TTT#64: "Having the Audacity to Ask" with Natālija Knipše

In this episode, Natalia, who worked at the United Nations as a youth delegate, talks about her journey from participating in the European Youth parliament at the age of 15 to finally meeting parliamentarians and advising them on youth-related issues. She talks about how she has always been passionate about social issues pertaining to her country and keen on improving life for herself and her peers.

She has also attended the Youth Parliament of Latvia and is keen on issues of inequalities be it women’s rights, the rights of the LGBTQ community, climate change or domestic violence. Her interest in activism led her to Law School.

She is keen on laying the right foundation for the people to follow as she is aware that the road she has chosen may not reap immediate results. It takes years of effort to bring social change, and her expertise in law is helping her pave an equitable future.

"My goal was always to make sure that I started a conversation and I left a lingering thought in their head even if it didn't result in immediate action"

She talks about strategic litigation and how important it is to be the voice of reason. She talks about receiving repeated criticism due to her privileged background which she gracefully acknowledges. Despite all the negativity, she is determined to bring awareness and continue striving for the right reasons.

She is currently a One Young World ambassador and Europe & Eurasia Fellow at Freedom House in Washington DC.