In this conversation, Mary Ann talks with Shuhba Chacko in India and Artemisa Castro in Mexico. They consider together how we might cultivate caring and compassion in our organisations and movements.

Shubha Chacko is a joyful activist who has drawn strength, knowledge, and warmth from strong alliances and friendships forged with people from different walks of life. She is the Executive Director of Solidarity Foundation, an NGO that supports grassroots level organisations of gender/sexual minorities (LGBTIAQ+)and sex workers by building collectives, capacities and connections with resources. The broader goal is to enhance leadership of those currently excluded. Solidarity Foundation also works with companies and other organisations on their LGBT journeys. Shubha is also a researcher and has authored books, reports and articles and has been an invited speaker at many national and international conferences.

Artemisa Castro is Executive Director of Fondo Acción Solidaria(FASOL) in Mexico. She is also a member of the Global Funders Alliance for Social Environmental Action. A biologist by training, she founded a local organization in Baja California Sur in the 1990s to spark and develop community action both to improve the local social and environmental conditions and to empower local women. This led to her collaboration with a group of other environmental activists and ultimately to the founding of FASOL in 2007, the first fund in Mexico dedicated to supporting grassroots community action through a programme of small grants, mentorship, capacity building and networking. Artemisa's dog also makes a special appearance in this episode!

This episode is part of a special series of conversations entitled - Embodying Change: A series of conversations on care and compassion in Aid and Development curated by Mary Ann Clements and Melissa Pitotti and in partnership with CHS Alliance, Global Fund for Community Foundations, Healing Solidarity and Change Making Women Podcast. This episode was produced and edited by Ziada Abeid and the music was written and performed by Eleanor Brown who you can find at eleanorbrownmusic.com

Find out more about ‘Cultivating Care and Compassion in Aid and Development’ an initiative being incubated by CHS Alliance here: www.chsalliance.org/get-support/art…-organisations/

Find out more about ‘Pathways to Power Symposium’ being co-ordinated by Global Fund for Community Foundations here: globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/what-we…-doing/