I feel affirmed. This journey (in Shared Leadership) reminded me that my lived experience, cultural identity, and leadership voice have a rightful place in the climate space As an educator, I’m committed to building the capacity of Pacific educators in both climate education and advocacy. Our communities hold deep knowledge of land and ocean, yet we are often excluded from key conversations. This work is about more than content. It’s about leadership, confidence, and creating culturally safe spaces where Pacific voices can shape climate learning and influence change. I want to see Pacific educators leading in classrooms, communities, and policy spaces, not just responding to climate issues, but driving solutions.

The Multicultural Leadership Initiative’s Shared Leadership training was an outstanding experience — informative, thought-provoking, engaging, and highly practical. If you’re looking to deepen your understanding of climate science, explore the impacts of climate change, harness the power of storytelling, and strengthen your community leadership skills, this training is for you. It not only gave me a valuable edge in my climate action work but also provided the opportunity to connect and network with like-minded individuals.

When I joined MLI’s Shared Leadership Program, I didn’t have a defined career path—I simply wanted to contribute to climate action. MLI welcomed me where I was and connected me with a community of people committed to making a difference. Through the program, I discovered opportunities I hadn’t imagined and found my path into international renewable energy collaboration. It helped me see how my intercultural background could strengthen partnerships and support meaningful climate solutions. The leadership, mentoring, and networks I gained led me to my current role at UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, where I help advance Australia–China clean energy education partnerships. MLI’s shared leadership approach continues to shape my work, demonstrating the lasting impact of investing in people, connection, and purpose.

Del Ly is a Creative Producer and the Founder of Melonhead, a movement reshaping how Australia connects with the Asia-Pacific through music, culture, and community. Del has previously held positions at Music Victoria, Asialink (University of Melbourne), Merri-Bek Council, Play On Music, and the Gasometer Hotel and has maintained a strong working relationship with clients, the Untitled Group. With over 15 years of experience, she has delivered more than 600 events, supported major grant wins for First Nations and culturally diverse artists, and led creative recovery programs following the Black Summer fires and the pandemic.

Radha Wagle is a biodiversity, climate change, and gender expert with over two decades of experience working across community, local government, national, and international levels. She currently works as a Biodiversity and Climate Adaptation Specialist at Glen Eira City Council in Melbourne, where she leads inclusive climate adaptation and resilience initiatives with a strong focus on culturally and linguistically diverse communities, women, First Nations peoples, youth, and other climate-vulnerable groups. Radha brings extensive global policy and negotiation experience, having served as Nepal’s lead climate negotiator, National Focal Point to the UNFCCC and IPCC, Gender and Climate Change Focal Person and as a member of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform Facilitative Working Group under the UNFCCC. Alongside this work, she has made significant contributions to women’s and youth leadership development in climate action, through capacity-building programs, mentoring, policy advocacy, and the integration of gender- and youth-responsive approaches into climate governance and community-led initiatives. Her leadership has helped shape nationally and globally recognised gender-responsive climate policies, including Nepal’s Nationally Determined Contribution and its first Climate and Gender Equality Strategy. Academically, Radha holds a PhD from Monash University, with research grounded in feminist institutionalism and forest governance. She is also actively involved in various Nepalese community organisations in Australia, supporting community leadership, climate awareness, and cultural connection. Radha is passionate about bridging global climate action with local, multicultural leadership to ensure inclusive, just, and people-centred climate solutions.

The Shared Leadership was a transformative experience that helped deepen my understanding of climate leadership and equipped me with practical tools and techniques for real-world impact. Over the four modules, I engaged with other participants in sharpening my skills on how to hold powerful, values-based conversations that inspire action, and how to reframe multicultural leadership from a deficit lens to one of empowerment and strength. The modules on engaging with media and politicians gave me clarity to represent complex climate issues in public discourse when needed. It was a pivotal program in my leadership journey.

