My MARS mantra: Stories from Changemakers

Rumana kabir, Urban Resilience Specialist
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Listen to remarkable stories from changemakers, around the world, who will inspire you to make a better world! MARS stands for Motivations, Actions, Reflections and Sustainability. In each episode, we ask our guests, 1. What Motivates them to 'A'ct as changemakers? 2. What are their 'R'eflections? 3. How do they prioritise 'S'elfcare to 'S'ustain themselves, or their MARS mantra for a better world? Subscribe to hear more new stories every alternate Fridays. And ff you want to get involved, please email us at mymarsmantra@gmail.com

  1. Ep 50 Swim and surf your fear away _ Inne Kusumawati with Rumana Kabir

    MAR 5

    Ep 50 Swim and surf your fear away _ Inne Kusumawati with Rumana Kabir

    I invite you to listen to the 50th and final episode of My MARS Mantra podcast, where my youngest teacher, Inne Kusumawati from Indonesia, helped me overcome my fear of water and taught me how to swim. After nearly 20 years of trying, I finally succeeded at the age of 36, and I now swim regularly. Inne is a marine biologist, water polo player, surfer, and swim teacher. She lives on Awera Island in West Sumatra with her family and now runs a surf school with her husband. Inne highlighted the importance of having male family members — support women in living their dreams and in creating a new culture of brave Muslim women. Indonesia is a highly disaster‑prone country, facing thousands of catastrophic events each year. Inne lives on a tsunami‑prone island and has therefore taught her family and neighbours how to escape during a tsunami. In many countries, such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia, women account for higher disaster casualties from events like typhoons and tsunamis, often because they do not know how to swim. I conclude the My MARS Mantra podcast by thanking Inne, a future changemaker and my youngest teacher, for helping me break free from my fear of water. Host and creator: Rumana Kabir Co-producer: Zahid Shumon Promotion and graphics: Ahasan Faisal Music ASEIS #Indonesia #Tsunami #Disasters #Early Warning Systems #Sumatra #Awera Island #Swim #Surf #Bangldesh #Disaster preparedness

    26 min
  2. Ep 49 Reflections on development practice _ Iftekhar Ahmed with Rumana Kabir

    JAN 2

    Ep 49 Reflections on development practice _ Iftekhar Ahmed with Rumana Kabir

    Listen to my mentor Dr Iftekhar Ahmed's reflections on development practice. As changemaker architects, how we started with a big dream to make a difference; how we learnt to accept that whatever we have done, is just a tiny step. Looking back over two decades ago the idea of development and low income housing was sidelined from the mainstream of architecture practice. Now due to climate change and overwhelming rise of conflict and political instability worldwide, many professionals are more socially aware and self-critical about their own footprint and impact of their work. Our education systems are also adapting to this changing need and offering many practical and relevant courses around the world. However, the cultural shift on how we perceive ourselves and reflect on our own work, is still very slow. We need to reflect more about this and ask ourselves, ''In the end of the day, who benefitted from our work and have we really made any difference at all?'' Subscribe to ‪@mymarsmantra‬ to listen to more stories and inspire yourselves to be a changemaker.Creator and host: Rumana KabirEditor: Zahid ShumonPromotion: Ahsan Faisal and Tasnim LatifMusic ‪@aseis‬ #mymarsmantra #changemakers #Bangladesh #development #reliefwork #disasters

    43 min
  3. Ep 48 Cycling for a safe and healthy city _ Ed Clancy with Rumana Kabir

    10/10/2025

    Ep 48 Cycling for a safe and healthy city _ Ed Clancy with Rumana Kabir

    My MARS Mantra Podcast, invites you to listen to changemaker Ed Clancy OBE, a three-time Olympic gold medalist from the United Kingdom, in team cycling. Ed grew up in Barnsley, a small town in the beautiful South Yorkshire, in England. Ed’s successful career started because of his passion for cycling as a child, receiving opportunities to be trained for the British Olympic team as a teenager and those mentors who encouraged him throughout his life. Ed also emphasises the importance of teamwork, and the sacrifices one need to make to achieve success. Now Ed is an ambassador for sustainable cities and is designated as an Active Travel Commissioner, by the Mayor or South Yorkshire. In this role, Ed is promoting cycling as an opportunity for all, for good health, wellbeing and a safe travels. Subscribe to your preferred podcast platform and inspire yourselves by listening to more changemakers stories to come. Email us at: ⁠mymarsmantra@gmail.com⁠ if you want to share your stories as a changemaker. Creator and host: Rumana KabirEditor: Zahid Shumon Promotion: Ahasan Faisal and Tasnim Latif Music: ASEIS #Cycling #Olympics #RoadSafety #SustainabileTransport #SustainableCities #ActiveTravelComissioner #SYMCA #Barnsley #mymarsmantra #changemaker

    34 min
  4. Ep 47 Dealing with disasters in the Pacific Islands _ Jen Stewart Manu with Rumana Kabir

