Agentes de Mudança

46. William Barak

Casa Comum — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:27:48 +0000

William Barak was an elder of the Wurundjeri people of southeastern Australia, whose portrait by Artur Loureiro hangs in the Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis in Porto. Barak used diplomacy, teaching and painting to help his people adapt to colonization on their own terms, leaving an important legacy of his culture.

By Liam Benison

45. Greta Thunberg

Casa Comum — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 13:02:09 +0000

Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation. In August 2018, Thunberg began the school climate strikes and public speeches for which she has become an internationally recognized climate activist.

By Matilda D’Urso

44. Giorgos Papanikolaou

Casa Comum — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 17:28:39 +0000

Giorgos Papanikolaou was born in May 1883 in Kymi, Greece. He was a famous Greek doctor, biologist and researcher. He was a pioneer in cytopathology and developed a method for the early detection of cervical cancer.

43. Emmeline Pankhurst

Casa Comum — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 17:22:44 +0000

Emmeline Pankhurst was born in Manchester in 1858. She was a political activist and leader of the British women's rights movement, "Women's Social and Political Union", which fought for women's social and political rights, especially the right to vote.

42. Vasfije Krasniqi

Casa Comum — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:29:13 +0000

Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman is a Kosovar war-crime activist and politician serving in the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. Her journey to becoming a war-crime activist is a difficult one, but most importantly – a very personal one.

By Aurora Hyseni

41. Majlinda Kelmendi

Casa Comum — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:27:03 +0000

Majlinda Kelmendi is a Kosovar judoka, whose journey to the medalist podium is an inspiration to athletes all over the world. Kelmendi is one of the most dominating entities in women’s Judo, having won more than a dozen gold medals in the international leagues.

By Aurora Hyseni

40. Liliana Segre

Casa Comum — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:24:46 +0000

Liliana Segre is an Italian activist who was born in 1930 in Milan. She is mostly known for having survived the Holocaust as she was 15 years old. Today, she is a Senator for Life for outstanding patriotic service in the social field and she is also the President of the Special Commission against Intolerance, Racism, Anti-Semitism and Incitement to Hatred.

By Valeria Unich

39. Elon Musk

Casa Comum — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:21:44 +0000

Elon Musk was born in 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in economics and a Bachelor of Arts in physics. Elon Musk strongly believes in the importance of achieving a more sustainable world, as a result, he founded Tesla in 2003, a company that produces electric cars with incredible performances and in 2002 he founded SpaceX, a corporation that develops rockets made of parts that can be reused.

By Valeria Unich

38. Dorothea Lange

Casa Comum — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 10:19:25 +0000

Dorothea Lange was born in 1985 in Hoboken. She became known as one of the first “documentary” photographers. During her career she published many photos representing the devastation of the country after the Great Depression and her photos became so popular that the Government decided to take action to help the poor and forgotten families, sharecroppers and migrants.

By Valeria Unich

37. Türkan Saylan

Casa Comum — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:54:19 +0000

Türkan Saylan (1935 – 2009) was born in Istanbul and is one of the first female dermatologists in Turkey. Saylan fought against leprosy for many years and founded the Turkish Leprosy Relief Association. Saylan, who touched the lives of thousands of people and promoted the education of girls – especially those living in rural areas –, also established the ÇYDD (Association for Supporting Contemporary Life).

By Ayşe Uğur

36. Kathrine Switzer

Casa Comum — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:50:28 +0000

Kathrine Switzer (1947 – ) was a writer, television commentator, and North-American athlete, known for being the first woman to run a marathon (the Boston Marathon) with a start-number. They tried to stop her but she kept on running because she had to show that women could do it. 50 years later, she ran the same marathon again.

By Paula Sánchez

35. Rosa Luxemburg

Casa Comum — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:48:17 +0000

Rosa Luxemburg (1871 – 1919) was a Polish born social activist, political scientist, economist, feminist and philosopher, who was best known for her activity in Germany in the socialist movement. Luxemburg defended that politics should empower working class people that are directly impacted by hardship and also thought that an economy based on capitalism caused wars and environmental destruction. She believed in pacifism and in ending wars, by promoting the idea of close relationship between socialism, democracy and power of the people. As a feminist, Luxemburg fought for gender equality, focusing on economic justice and the end of patriarchy.

By Anna Weder

34. Clara Campoamor

Casa Comum — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:44:48 +0000

Clara Campoamor (1888 – 1972) was a Spanish lawyer, writer, politician and defender of women’s rights. Campoamor was a pioneer in many things: she attended university when there were practically only men attending, was the second woman lawyer in Madrid, was elected deputy when there was not even female suffrage in Spain and succeeded as a promoter of the women’s right to vote in Spain, which was achieved in 1931 and was exercised for the first time by women in the 1933 elections.

