Climate Leadership: Creating Change in Uncertain Times

Christopher Robichaud is Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Director of Pedagogical Innovation at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. He received his doctorate in philosophy from MIT. His interests surround ethics, political philosophy, and social epistemology, with a focus on examining the role of truth and knowledge in well-functioning democracies, and on understanding what the post-truth age of politics is. Dr. Robichaud has been a member of the faculty since 2006. Previously, he has taught philosophy courses at Texas A&M University, the University of Vermont in Burlington, and Tufts University.

Dr. Robichaud's work at the Harvard Kennedy School focuses primarily on developing ethics pedagogy for professional policymakers. He is the course head for the MPP core ethics program and has led efforts to transform the ethics curriculum into a case-based and simulation-driven enterprise. He has overseen the recent development of several agent-focused cases looking at Edward Snowden, Kim Davis, and Congressman Bart Stupak, as well as new policy-focused cases about Eric Garner and social justice, and the minimum wage and economic justice.

Dr. Pedja Stojicic is an Executive Director of People Power Health, a group of community organizers and trainers focused on bringing the social movement and community organizing skills to healthcare professionals, caregivers, and healers. In the past, he was a Project Director at Rippel Foundation, working with the Hospital Systems, RWJF, CMS, QIOs, Center for Public Health Leadership, Primary Care Progress, Way to Wellville, Healthcare Anchor Network, and many others. As a life-long activist, he currently serves on the advisory board of Leading Change Network, one of the largest global networks of social movement leaders.

Originally from Serbia, Dr. Stojicic has served as president and executive director of Youth of JAZAS, a Serbian NGO fighting HIV/AIDS, and as a president of Serbia on the Move movement-building organization from Belgrade.

He earned his Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Medical Degree from Belgrade University School of Medicine. Dr. Stojicic is an instructor at T.H Chan School, teaching three courses – Enabling Teams (DrPH), Enabling Large System Change (DrPH), and Narrative Leadership (MPH).

Monica Giannone is an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School where she teaches courses in negotiation. Giannone’s teaching and work focuses on international climate negotiations, value-based conflict and dialogue, process design, and power in negotiation. She is the founding Director of the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory (NCRC) at HKS’s Center for Public Leadership, leading a multifaceted portfolio of academic research, curriculum development, and engagement with faculty across Harvard, students, and external practitioners.

Within NCRC, she co-leads Turn the Tide, a globally accessible curriculum and training platform that equips hundreds of climate negotiators each year with the tools to navigate high-stakes, multilateral negotiations. She also directs Why It Worked, a global research initiative examining how some of the world’s most protracted conflicts have transitioned to durable peace, producing practical tools such as the Propeller Toolkit and contributing to a Negotiation Journal Special Issue. In addition, she oversees the Negotiation Coaching Clinic, an intensive program that runs every semester and trains students and alumni coaches through one-on-one coaching, live simulations, and structured reflection. Her global engagement through NCRC includes work with democracy movements, climate delegations, and stakeholders in regions of entrenched conflict.

Facing temperature rises of four times the rate of the global average, a coal mining town in the Arctic is confronting its past and reimagining its future. Join Longyearbyen residents in exploring difficult questions about what’s worth giving up, what’s worth fighting for, and who should get to decide. Featuring:

• Ana-Lena Ekeblad, Local Guide
• Eystein Mekulson, Historian
• Jon Gunner, Coal Miner
• Tobias Utigard, Coal Miner

A generation of activists turned moments of climate anxiety into a movement of climate action. This is the story of that movement, as told from the eyes of four activists across the globe. Individually, their stories are about how to confront the emotions of climate change to find a sense of agency and purpose. Together, their story is about what we can achieve when we commit to the possibility of progress. Featuring:

• Dominika Lasota, Activist, Poland
• Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Activist, Philippines
• Hilda Nakabuye, Activist, Uganda
• Amaya Giannini, Activist, United States

As the lowest-lying nation in the world, the Marshall Islands has long faced existential threats from climate change. Through their vulnerability comes a clarity of vision that helps them discover unlikely sources of power, form unexpected alliances, and focus on what matters most. Hear from international diplomats and local community leaders on how to approach complex problems when the constraints are tight and the stakes are high. Featuring:

• Tina Stege, Climate Envoy, Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Dean Bialek, Former Lead Climate Negotiator, Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Sue Biniaz, Former Lead Climate Negotiator, United States of America
• Terry Mote, Marshallese Community Leader

Africa is uniquely vulnerable to climate change, and its greatest chance of survival is if countries present a unified voice on the global stage. But each of the 54 nations has its own perspective on how to balance immediate development opportunities with long-term climate threats. Join two of the continent’s most senior diplomats as they seek to bridge division, align priorities, and find consensus around a path forward. Featuring:

• Seyni Nafo, Spokesperson, African Group of Negotiators
• Mohamed Khalil, Climate Diplomat, Egypt

The money that funds some of the biggest fossil fuel projects around the globe begins in a bank in Paris. Facing overwhelming odds, a diverse coalition of strategists and activists try to stop France’s wealthiest institutions from financing more global emissions. Discover how this group goes from a seemingly impossible goal to a strategic campaign, using observation and analysis to find opportunities to build real power. Featuring:

• Lucie Pinson, Founder, Reclaim Finance
• Antoine Bouhey, Campaign Strategist, Reclaim Finance
• Aurélia Smotriez, Financial Strategist