    09/12/2025

    Ep 47 Dealing with disasters in the Pacific Islands _ Jen Stewart Manu with Rumana Kabir

    My MARS mantra podcast welcomes you to listen to the story of changemaker Jane Stewart Manu, who is managing disasters and climate risks in the Pacific Islands. There are 17 countries in the Pacific Islands, and the smaller islands are more vulnerable to volcano eruption, earthquakes, tsunami, covid and climate induced disasters like floods and regular storms. Jane’s passion for the environment and love for the tropics, led her to first work in environmental charities like Keep Wales Tidy and Keep Australia Beautiful and then for international charities like Save the Children and the Red Cross. Jane’s story will inspire you to see how she is balancing family and a highly demanding humanitarian role, that involves a lot of planning and organising. Subscribe to your preferred podcast platform and inspire yourselves by listening to more changemakers stories to come. Email us at: ⁠mymarsmantra@gmail.com⁠ if you want to share your stories as a changemaker. Creator and host: Rumana KabirCo-producer: Alistair MarstonEditor: Zahid ShumonPromotion: Ahasan Faisal and Tasnim LatifMusic: ASEIS#PacificIslands #Humanitarian #InternationalDevelopment #mymarsmantra #changemaker #covid #ClimateChange

    41 min
  5. Ep 46 Water and waste management for a healthy planet_Jonathan Parkinson with Rumana Kabir

    08/28/2025

    Ep 46 Water and waste management for a healthy planet_Jonathan Parkinson with Rumana Kabir

    Listen to Jonathan Parkinson’s story about what it is liketo be an international expert. Jonathan is a Civil and Environmental Engineer supporting many fast growing cities to manage their waste and water sustainably. Jonathan worked both for non-profit and private sector andhighlighted both the challenges and key to success as an international consultant. He alluded to the local insights and leadership to any successful work that he has done overseas. Jonathan's MARS mantra as an international consultant, is to be humble to acknowledge the local expertise to bring in the most sustainable solutions to our fast growing cities worldwide. Jonathan also loves being a DJ and is inspired by world music and especially Bob Marley. Subscribe to your preferred podcast platform and inspire yourselves by listening to more changemakers stories tocome. Email us at: ⁠mymarsmantra@gmail.com⁠ if you want to share your stories as a changemaker. Creator and host: Rumana Kabir Co-producer: Alistair Marston Editor: Zahid Shumon Promotion: Ahsan Faisal and Tasnim Latif Music: ASEIS #SolidWasteManagement #WaterSupply #InternationalDevelopment #mymarsmantra #changemaker

    37 min
  6. Ep 45 World Humanitarian Day Special: A humanitarian worker's story_Shamira Haider with Rumana Kabir

    08/15/2025

    Ep 45 World Humanitarian Day Special: A humanitarian worker's story_Shamira Haider with Rumana Kabir

    Listen to #changemaker Shamira Haider’s story. Starting from Bangladesh as an architect, then working in the UK andglobally as a business professional and now as a humanitarian worker in many disaster zones like Ukraine, South Sudan, Haiti and Pakistan to name a few. At the core of Shamira’s decision to change her career path was to make a difference. Shamira invites us to useour skills in a more meaningful way, to support those who needs help the most. The #UnitedNations (UN) established #WorldHumanitarianDay in 2008, for of the 22 #HumanitarianHeros who lost their lives in the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad on August 19,2003. Since then, many humanitarian workers have sacrificed their lives, wellbeing and families to voice the voiceless and to provide basic human dignity to millions of people suffering from war, and other disasters. Although a career in the UN sounds very exciting and lucrative, it comes with the price,which we cannot see form outside. Subscribe to your preferred podcast platform and inspire yourselves by listening to more changemakersstories to come. Email us at: ⁠mymarsmantra@gmail.com⁠ if youwant to share your stories as a changemaker. Creator and host: Rumana Kabir Co-producer: Alistair Marston Editor: Zahid Shumon Promotion: Ahsan Faisal Music: ASEIS

    34 min
  7. Ep 44 Entrepreneurs as changemakers_Nada Ibrahim with Rumana Kabir

    08/01/2025

    Ep 44 Entrepreneurs as changemakers_Nada Ibrahim with Rumana Kabir

    Listen to my inspiring ⁠#chagemaker⁠ friend, Nada Ibrahim, an enterprise development specialist from the UK, supporting small and medium businesses worldwide. Nada started her career by advising the World Bank in ⁠#Sudan⁠ andthen working across Asia and Africa. Nada also co-founded a social enterprise to export products like ‘gum Arabic’, and empowered farmers to export honey and many other products in different parts of the world. Nada emphasised the importance for us as changemakers on creating a sustainable business eco-system, starting in a bottom-up way, in parallel to working at the top, to reform policies for inclusive economic development. ⁠ ⁠Inspire yourself to become a changemaker by sharing your stories by emailing us at: mymarsmantra@gmail.com Subscribe to ⁠My MARS mantra⁠ podcast YouTubechannel or your preferred podcast platforms, for more stories from around the world. Creator and host: ⁠Rumana Kabir⁠ Co-producer: Alistair Marston Editor: ⁠Zahid Sumon⁠ Promotion: ⁠Tasnim Latif⁠ and ⁠Ahasan Faisal Music: ASEIS

