Amateur Activist with Isabela Herrera

Season 3 starts now! If you've been around since the very beginning, thank you. If this is your first episode, thank you for picking my podcast. It means the world that I get to plan, interview and release episodes for another season and that you listen to it all. This is a quick trailer explaining who and what we are as amateurs and what my hope is for this season & year. It's simply a way for us all to be on the same page. Thank you to David Andrew for producing the music used for Seasons 2 and 3. Follow him ⁠⁠here⁠ Thank you for Jana Preuss for the photography for Seasons 2 and 3. As always, we are so grateful for everyone who listens and shares. When you get a moment, we'd be so grateful if you left a review on Apple Podcasts, rated us on Spotify, or tagged us in your stories on Instagram, @amateuractivistpod Connect with me on Instagram, @belagiirrll

This week, Isabela sits down with Sally Irwin, the CEO and founder of The Freedom Hub. Sally started The Freedom Hub in 2013 with the mission of ending slavery in Australia, helping victims rebuild their lives and partnering with others to end slavery globally.  The Freedom Hub does incredible work with corporations and individuals to support survivors while fighting against a very real human rights issue that exists here in Australia.  Isabela and Sally talk about where Sally's passion and fire to end modern-day slavery first began and where the idea for The Freedom Hub came from. They talk about the important and unique work Sally and her team do and how focusing on the future and well-being of survivors sets The Freedom Hub apart from other organisations doing similar work. You can connect with The Freedom Hub on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook. Click here to land on The Freedom Hub’s website Read and follow along with 16 Days of Freedom here As always, we are so grateful for everyone who listens and shares. When you get a moment, we'd be so grateful if you left a review on Apple Podcasts, rated us on Spotify, or tagged us in your stories on Instagram, @amateuractivistpod Connect with me on Instagram, @belagiirrll

This week Isabela sits down with Dr. Cathy Pederson, a Professor of Biology at Wittenberg University and founder of Standing Up To POTS, a non-profit working to improve the quality of life for people living with POTS.  Standing Up to POTS was founded by Dr. Cathy Pederson in 2014 after her daughter was diagnosed with POTS.  Standing Up to POTS was created to generate a community who can support each other while pushing forward understanding of POTS.  Dr. Pederson earned her Ph.D. in Physiology and Neurobiology from Rutgers in 1996, and has dedicated all of her professional research efforts to POTS, chronic illness, and quality of life since her daughter's illness.  In this episode, Cathy and Isabela share the basics of what POTS is, how it’s impacted Isabela’s life over the last decade, and the two main symptoms that make life hard for Isabela. They also discuss how the pandemic brought hope to the POTS community and offer insight into how we can advocate for those with chronic, invisible illnesses.  Learn more about Standing Up To POTS ⁠here⁠ Listen to the POTScast ⁠here⁠ As always, we are so grateful for everyone who listens and shares. When you get a moment, we'd be so grateful if you left a review on Apple Podcasts, rated us on Spotify, or tagged us in your stories on Instagram, @amateuractivistpod Connect with me on Instagram, @belagiirrll *Medical Disclaimer: The information provided here is not intended to serve as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have health-related issues, please contact a qualified health professional to get the personalized assessment, advice, and treatment that you need. The Amateur Activist will not be liable for any direct, indirect, or other damages arising from the use of this podcast.

This week, Isabela sits down for episode 4 of this season's mini-series, Let's Take a Look at the News. In this mini-series, Isabela intentionally looks at what's been happening in the news in Australia or globally and tries to understand the situation in “real-time.”  In this episode, Isabela offers a vulnerable, honest, and unedited look into how she’s been trying to navigate the conflict between Israel and Palestine, holding space for her Jewish and Israeli friends and being adamantly against the genocide of the Palestinian people.  This episode isn’t perfect. It’s vulnerable, honest, and a reflection of Isabela’s thoughts and emotions in real-time about a situation that feels hopeless.  Organisations: -UN World Food Programme -UNICEF -Doctors without Borders -Save the Children -International Rescue Committee Accounts: @_publicthought As always, we are so grateful for everyone who listens and shares. When you get a moment, we'd be so grateful if you left a review on Apple Podcasts, rated us on Spotify, or tagged us in your stories on Instagram, @amateuractivistpod Connect with me on Instagram, @belagiirrll

