Activate Impact Director, Kera Sherwood-O’Regan is the featured interview on RNZ Saturday Morning following her BBC 100 Women recognition. She speaks with Susie Ferguson about the systemic causes of climate change, Indigenous & Disability rights, living with Fibromyalgia, and how her whānau and upbringing shaped her activism.
Activate Impact Director, Kera Sherwood-O’Regan is the featured interview on RNZ Saturday Morning following her BBC 100 Women recognition. She speaks with Susie Ferguson about the systemic causes of climate change, Indigenous & Disability rights, living with Fibromyalgia, and how her whānau and upbringing shaped her activism.
Activate Impact Director, Kera Sherwood-O’Regan, joined the TVNZ Breakfast team to discuss her recognition in the BBC 100 Women list for 2023. Kera highlighted how humbled she felt to have been recognised amongst other women mentioned such as Amal Clooney, Michelle Obama, and Palestinian Surgeon, Sara Al Saqqa. She shared how changing the narrative about climate change to focus on climate justice and root causes enables more transformational and effective action, and makes climate action more accessible to a wider public.
The live and On Demand broadcast has now lapsed, but further comments can be found in the 1News online coverage, by Jordan Lane.
“A Kiwi indigenous rights and disability advocate has been named in the BBC's 100 Women of 2023 list.
Kera Sherwood-O'Regan (Kāi Tahu), the co-founder of social impact agency Activate Agency, has been recognised for her work on indigenous climate justice and social change”
This year’s BBC 100 Women list includes 28 Climate Pioneers ahead of the COP28 United Nations climate negotiations - one of whom is Activate Agency co-founder and Impact Director, Kera Sherwood-O’Regan. Kera was recognised in the list for her work on climate justice, and particularly her advocacy for Indigenous & Disability Rights within the UNFCCC and international climate movement.
Speaking on the intersecting systems of oppression that produce climate change and harm communities, Kera uses her table-top analogy to highlight how meaningful solutions to climate change must address root causes, and in doing so can create positive outcomes not only for the environment, but for human rights as well.
Kera Sherwood-O’Regan spoke to reporter Dimitri Selibas of international conservation news outlet, Mongabay, following the conclusion of the COP27 United Nations Climate Negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
With negotiations ending two days past due, many Indigenous leaders, who often don’t have a lot of funding and resources to take time away from their communities, had to leave before negotiations on Article 6 and loss and damage concluded, said Sherwood-O’Regan.
“I think we need to acknowledge the leadership of many parties within the Global South, but also within Indigenous and frontline communities who have fought for that and enabled that [loss and damage] fund and even enabled the language of loss and damage to enter into this UNFCCC space,” said Sherwood-O’Regan.
Activate Agency Creative Director, and Co-Founder of the SustainedAbility Disability and Climate Network, Jason Boberg features alongside other SDCN Network members in Legit News’ coverage of the COP27 United Nations Climate Negotiations ongoing in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Boberg regularly engages with the UNFCCC process, advocating for more inclusive and accessible conferences to ensure equitable participation of people with disabilities. While every COP has its challenges, Boberg highlighted the particular challenges for wheelchair users; people with mobility impairments; and others navigating the large conference venue - the proliferation of newly constructed concrete curbs.
A group of New Zealanders is fighting for those with disabilities to have more of a voice and proper support at UN climate conferences.
Greens co-leader James Shaw also addressed the disability issues event held on the side of the COP27 summit in Egypt, which was hosted by the SustainedAbility Disability & Climate Network.
Activate Co-Directors, Kera Sherwood-O’Regan and Jason Boberg spoke to Radio New Zealand reporter, Hamish Cardwell, about disability inclusion while attending the United Nations Climate Conference, COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Both are involved in the SustainedAbility Disability and Climate Network (SDCN), a network of Disabled Peoples’ Organisations, NGOs, and disabled activists advocating for disability-inclusive climate action. The network has been incubated by Activate Agency, as part of our commitment to social impact, and this year it hosted an official side event as part of the conference programme.
New Zealand Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw, provided a video address, supporting the SDCN’s calls for a Disability Constituency and a Disability Action Plan within the UNFCCC.
Jason Boberg, a member of the disability caucus at the UN, as well as the founder of the disability climate action network SustainedAbility, says figuring out where loss and damage finance will come from and how to secure some of it for disabled people living in disaster-prone areas is “front of mind” for members of the disability caucus.
Our Impact Director, Kera Sherwood-O’Regan was interviewed by UC Boulder journalist, Lisa Marshall on climate change and its impacts on Indigenous and disabled communities.
“Everyone has the right to be rescued, but in many areas around the world, civil defense planning doesn’t account for disabled people”
Jason Boberg, Activate’s Creative Director, and Co-Founder of the SustainedAbility Disability and Climate Network is on the ground in Glasgow for the COP26 United Nations Climate Negotiations in Glasgow. Advocating for the recognition of a Disability Constituency, and for greater accessibility and inclusion of disabled people within the UNFCCC, Jason spoke with John Pring of the Disability News Service about accessibility struggles at the conference.
The Activate team have been on the ground in Madrid for the COP25 United Nations Climate Negotiations, supporting civil society and Indigenous Peoples organisations advocating for climate justice.
Activate Creative Director and Co-Founder of the SustainedAbility Disability and Climate Network, Jason Boberg, spoke on behalf of the disabled community at “The People’s Plenary”, an event organised across civil society to give voice to communities and campaigners in the critical final hours of the conference.
His comments were included in the round-up by Reuters reporter, Megan Rowling;
Jason Boberg, a New Zealand disability rights campaigner and filmmaker, told the people’s assembly those with disabilities faced serious threats from climate change.
“From fires and power shut-offs in California to floods and other disasters, disabled people... are the first to be left behind and the first to die,” he said.
