ChangeMakers

Can lawyers really be change makers?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.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.socialOn X/Twitter - @changemakers99 or @amandatattsOn LinkedIn - Amanda.Tattersall

This is a re-run episode recorded in 2024 - importantly - before the 2024 Presidential Election, but its insights and lessons about ChangeMaking are still deeply relevant!What are some of the skills or insights shared by some of America’s extraordinary change makers, people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Alicia Garza or Loretta Ross? In particular, what can these people teach us about how to build larger movements for change?Anand Giridhardhas, author of Persuaders, talks us through what he discovered when he interviewed these and other American change makers. In this chat Anand shares the story behind why he came to write this book – about his own story as a bridge builder between cultures and the lessons he learnt about how people navigate change.The chat then turns to his book Persuaders – identifying lessons about how persuaders communicate, how they work across difference, and how important it is for movements to be able to think about the kind of implications that change making has on communities while they are prosecuting change with communities.This chat is all about Persuaders, but Anand has written four powerful books: India Calling, True American, Winners Take All and Persuaders. You can find out more about Anand here – https://www.anand.ly/.

The Disability Movement famously argues ‘nothing about us without us.’ Wenn Lawson lives this creed as a world leading autistic advocate and researcher who has helped change how we understand autism and neurodivergence. He shares his journey, including how he shook the house of academia so it would listen to the lives of autistic people. He reflects on the power of co-produced research, identity and difference in how we build knowledge together. For more about Wenn’s research and books, go to http://www.buildsomethingpositive.com/wenn/We first released this episode in 2022.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.socialOn X/Twitter - @changemakers99 or @amandatattsOn LinkedIn - Amanda.Tattersall

Can you make a difference by being funny? In this episode news satirist and stand up comedian Sami Shah takes us through the art of political satire and the journey that got him there.Sami grew up in Pakistan, studied in the United States and became a fully fledged journalist - and comedian in his home country before traveling to Australia. He moved to Australia in 2012 living in Western Australia and almost killing a kangaroo before becoming a leading stand up comedian as well as a powerful voice for a more diverse comedy, journalistic and artistic community.In this episode we talk about political satire’s power to challenge us and help us see things differently, but also its limits in directly shifting actual events. He talks us through his method for News Satire on his podcast News Weakly, as well as what he has learnt about the power of making jokes about the taboo - including what is happening in Gaza and Israel.You can listening to Sami’s News Weakly podcast, also hosted on ACAST here:https://shows.acast.com/news-weaklyAnd find more about his books and activities here: https://thesamishah.com/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.socialOn X/Twitter - @changemakers99 or @amandatattsOn LinkedIn - Amanda.Tattersall

In a world where everyone is worried about cost of living – what difference would it make to lift the wages of the lowest paid workers?Lyndy McIntyre has documented a campaign that did exactly that in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her book Power to Win documents that struggle and in this chat she explores some of the key strategies that made that campaign work.Power to Win is available:In Aotearoa through Otago University PressIn Australia from John Reed BooksIn North America from Independent Publishers GroupIn the UK and Europe from Gazelle Book ServicesFor 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/On Blue Sky Social - changemakerspod.bsky.aocial & amandatattersall.bsky.socialOn X/Twitter - @changemakers99 or @amandatattsOn LinkedIn - Amanda.TattersallLiving Wage campaign in Aotearoa New Zealand:In May 2012 a new social movement was launched in Aotearoa New Zealand with the goal of lifting the wages of the lowest paid workers. It all began with the Service and Food Workers Union’s mission to win back the power needed to achieve decent pay for its members after the passage of an anti-worker, anti-union law in 1991. After trying many strategies, in 2011 the union reached out to the community with an invitation to build power together to unite around the shared goal of addressing poverty wages. The outcome has been hugely successful and changed the lives of many thousands of workers and their families. In Living Wage Movement Aotearoa NZ faith groups, community organisations and unions work in partnership. These groups represent thousands of New Zealanders in organisations as diverse as Catholic social justice groups, the Māori Women’s Welfare League, students associations and refugee advocacy organisations. The diversity of Living Wage Movement Aotearoa NZ is the strength of the movement and the secret of the success of the many campaigns that have won the living wage for thousands of workers — in corporates, across local and central government and in small businesses and NGOs.Read more about Living Wage Movement Aotearoa NZ here.

Welcome back to ChangeMakers Podcast for 2025! It certainly feels like this is a big year for thinking creatively and deeply about how to make the world better!Our first episode is a re-run of a chat with the brilliant and powerful Grace Tame. Grace took a powerful form of action at the Australian of the Year event a few weeks ago, wearing a provocative t-shirt that got the country (and world) talking! We wanted to celebrate her clear minded and powerful advocacy by re-sharing the chat we had with her in 2023.Enjoy!For our overseas listeners - Grace Tame is the former Australian of the year who wore this t-shirt to an event with the Australian Prime Minister for the 2025 Australian of the Year awards in January. She was an Australian of the Year award winner in 2021 - having been a prominent advocate against child sexual abuse as a survivor. Since her award she has only expanded her reach and voice and this protest was to recognise one of Australia's most unhelpful Australian’s.This podcast was recorded in 2023.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.socialOn X/Twitter - @changemakers99 or @amandatattsOn LinkedIn - Amanda.Tattersall