it made for an incredible conversation, which I hope you enjoy as much as I did.As always, half the funds that came into the Patreon this month were donated directly to AFRISOS. This money will go towards helping the organisation run even more media-based fellowship programs for their participants, and assisting with the opening of the brand new Hadzabe Media Center.You can donate to AFRISOS by visiting afrisos.ngo, and if you'd like to help me give more money to more amazing NGOs in the future, please consider signing up to the Patreon for as little as $5 a month at patreon.com/brodiehopkinsmediaYou can follow AFRISOS on Instagram and Facebook, and you can also follow the rest of my own work on Instagram and YouTube. I also have a newsletter, which you can subscribe to at brodiehopkins.media/subscribeA huge thank you to everyone who supports this podcast, and to Jigar, Frank and Simi for joining me on this episode. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review and share it with your friends and family. Thanks for listening!–Additional links:AFRISOSIshamba FilmChameleon Corridors FilmJigar GanatraFrank PapushkaSimi NickmanovaWomen in Conservation OrganisationEarth Alliance–Protect The World Documentary SeriesPatreonInstagramNewsletter

In this episode of Protect The World, I speak with Blake Cansdale – National Director of ANTAR. Founded in the late 90s, ANTAR has grown to become one of Australia's largest and most influential Indigenous advocacy groups, working across a broad range of issues – from native title and land rights, to truth-telling and treaty. During this conversation, Blake and I discuss the organisation's history, the state of First Nations justice one year on from the Voice referendum, as well as recent changes to the age of criminal responsibility. Blake also reflects on where he draws strength from in these trying times, and shares his vision for a fair and equitable Australia. ANTAR works tirelessly to create a better world, not just for Indigenous Australians, but for all of us, and I hope this conversation inspires you to get involved with their efforts. As always, half the funds that came into the Patreon this month were donated directly to ANTAR. This money will go towards facilitating their work with grassroots community organisations, as well as supporting their national campaigns for Voice, Treaty and Truth. You can donate to ANTAR by visiting antar.org.au/donate, and if you'd like to help me give more money to more amazing NGOs in the future, please consider signing up to the Patreon for as little as $5 a month at patreon.com/brodiehopkinsmedia You can follow ANTAR on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and you can also follow the rest of my own work on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. A huge thank you to everyone who supports this podcast, and to Blake Cansdale for joining me on this episode. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review and share it with your friends and family. Thanks for listening! – Additional links: ANTAR Change the Record Closing the Gap Pat Dodson Volunteer at ANTAR ANTAR 2024-27 Strategic Plan Uluru Statement from the Heart 2023 Voice Referendum UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Coalition of Peaks National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria Yoorrook Justice Commission

In this episode of Protect The World, I speak with Caroline Teti – one of the vice presidents at GiveDirectly. GiveDirectly is global non-profit organisation dedicated to the alleviation of poverty through unconditional cash transfers. Their core philosophy is that individuals and communities living in poverty know their needs best. GiveDirectly uses a range of innovative technologies to identify and connect with the world's poorest people, and then they send them money – no strings attached. Born in rural Kenya, Caroline has spent over a decade working across the non-profit sector in Africa – from water and sanitation, to education and reproductive health – before finally coming to the conclusion that cash transfers were the most effective and dignified way of tackling poverty. Through GiveDirectly, she's also helped to implement the world's largest and longest Universal Basic Income program – providing ongoing payments to 23,000 people over 12 years. With a strong focus on research and evidence-based programs, I found GiveDirectly's highly pragmatic approach to poverty alleviation to be unique and refreshing, and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. As always, half the funds that came into the Patreon this month were donated to GiveDirectly. This money will go straight into the hands of those living in extreme poverty. You can donate to GiveDirectly by visiting givedirectly.org, and if you'd like to help me give more money to more amazing NGOs in the future, please consider signing up to the Patreon for as little as $5 a month at patreon.com/brodiehopkinsmedia You can follow GiveDirectly on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and you can also follow the rest of my own work on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. A huge thank you to everyone who supports this podcast, and to Caroline Teti for joining me on this episode. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review and share it with your friends and family. Thanks for listening! – Additional Links: GiveDirectly Unconditional Cash Transfers Universal Basic Income (UBI) Research Kenya UBI Program

