Zena is a Persian-Iraqi poet who draws on her experiences as a former refugee to create her poetry — exploring ideas of home and belonging, exile and war. With a master’s in human rights and immigration, refugee rights form a central part of her poetry and her work.

She’s contributed to BBC Radio 2’s Pause For Thought, performed at the Poetry Cafe in the heart of London’s Covent Garden and Imperial College, London, for International Women’s Day. By day, Zena runs a refugee resettlement programme in London, and she also happens to be a trustee of Amos Trust!

Rakaya Fetuga is an award-winning poet and writer from London of Ghanaian and Nigerian heritage. She describes her work as depicting “women of the global majority through an ethereal lens”. You’ll hear broad concepts captured by tiny, sensory details that conjure up vivid moods of nostalgia, anger, joy, sorrow, and celebration in her work. 

Hopeful Read:

The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran

Hopeful Listens:

Modern Love — The New York Times (podcast)

Where Should We Begin — Esther Perel (podcast)

Hopeful Watch:

Oprah & Viola: A Netflix Special

Hopeful Anthem:

One Step At A Time — Jordin Sparks

The poems that Zena performed for us were called The Women Of My Country and My Lebanese Neighbour. The poems that Rakaya performed were called The World Is Yours (scroll to 52:49) and Why I Asked My Kid Self To Hang Out After School. You can follow Zena on Instagram and Twitter and Rakaya on Instagram and Twitter. You can find out more about SUFRA here.

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We Do Hope regulars, journalist Jessie McDonald and director/producer Tilly Reith, chat to climate activist Disha Ravi from India. Disha’s work involves organising activism around climate and environmental education and promoting understanding of the issues of intersectional climate justice.

Disha Does Hope: Climate activist Disha Ravi

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Disha Ravi works with Fridays For Future India, FFF MAPA (Most Affected People and Areas) and FFF International. FFF India is a movement started in India to demonstrate the power of the youth regarding the climate crisis. She has been featured in Vogue for her environmental activism and is a freelance writer who has written think pieces on climate change for The Independent and Al Jazeera.

Hopeful Read:

Enid Blyton 

Hopeful Watch:

Attack On Titan (Anime)

Hopeful Listen:

Hot Take with Mary Annaïse Heglar and Amy Westervelt (Podcast)

Poetry Unbound (Spotify Channel)

Hopeful Anthem:

Ghar — Bharat Chauhan

You can follow Disha on Instagram and Twitter. Please visit the Friday’s For Future website for more details about Disha’s work.

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Ellen Logan is one of the directors and main organisers of The Big Ride for Palestine. This annual cycle protest involves hundreds of riders cycling across parts of the UK to raise awareness of Palestine rights. Initiated in 2015 by activists who wanted to combine their love of cycling with Palestine solidarity, The Big Ride has grown exponentially year on year, attracting people of all ages, ethnicities, religions, backgrounds and nationalities. Ellen has been campaigning on issues in Palestine since 2015, following three months of living and working in Ramallah and Birzeit. You can follow Ellen on Instagram and Twitter. 

Linzy Na Nakorn is a dance/theatre-maker and community organiser based in Bristol. She primarily uses her skills across the arts to create socially engaged performance that seeks to challenge, advocate for and expand on conversations around care, resistance, housing, disability and collectivism. She has been an organiser/volunteer with The Big Ride since the summer of 2021, contributing to the rides outreach, cultural and community engagement. You can follow Linzy on Instagram and Twitter. 

Noor Thabet was appointed as an Administrative Officer at uMake in 2022, a Palestinian entrepreneurship support organisation that helps entrepreneurs and startups across Palestine. She is currently The Big Ride for Palestine Ambassador. She helped raise £80,000 to build further secure playgrounds for children in Gaza. You can follow Noor on Instagram and Twitter.

To find out more and to sign up to The Big Ride for Palestine, please visit their website here.

Hopeful Read:

Bending The Rules by Rafique Gangat

Hopeful Watch:

Journey to Jagdula by Jordan Caroll

Hopeful Listen:

The Blindboy podcast

Hopeful Anthem:

Free Palestine by Lowkey

To find out more about The Big Ride for Palestine and to follow their socials, please visit their website here.

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Her recently released book: I Am Because We Are: An African Mother’s Fight for the Soul of a Nation illuminates the role of kinship, family, and the individual’s place in society while revealing a life of courage, how community shaped it, and the web of humanity that binds us all. 

Chidiogo is the Chief Community and Communications Officer at the Ubuntu Foundation, a World Economic Forum Global Leadership Fellow, a Fellow at the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance, an Atlantic Dialogue Emerging Leader and an Associate Fellow of the Nigerian Leadership Initiative. Named ‘100 most inspiring women in Nigeria’ by The Guardian; ’100 most influential Young Africans’ by Africa Youth Awards; ‘100 most Influential Nigerians’ by Avance Media; and ‘Young Professional of the Year’ by Future Awards Africa.

