Episode Eleven: What if we had the skills and abilities to talk to decision makers?

Rob Hopkins

Welcome to Episode 11 of From What If to What Next. So many of those who listen to this podcast are trying, in one way or another, to bring about change in the world. Whether it is the more confrontational activism demonstrated by groups like Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter, or grassroots organising and working to build the alternative, we are all trying to understand how to be the most effective activists we can possibly be. Which leads us to this episode’s question, one that feels increasingly timely, one sent in by subscriber Elke Himmelmann. “What if we had the skills and abilities to talk to decision makers and convince them to act differently?”. What would those skills be, and how might we become adept at using them? We are joined by two amazing guests to explore this. Scilla Elworthy is a three times Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work with Oxford Research Group to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics. Her most recent book is The Mighty Heart: how to transform conflict (2020 ). Robert Philips founded Jericho in 2013 after a 25-year career at the top of the global communications industry. He leads its work on Responsible Tax, Good Work, Social Justice in Tech, Housing, Energy and Infrastructure. He is the chair of #JerichoConversations. As ever, my thanks to you for subscribing and for listening, and my thanks also to my guests and to Ben Addicott for production and theme music. Do let me know what you thought of this episode below.