In this episode of Protect The World, I speak with Gina Della Togna – executive director of the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA). Joining me from Panama, Gina discusses the ASA's work as a global coalition dedicated to the long-term protection of the world's amphibians. Consisting of frogs, toads, salamanders and caecilians – amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate animals on the planet, and the combined impacts of habitat destruction, climate change and infectious disease are decimating populations across the world. However, thanks to the work of Gina and her team, a number of species have quite literally been brought back from the brink of extinction. Gina is one of those unique conservationists who is simultaneously a brilliant researcher, a clever communicator and an inspiring leader – and I hope she encourages you to get to know the amphibians found in your corner of the world. As always, half the money that came into the Patreon this month was donated directly to the Amphibian Survival Alliance. This money will go towards providing hardworking researchers with the resources required to continue their species-saving work. You can donate directly to the Amphibian Survival Alliance by visiting amphibians.org, and if you'd like to help me give more money to more amazing NGOs in the future, please consider signing up to the Patreon for as little as $5 a month at patreon.com/brodiehopkinsmedia You can follow the Amphibian Survival Alliance on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and you can also follow the rest of my own work on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. A huge thank you to everyone who supports this podcast, and to Gina Della Togna for joining me on this episode. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review and share it with your friends and family. Thanks for listening! – Additional Links: Amphibian Survival Alliance Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Amphibians Food Chains/Trophic Levels/Food Webs Global Amphibian Assessment Chytridiomycosis Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) Frogs and Toads Salamanders Caecilians Biogeographic Realms FrogID (Australian Museum) Taxonomic Rank Panamanian Golden Frog Triprion spinosus ASA Partners ASA Grants IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group Amphibian Ark Amphibian Conservation Action Plan Hogben Pregnancy Test Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project El Valle Amphibian Conservation Centre Mongabay Jane Goodall Interview PBS Wild Hope Documentary

In this episode of Protect The World, I speak with Kon Karapanagiotidis – founder and director of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC). Based in Melbourne, the ASRC works to provide support for refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia. Australia has a long history of cruel and inhumane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, which continues to this day, including indefinite detention on remote islands and the use of military force to turn back boats full of desperate people. But for more than two decades, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has remained a resilient beacon of hope. Kon and his team run a foodbank and a health clinic, they provide housing and legal support, they run training programs and social enterprises, and they lead nationwide campaigns advocating for the rights of those fleeing war and persecution. Kon is exceptionally hardworking and fiercely idealistic, and he's someone that I've admired for quite a long time, so it was a privilege to finally get the chance to speak with him, and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. As always, half the money that came into the Patreon this month was donated directly to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. This money will go towards fundamental services such as food, medicine and housing, as well as the ASRC's broader efforts in human rights advocacy. You can donate directly to the ASRC by visiting asrc.org.au, and if you'd like to help me give more money to more amazing NGOs in future, please consider signing up to the Patreon for as little as $5 a month via the following link: patreon.com/brodiehopkinsmedia You can follow the ASRC on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and you can also follow the rest of my own work on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. A huge thank you to everyone who supports this podcast, and to Kon Karapanagiotidis for joining me on this episode. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review and share it with your friends and family. Thanks for listening! – Additional Links: The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Tampa Affair Operation Sovereign Borders Manus Island Detention Centre Nauru Detention Centre Report from trip to Manus Island Kon's Memoir Médecins Sans Frontières Children's Ground

In this episode of Protect The World, I speak with Claire Christian – Executive Director of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC). ASOC is a not-for-profit organisation that has been advocating for the protection of the Antarctic continent and its surrounding ocean for more than four decades. They're the only environmental NGO permitted to observe meetings of the Antarctic Treaty, where decisions about the future of Antarctica are made, and they work on behalf of the Antarctic conservation community, striving to enact positive change from within. In this episode, Claire and I discuss the myriad threats facing Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, the strengths and weaknesses of current methods of Antarctic governance, as well as the incredible, underappreciated creatures that inhabit the ocean floor at the bottom of the world. Claire is highly knowledgeable in both science and ecology, as well as global politics and international affairs and I thoroughly enjoyed picking her brains on both sides of the equation. As always, half the money that came into the Patreon this month was donated directly to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. This money will be directed towards ASOC's campaigns for the establishment of Marine Protected Areas, improved tourism and fishing regulations, and responding to the impacts of climate change. You can donate directly to ASOC by visiting asoc.org, and if you'd like to help me give more money to more amazing NGOs in future, please consider signing up to the Patreon for as little as $5 a month via the following link: patreon.com/brodiehopkinsmedia You can follow ASOC on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and you can also follow the rest of my own work on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. A huge thank you to everyone who supports this podcast, and to Claire Christian for joining me on this episode. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review and share it with your friends and family. Thanks for listening! – Additional links: Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) Spilhaus Projection Antarctic Treaty System Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities (CRAMRA) Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty Marine Protection Atlas Rise St. James Death of a Treaty paper Mongabay Podcast on Loss and Damage Fund Antarctic Sea Floor Expedition

