Nani Jansen Reventlow: How To Actually Change The World

A loss isn't always a loss—sometimes, it's one of many stepping stones towards winning big. When you change how you think about what succeeding looks like, the long game of changing the systems we live in seems infinitely more doable. This week on Simplify, Caitlin speaks with international human rights lawyer and author Nani Jansen Reventlow about her book Radical Justice—and about what real, systemic change actually looks like from the inside. Nani founded two nonprofits, the Digital Freedom Fund and Systemic Justice, and has spent her career building a model of legal action in which communities most affected by injustice stay in the driver's seat. The implications of that, for how we think about winning, losing, and the long arc of change, are quietly radical. They also get into the surprising connections between different kinds of justice, who gets left out of the climate conversation and why, and what it takes to imagine a world that isn't just a patched-up version of this one. Nani is one of those rare people who can hold a wide-angle view of broken systems and still tell you exactly what to do on a Tuesday. Her parting thought is one of those things that sounds simple until you actually try it: start today—you've already got the tools for revolution. Nani is doing a live event here in Berlin, Germany at Chapters Bookshop at the end of April—come say hi! Resources Radical Justice by Nani Jansen Reventlow (use JUSTICE15 for 15% off at https://www.plutobooks.com/. ) Win a free copy: email info@kollomedia.com — first come, first served. Caitlin's rec: Farewell to Growth by Serge Latouche Ben's rec: How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm Let us know what you thought of this episode! Find us on Instagram at @simplifypod. Subscribe to our newsletter here. You can email us at info@kollomedia.com This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, and engineered by João Lucas in Berlin, Germany, for Kollo Media. Resources Radical Justice by Nani Jansen Reventlow. YOU can win a free copy generously donated by Nani and her publisher, Pluto. Just email info@kollomedia.com and ask for it—first come, first served. And if you don't win, you can use the 15% off code JUSTICE15 to buy your copy at https://www.plutobooks.com/. Nani's nonprofits: Systemic Justice / Digital Freedom Fund Nani is doing a live event in Berlin at Chapters Bookshop at the end of April — come say hi! Ben's rec: How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm Caitlin's rec: Farewell to Growth by Serge Latouche Let us know what you thought of this episode! Find us on Instagram at @simplifypod. Subscribe to our newsletter here. You can email us (send a voice note!) at info@kollomedia.com This episode of Simplify was produced by Caitlin Schiller, Ben Schuman-Stoler, and engineered by João Lucas, in Berlin, Germany, for Kollo Media.