What happens when someone spends a career defending human rights from every side of the table, and the world still seems to be moving in the wrong direction?
In this episode of Matters of Consequence, Michael speaks with Kristiina Kouros, Lead Expert Social Impacts and Human Rights at Nordea, about a career spent advancing human rights across NGOs, national institutions, politics, consultancy, and now the financial sector. Her path began with a choice she made in a train on the way to university: to study justice, not law. That distinction has guided her ever since, from grassroots projects against racism and violence to representing 170 human rights organizations in the negotiations behind the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and finally to bringing human rights into corporate decision making.
Kristiina shares what she has learned from each transition, why she believes no single actor in society holds the power to change things alone, and where corporate accountability still falls short, from invisible supply chains to communities not being listened to. She also explains the personal ethos behind it all: "I value life", in all its forms. Despite the sadness of the times, she remains hopeful, and she leaves us with a simple encouragement: everyone's actions make a difference, and with 8 billion of us, small steps can add up to a huge leap towards better.
Why listen?
Whether you work in sustainability or human rights, lead a business making decisions with far-reaching impacts, or simply want to understand what it takes to advance human rights in an uncertain world, Kristiina's story offers a grounded and deeply human perspective on justice, responsibility, and the value of life.
Keywords: human rights, business and human rights, UN Guiding Principles, corporate accountability, ESG, social sustainability, human rights due diligence, supply chain responsibility, financial sector, Nordea, corporate sustainability, human rights law, lived experience, systems change, Kristiina Kouros, Matters of Consequence podcast
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