Erased but Not Silenced: Leading the Global Climate Fight with Vanessa Nakate

What does it take to start a global movement when you feel like the world isn't listening?

Today, my guest is Vanessa Nakate, the pioneering Ugandan climate justice activist, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and founder of the Rise Up Movement. Vanessa’s journey began in 2019 with a solitary strike outside the Ugandan parliament. Since then, she has become one of the most powerful and necessary voices in the global fight against climate change, demanding that the Global South—the communities most impacted by the crisis—are no longer ignored.

Vanessa’s story is a profound lesson in Positive Leadership. In 2020, she was famously cropped out of an Associated Press photograph with her white peers at Davos. She didn’t retreat. Instead, she boldly stated, "You didn’t just erase a photo. You erased a continent," using that moment of erasure to spark a vital, worldwide conversation about race, media, and climate justice.

In this episode, we explore what true, intersectional leadership looks like. Vanessa passionately argues that we cannot separate the climate crisis from poverty, inequality, and the empowerment of young women.

In our conversation, we explore:

→ How she found the courage to strike alone in Kampala, and how to take the first step when you have no followers

→ The Davos incident: How to turn being erased into a platform for global empowerment

→ Why climate justice IS social justice, and why educating girls is a critical climate solution

→ Building the Vash Green Schools Project to bring solar power to over 75 schools in Uganda

→ Why she chose to step back from the frontlines to pursue a Master of Public Policy at Oxford, and how she plans to bridge activism and policy

"When you are working with people, when you know that you have community, then it's easier to sustain the activism work in whatever field that you're working in... find your community, and it will make activism much easier." — Vanessa Nakate

If you want to understand what it really takes to lead a movement, build resilience, and fight for a future that includes everyone, this conversation will deeply inspire you.

🔑 Key Themes: Climate Justice, Youth Activism, Purpose-Driven Leadership, Resilience, Intersectionality, Community, Global South.

🎧 Related Episodes:

• Hannah Ritchie — Not the End of the World: A Data-Driven Approach to Climate Action
• Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka — Showing humanity to others
• Boyan Slat — Leading an ocean cleanup

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, jpcourtois.com

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