In this episode, Sofiia speaks with Mansi Jasuja, a practitioner of the Art of Hosting, international speaker, systems change professional, and warrior of the heart. Mansi shares her long-standing quest to understand why we face so many challenges, particularly those linked to climate change, a journey that led her to participatory leadership and systems change.

Born in India to a Sikh family, Mansi carries the intergenerational trauma of lost ancestral lands after the partition of India and Pakistan. Growing up in New Delhi, she was shaped by stories and values that fostered her understanding of community and belonging.

Following her creative impulses, Mansi pursued architecture, where she first encountered systems thinking. Her passion for sustainable development brought her to the Netherlands for a Master’s in Urban Environmental Management, and The Hague has been her home since 2002 with its vibrant blend of nature and cultures.

Early in her career, she worked with organisations like the UN, EU and various international NGOs. Despite outward success, she grew unsettled by the disconnection and hierarchy in these spaces that left her searching for something more meaningful and aligned with her values. In 2008, a visceral sense of climate urgency led her to reorient and began on a new path of unlearning and relearning. This search brought her to the Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations That Matter. Over the past 15 years, this practice has become part of her core work, helping her facilitate participatory leadership, systems change, and empowerment through building capacities and skills.

In this podcast, Mansi shares her journey and explores the power of connection, how participatory leadership works with collective intelligence, and why this matters for tackling critical issues like climate change, gender equality, and security.

If you want to connect to Mansi, check out her Instagram and LinkedIn account.

Relevant links and recommendations:

Her website: https://www.acupofambition.nl/mansi-jasuja

More on Art of Hosting: https://www.aohnetherlands.org/

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Podcast hosted by Sofiia Shevchuk

Visuals and podcast production by teevee.studio

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