This week we all heard the news that Jacinda Ardern has decided to resign and I have to say, I admire her so much for saying she’s had enough. As someone who doesn’t have much left in the tank myself, I certainly appreciate the sentiment.
However, something I believe may have surprised many this week, is the ugly response to this news. On the global stage, she is admired as a leader of strength and compassion, and on the whole, that is how the global media has portrayed her.
But in her own country, New Zealand, it turns out she is not loved by all. If you have any Kiwi friends you may already have been aware of this, but if you don’t, it might have shocked you. In politics, of course there will always be people opposed to a leader, however, the ugliness that has come through has been shocking for many.
Read The hatred and vitriol Jacinda Ardern endured ‘would affect anybody’
When I saw this article yesterday, I posted this comment on social media:
Dear men and women of the world. If we are to overcome the divisions between us, as well as come together to solve the enormous challenges we face, then we MUST address the rising hatred towards women – online and off. This sort of language will make the bravest female think twice before putting herself out there, and if we do not have equal representation, as well as diverse representation, then we cannot succeed as a global community.
It also means we can never attract the kind of leadership the world needs to overcome our challenges. Why would you willingly step into that?
The people leading this ugly war are not on your side, in fact, I don’t know whose side they are on, but it’s not a side that’s good for all of us – remember, equality is good for everyone, EVERYONE.
We must not step back from this fight, and we cannot let these people silence our voices – something they ARE succeeding at. Please, step in and speak up, because if we all do, there will be too many of us to attack.
We must face this. We must address this. It’s not about Jacinda Adern, it’s about a much bigger problem and it’s getting worse.
Our future requires different leaders
We have MASSIVE challenges to overcome as a global society, and while no leader will ever be loved by all, we can never attract the quality of leadership the world needs to move forward if we let this continue unchecked.
An environment like this means the strong man type leader is what we’ll get, and honestly, that will result in a miserable future for all of us, so we have to address the hatred, especially towards women and people of colour.
Please, call it out every time you see it. Speak to anyone you know that engages in conversations this way. Say enough! It’s OK to criticise policies and decisions government leaders make, it’s not OK to criticise the way a person looks, it’s not ok to degrade someone, and it’s definitely not OK to threaten their life.
We really do need to get this under control in our societies. Hate is destroying us, and if we continue, it will lead us to a terrible future. We must address it, now. Everywhere.
Friend’s content and mine
Why cognitive development is a critical focus for education and society – thank you so much to Barbara Arrowsmith-Young for agreeing to this podcast interview. Such an important topic to understand and so many applications with the challenges we face in the mental health space.
Dystopian Billionaires Are Riding the Climate Tiger Praveen Gupta is one of the top writers at Illuminem and he is worth following. Great read.
Interview with Andrea Edwards on Leadership & Transformation – very grateful to Marylen Ramos-Valesco for having me on her leadership and transformation show, where we discussed the future for leaders, within the context of climate escalation.
Donation time
If everyone gave #just10percent of their time, talent, money or voice, we’ll change the world. Can you donate? Make it a regular donation to the World Food Programme. Or donate to the UN Refugee Program, Medicine Sans Frontier, PowerOf , Kiva.org , Soi Dog Foundation. It’s a time for giving and taking care of each other.
Content to read
And here’s the content I’ve been reading or watching this last week. Scan the headlines, read the ones that jump out at you, read or watch them all. Knowledge is power, and global knowledge is even more powerful.
Climate crisis
Why Overpopulation is Actually a Problem
Energy saving policies could put lives at risk as global heating intensifies: study
WEF 2023: Snowless Davos Shows the World’s Elite Climate Risk to Global Economy
‘Ridiculous’: Greta Thunberg blasts decision to let UAE oil boss chair climate talks
‘Very little capital’ going into climate adaptation in emerging Asia: study
The Melodrama of Climate Change Denial (greeneuropeanjournal.eu) tks Oliver Gill
Crowds flock to US suburb to witness snowy owl visiting from the Arctic
Why combatting climate change means embracing degrowth
Why your recycling doesn’t always get recycled tks David Lim
‘Extinction crisis’ of sharks and rays to have devastating effect on other species, study finds
Where Moms Hover Over Starving Children
Wall Street’s Biggest Banks Set for Fed Climate Impact Exercise
Record high temperatures and greenhouse gases seen in 2022
Why We Need To Wake Up The Snake
We’re in a new ‘polycrisis’ era and the World Economic Forum just warned us what to prepare for
Environment risks dominate in “polycrisis” world – WEF survey
Phuket Opinion: Taking the strain tks Steve Johnson
California battles deadly storms with millions under flood watch
The Lost Forest Gardens of Europe
The case for companies to pay climate reparations
New York to Charge Emitters $1 Billion per Year, Reinvest in Emissions Reduction
How Finland Is Teaching a Generation to Spot Misinformation
Extreme swimmer Lewis Pugh: ‘The polar regions are the ground zero of the climate crisis’
New Zealand egg shortage threatens pavlova
California braces for another storm, Biden declares disaster
Microscopic animals revived after 24,000 years in permafrost
Warming ocean waters in Western Australia are a ‘sentinel of climate change’, UWA researchers say
‘If you win the popular imagination, you change the game’: why we need new stories on climate
EUROPE Greta Thunberg rips ‘completely ridiculous’ move to let UAE oil chief lead COP28
Davos 2023: Day 1 – Cooperation in a Fragmented World,World Economic Forum Podcast
Frodsham rewilding: What happens when a golf course returns to nature?
