This Global Read took place on Wednesday, May 18, at 8am PDT
Watch a recording of the program here
Acclaimed writer Elif Shafak writes a letter to Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand after the Christchurch attack. Actress Yasmine AlMassri pens a poem about war for her mother. Activist and TV presenter June Sarpong addresses designer Diane Von Furstenberg.
These are a few of the moving and insightful letters that make up From Women to the World, a book by journalist, author, and executive Elizabeth Filippouli, which brings together letters from a global group of accomplished women - politicians, royalty, actors, writers, activists and more – everyone addressed to a woman who means something to each of them. The results are extraordinary, heartfelt letters to historical figures, mentors, family members or inspiring ordinary people. Each is based on these women's personal histories and experiences, drawing attention to social issues such as homelessness, war, LGBT activism, mental health care or the plight of international refugees.
From Women to the World is more than a simple collection of letters - it is a book that shows a new model of leadership based on emotional intelligence and demonstrates how we have the wisdom to inspire, motivate and reinvent our world.
About the Author
Elizabeth H. Filippouli is a journalist, writer, and social entrepreneur. Her early career in print and broadcast journalism in Greece and at CNN and Al Jazeera English, was prelude to now over a decade of activism and serial entrepreneurship. She is the Founder of Global Thinkers Forum (GTF) an independent civil society agency incubated at the University of Oxford, founded under the patronage of Queen Rania of Jordan, and working through a global network of thought leaders to promote values-based decision leadership.
In 2015 Filippouli launched the mentoring programs, 'Telemachus' and 'Athena' as a tribute to her mentor CNN executive Maggie Eales, who had passed away that year. They are nonprofit and support aspiring social impact leaders by pairing them with seasoned professionals. The programmes have supported so far 350 individuals in 75 countries and contribute towards the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
For Al Jazeera English she produced documentaries such as Greekgate, Italygate, A King Without a Country. She has interviewed leading figures like Ted Turner, James Rubin, Deepak Chopra, Mohamed El Baradei, Santiago Calatrava , Enrique Oltuski, Alberto Juantorena, Chris Cramer, Al Gore, Susan Sarandon, Lord Robertson, Christiane Amanpour, Peter Arnett, King Constantine of Greece, Lord Coe.
Elizabeth has served on the Global Advisory Board of the Prince’s Trust International advising on supporting underprivileged youth through mentoring. She has read Strategy and Innovation at Oxford’s Said Business School, Transnational Media, and Globalisation at London City University and Creative Writing at Harvard University. Her first book ‘The Invisible Reality’ was published in Greece in 2004. Her book ‘From Women to the World: Letters for a New Century’ was published by IB Tauris in July 2021.
Elizabeth is the daughter of journalist, author, and playwright Stamatis Filippoulis and antiques dealer Eleni Filippouli. Her uncle was pioneering Greek publisher Alekos Filippopoulos and her great-great aunt was Marica Botsi the first woman who was elected mayor in Greece. She grew up in the worlds of journalism, publishing, performing arts, surrounded by writers, poets and actors.
In 2020 she co-authored with Dr Marc J. Ventresca a work on ‘Kindness in Leadership in Times of Crisis’, a publication based on international research that aspires to rethink the work of leaders. Filippouli was invited to give a TedX talk in 2017 at Stormont in Northern Ireland where she talked about the eternal clash between emotion and reason and said that Ancient Greeks used the word ‘nous’ to define the connection between heart and mind and the importance to listen to both.
About the Host
Leonor Stjepic is an award-winning social enterprise entrepreneur whose career has spanned both the private and NGO sectors. She is Chief Executive of the Montessori Group as well as Chair of the Board of Directors of Montessori Centre International. Prior to this role, Leonor was CEO of the medical research institute, RAFT. Leonor spun out a commercial company called Smart Matrix Ltd, from RAFT raising $8m in social investment. This won universal praise and has been widely used as a case study in how to avoid risk in social investment.
Leonor was concurrently CEO of RAFT and of Smart Matrix Ltd for five years. During her time at Smart Matrix Ltd, the company doubled its share price and was independently valued at £86million by the time she stepped down as CEO.
In 2016, the ACQ5 Global Awards named her as ‘UK Gamechanger of the Year’, and a year later, Leonor was named as the ‘Most Innovative CEO in the Not-For-Profit Sector’ by Business Worldwide, and as ‘Female CEO of the year – UK’ by Acquisition International in 2018. In October 2019, Leonor was awarded the TIAW World of Difference Award in the NGO sector, and she has been shortlisted for a Top 100 Leaders in Education award.