Hopeful Read:

Afternoon Dreams — Hima Batavia

Hopeful Watch:

My Octopus Teacher on Netflix

Hopeful Listen:

Growing Wise by Negin Sairafi (Podcast)

Hopeful Anthem:

I Am Moana (Song Of The Ancestors) — from ‘Moana’

You can follow Chidiogo on Instagram and Twitter. Her book, I Am Because We Are: An African Mother’s Fight for the Soul of a Nation is available to buy here.

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“If we're not kind to each other, what's the point of hope?"

Jessie and Tilly chat with Olivia Blake MP about finding hope in politics and becoming an MP, the climate crisis, little wins, global finance — and dogs. Olivia is the Labour MP for Sheffield, Hallam, and has been an MP since December 2019. She currently undertakes the role of Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Net Zero.

Olivia is the Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam and the Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Net Zero. She has been a vocal advocate for robust action on the climate and nature crises through a radical Green New Deal.

She is the Chair of the All-Party Group on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and works with local and national campaigners to push for change on issues including housing, LGBTQ+ rights, refugees and asylum seekers and miscarriage support.

Hopeful Read:

Hope In The Dark by Rebecca Solnit

Hopeful Listens:

Podcast: Manchester Green New Deal

Hopeful Watch:

Knock Down The House on Netflix

Hopeful Anthem:

Talkin’ Bout A Revolution — Tracy Chapman

You can follow Olivia on Instagram and Twitter.

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Chosen as WANN project manager in November 2021, Enas earned a bachelor’s degree in English education from Al-Azhar University and a diploma in translation from the Islamic University of Gaza. She is now WANN’s director and is currently close to completing a master’s degree in translation.

Walaa is the community outreach and partnership officer at WANN. She has travelled to more than ten countries, and has done voluntary work in Africa, worked in Europe, taught children from East Asia and studied in the Middle East. She finished her Bachelor’s degree in English arts and literature at the Islamic University of Gaza and the University of Warsaw.

Hopeful Read:

I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti

Hopeful Anthem:

I Breathe Freedom — Julia Boutros جوليا بطرس - بتنفس حرية

Hopeful Read:

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

Hopeful Watch:

Proctor Gallagher Institute (YouTube Channel)

Hopeful Anthem:

I Breathe Freedom — Julia Boutros جوليا بطرس - بتنفس حرية

You can follow Enas on Instagram and Twitter and Walla on Twitter. To find out more about We Are Not Numbers and to follow their socials, please visit their website here. There are two virtual tours of Gaza that We Are Not Numbers have made for Amos Trust — the first was from February 2021 and the second from February 2022.

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What makes Ottolenghi, Ottolenghi?

Jessie McDonald and Tilly Reith chat to development chef, food writer, chickpea enthusiast and Queen of Middle Eastern feasts, Noor Murad. Bahraini-born Noor is a chef whose international work experience eventually brought her to the Ottolenghi family.

Noor developed recipes for the books ‘Falastin’ and ‘Flavour’, as well as for Ottolenghi’s Masterclass series and other online Ottolenghi publications. Having trained in New York, Noor became one of the creative forces at the heart of the Ottolenghi test kitchen where she’s been working since 2016.

Hopeful Read:

Ammu: Food to Nourish Your Soul, from a Life of Cooking by Asma Khan

Hopeful Watch:

The Sound of Music

Hopeful Listen:

Feel Better Live More — Dr Rangan Chatterjee (Podcast)

Hopeful Anthem:

That’s Life — Frank Sinatra

You can follow Noor on Instagram and Twitter. Her book Shelf Love is available from the Ottolenghi website and OTK: Extra Good Things is available to pre-order now.

The film about Ottolenghi and Amos Trust with Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi that was mentioned in the podcast can be watched here.

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“Come for the hope. Stay for the dogs.”

Jessie and Tilly talk about everything from what hope means to them, what excites them in this first season of the podcast, and how they first bonded on Zoom over Tilly’s link to Miley Cyrus, Jessie’s houseboat life and their mutual dog obsession.

Tilly reveals she’s an Archer’s megafan and Jessie recites lines from ‘You Sexy Thing’ in the introduction to our Hope In A Hurry section — which will become a regular feature in each episode — as they share a hopeful read, watch, listen and anthem.

Hopeful Read:

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 

Hopeful Watch:

14 Peaks available on Netflix

Hopeful Listen:

Wellcome Collection’s Hello Happiness podcast

Hopeful Anthem:

You Sexy Thing by Hot Chocolate

Hopeful Read:

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Hopeful Watch:

Ted Lasso available on Apple TV+

Hopeful Listen:

The Archers on BBC Radio 4 

Hopeful Anthem:

Beyoncé at Coachella and accompanying Homecoming documentary available on Netflix

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