Warning of unprecedented heatwaves as El Niño set to return in 2023 tks Kevin Cottam
Not cool: push for insulation in all Australian rental homes as study shows dangerous heat levels
Go to Texas to see the anti-green future of clean energy
Atmospheric dust may have hidden true extent of global heating
This Is the Dying Phase of Reaganism–and It’s Hideous
How ‘everywhere chemicals’ help uterine fibroids grow
The green trade row dividing the Davos elite
UN head accuses fossil fuel firms of business models ‘inconsistent with human survival’
Ecologists concerned about Asia’s coral health as yellow-band disease wipes out Thailand’s reefs
Coffee pod carbon footprint better for planet than filtered brew
UAE’s Cop28 president will keep role as head of national oil company tks Samantha Gayfer
Greenland sees hottest temps in 1,000 years. How its melting ice sheet has major impact on sea level
The ocean’s temperature was hotter than ever in 2022, scientists say
The rich and powerful flocked to Davos via private jet to discuss climate change, study finds
Greenpeace slams billionaires over private jet ‘hypocrisy’ at Davos summit
Exxon Accurately Predicted Global Warming, Years Before Casting Doubt on Climate Science
Accelerating the Energy Transition: The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act Climate Rising Podcast
Outlook? Terrifying: TV weather presenters on the hell and horror of the climate crisis
Shell to spend $450m on carbon offsetting as fears grow that credits may be worthless
Activist Greta Thunberg says Davos elite ‘fuelling destruction of the planet’
Malacca Strait: How one volcano could trigger world chaos
UN boss to Davos: You’re the problem
Mexico plans to ban solar geoengineering after rogue experiment
‘Super-tipping points’ could trigger cascade of climate action
Great White Sharks Are Being Scared From Their Habitat by Just 2 Predators
Comedian Leaves Oxford Union SPEECHLESS – tks Dion Jensen
Global politics
Jacinda Ardern: New Zealand PM quits citing burnout
Ex-Russian president suggests Japanese PM should ritually disembowel himself
Biden classified files: Republicans accuse president of hypocrisy
Embattled U.S. Rep. George Santos was drag queen in Brazil pageants, associates say
Christine Lambrecht: German defence minister resigns after blunders
‘Frank’ talks as Ukraine pushes Germany for tanks
Italian Pier Antonio Panzeri held in EU-Qatargate bribery probe agrees to tell all
Ukraine war: Serbia uproar over Wagner mercenaries recruiting for Russia
The hatred and vitriol Jacinda Ardern endured ‘would affect anybody’
Ukraine War: Putin critic says Davos is ‘complete nonsense’
Business and technology
2023 Edelman Trust Barometer | Edelman tks Damian Corbet
The world’s biggest PR firm claims to be an expert on trust – but is it?
The lure of Singapore: Chinese flock to ‘Asia’s Switzerland’ tks Kevin Cottam
Scientists Have Reached a Key Milestone in Learning How to Reverse Aging
3 Skills Every New Leader Needs
The complication of concentration in global trade
Microsoft to cut 10,000 jobs as spending slows
Democracy Is the Solution to Davos Elites’ Global Oligarchy
Tesla video promoting self-driving was staged, engineer testifies
Cyber attacks set to become ‘uninsurable’, says Zurich chief tks Kevin Cottam
Social issues
Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations
Andrew Tate: Bodyguard says ‘Some girls thought they’d be his next wife’
Can race be transcended? The Gray Area with Sean Illing Podcast
Got a strong sense of smell? Then you probably also have this special skill.
China’s Latest Source of Unrest: Unpaid ‘Zero Covid’ Workers
What online-search data say about China’s latest covid wave
China’s Population Falls, Heralding a Demographic Crisis
What’s behind Canada’s drastic new alcohol guidance
Alec Baldwin to be charged with involuntary manslaughter over Rust shooting
King Charles to divert Crown Estate windfall to ‘public good’
Social fabric weakens amid deepening divisions tks Damian Corbet
Nepal crash: Dozens killed as plane crashes near Pokhara airport
Video appears to show Nepal plane moments before crash
Why does my sleep become worse as I age? Tks David Lim
Passion, humour, history
TheGNShow S19 E03 Ricky Gervais, Eric Bana and more
Pamela Anderson Goes Makeup-Free In First Trailer For New Documentary
Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel wins Miss Universe Competition
Brendan Fraser Sends Tearful, Powerful Message In Critics’ Choice Awards Speech
Does quantum mechanics favor Buddhist philosophy?
Golden Globes: Several celebrities announce Covid days after awards
John Williams Documentary in the Works From Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV, Imagine
Prankster disrupts FA Cup coverage with sex noises
World’s Oldest Known Person Dies At Age 118
Dolly Parton Says Her Rock Album Will Feature Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, Pink, and More Legends
Margot Robbie Addresses Backlash To Her Brad Pitt Kiss Revelation
Let me know what jumped out at you? Or share with me what you’re reading? I love that!
Cheers
Andrea
Want to get in touch? All of my contact information is here on Linktree.
Environment education
Three environment resources to help you navigate this challenging territory. 1. Knowledge, constantly updating. 2. Individual action and awareness, so we do our part. 3. Resources for those struggling with eco-anxiety. Please share with your community.
Uncommon Courage: an invitation
Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone. If Covid19 has given us the time and space to reflect, Uncommon Courage gives us the nudge we need to create lasting change.
You can buy it on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Booktopia, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.
Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.
You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.
Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group Uncommon Courage.
Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.
The Know Show
Check out The Know Show. It’s a fortnightly wrap up of the news!
Climate Courage
A fortnightly conversation on issues that matter to you and I, focusing on the actions we can all take.
18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile
Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?
Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader.
Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman
Feedback
Have I done a great job for you? Can you write a reference on my LinkedIn profile or on my Google Business page? If not for me, why not write one for someone else who inspires you or has helped you? Join the #GivingEconomy.