Transformative engagement for resilient, regenerative organisations | Keynote Speaker | Southern African IDG Network | 4DayWeek Global | Climate Coaching Alliance Africa
Think it's time to stop shooting the messenger, and maybe start listening to the message? And to actively support the messenger in their critical yet often undervalued and overwhelming work? My heart aches for Leo Joubert and every other climate communicator, journalist, consultant, scientist and activist who suffers in similar ways, mainly because they care enough to speak out about a situation that impacts each and every living being on this planet. Stop what you're doing, for a second, and think. Are you listening? Are you paying attention? Are you awake? You're on this global team, whether you acknowledge it or not. We're in it together. Will you join us, step up and add your voice, your will, to all the others?
Science writer, journalist: climate crisis; hunger-obesity poverty-paradox; pollution; w/ a political-economy, Global South focus. Trainer. Public speaker. National Geographic * Mongabay * Daily Maverick * Nature Africa
Climate community: people need freedom to express #despair and distress, and to be frank about how bad the situation is, without fear of being run out the village by their fellows in the #climatecommunication space. After two decades of reporting from the front line of the #climatecrisis in Africa, and two recent hospital stays to treat life-threatening #depression because of despair, #overwhelm, and #burnout, I have something important to say: The most existentially lonely I have felt in all this time, is when I’ve tried to tell others how bad the situation looks, and where I have been subjected to a pile-on: No, it’s NOT that bad; you’ve lost touch with reality (ie psychotic); you MUST give a message of #hope or people will give up and do nothing. There are two things going on here: - this isn’t kind or compassionate or supportive of the individual. If any of us feels this harangued by others in our community for simply wanting to show how much pain we’re in, as we confront this relentlessly tiring work, we will step back from it and be ineffective - the wider community loses the voices it so urgent needs in these times Last week’s The Guardian story about #climatescientists who feel despair etc was grounded, sensible, important reporting. Science #storytellers (scientists, activists, journalists etc) need to be able to speak this kind of truth without fear of a pile-on that will drive them into silence. Sure, we need to end these dire messages with instructions for how society can respond and move into action. But it’s not helpful or compassionate to lambast scientists for saying the situation is bad. The timing of this issue is not lost on me - the #Guardian article comes out in the same week that I launch my latest book Invisible Ink: writing from the edge of extinction which explores the mental health breakdown after 20 years of reporting on the climate crisis in #Africa. The book is about more than my own collapse - it’s about the many invisible voices from the #GlobalSouth who are missing from the village square: women, people of colour, holders of indigenous wisdom and science, the poor, marginal faith groups, the more-than-human. Let’s be compassionate. Let’s allow people to be frank about their suffering so they don’t feel alone. Let’s find ways to support each other so we can all be effective. There are many feeling crushed by despair and if we shut them down, we drive them deeper into dark places. And don't let the profit-driven social media algorithm use the #doom vs #hope polarity to drive a wedge between us. Shobha Maharaj Leisa Perch Gillian Marcelle, PhD Caroline Mair-Toby Karyn Bosomworth Britt Wray, PhD Thomas Hübl, PhD Nora Bateson Bayo Akomolafe Francis Weller Sally Weintrobe Emily Buchanan Communicating Climate Change The Female Quotient Psychology for a Safe Climate Climate Majority Project Covering Climate Now Katharine Hayhoe Renee Lertzman, PhD https://lnkd.in/dG8EkHmr
Science writer, journalist: climate crisis; hunger-obesity poverty-paradox; pollution; w/ a political-economy, Global South focus. Trainer. Public speaker. National Geographic * Mongabay * Daily Maverick * Nature Africa
1mo*having a quiet little sob of gratitude this side... thank you for seeing us... THANK YOU*