That feeling of crisis: Rachel Kiddell-Monroe

PodcastApril 06, 2021
A person holds a sign reading "WITH PRIVILEGE COMES RESPONSIBILITY" during a protest under a bridge, surrounded by a crowd of people wearing masks and caps.

If we all just go back to the way we were before… then we’re missing the biggest opportunity that we’ve been given in a generation. And then, I would be really worried.

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Intro

In this episode, Brooke speaks with Rachel Kiddell-Monroe – Founder and Executive Director at SeeChange Initiative, and board member at Médecins Sans Frontières. In their discussion, they examine the impact of COVID-19 on marginalized communities, as well as the lack of empathy exhibited by first world nations towards less developed countries. Rachel raises the question of whether the models and systems on which our societies are built actually serve the interests of all. From our colonial roots to our current education and healthcare systems, this episode examines many factors that shape our view of struggling communities. 

Some of the items discussed include:

  • The legacy of colonial systems and how they persist all around the world, despite their weaknesses and inability to tackle the big challenges facing us.
  • The need for both individual and community action to bring about real change, and how both relate to each other. When individuals and movements come together, the momentum and desire for change builds, as exhibited by the Black Lives Matter movement over the past year.
  • Why a single visionary leader cannot solve all of our problems. Unless the whole society is ready to change, there will always be the need for such leaders to compromise and not be able to fully achieve the change they want to see.
  • Now that we have been living with COVID for over a year, taking a step back and seeing it as a potential opportunity to drastically change some of the systems that are broken or no longer working. And not letting this opportunity pass us by as this pandemic (hopefully) starts to get under control.

About the Guest

Rachel Kiddell-Monroe

Rachel Kiddell-Monroe

Rachel Kiddell-Monroe is a lawyer, a humanitarian, and a life-long advocate for social justice. She has worked in the humanitarian field for over 25 years, with vast experience of crisis situations from Rwanda to Somalia, as well as refugee camps in France, Italy and Greece. 

Rachel founded ‘SeeChange Initiative’, which works to decolonize health by supporting marginalized groups to build innovative community-first solutions to their health crises. She also serves as a Board Director at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and is the founding President of ‘Universities Allied for Essential Medicines’. She continues to teach at McGill University in Montreal, her alma-mater, and works to ensure that government-funded research is made accessible and affordable for the people who need it the most.

About the Interviewer

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Dr. Brooke Struck

Dr. Brooke Struck is the Research Director at The Decision Lab. He is an internationally recognized voice in applied behavioural science, representing TDL’s work in outlets such as Forbes, Vox, Huffington Post and Bloomberg, as well as Canadian venues such as the Globe & Mail, CBC and Global Media. Dr. Struck hosts TDL’s podcast “The Decision Corner” and speaks regularly to practicing professionals in industries from finance to health & wellbeing to tech & AI.

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