Dr. Shruti Sharma is a systems thinker with a strong foundation in environmental science and food science, specialising in the complex interactions between ecosystems and human wellbeing. Her Ph.D. research examined environmental degradation and its impacts on food ecosystems and health inequities, highlighting how these outcomes disproportionately affect marginalised populations. This work underpins her commitment to inclusive, evidence-informed climate decision-making. Shruti brings a bottom-up approach grounded in lived realities, believing that effective policies must be shaped by on-the-ground experiences, particularly in contexts where risks were not fully understood at the time of policy development due to limitations in human foresight and available knowledge. She works at the intersection of science, community, and policy, translating complex environmental challenges into actionable, equitable solutions. With experience spanning research, engagement, and applied environmental practice, she is committed to ensuring climate responses are practical, inclusive, and grounded in real-world conditions. As a Climate Ambassador, Shruti aims to amplify understanding of root causes linked to observed climate impacts through locally informed pathways toward climate resilience and sustainability.

The Shared Leadership Training has proven to be incredibly useful and impactful on my life journey. Specifically, it has significantly emboldened me to speak with courage, confidence, and 'evidence' grounded in multicultural perspectives at Rising Tide People’s Blockage movements, particularly within the POC Caucus which I am a member. Module 1, Inspiring Others, equipped me with the skills to craft and articulate my personal climate story and to engage effectively in public speaking, which directly increased my confidence in contributing meaningfully to discussions at recent Climate Action Week 2025 events in Sydney. The training's emphasis on normalising climate conversations that centre POC and multicultural voices has helped me bridge gaps and foster broader engagement on this issue. As a direct result of the training, I've witnessed the formation and strengthening of communities, most notably the nascent Pinays for Climate, a group uniting Filipina nature advocates, human rights lawyers, and climate activists and practitioners.

The shared leadership training has had a meaningful and lasting impact on my life journey both personally and professionally. Participating in the shared leadership training was a great opportunity to learn, grow, and reflect on what leadership truly means in a collaborative and inclusive context. It was more than just a training, it was a transformative experience that deepened my understanding of how to lead with empathy, clarity, and purpose. The insights and tools I gained continue to shape how I engage with others, make decisions, and contribute meaningfully within my community and workplace. This experience has become a pivotal part of my life journey, and I’m truly grateful to have been part of such an empowering and inspiring program.

Senior adviser, Victorian Public Service | VP and State Director Australia Philippines Business Council (Victoria) | Community leader Janeca is a career public servant and currently working at the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. Her role encompasses advisory, governance, reporting and compliance, ensuring the environment protection framework is robust and effective. In 2023, she was elected as the Vice President and state director for the Australia Philippines Business Council. She was admitted to practice as an Australian lawyer in 2018. Her career spans more than 20 years in the private and public sectors, having spent her early career in Dubai and the Middle East region and in Australia. She has worked with the state government since 2011 taking up roles in corporate governance, reporting and strategic planning. In 2023, Janeca completed the Joan Kirner Emerging Leaders Program awarded by Leadership Victoria. Janeca re-established the University of the Philippines Alumni in Victoria as a registered incorporated non profit association, a founding member of the Filipino Australian Lawyers Association and past Deputy Co-chair of the Victorian Public Service Women of Colour Network. She has since led a series of community events and networking program for migrant Filipino professionals based in Melbourne including PinoyPower career networking event and Filipino cultural storytelling festival and recently katha kollectiv, a bilingual group of children’s book writers, educators and story tellers.

Completing the MLI Leadership Course was an incredibly rewarding and transformative experience. The program provided a comprehensive foundation in leadership principles, communication strategies, and community engagement. Through a series of interactive workshops, practical exercises, and networking opportunities, I developed greater confidence, critical thinking skills, and a deeper understanding of effective leadership practices in the climate change space. The course also fostered a strong sense of collaboration and purpose, connecting participants from diverse backgrounds who shared a commitment to creating positive change. Overall, the MLI Leadership Course was an invaluable experience that has significantly strengthened my personal and professional growth as an emerging leader.

