Passion, Power, Purpose
Global Young Leaders Weaving Care for Person and Place
A Series of Interviews by Anna Steltenkamp
This collection of stories brings together eight young leaders who span diverse ecologies, disciplines, traditions, and life ways across the Earth. And yet, within both their personal missions and their pathways for enacting change lies common ground.
Each is weaving care for person and place in holistic, participatory, and humble ways. Each is inviting in, and actively learning from, the vast wisdom and idea repositories of those who are most directly attuned to and entwined with their local landscapes and seascapes. Each is placing community at the center of the creation, implementation, and celebration of solutions to shape a more resilient and renewed future together.
While envisioning what might become the guiding lens of this series, Bioneers Young Leaders Fellow Anna Steltenkamp was inspired by Satish Kumar’s Three Dimensions of Ecology: Soil, Soul, and Society, alongside many other thought leaders and practitioners who teach the values and practices of biocultural and agroecological restoration. Anna sought to explore these interdependent dimensions of personal meaning and collective well-being with young leaders throughout the world. She was especially curious about what commonalities she may discover amongst those who are living and working in vastly diverse environmental and social settings.
Within these conversations lie many answers to central questions of our time including: How do we live well in our relations? How do we enhance the social, cultural, and ecological well-being of our communities in interwoven ways? How do we care for ourselves – welcoming in joy, exploration, and rest – so that we not only sustain but thrive in this work?
Specifically, to other young people who are stepping into or already immersed in their own leadership journeys, these eight global leaders – your peers – have shared a wealth of advice and lived experience to both inspire you and guide you along. Amidst the abundance of shared wisdom, three essential lessons resonated most deeply in this series of conversations spanning across the Earth:
Embrace your
Passion
Know your
Power
Step into your
Purpose
Global Young Leaders
Brigitta (Indonesia)
Katherine (Puerto Rico)
Jasmin (Florida, USA)
Adrian (Kenya)
Niria (California, USA)
Lefteris (Greece)
Amor (Philippines)
Kristal (Bahamas)
This collection of interviews was produced by Anna Steltenkamp in collaboration with Bioneers’ Young Leaders Program. Anna is a multimedia producer, educator, community engagement facilitator, and interdisciplinary researcher who primarily explores the intersections of biocultural restoration, food sovereignty, and collective placemaking. Throughout her creative and collaborative work, Anna strives to amplify the many stewards and solutionists inspiring us toward a more resilient and renewed future. Redefining expertise – to be inclusive of diverse perspectives, life stories, generations, and knowledge systems – is central to her past and present work. When a student, she prioritized studies that wove together cultural anthropology, public health, documentary media, and environmental science. Professionally, Anna holds expertise in both program development and media production, and she prioritizes local initiatives and cross-sector partnerships that aim to promote the thriving of communities along with their ecosystems. She is currently the Outreach and Engagement Manager for Dirt Corps, an organization specializing in community-based ecological restoration, urban forestry, green stormwater infrastructure, and workforce development throughout the Puget Sound region.
This project is deeply inspired by and dedicated to Dr. Diane Nelson, a professor in Duke University’s Cultural Anthropology Department who was Anna’s mentor and teacher throughout her educational journey. She taught her the power of bringing the creative possibilities of the arts together with the grounded commitments of social and environmental justice.
Additional Credits:
Young Leaders Fellowship Advisor and Mentor: Arty Mangan
Graphic Design: Megan Howe
Editorial Assistance: Lindsey Siegele, Bark Media
Additional Production Assistance: Emily Harris and Stephanie Welch