Over four years, one of ORA’s core beliefs has been that listening — really listening — is its own form of transformation. Conversations across continents, disciplines, and perspectives became one of the most powerful outputs of the ORA community, and several of those conversations have taken shape as podcast series. In The Rising Tide is the latest.
Created in collaboration with Resilience.org and hosted by Alex Leff, the series follows five individuals across Morocco, the Philippines, India, Chile, and Uganda — each responding to the challenges of the polycrisis with creativity, courage, and care. Their stories are different in context and approach, but together they point to something universal: meaningful action is already happening, even in the face of overwhelming problems.
New episodes are dropping now. Here are the latest:
Episode 1: Louise Mabulo — The Chef Who Grew a Forest
From MasterChef Junior to founding regenerative food systems that support over 200 Filipino farmers, Louise Mabulo’s path is anything but conventional. Named a Young Champion of the Earth by the UN Environment Programme and one of the BBC’s 100 Most Inspiring Women of 2023, Louise’s work reconnects people with the land — and with what they grow and eat. A powerful conversation about tradition, innovation, and forging your own path.
Episode 2: Hajar Tazi — Weaving Our Way Back Home
Storyteller and ecosystem weaver Hajar Tazi works across a wide network of organizations — from Shareable and Gaia Education to the Wellbeing Economy Alliance — connecting people, ideas, and communities in service of a more resilient future. Influenced by the work of Joanna Macy, Hajar reflects on what it means to follow curiosity across disciplines, and how living in a time of unraveling can also be a time of transformation.
Episode 3: Gerald Barekye — Climate Justice from the Ground Up
Human rights defender and environmental activist Gerald Barekye is the Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Research and Agricultural Innovation (CERAI), working with communities in Uganda’s oil-affected Albertine Graben region. His work mobilizes young people to build climate justice movements and stands up for those most impacted by environmental degradation. A grounding conversation about local action, collective organizing, and what it means to fight for people and place.
Episode 4: Millaray Huichalaf — Defending Indigenous Land and Water
Mapuche leader, water defender, and spiritual activist Millaray Huichalaf has spent years protecting rivers and ancestral lands in Chile from extractive development. Rooted in the traditions and worldview of the Mapuche people, her work calls for a deeper relationship with land, water, and the living world. A powerful conversation about Indigenous resistance, spiritual connection, and the wisdom needed to protect future generations.
Episode 5: Raviraj Shetty — Rewriting the Stories We Live By
Narrative practitioner, occupational therapist, and educator Raviraj Shetty is the co-founder of Narrative Practices India Collective, where he works with children, families, and communities to explore how stories shape identity, belonging, and possibility. His work uses narrative practice as a community-centered approach to healing and mental health, especially in places navigating ecological and social change. A thoughtful conversation about care, imagination, and the “relentless hope” that emerges when people reclaim their stories together.
In The Rising Tide is made with support from the Omega Resilience Awards, a project of Commonweal. Explore more ORA podcasts and stories here.