Text by Paula Sánchez. Read by Ayşe Uğur

33. Eren Keskin

Casa Comum — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:41:36 +0000

Eren Keskin (1959 – ) was born to a Kurdish father and a Circassian mother in the city of Bursa. Keskin is a prominent human rights defender, activist and lawyer in Turkey. She founded the Legal Assistance Office Against Sexual Abuse and Rape in Custody and was also the founding member of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, the most prominent human rights organization in Turkey focused on the rehabilitation and treatment of torture survivors. Keskin stands for equal rights and freedoms for all, sometimes under the most difficult and life-threatening conditions.

Text by A. Read by Paula Sánchez

32. Norman Borlaug

Casa Comum — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:38:28 +0000

Norman Borlaug (1914 – 2009) was the agronomist who, with all of his hard work, managed to produce a new type of wheat that was resistant to stem rust, a disease that destroyed many crops. By doing that, he saved the world from a hunger wave that was threatening to kill millions of people at the time.

By Hana Radovanović

31. Stanisława Leszczyńska

Casa Comum — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:35:09 +0000

Stanisława Leszczyńska (1896 – 1974) is known as a woman who helped deliver around 3000 babies in Auschwitz concentration camp where the women called her “Mother” and “Angel of Goodness”. Even though the life of most of the babies ended in the tragedy of the Holocaust, every single one of them was born alive and into her waiting, loving hands.

By Hana Radovanović

30. Rosa Parks

Casa Comum — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 15:32:11 +0000

Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005) became the icon of the fight against racial segregation when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus. Her act of resistance opened a new chapter in the fight for civil rights and, with that, Parks wrote history and changed the world.

By Hana Radovanović

29. Tove Jansson

Casa Comum — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:16:57 +0000

Tove Jansson (1914-2001) was a Finnish artist and storyteller. In the midst of a war, Jansson wanted to bring some happiness, comfort and colours to life and she did so by creating the Moomins. This excentric and adventurous world of the Moomin trolls has given hope and support for a lot of people, from children to adults. The Moomins have also offered a channel to express harder subjects such as loneliness and death from a safe and pleasant point of view.

By Anna Rikama

28. Franca Viola

Casa Comum — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:11:31 +0000

Franca Viola (1948 - ). Na Itália dos anos 60, a lei italiana ditava que se um homem sequestrasse ou abusasse de uma mulher não estava sujeito a nenhuma consequência social ou penal se casasse com a sua vítima. Franca Viola foi a primeira mulher a recusar um 'casamento reparador' e a condenar esse crime. A luta de Franca e da sua família foi o primeiro passo para a abolição do artigo 544 da lei criminal italiana, sendo que em 1996 a violação foi finalmente reconhecida em Itália como um crime contra a pessoa.

Por Ilaria Arena

27. Simone de Beauvoir

Casa Comum — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:04:06 +0000

Simone de Beauvoir (1908 - 1986) was a French writer, a political activist and a feminist, deeply connected to the existentialist movement. She's known for The Second Sex, a detailed analysis of women's oppression that laid the foundation for the contemporary feminist movement.

By Klara Avsec

26. Rita Levi-Montalcini

Casa Comum — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:00:06 +0000

Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909 - 2012) was an Italian American neurologist who, along with her collaborator Stanley Cohen, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discovery of a protein that stimulates the growth of nerve cells, in technical jargon NGF. Thanks to her persistence and innovative spirit, she was a prominent personality in both the medical and social fields.

By Giulia Peroni

25. Jane Goodall

Casa Comum — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 16:23:32 +0000

Jane Goodall (1934 - ) is a British scientist who dedicated her life to researching and protecting chimpanzees. From her passionate work we learned everything we know about these "cousins" of ours, and thanks to her they stayed protected and cared for.

By Hana Radovanovic

24. Nellie Bly

Casa Comum — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 16:09:49 +0000

Nellie Bly (1864-1922) was an American journalist who was famous for her investigative approach. She ended up going undercover in a mental institution and revealed the conditions the patients were kept in. Bly was also known for her record breaking trip around the world in 72 days. She was a pioneer in the field of investigative journalism and a role model for many.

By Anna Rikama

23. Azucena Villaflor

Casa Comum — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 15:58:46 +0000

Azucena Villaflor (1924-1977) was one of the mothers that founded the "Madres de Plaza de Mayo" movement in Argentina during the dictatorship this country experienced in the late 70s. Azucena protested against the kidnapping of her son Néstor, who was one of the desaparecidos. After a few months of protest she was herself kidnapped and killed. This is her story.

By Giulia Conti

22. Marielle Franco

Casa Comum — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 15:50:56 +0000

Marielle Franco (1979-2018) was a black, gay woman from the favela who stood up against the odds as a voice for the marginalised within her city of Rio de Janeiro. Tragically, she was assassinated, but her voice and spirit lives on as a beacon of hope in an increasingly intolerant and dictatorial Brazil.