    41 min

  8. 07/18/2025

    Ep 43 Bangladesh in the next 50 years আগামী ৫০ বছরের বাংলাদেশ Saimum Kabir, Tanzil Shafiq with Rumana Kabir

    **My MARS mantra (আমার মঙ্গল মন্ত্র) পডকাস্টের শেষ বাংলা পর্ব শুনুন**, যেখানে সায়মুম কবীর ও তানজিল সফিক ভাগ করে নিয়েছেন তাঁদের গল্প—তাঁরা আগামী ৫০ বছরে বাংলাদেশকে কেমন দেখতে চান।তাঁদের সহযোগিতার শুরু হয়েছিল *ContextBD* নামক একটি অনলাইন প্ল্যাটফর্ম তৈরির মাধ্যমে, যেখানে তাঁরা নির্মিত পরিবেশ ও সংস্কৃতি বিষয়ক উদ্ভাবনী কাজ তুলে ধরেন। 🌐 ওয়েবসাইট: [https://contextbd.com](https://contextbd.com)এই পর্বে তাঁরা আলোচনা করেছেন তাঁদের সাম্প্রতিক ও চলমান প্রকল্পগুলো নিয়ে, যেমন: 🏠 বসত বাড়ির চিঠি — ভবিষ্যৎ প্রজন্মের উদ্দেশ্যে লেখা একটি স্মৃতিচারণমূলক চিঠি, যেখানে তাঁরা তুলে ধরেছেন বাংলাদেশের বাড়িগুলোর গল্প যেগুলোতে আমরা বড় হয়েছি।🌏 *Next 50 Bangladesh* — একটি বহুমাত্রিক সহযোগিতামূলক উদ্যোগ, যেখানে তাঁরা কল্পনা করেছেন আগামী ৫০ বছরে বাংলাদেশ কেমন হতে পারে। 🏙️ *Just Urban* — নাগরিকদের অংশগ্রহণে পরিচালিত একটি প্রকল্প, যেখানে শহর নিয়ে ভাবনা ও পরিকল্পনা উঠে এসেছে সাধারণ মানুষের দৃষ্টিভঙ্গি থেকে। 🌐 ওয়েবসাইট: [https://www.next50bangladesh.com](https://www.next50bangladesh.com) 🌐 ওয়েবসাইট: [https://www.justurban.net](https://www.justurban.net)🎧 পর্বের শেষে , রুমানা কবির ContextBD টিমকে ধন্যবাদ জানান এবং *My MARS mantra* পডকাস্টের বাংলা পর্বগুলোর সমাপ্তি ঘোষণা করেন। তিনি জানান, সামনে আসছে নতুন ইংরেজি পর্বগুলো।📺 *YouTube-এ সাবস্ক্রাইব করুন* My MARS mantra পডকাস্টে, যাতে আপনি শুনতে পারেন আগামীর ইংরেজি পর্বগুলো। 🔸 *প্রযোজক, সঞ্চালক ও নির্মাতা:* রুমানা কবীর 🔸 *সম্পাদক:* জাহিদ সুমন 🔸 *প্রচার:* এহসান ফয়সল 🔸 *সঙ্গীত:* ASEIS Band /@aseis Listen to the final Bangla episode of My MARS mantra podcast, where Saimum Kabir and Tanzil Shafiq share their stories on, how they want to see Bangladesh in the next 50 years. Their collaboration started when they created an online platform called contextbd, https://contextbd.com/ to share innovative work in the field of built environment and culture. They discussed their latest and ongoing projects likes, Boshot Barir Chithi- A memoire letter to the future generations on the houses we grew up in Bangladesh, a multidisciplinary collaboration on how we want to see Bangladesh in the next 50 years, https://www.next50bangladesh.com/ and Just Urban, a participatory citizen led project, https://www.justurban.net/Rumana Kabir also thanks the contextbd team and concludes the My MARS mantra (amar mongol montro) Bangla episodes, and highlighting what project is to come next.Subscribe to My MARS mantra podcast in you tube to continue listing to the upcoming English episodes.Producer, host and creator: Rumana KabirEditor: Zahid ShumonPromotion: Ahasan FaisalMusic: ASEIS Band /@aseis

    48 min
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Listen to remarkable stories from changemakers, around the world, who will inspire you to make a better world! MARS stands for Motivations, Actions, Reflections and Sustainability. In each episode, we ask our guests, 1. What Motivates them to 'A'ct as changemakers? 2. What are their 'R'eflections? 3. How do they prioritise 'S'elfcare to 'S'ustain themselves, or their MARS mantra for a better world? Subscribe to hear more new stories every alternate Fridays. And ff you want to get involved, please email us at mymarsmantra@gmail.com

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