The Conference theme is ‘Climate for Change’ and we have exciting speakers for you from Scotland, the USA, the Republic of Ireland, Kosovo and England. We will be focusing on climate for change in education; health, science and society; climate/environment and women’s gender issues. So, there should be something for everybody.
Keynote Speakers
Rebecca Cecil-Wright
Rebecca Cecil-Wright is the Executive Director and co-founder of EnviroFest International, an organisation setting up environmental film and impact festivals in the global south. Previously an award-winning documentary filmmaker and environmental educator, Rebecca’s focus lies in using entertainment to engage citizens, communities and societies with the environmental and climate agenda, bridging divides to foster meaningful change across mainstream culture.
Leigh Ellwood-Brown
Leigh Ellwood-Brown started her Soroptimist life in 1980 as a charter member of SI South Pine, in the Region of SI Queensland, Australia, in the Federation of then SI South West Pacific, (SISWP), now named SI South East Asia Pacific, (SI SEAP). Highlights of her Federation Extension and President roles were to work with and learn from the more senior role models within her Federation: Extending within the SISWP countries, helping to develop members to implement the more impactful Projects to make a meaningful difference on the ground for Women and Girls. This in turn also attracted many new Soroptimist clubs and members: Develop the SISWP Federation to structure as a ‘Company Limited by Guarantee’
through the Federation leadership team and committees.
Leigh’s profession as a Gemmologist with specialist Diamond studies established a career within the Diamond, Gems and Custom Designed Jewellery Industry on various State, National and International levels.
Elizabeth Gowing
Elizabeth Gowing worked as a teacher and education consultant in London before moving to Kosovo in 2006. There she learned to speak Albanian, founded the charity, The Ideas Partnership, and met a nine year-old girl from the excluded Ashkali community, who told her that she wanted to go to school.
The apparently simple request led Elizabeth and a growing team of volunteers to help a community transform itself. The Ideas Partnership last year won a European Commission’s prize for its work not only on education but also health, social enterprise and women’s empowerment, and the experiences form the basis of Elizabeth’s fourth book, published in summer 2015.
Gemma Milne
Gemma Milne is a writer and researcher focused on narratives surrounding, activism in and political economy of science and technology. She is author of ‘Smoke & Mirrors: How Hype Obscures the Future and How to See Past It’, is currently a PhD researcher in Science and Technology Studies at UCL, writes for outlets such as The Guardian, WIRED, Forbes, the BBC and others, and is co-host of the Radical Science podcast.
Tara Shine
Dr Tara Shine is an expert in the field of climate change and climate justice, with a passion for communicating her science and her positive vision for the future.
She has advised world leaders, governments and civil society organisations on climate change, environmental policy and development assistance. Formerly a climate negotiator at the UN and Special Advisor to the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice and Adviser to the Elders, Tara is co-Founder and Director of the award-winning sustainability business, Change by Degrees. Tara is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and co-facilitator of a science-policy dialogue under the UN Climate Convention. Tara’s book ‘How To Save Your Planet One Object At A Time’ was published by Simon and Schuster in April 2020, and is a guide to sustainable living told through everyday objects.
Tara enjoys getting out into the wild to explore environmental issues first-hand. At home in any location from the deserts of Mauritania to the rainforests of Borneo, Tara enjoys meeting people to hear their stories and experiences and to champion the solutions they need. Most recently she travelled to Antarctica with 90 women scientists as part of Homeward Bound, a global leadership programme for women in science which aims to find better ways to care for our global home. Tara is part of the visibility and science communications faculty for Homeward Bound.
Programme Speakers
Robyn Knox, British Red Cross
Robyn Knox, Emergencies Partnership Director is responsible for the leading the development and delivery of more human and community centred responses in major emergencies via a network of over 200 community and specialist organisations. Robyn’s background is in organisational change and transformation leading major change programmes and initiatives in the private, public and charitable sectors in the UK, Australia, Iraq and Cambodia.
Robyn joined the British Red Cross in 2015 – and has led significant strategic programmes to reshape and evolve the way the organisation works, and in 2019/20 set out exciting new aspirations for the future, through developing the Red Cross’ 2030 Strategy. Robyn was first involved in Emergency Response in evaluating the response to Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017. Robyn joined the Emergencies Partnership in April 2020, helping to shape and lead the partnership’s response to the pandemic and the many emergencies that have followed. She is a commissioner on the National Preparedness Commission, contributing to the national debate on the future of greater national preparedness and resilience and heads up a team of 11 people to help enable improved insight, stronger more trusted relationships and improved capability in emergencies across the voluntary and community sector and our partners in local and national government.