Malvika Pandey is an environmental professional with experience across India and Australia, working at the intersection of climate action, community engagement, and environmental education. She holds a Master’s degree in Forestry and has built her career supporting biodiversity conservation, sustainability programs, and community-led environmental initiatives. Malvika has worked with organisations including Port Phillip EcoCentre, Econome, and GHD, where she has contributed to projects related to climate resilience, environmental assessments, and nature-based education. A central part of her work involves engaging culturally and linguistically diverse communities, designing inclusive learning experiences, and helping people understand how local actions connect to broader environmental and climate outcomes. She is particularly interested in making complex climate and sustainability concepts accessible, relevant, and practical for everyday communities. Through the Multicultural Leadership Initiative’s Shared Leadership Program, Malvika valued the strong emphasis on storytelling, collaboration, and shared leadership. The program reinforced her belief that effective climate action is built on trust, empathy, and lived experience, and that diverse voices are essential in shaping fair and meaningful solutions. She is passionate about bridging science, policy, and community perspectives, and is committed to contributing to inclusive, community-driven climate action that creates long-term positive change.

The shared leadership training for MLI was very useful. Dr Yolanda Waters, Director of Research for MLI was an inspirational person, who effectively taught all participants on how to connect the elements of ‘story-telling’ to engage a stronger community awareness and climate action in society. In particular, meeting the Australasian-Pacific Rim uniqueness of human and cultural diversity. Irrespective of my experience as an educator and in legal research on international climate change governance, I found the MLI leadership training an excellent opportunity to still learn more on other perspectives and experiences shared by the group’s leaders, within an inclusive respectful platform. The opportunity to be able to share common threads of similar experiences when advocating for climate justice is a bonding experience. However, more importantly, the MLI Leadership training provided the centralisation of a common goal to save planet Earth, as our home, our biome, as our human habitat, providing a platform to be creative, with resilience and strength to carry out our common mission. Furthermore, the MLI leadership training was effective into breaking down the special needs from multicultural perspectives, examining through different lens, yet as one human race, on how different cultures click, which improves the participants ability to learn as climate action leaders on how to connect with people, one to one or as a group to create change for active climate action policies in non-government and government sectors of society. The highlight, was developing the skills in ‘story-telling’ to connect individuals that was transferrable in all four modules in inspiring citizens with community leadership, a safe future for all and maintaining democratic governance despite opposing views from climate change denialists. Finally, the use of technology to undertake the training was easy to learn and well directed. This is essential to lead change for a civil society. I recommend the MLI Leadership training to anyone who seeks to lead effectively to create change.

As someone new to climate advocacy, I felt energised being alongside peers who are further along in their journeys. I learnt just how powerful it is to weave my own story into advocacy and the difference it can make. Hearing diverse perspectives from participants across different states enriched our breakout discussions. Thanks to this training, I’ve since joined the Pacific Climate Warriors in Victoria, where I’m actively connecting my story to the cause.

The leadership course enabled participants like me who is working with multicultural community and social sector to develop a sound understanding of the scientific foundations of climate change. It also offered valuable insights into the political and policy dimensions of the climate crisis and equipped me with the tools, knowledge, and advocacy strategies necessary to drive meaningful action on issues that impact both our local communities and the wider public.

Participating in the Shared Leadership training offered by MLI was a transformative experience in my leadership journey. The program provided me with a deeper understanding of how culturally responsive, community-led action can drive meaningful climate solutions. It empowered me to recognize and harness the strengths within my own community, and to lead more effectively in creating inclusive, place-based climate messaging. Through engaging with diverse voices and collaborating with like-minded changemakers, I’ve not only expanded my network but also deepened my commitment to building a just and equitable climate future. This training has been instrumental in shaping my approach to leadership, reinforcing the importance of shared power, cultural insight, and collective impact.

