E257 - Anthea Lawson on Belonging, Activism and Community // How Not to Save the World

“One thing is to think about movement ecology, which is this lovely sort of image: just as any ecology has a series of niches for different critters and organisms to live in, and that become a whole system in themselves, then the different things that people are called to do, add up together to hopefully more than the sum of their parts.” Anthea Lawson

E257 – Anthea Lawson on Belonging, Activism and Community // How Not to Save the World

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About this interview:

What stops us showing up for one another?

This episode with Anthea Lawson focuses on what it means to be an activist in times of political polarization. Anthea shares extensively about her work as an activist and campaigner, as well as her studies and research into the psychological and spiritual underpinnings of activism. The conversation emphasizes the importance of community, of building relationships, and of showing up in our immediate surroundings. Anthea discusses her most recent book, How Not to Save the World: Doing Good Without Annoying Everyone, and unpacks the ideas and connotations behind the notions of ‘saving the world’ and ‘doing good’.

This conversation explores

. finding your place and voice as an activist

. how activism can look different at different times of life and in different political contexts

. the psychological and spiritual underpinnings of activism

. why being good is annoying

. the importance of building relationships with people around us

. why is there a war on woke?

. how to live in accordance with our values

. the impact of power structures

. the importance of a flexible approach

“A lot of what we actually need to do to organise and to survive and to create resilience, whether it’s against the far right or whether it’s against already happening climate breakdown, is in our communities. It’s with the people around us.” Anthea Lawson

Anthea Lawson has fought for many issues over three decades including controls on the arms trade and an end to the financial secrecy offered by tax havens. She helped launch a campaign for transparency over company ownership which resulted in changes to the law in dozens of countries. After training as a journalist at The Times, she worked for campaign groups including Global Witness and Amnesty International. Her writing helps people who want to change the world think about the psychological, spiritual and philosophical foundations of what they’re doing, what’s getting in the way, and how they can be more effective. She is the author of How Not To Save The World (coming in June 2026) and The Entangled Activist.

Anthea was on E215 of All That We Are podcast with Helena Norberg-Hodge and Jae Spencer Keyse.

To connect or work with Anthea visit, anthealawson.uk

To connect or work with Amisha, visit www.amisha.co.uk

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