Alex Kelly has been involved in climate and Indigenous campaigning and social change for decades - with a focus on communications, storytelling and the arts. She has long taught people about how to communicate their messages in the media. But in January 2026, she found herself at the centre of unprecedented bushfires then flooding in regional Victoria - and used her skills to project a message about disaster and climate change.

In this episode we explore what she learnt from her experience on the frontline, and what her experience can teach others about how to communicate and link our personal experiences and testimony to bigger public causes and issues when talking to the media - and when telling stories more generally.

For more:

Alex's website and project archive https://echotango.org/

The Unquiet Collective - Alex's film and impact home https://unquiet.com.au/

The Things We Did Next speculative futures project https://www.thethingswedidnext.org/

Economic Media Centre - free spokesperson training https://www.economicmediacentre.org/

The Point op-ed on disaster levy: https://thepoint.com.au/opinions/260115-harcourt-fires-show-need-for-disaster-levy

350.org post on resilience https://350.org/wildfires-building-community-resilience/?r=AU&c=OC

Duty of care & lived experience spokesperson resources https://docs.google.com/document/d/14OWJxTJ8y08iouwxg2E4MIsATT7Vv_Xtey4mpekgfXQ/edit?tab=t.0

Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action Lived Experience Guide to Climate Campaigning https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60ee407ec551f135b5c1a9a8/t/66e0e408260d51146efd7c06/1726014473102/Lived+Experience+Guide+to+Climate+Campaigning+2024.pdf

Documentary Accountability Working Group https://www.docaccountability.org/

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We talk with Michael Bradley who has taken on Murdoch as well as defending the rights of refugees about what it takes to be a lawyer and a change maker at the same time. He shares his 20 year journey from conventional law to a different kind of lawyering that he has now practiced for 17 years at Marque Lawyers – and how he now centres his legal practice around relationships.

He also shares a few war stories of how he has used the law to fight for justice, including the battle against Lachlan Murdoch’s attempt to sue Crickey for defamation.

Whether you are a lawyer or you are a lawyer sceptic – there is something powerful in Michael’s dissection of the legal profession and his identification of a different way to practice the law.

This was first released in April 2025.

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On Facebook, Instagram, Threads - https://www.facebook.com/ChangeMakersPodcast/

Blue Sky Social - changemakerspod.bsky.aocial & amandatattersall.bsky.social

On LinkedIn - Amanda.Tattersall

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Trump's abusive war against immigrants has been jailing children and extracting people's neighbours for years - but in Minnesota his abuses are being challenged directly, powerfully and with enormous bravery. For our first episode for 2026, we speak with Erik Peterson who is a 40 year resident and community organiser and also someone who has trained community organisers across Minnesota, the rest of the US and in Australia as well! Indeed he is a good friend of mine, and a friend of many big community groups and movements in Australia.

Erik shares a deeper context to help us understand the ICE battle that goes far beyond the news - such as Minnesota's long history of progressive politics and organising, and then reveals how that context and history is playing out in the streets of Minnesota's cities.

This story has radical lessons about how to mobilise against injustice, but also insights about how we make change in dark authoritarian times. Its a story about a horrible chapter in US history, and also about the hope that can emerge from taking action for what we believe in.

For more on ChangeMakers check us out:

Via our Website - https://changemakerspodcast.org (where you can also sign up to our email list!)

On Facebook, Instagram, Threads - https://www.facebook.com/ChangeMakersPodcast/

Blue Sky Social - changemakerspod.bsky.aocial & amandatattersall.bsky.social

On LinkedIn - Amanda.Tattersall

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.