Nature Solutionaries
Veronika Perkova
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Podcast about conservationists who do amazing things for nature and bring inspiration into our lives.
Episode results
Nature Solutionaries
May 30, 2023
How Filipino NGO preserves nature and improves people’s lives
Natural conservation and making improvements in the health and livelihoods of our communities are not at odds, although sometimes it feels this way. In reality, they are inherently connected. For example, in many rural communities where access to quality health services is low and jobs are few and far between, poverty-stricken people depend on exploiting natural resources to survive, which actually harms their quality of life long-term. Luckily, there is a better way of doing things that doesn't force communities to choose between their livelihoods and local flora and fauna.
The Population, Health and Environment approach proposes a way to improve access to reproductive health, while also helping people find alternative livelihoods, sustainably manage natural resources and preserve ecosystems. The nonprofit PATH Foundation Philippines, which has reached hundreds of thousands of Filipinos with its programs, is one of the pioneers of this approach.
Joan Castro, the Executive Vice President of this organization, talks about:
* How sexually transmitted diseases, poverty, natural degradation and population growth are interconnected
* Why it makes more sense to address all the issues through an integrated approach rather than individually
* How PATH Philippines tackled food insecurity problems and resource depletion in two biodiversity spots
* How they made family planning services accessible 24/7 by using small convenience stores instead of only village clinics
* How they addressed harmful social norms and misconceptions about contraception
* How they helped to improve management of close to 2,000 hectares and to establish 44 marine protected areas
* Where else the PHE approach is applied
Joan Castro is a licensed physician, who has more than 20 years of experience in sustainable and community development initiatives in rural and urban settings in the Philippines. Joan serves as the Executive Vice President of PATH Foundation Philippines.
Links:
* PATH Foundation Philippines
* Population, Health, and Environment online course
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Nature Solutionaries
Jun 23, 2022
How anyone can become a solutionary for systemic change
Many people feel desperate about the state of the world today. It’s no wonder because the number of negative news we hear is endless – biodiversity loss, resource depletion, increasing inequality, wars, and so on. The more informed we are, the more helpless we feel, thinking, “How can I make a difference?”
It turns out that all of us can make a difference if we take a solutionary approach to our work. No matter what you do - a biologist, a teacher, a gardener - you can tackle big issues and change your field so it is more just, humane and sustainable.
In this episode, Zoe Weil, the co-founder of the Institute for Humane Education, explains:
* Why it’s important to cultivate the culture of service in our communities
* What can local organizations do to involve young people
* Why it’s more important to change the system rather than individuals within it
* How you can solve pressing global issues locally
* How you can find a meaningful career by answering only three questions
* What a solutionary is and how you can become one yourself
Links:
* _Institute for Humane Education_
* _The Solutionary Guidebook_
* _How to be a Solutionary: A Guide for People Who Want to Make a Positive Difference_
Zoe Weil is the co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education and author of seven books and multiple TEDx talks. Zoe speaks at universities, conferences, and schools globally about how our education should go far beyond just having good grades and a diploma. She’s convinced that in today’s world with so many pressing global problems, we should give people the knowledge, tools and motivation to become change-makers for a healthy and humane world for all.
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Nature Solutionaries
Apr 27, 2022
How PMC's hot soap operas improved the lives of more than 500 million people
When soap operas are designed in a way that they not only entertain people but also educate about social issues, they can have a huge positive impact on society and the environment. This type of approach is called entertainment education and is at the core of what Population Media Center does.
Through hot TV soaps and radio dramas, this non-profit draws attention to family planning, gender equality, domestic violence, girls’ education, children’s health and education, and conservation. Since 1998, their 40 shows have helped more than 500 million people live healthier lives in more than 50 countries.
In this episode, Bill Ryerson, Population Media Center’s founder, talks about:
* why just raising awareness about environmental or health care issues does not make people change their behavior
* why storytelling and role modeling are extremely powerful tools for social change
* how soap operas helped Mexico achieve the most dramatic decline in fertility rates in the 20th century
* how TV soaps and radio dramas that address contemporary social issues are made
* why audiences fall in love with transitional characters rather than positive ones
* how long it takes to bring change to a community
* why effective communication is central to human progress and why we should fight misinformation
Links:
* _Population Media Center_
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Business Solutionaries
Sep 6, 2022
80: Give Them What They Want
Solopreneur, Courtney Bukowsky, shares her trial and error journey of launching and growing a vintage furniture store and the natural evolution of learning to "give people what they want."
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