Rosita is a multifaceted guardian of culture and ecology, seamlessly weaving together the rich tapestry of Chinese heritage with a profound commitment to planetary well-being. As an artist, she specializes in the exquisite disciplines of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, mastering the silent poetry of brushstrokes and ink. This deep reverence for classical arts extends into her role as an educator, where she shares the wisdom and beauty of the Chinese language, guiding students through its historical and philosophical depths. Beyond the studio and classroom, Rosita channels this same spirit of care into action. Since 2023, she has been an integral part of Eco Enzyme Australia, a dedicated educational service team. With this community, she actively promotes a powerful ethos: to love oneself, love others, and love the Earth. Her work focuses on raising public awareness for environmental protection and sustainable, healthy living, contributing practically to the mission of greening our planet and warming hearts. Rosita embodies a holistic philosophy where artistic mastery, cultural transmission, and environmental stewardship are interconnected expressions of a life lived with intention and compassion.

At the end of this Shared Leadership program I am at the cusp of making an impact for multicultural health and community wellbeing. I was well aware of MLI beforehand but never really saw it as relevant for my work. The workshops and sessions were really enlightening and provided a new perspective. I have landed a leadership role in multicultural health and wellbeing. Working in co-design of health campaigns for multicultural communities. I look forward to continuing to make an impact. Climate is a new frontier and I hope to make evaluated contributions to this area.

As a migrant, I’ve found a strong passion for working with multicultural and diverse communities on climate issues. I’m especially interested in solutions that come from within communities, practical, local ideas shaped by people’s everyday experiences and cultures. In my work, I focus on raising awareness about climate resilience and supporting communities to understand challenges and take meaningful action. Attending the Shared Leadership Training Program gave me helpful insights into making engagement more personal, relevant, and meaningful. It strengthened how I listen, build trust, and connect climate conversations to what people care about. The experience reinforced for me that climate action needs to be inclusive and community-led, and it’s shaped how I support communities to take action in ways that feel right for them.

In doing the Shared leadership Training I now have more understanding about my leadership style, climate knowledge, and storytelling skills. I am feeling lucky to have many peers working on climate issues in the community with me. I feel ready now to move my community and get them ready for the upcoming Federal election. I am now ready to bring what I have learned from shared Leadership to our Chinese community school. I am Ready to do more to educate the parents groups in my community

The Multicultural Leadership Initiative (MLI) provided an essential forum for engaging with fellow climate leaders. It opened doors for us to learn from each other’s diverse experiences. Solidly grounded on human rights, sustainability, equality and justice, MLI immersed us in the sweetness of unity. The best part is that it was live and interactive. With phenomenal expertise, our mentor Rathana Chea truly understands the barriers that we experience as migrants. And helps us unlock the many strengths we bring to climate action and inclusive climate teamwork. My heartfelt thanks to Losena Fuko for connecting me with MLI and making this possible. We’re now ready to keep leaders accountable as we approach the next COP, together!

Sharing a space learning from and bouncing around ideas with people of colour working to promote positive climate solutions with our communities has been a very refreshing experience. Dr Yolanda Waters delivered well-structured sessions using an approachable mix of storytelling, theory, group discussion, and interactivity. Her knowledge, experience and facilitation methods helped participants get the most out of the content while creating a safe space for topics and criticisms that are relatable to many people of colour working in, or looking to be involved in, the Australian climate movement. There were clear examples demonstrating application of the content in each session, and ample opportunity for participants to use their own expertise to guide discussion and learnings. The format steadily guided us from the individual implications of climate change impacts to its large-scale impacts on our democracy while acknowledging the diverse attitudes to and experience of politics for those of us from non-Western democracies. As a media and communications professional looking to better communicate climate with my Filipino community, the Shared Leadership Series has equipped me with a fundamental knowledge of storytelling, leadership, power structures, and community building to complement my existing skills.