VONA Talks

In this episode, Sofiia speaks with Mansi Jasuja, a practitioner of the Art of Hosting, international speaker, systems change professional, and warrior of the heart. Mansi shares her long-standing quest to understand why we face so many challenges, particularly those linked to climate change, a journey that led her to participatory leadership and systems change.

Born in India to a Sikh family, Mansi carries the intergenerational trauma of lost ancestral lands after the partition of India and Pakistan. Growing up in New Delhi, she was shaped by stories and values that fostered her understanding of community and belonging.

Following her creative impulses, Mansi pursued architecture, where she first encountered systems thinking. Her passion for sustainable development brought her to the Netherlands for a Master’s in Urban Environmental Management, and The Hague has been her home since 2002 with its vibrant blend of nature and cultures.

Early in her career, she worked with organisations like the UN, EU and various international NGOs. Despite outward success, she grew unsettled by the disconnection and hierarchy in these spaces that left her searching for something more meaningful and aligned with her values. In 2008, a visceral sense of climate urgency led her to reorient and began on a new path of unlearning and relearning. This search brought her to the Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations That Matter. Over the past 15 years, this practice has become part of her core work, helping her facilitate participatory leadership, systems change, and empowerment through building capacities and skills.

In this podcast, Mansi shares her journey and explores the power of connection, how participatory leadership works with collective intelligence, and why this matters for tackling critical issues like climate change, gender equality, and security.

If you want to connect to Mansi, check out her Instagram and LinkedIn account.

Relevant links and recommendations:
Her website: https://www.acupofambition.nl/mansi-jasuja
More on Art of Hosting: https://www.aohnetherlands.org/

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Sign up for our monthly Newsletter at www.VONA.international
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Twitter @VONA_int
LinkedIn VONA International

Podcast hosted by Sofiia Shevchuk
Visuals and podcast production by teevee.studio
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sofiia talks to Tena Lavrenčić, an Ethical Fashion Advocate and a senior Social Media Expert with the European Commission. Some people might know her by Thinking Threads, as that is the name she uses online. Tena spends most of her time thinking about sustainable as well as ethical fashion and that is what this episode is about. Tena is also one of the Directors with the Fashion Revolution Belgium, Belgian branch of the biggest global activism movement in fashion. Tena was born in a Bosnian household, in Croatia, in the middle of the war, and those experiences have forever affected her sense of justice. While Tena was always passionate about human rights movement, fashion was not part of her advocacy work until she met a survivor of child labour and modern slavery. Tena shares many facts and stories of the fashion industry - from the Rana Plaza collapse to why every April now you can observe many fashion activists events happening around the world. Is fashion an environmental, gendered and a security issue? - to answer this question, listen to the episode.

If you want to connect to Tena, check out her Instagram and LinkedIn account.

Relevant links and recommendations:
Why is there no winner in a "vegan" vs. real leather race? - Tena’s article for Vogue
Fashion activist Tena Lavrencic: 'If I bought fast fashion, my style would be boring'
Learn more about Tena and Thinking Threads
Learn more about Fashion Revolution Belgium

For more on VONA:
Sign up for our monthly Newsletter at www.VONA.international
Instagram @vona.international
Twitter @VONA_int
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Podcast hosted by Sofiia Shevchuk
Visuals and podcast production by Tamas Viski
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sofiia talks to Georgia Brooks, a passionate advocate for women’s rights working for greater gender equality and inclusion. Georgia currently is based in Brussels, with professional experience throughout Europe and the Middle East. Most people know Georgia as a founder of The Nine, Belgium’s first female membership club. Fairly so, as The Nine brought a space for women in Brussels, that this city has not yet seen before. As Georgia describes The Nine activities and events herself: “from professional workshops, art exhibitions to drag queen shows - to have a little bit of fun because sometimes, I think, Brussels could be very, very serious”.

However, besides The Nine, Georgia also runs a non-profit Fempower Initiative, dedicated to improving the lives of girls and young women living in disadvantaged areas in the Middle East. More about Georgia, her work, projects and life… you can learn by listening to this episode.

If you want to connect to Georgia, check out her LinkedIn account.

Relevant links and recommendations:
Georgia Brooks: Power 40 — Brussels class of 2023
Learn more about The Nine
Lear more about Fempower Initiative

For more on VONA:
Sign up for our monthly Newsletter at www.VONA.international
Instagram @vona.international
Twitter @VONA_int
LinkedIn VONA International

Podcast hosted by Sofiia Shevchuk
Visuals and podcast production by Tamas Viski

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sofiia talks to Christina Wunder, who works at the intersection of tech, policy and sustainability. In Brussels, Christina is also known as a founder and a community organiser at Idealist Quarterly, quarterly events for people who are pushing for social, economic and climate justice.

Christina grew up as an immigrant child in a small town in Germany, where her childhood was very different, as oppose to her current expat life in Brussels, Belgium. Early on Christina became aware of the privileges, being discriminated herself on many occasions. Much later in her life, as the flood in her home region happened, being in a very dark space herself, realising all the injustices in the world related to colonialism, patriarchy, white supremacy and capitalism... Christina felt like she needs to do something about it. She started with afterwork drinks with a few friends that work on the issues. More and more people were joining the conversations, which grew into Idealist Quarterly community and events that gather at least a hundred of engaged and interested citizens to talk about sustainability, policy and tech.

Listen to the whole episode to learn more about Christina's journey, career, and events, as well as speakers and attendees that join. Moreover, if you are in Brussels, be sure to join Christina for the next Idealist Quarterly event.

If you want to connect to Christina, check out her LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.

Relevant links and recommendations:
Idealist Quarterly Newsletter
Idealist Quarterly events

For more on VONA:
Sign up for our monthly Newsletter at www.VONA.international
Instagram @vona.international
Twitter @VONA_int
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Podcast hosted by Sofiia Shevchuk
Visuals and podcast production by Tamas Viski
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sofiia talks to Suzana Carp independent EU climate and energy specialist, working currently on supporting Cleantech for Europe as its deputy Executive Director but also is a Head of list (FR) of Volt Belgium for the 2024 European elections. Suzana grew up in the Black Sea region country, Romania, and since her school years in 1990s became passionate about environment and climate topics, as she reflects on some of her school years activist memories. Suzana travelled the world before landing in Brussels, but it was exactly her school years that affected her choice to work on climate and environment portfolio throughout her career in various countries and organisations. With Brexit, Suzana also became deeply involved in democratic, social and citizenship questions. Following many award winning and successful engagements with several international NGOs as well as EU institutions, today Suzana decided to run for the EU elections. Why she decided to run, which party she represents, what are her aspirations for when she is elected, and which struggles she faces in her campaign… - learn all of this in the episode.

If you want to connect to Suzana, check out her LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.

Relevant links and recommendations:
Check out Suzana’s webpage - https://suzanacarp4eu.be/
The Climate Action Blind Spot in EU Democracy - by Suzana Carp

For more on VONA:
Sign up for our monthly Newsletter at www.VONA.international
Instagram @vona.international
Twitter @VONA_int
LinkedIn VONA International

Podcast hosted by Sofiia Shevchuk
Visuals and podcast production by Tamas Viski
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.