S2E24: How Climate Change Impacts Mental Health in Africa & Beyond w/ Svetlana Onye

Brian J Matos

Brian speaks with Svetlana Chigozie Onye, a climate justice advocate, writer, journalist, and researcher.

In this conversation, Svetlana and Brian discuss the critical intersection of mental health and climate change, particularly in the context of African nations. She highlights the unique challenges faced by African countries, including the disproportionate impact of climate change despite low emissions, the role of transnational companies in resource extraction, and the need for better media coverage of these issues. Svetlana emphasizes the importance of integrating mental health into climate policies and the necessity for climate finance to address healthcare and infrastructure. She also shares inspiring stories of community-based initiatives and the power of storytelling in raising awareness and fostering change.

Svetlana is the Project Lead for the Eco-Anxiety Africa Project, which investigates the mental health impact of climate change across Africa and the necessary responses and adaptations communities need. Her journalistic work focuses on the impact of natural resource extraction in communities in the "global south". Her published work concerning climate justice, social justice, and culture can be found in publications such as Shado Mag, SCREENSHOT, (Re)imagining Peace + Justice, Atwood Magazine, The Eco-Anxiety Africa Project, and Race Equality Matters. Her literary work earned her selection into the Writers on the Rise Program, created by the Black British Book Festival and Pan MacMillan. She is also part of the UK Youth Climate Coalition, a TuWezeshe Young Women’s Leadership Fellow, and the founder of Not Actually Radical, an online educational platform that seeks to use accessible education as a tool of liberation across the diaspora.

To learn more about Svetlana:

• Website: https://sustyvibes.org/
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/svetlana-chigozie-onye-sanya-785463157
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyofsvetlana/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/svetlana.onye.7/?locale=en_GB

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