This week Hélène Himmer, a French national with roots in the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, now based in Portugal joins me in conversation about her current work at African Futures Lab (AfaLab) leading a project on climate reparations. I met Hélène last November at FORGE: Harnessing Creative Arts for Reparatory Justice, a convening of artists, media, cultural workers, civil society, and government leaders across Africa, Europe and the U.S. to further the movement for reparations. The event took place in Accra, Ghana and featured Glocal Citizens Esther Armah, Makmid Kamara, and Nyamal Tutdeal as facilitators. In addition to meeting so many dynamic diasporans I was introduced to organizations like AfaLab, an international non-profit organization supporting racial justice movements in Europe and Africa through conducting research and developing policy and legal strategies to empower civil society actors and public and private institutions in their fight for justice and reparations. Currently the Policy and Advocacy Officer at AfaLab, Hélène is a committed activist and professional with a diverse background in human rights law, corporate social responsibility and international development.

Her activism began in her early teens with a youth organization focused on education, youth rights and inclusion. She then spent several years working for racial justice in France. Moving to the corporate sector, Hélène worked in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in start-ups and technology companies. However, her passion for social impact led her to international organizations where she specialized in advocacy, project management and partnerships. Her work has focused on climate justice, peacebuilding, anti-corruption, women's empowerment, youth cooperation and inclusive societies across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and the MENA region.

Where to find Hélène?
AfaLab Policy Paper "Unlocking Climate Reparations: Key Obstacles in the Emergence of a Climate Reparations Framework"
Listen in on AfaLab’s Season 3 Podcast Future Perfect | futur antérieur on Climate Reparations
On LinkedIn
On Instagram

What’s Hélène reading?
REDD-Monitor

Other topics of interest:
[Brittany, France](linkhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittany)
A bit about Guadeloupe
Who is Dr. Farhana Sultana?
About the Loss and Damage Fund
Center for International Environmental Law

Special Guest: Hélène Himmer.

This week returning guest, Yasmina Fagbemi, is flashing forward with us with an update on her latest projects and evolving glocal citizenship. Having emigrated to the United States in the 1990s, she began her career in marketing with major international corporations. Building on this experience, she developed her network to fuel her passion for cinema. She produced her first documentary, "Bigger Than Africa," a film highlighting Yoruba culture that was featured on Netflix. She went on to develop multiple projects and met Gabriel Souleyka, with whom she founded Tioleja Films to bring original projects to life that contribute to Africa's growing prominence in global cinema. The film "My Soul is a Witness" has been announced in pre-production across global media outlets. Her new feature film, "The Soul of Africa," directed by Gabriel Souleyka, will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this May. As an editor and publisher, she is committed to publishing stories that others don't tell. Be sure to check out her socials for updates on where you can view or read more about African stories that are worth getting to know more about!

Where to find Yasmina?
https://tiolejafilms.com
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On TikTok

What’s Yasmina reading?
Tioleja Titles

What’s Yasmina watching?
Sinners

Other topics of interest:
Le Festival des Divinités Noires
About Lomé, Togo
About Aného, Togo
About Abrahamic Religions
Pavillon Afrique @ Cannes
More about the persecution of Blacks in the Nazi camp system
More about Joy-Ann Reid

Special Guest: Yasmina Fagbemi.

This week’s herstory comes to us from New York, via France, Benin and Nigeria. Yasmina F. Edwards, born in France, and spending summers traveling to Africa including her homelands in Benin and Nigeria, is the founder of the YFE Agency. In both corporate work and entrepreneurship, Yasmina is best known for her cultural awareness and savvy. She has worked with award-winning creatives, activists, and CEOs, notably women and members of underrepresented communities. She has secured more than 300 media placements globally from CNN, Vogue, Le Figaro, Jeune Afrique, MSNBC, and the Hollywood Reporter, as well as partnering with well-known Festivals such as the Toronto Film Festival and Afropunk.

In nine years, she has been instrumental in helping transition creatives and public personalities from their local markets to a global audience. She single-handedly helps them build their brands in the US using social media platforms, shaping their messages in order to connect with new audiences. She provides connections with the relationships she’s built over the years and uses these connections to successfully initiate key brand partnerships that continue to be the cornerstone of her work and her clients’ careers. She firmly believes that access is what stands between a person and an opportunity; she is committed to providing the keys that open the doors to her clients' success.

Where to find Yasmina?
On LinkedIn
On Instagram
On Facebook
On YouTube
On TikTok

What’s Yasmina reading?
Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrahms
No Disrespect by Sistah Souljah
Le Cri de L'innocence by Gabriel Soulyeka

What’s Yasmina listening to?
The Diary of a CEO
3jaj Podcast

Other topics of interest:
Where is Poitier, France
Oyo Empire
The Berlin Conference
Bigger Than Africa
Iman

Special Guest: Yasmina Fagbemi.