In this session, we hear from our community of communications practitioners about how they are bringing systems change, public health info or climate action to different groups they have worked with. We will hear the insights of Asee Abaver Joseph from Nigeria, Reem Abou Assi from Iraq and Kemi Faith Odesola from Nigeria.
These speakers bring distinct perspectives from their practical communications experiences in Iraq and Nigeria – across different communities, from academic to a neighbourhood or regional level. Please join us to hear from and engage with them on their work and how we can learn from these experiences in our own communications contexts. The presentations will be followed by a highly interactive discussion where we invite reflections and questions for our speakers and everyone in the online room.
This is the fourth edition of the Communicating Change series, curated for the Systems Change Communications Network. It is a space for early career communications professionals to learn from and engage with each other, on practical solutions, insights and experiences while communicating across a range of complex topics, including but not limited to climate change, scientific research, conservation, reshaping economics, public health, policy, systems analysis and climate action. Hosted by the communications team at the Club of Rome, this is a platform for mutual learning on communicating complexity.
About the speakers
Asee Abaver Joseph
Asee Abaver Joseph is a humanitarian and community development professional with nine years of experience supporting programmes in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable communities in Nigeria. Joseph is experienced in climate change and resilience, women and youth empowerment, livelihoods, community development, peacebuilding, protection, gender equality, WASH, humanitarian response, research, monitoring and evaluation. She currently serves as Executive Director/Programme Lead of Lilian’s Humanitarian Empowerment Right Advocacy Development Initiative (LHERADI), providing leadership for programmes addressing climate resilience, environmental sustainability, women’s and youth empowerment, livelihoods, protection, WASH, gender equality, disability inclusion and community resilience.
Reem Abou Assi
Reem Abou Assi, PhD, is a pharmaceutical scientist, academic and science communicator based in Iraq, working at the intersection of health, higher education, sustainability and science-policy. She is a Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Technology at Al-Qabas Private College and an elected Executive Committee member of the Global Young Academy. She also serves on the International Advisory Board of the Rhine-Main Universities in Germany and has contributed as an intergovernmental reviewer to UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook 7. Her work combines scientific research with innovative approaches to education and public engagement, including experiential and game-based learning, digital educational tools, sustainability initiatives and student-led communication. Her teaching innovations and research have received multiple international awards, and she has contributed to scientific and educational initiatives across the Middle East, Asia and Europe. She is particularly interested in translating complex scientific and public-health issues into approaches that engage young people and support meaningful behavioural and societal change.
Kemi Faith Odesola
Kemi Faith Odesola is a media and communications specialist committed to amplifying the impact of development initiatives across Africa through strategic storytelling and multimedia production. Her work at the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), includes driving research communications for the Tobacco Control Data Initiative (TCDI) across seven African countries where she helps organisations translate evidence into engaging media formats that help to inform public health policy and advocacy for impact.
She also serves as the Communications Lead at the Alabiamo Maternal & Child Wellbeing Foundation (AMCWF), where she has contributed to digital advocacy and fundraising since its launch in 2016 to support the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing).
