Extinction Rebellion Podcast Episode 13 –The Future is Local, with Helena Norberg-Hodge and Jyoti Fernandes
July 10, 2020 by Extinction Rebellion Podcast
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In this week’s episode Jessica interviews two inspirational women: Helen Norberg-Hodge, the founder of Local Futures; and Jyoti Fernandes, from the Land Workers Alliance and La Via Campesina. We talk about why our futures need to be local rather than global and why that truth is more evident now than ever.
In particular we focus on food production and why small-scale, agro-ecological farming will help heal the planet and the biosphere, provide satisfying jobs, and make the country more resilient in times of crisis.
Jessica’s co-presenter this week is Mothiur Rahman, who is part of XR’s Political and Visioning Circle as well as XR Muslims.
Author and filmmaker Helena Norberg-Hodge is the founder and director of Local Futures. A pioneer of the ‘new economy’ movement, she has been promoting an economics of personal, social and ecological well-being for more than thirty years. She is the producer and co-director of the award-winning documentary The Economics of Happiness. She has authored several books, including the inspirational classic Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh and Local is Our Future: Steps to an Economics of Happiness (described by author David Korten as “a must read book for our time.”)
Jyoti Fernandes is an agroecological smallholder farmer based in Dorset, UK which she works with her husband and four daughters. She is a member of the Landworkers’ Alliance in the UK and is on the coordinating committee for the European Coordination of Via Campesina. Recently she has been lobbying the government on the new post Brexit Agricultural Bill.
Extinction Rebellion has three demands. 1) Tell the Truth – Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change. 2) Act Now – Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. 3) Beyond Politics – Government must create and be led by the decision of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
Producers – Bill Leuty and Jessica Townsend
Presenters – Jessica Townsend and Mothiur Rahman
Editor – Bill Leuty
Additional Production Support – Michaela and Alex Dopierala
Social Media Producers – Jessica Townsend and Michaela
Listen to our previous episode, “The Truth About Zane” here.