This week, the Amateur Activist sits down to quickly recap her half-marathon race from a couple of weeks ago. Running 21.1 km has nothing to do with activism or politics, and Isabela knows that. But, she attempts to look at how distance runners develop self-regulation tactics and mental resilience to withstand challenging and exhausting circumstances. In a somewhat scattered word vomit, Isabela tries to provide helpful tips for amateur activists to take care of themselves while engaging in advocacy and when consuming news.  As always, we are so grateful for everyone who listens and shares. When you get a moment, we'd be so thankful if you left a review on Apple Podcasts, rated us on Spotify, or tagged us in your stories on Instagram @amateuractivistpod. Connect with me on Instagram, @belagiirrll.

This week, Isabela sits down and records her thoughts around evangelism - her opinions on it as a Christian, if she thinks there’s space in activism for evangelism, and the role the Church should play in this space.  Isabela would love to hear your thoughts after listening to this episode - if you agreed with her, or disagreed, or had any thoughts of your own. She has opened up her DMs for this episode and is willing to have conversations about this topic.  As always, we are so grateful for everyone who listens and shares. When you get a moment, we'd be so grateful if you left a review on Apple Podcasts, rated us on Spotify, or tagged us in your stories on Instagram, @amateuractivistpod Connect with me on Instagram, @belagiirrll

This week Isabela sits down for episode 3 of this season's mini series, Let's Take a Look at the News. In this mini series, Isabela intentionally looks at what's been happening in the news in Australia or globally and tries to understand the situation in "real time." This week Isabela attempts to understand The Voice Referendum in Australia. As always, we are so grateful for everyone who listens and shares. When you get a moment, we'd be so grateful if you left a review on Apple Podcasts, rated us on Spotify, or tagged us in your stories on Instagram, @amateuractivistpod Connect with me on Instagram, @belagiirrll

This week, Isabela is joined by Daniel Principe. Daniel is a youth advocate and educator. Every week he is invited to engage with schools and communities all across Australia to help them have the confronting conversations - pornography, body image, penis size, sexual assault, suicide, and online predators. Having heard the heartbreaking stories of thousands of young people across the country he is determined to address the elephants in the room in order for us all to be part of creating the positive cultural change we all hope for - but first he invites us to face ourselves and the culture that has shaped us. In this episode, Isabela and Dan talk about what it means to reimagine masculinity, Dan's workshops in schools across Australia and America and how we can reimagine together. You can connect with Daniel on his website here. As always, we are so grateful for everyone who listens and shares. When you get a moment, we'd be so grateful if you left a review on Apple Podcasts, rated us on Spotify, or tagged us in your stories on Instagram, @amateuractivistpod Connect with me on Instagram, @belagiirrll

This week Isabela interviews Kat Armas, author of 'Abuelita Faith', discussing the importance of an embodied faith, the centrality of food to spirituality, and holding in tension the harm and liberation imparted by faith. They also explore the role of women in the Bible, the intersection of theology and activism, and Kat's new book, 'Sacred Belonging'.

CW: This episode mentions r*pe, sexual assault / sexual violence and covers topics such as masturbation, trauma, and self-pleasure. In this episode, Isabela sits down with Ella Simms - a creative, educator, and founder of Colourful Peach. Colourful Peach is an arts and education organisation that seeks to unite, empower and entertain. They've done a lot of anti-sexual violence work in the last few years and it's that work that Ella and Isabela sit down to talk about. Ella has done phenomenal work in a school in London, helping young people work through sexual education, understanding what constitutes violence and trauma and how to heal from that. This is an episode full of deep laughter while navigating hard topics. You can support the work Ella and her team do, here. As always, we are so grateful for every single person that listens and shares. When you get a moment, we'd be so grateful if you left a review on Apple Podcasts, rated us on Spotify, or tagged us in your stories on Instagram, @amateuractivistpod This episode was recorded using Zencastr. Use my special link (https://zen.ai/theamateuractivist) and use (theamateuractivist) to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr Professional. #madeonzencastr Connect with me on Instagram, @belagiirrll