From community-led forest conservation in Odisha to negotiating at the United Nations, Archana Soreng embodies how lived experience can reshape global climate policy. An Indigenous climate leader from India’s Kharia tribe, Archana served on the UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change (2020–2023), is a Skoll World Forum Fellow (2024), and sits on The Rockefeller Foundation’s Climate Advisory Council. She works at the intersection of Indigenous knowledge, youth leadership, and climate governance, advocating for policies that honour land rights, protect biodiversity, and include those most affected in decision-making.

In this episode, Archana shares how her community’s traditions of forest conservation and sustainable living shaped her vision for climate justice. She explains why free, prior and informed consent and genuine participation are essential, and how poorly designed mitigation like ill-planned plantations or large solar projects can harm adaptation and livelihoods.

Drawing on her experience from village gatherings to UN climate negotiations, she reflects on overcoming tokenistic representation, breaking barriers to climate finance for youth and Indigenous groups, and the importance of mental well-being in long struggles for environmental justice. From safeguarding culture and language to influencing national climate commitments, Archana offers a grounded, hopeful blueprint for policymakers, funders, and young leaders working toward an inclusive and sustainable climate future.

"Something's Brewing" is a laid-back podcast hosted by MPP student Wynsey, where conversations flow freely-just like the drinks. In each episode, a member of the Blavatnik School community joins over a favourite beverage from home to share personal stories, career reflections, and the life that happens beyond policy.

In this episode, Wynsey chats with Julia, an MPP student from Uganda, about the “why” that drives her. From overcoming challenges in accessing education to finding her voice as a young advocate, Julia speaks candidly about the experiences that shaped her journey. With honesty and heart, she reflects on her childhood, her path into advocacy, and the making of the strong woman she is today.

Possible Utopia is the podcast exploring the intersection of politics, gender, and leadership to imagine a more inclusive future.

In this episode, we speak with Vanessa Nakate, Ugandan climate activist, founder of the Rise Up movement, and author of A Bigger Picture. She shares her journey from launching Fridays for Future in Uganda to amplifying African voices in the fight for climate justice.

We discuss her leadership, the challenges of being a young woman in the public eye, how she addresses online trolling, and her vision for the future of climate action.

🎧 Tune in to hear what drives her, how she keeps community at the centre of her work, and whether politics might be part of her path ahead.

Possible Utopia is the podcast where we explore the intersection of politics, gender, and leadership to imagine a better world. From addressing challenges of safety and well-being in public life to uncovering the motivations that drive individuals, we look at the stories behind those shaping our societies. Together, we take on difficult questions, confront systemic barriers, and reimagine a more inclusive and just political landscape.

This is not just a conversation about policy and gender; it is a journey toward possibility, a utopia we can begin building today. Let’s explore it together

Meet our host of Possible Utopia, Kanksshi Agarwal, Founder of NETRI Foundation, India’s first incubator for women in politics, featured in LiveMint’s 100 Women Shaping India, TEDx speaker, and Cyril Shroff Scholar at University of Oxford.

About the Episode with Kartik Desai

In this episode, we welcome Kartikeya N. Desai, an investing and development finance expert and Founder of Desai & Associates.

Kartik Desai, an impact investor at leading Indian funds and advisor to foundations and policymakers on blended and outcome finance, explains how capital can advance gender and climate goals.

💡 The conversation includes examples from his work in gender-lens investing and outcome funding for women’s skilling, employment, and entrepreneurship, as well as blended finance facilities for women-led SMEs and efforts to overcome regulatory barriers driving systemic change in India.

🎧 Listen now and discover how finance can be a force for good when applied the right way.

In this episode, MPP students Helen Orjuela and Ana Osorio explore one of the most pressing yet often overlooked public policy issues: care

They are joined by Diana Rodríguez Franco, Special Advisor on Gender and Diversity to the Inter-American Development Bank and former Secretary for Women in Bogotá, where she led the creation of the city’s internationally recognised Care System - Manzanas del Cuidado.

Together, they unpack why care work, largely carried out by women, remains undervalued despite being essential to economic and social well-being. Drawing on Diana’s experience, the conversation explores how innovative public policies can address time poverty, redistribute unpaid care, and create more equitable societies

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in gender equality, social protection, and the design of transformative policies.

🎧 Tune in to understand why care is not just a private matter—it’s a public good, and a cornerstone for inclusive development.

Nikunj Agarwal is a public policy practitioner, an Oxford MPP alumna, and currently the Strategic Stakeholder Country Lead for the What Works Hub for Global Education at the British Council

In this episode, he reflects on bridging the gap between evidence and policymaking, the power of listening over telling, and what it takes to make education reform work in the real world.

From cost-effective solutions to collaborative system change, Nikunj shares insights from classrooms, coalitions, and policy spaces across India.

He also offers a simple, thoughtful framework for anyone exploring a career in public policy.

🌱Empowering Communities through Climate Justice🎙️

In this episode, we are joined by Alexandra Gallo, a policymaker specialised in environmental justice and climate resilience. From working on California's Transformative Climate Communities programme to implementing the largest environmental justice grant in US history under the Inflation Reduction Act, Alexandra shares her journey and challenges. We unpack how truly community-driven governance can transform climate action, why representation matters, and what's at stake in the current political landscape💪🏽🌍

🎧Listen now if you're interested in equity, climate policy, and the future of environmental justice.

In this episode, Madison Jennings, Glória Almeida da Silva and Famin Ahmed explore how race and ethnicity shape the experience of gender-based violence around the world.

Together, they discuss the legal and systemic barriers women of color face, the narratives that silence survivors, and the grassroots and policy efforts pushing for justice. Drawing on their work in Australia, Brazil, and the U.S., the guests share personal reflections, policy insights, and bold visions for an anti-racist, decolonial approach to GBV prevention.

🎧 Tune in for a powerful conversation on justice, resilience, and intersectional policymaking.