In this episode of Protect The World, I speak with Ashish Kothari – founding member of Kalpavriksh. Kalpavriksh is a not-for-profit environmental action group striving for ecological sustainability and social equity in India. They have a fully democratic, non-hierarchical governance structure, so it would be incorrect to call Ashish the director. However, he has been heavily involved in the organisation throughout its 44-year history. During this conversation, Ashish and I discuss the changes he's witnessed in India over the course of his career, some of the inspiring movements he's been a part of, and his vision – or should I say visions – for the future. Ashish is someone who has spent his entire career standing on the frontlines alongside a range of social and ecological justice movements in India, whilst simultaneously thinking deeply about what it would mean for humans to live meaningful lives within the finite boundaries of our planet. He's worked in the ecological, economic, sociocultural and political spheres at local, national and international levels, and has a remarkable understanding of inequality and biodiversity in India and abroad. I'm very grateful to Ashish for sharing his time and knowledge throughout this conversation, and I hope you learn as much from it as I did. As always, half the money that came into the Patreon this month was donated directly to Kalpavriksh. In line with their organisational structure, this money will be democratically allocated by the members of Kalpavriksh to wherever it is needed most. You can donate to Kalpavriksh directly at kalpavriksh.org/donate, and if you'd like to help me give more money to more amazing NGOs in future, please consider signing up to the Patreon for as little as $5 a month via the following link: patreon.com/brodiehopkinsmedia You can follow Kalpavriksh on Facebook, and Ashish is on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. You can also follow the rest of my own work on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. A huge thank you to everyone who supports this podcast, and to Ashish Kothari for joining me on this episode. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review and share it with your friends and family. Thanks for listening! – Additional links: Kalpavriksh Chipko Movement Churning The Earth: The Making of Global India Narmada Bachao Andolan Movement Community Conserved Areas (South Asia) Community Conserved Areas (Global) Nicobar Nightmare Report Radical Ecological Democracy Pluriverse: A Post-Development Dictionary Vikalp Sangam (Confluence of Alternatives) Global Tapestry of Alternatives Zapatista Movement Kurdish Movement

In this episode of Protect The World, I speak with Chris Ketola – Field Research Coordinator at Fauna Forever. Fauna Forever is a not-for-profit organisation based in the Madre de Dios region of southeast Peru, dedicated to understanding, monitoring and protecting the tropical ecosystems of the Peruvian Amazon, while also promoting sustainable, regenerative livelihoods in the region. During the conversation, Chris and I discuss the wide variety of threats facing this particular pocket of the Amazon, the role of long-term monitoring in conservation, and the extreme nature of working in the environmental not-for-profit sector in the tropics. I was particularly grateful for Chris' honesty and openness as he discussed some of the more challenging periods in his life, and for his willingness to really dive into the nuance and complexity of conservation in the Global South. Apologies that this episode is a little late – it's been a busy couple of weeks. But the positive side is that this is the first episode of Protect The World that I've been able to record in person, which was a real delight. As always, half the money that came into the Patreon this month was donated directly to Fauna Forever. This money will go towards new infrastructure and equipment for conservation projects in Peru, as well as general day-to-day supplies for Fauna Forever's team. You can donate to Fauna Forever directly at faunaforever.org/donate, and if you'd like to help me give more money to more amazing NGOs in future, please consider signing up to the Patreon for as little as $5 a month via the following link: patreon.com/brodiehopkinsmedia You can also follow the rest of my work at @brodiehopkinsmedia on Instagram. A huge thank you to everyone who supports this podcast, and to Chris Ketola for joining me on this episode. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review and share it with your friends and family. Thanks for listening! – A list of stuff mentioned in this episode: Fauna Forever Wilderness International ACCA Junglekeepers Cocha Cashu Sunbird Hill Less is More (Jason Hickel) Doughnut Economics (Kate Raworth) Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature

In this episode of Protect The World, I chat with Nat Kiemski, program director for All Hands and Hearts' disaster response efforts in Türkiye. Back in February, Türkiye was hit by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake which took the lives of over 50,000 people. Less than 24 hours later, All Hands and Hearts were on the ground, assisting with recovery efforts, and working out how their volunteer-led disaster relief program could best contribute to the needs of those affected by the earthquake. Six months on, Nat and her team are still there, working hard each day to help rebuild a region that is still reeling from February's disaster, and where 700,000 internally displaced persons remain unable to return to their homes. In this installment of the Protect The World podcast, Nat shares her experiences in Türkiye and discusses global disaster relief more generally. We also hear from Lucy StJohn, a friend of the podcast who spent three months volunteering in Türkiye alongside Nat and the rest of the team. Thanks to all of the amazing people who support this project, I was able to make a donation of US$100 to All Hands and Hearts' work in Türkiye. This money will go towards the construction of community centres and improvements to the camps where internally displaced persons are housed in the city of Kahramanmaraş. You can donate to All Hands and Hearts directly at allhandsandhearts.org, and if you'd like to help me give more money to more amazing NGOs in future, please consider signing up to the Patreon for as little as $5 a month via the following link: patreon.com/brodiehopkinsmedia You can also follow the rest of my work at @brodiehopkinsmedia on Instagram. A huge thank you to everyone who supports this podcast, and to Nat Kiemski and Lucy StJohn for joining me on this episode. If you enjoyed it, please be sure to leave a review and share it with your friends and family. Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the Protect The World podcast! In this introductory episode, I give you an overview of what this project is: how it started, what I'm trying to achieve, and how you can help. This podcast is dedicated to the people and organisations making the world a better place. Every month, I connect with an NGO that's addressing inequality or biodiversity loss in some way. My goal is to learn about the issues they're tackling, interview the founder or director, and then share their stories with you. But I don't just want to share their stories, I also want to contribute to their work. If you’d like to help me do that, you can support this project via Patreon for as little as $5 per month. Be sure to follow Brodie Hopkins Media on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter as well. Much love ❤️