Samavāya: Conversations with Asia 21 Leaders

"Samavāya", a podcast series dedicated to highlighting the visions and values behind the inspiring work of Asia 21 Young Leaders in South Asia. By interlacing their shared values for impact and mindful leadership, the podcast hopes to transcend boundaries of states and sectors and foster a fertile ground for collaboration. The podcast weaves a tapestry of stories, ideas and aspirations of the thoughtful humans behind the impactful work, to help envision our collective future. The idea is to go beyond the bios of the Asia 21 Leaders, to focus not only on their achievements and accolades but to have a free-flowing conversation about their background, journey, milestones and challenges, delving into what it means to be a leader. We hope this podcast will be of interest to audiences from across sectors and geographies, but is particularly relevant for South Asia.

Hosted by Asia 21 Leader Savera Weerasinghe (Sri Lanka), the first season features Nighat Dad (Pakistan), Anurupa Roy (India), Indira Ranamagar (Nepal), Namgay Zam (Bhutan), and Omaid Sharifi (Afghanistan). The conversations give us an insight into the lives of these amazing Asia 21 Leaders, as Savera talked about their childhoods, the people and places that have influenced them the most, the challenges they have faced in becoming the leaders they are today, the power of communities and community-building, and what they think should be the future for South Asia.