By Lydia Patrick

21. Frida Kahlo

Casa Comum — Mon, 11 May 2020 23:31:59 +0000

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was an inspirational Mexican artist who was unapologetically bold and intelligent in a period where women's lights were dimmed and overshadowed. She battled physical and mental adversity to produce unique and beautiful artwork that championed herself and her culture.

By Lydia Patrick

20. Chai Jing

Casa Comum — Mon, 11 May 2020 23:31:10 +0000

Chai Jing (1976, -) is a Chinese journalist and environmental activist. She became well known in her country for the documentary she directed denouncing air pollution in China. Despite the ban that the National Government imposed on it and the dangers she faced for criticizing the Party's actions, Jing was able to influence and stimulate her fellow citizens in taking action against pollution for the sake of their own health.

By Giulia Conti

19. Malala Yousafzai

Casa Comum — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:14:45 +0000

Malala Yousafzai (1997) is a Pakistani activist for education and is the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala stood up bravely against the Taliban and has spoken up about the importance of education since she was 11 years old.

By Anna Rikama

18. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Casa Comum — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:14:17 +0000

Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (1918 - 2008) was a Russian novelist, historian and political prisoner. Being an outspoken critic of the Soviet Union, he helped shed the light on Gulag labor camp prisons.

By Klara Avsec

17. Arndt Pekurinen

Casa Comum — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:13:42 +0000

Arndt Pekurinen (1905-1941) was a Finnish pacifist who lived the way he preached. Pekurinen lived for peace and his actions for refusing to take up arms led to the creation of a bill for Finland's first alternative to military service.

By Anna Rikama

16. Giuseppe (Peppino) Impastato

Casa Comum — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:11:47 +0000

Giuseppe (Peppino) Impastato (1948-1978) was a journalist from Sicily. He spent his life fighting against crimes committed by the mafia. He was eventually killed by this criminal organization when he was just 30 years old. His commitment to fight the mafia through culture and information is a source of inspiration to continue to speak out openly against criminality.

By Giulia Conti

15. Josephine Baker

Casa Comum — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:10:00 +0000

Josephine Baker (1906-1975) was a dancer and singer who became wildly popular thanks to her courage to challenge society at the time. Not only she devoted much of her life to fighting racism, but also tried to show the world audience the hidden features of women, making them her trademark.

By Giulia Peroni

14. Diana Budisavljevic

Casa Comum — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:05:35 +0000

Diana Budisavljevic was a woman who could not ignore the fact that thousands of children, separated from their parents, were found in the concentration camps at the verge of death. She was a woman who looked further than herself, risking her own life for the sake of others, courageous enough to stand up to the most brutal regime and to make an impact on the humanity.

By Hana Radovanovic

13. Nicholas Winton

Casa Comum — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 18:32:47 +0000

Nicholas Winton (1909-2015) was a British philanthropist who organized a rescue operation that brought to safety approximately 669 children - mostly Jewish - from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to the Great Britain before the outbreak of World War II. Despite his desire to retire to private life, Britain's Schindler not only was acclaimed by the public opinion, but was also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to humanity. By Giulia Peroni

12. Leon Zuleta

Casa Comum — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 18:32:01 +0000

Leon Zuleta (1952-1993) foi o precursor do movimento LGBT na Colômbia, deixando um legado de ativismo e de ação social. O contributo de Zuleta foi especialmente decisivo num período marcado por tensões morais e conservadoras, onde o armário parecia ser o lugar destinado aos que assumiam uma orientação sexual diferente do da norma estabelecida. Por Leandro Londoño

11. Anote Tong

Casa Comum — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 18:19:47 +0000

Anote Tong (1952) was the President of Kiribati between 2003 and 2016. Kiribati is a small Republic made of islands in the Pacific Ocean and is facing huge problems due to the rising sea level. These issues are provoked by climate change and this is why President Tong worked hard to change the current trend by asking the international community to undertake strong actions to reduce human impact on the environment. By Giulia Conti

10. Dolly Parton

Casa Comum — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 02:13:30 +0000

Dolly Parton (1946) a humble Tennessee native with a determined spirit rose up from a poor beginning to become an international country legend. She uses her image to shatter gender stereotypes and paved the way for women in the music industry. By Lydia Patrick

9. Frans Van Der Hoff

Casa Comum — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 02:12:13 +0000

Frans Van Der Hoff (1939) is considered the inventor of the first Fairtrade certification label, based on an alternative commerce system, where justice and respect for producers have the same importance as the quality of products. Thanks to the fair trade web, nowadays lots of farmers and producers from the poorest countries can empower themselves in the global market and earn an appropriate salary for their work. By Giulia Conti

8. Sophie Scholl

Casa Comum — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 02:11:28 +0000

Sophie Scholl (1921 - 1943) was a key member of the German World War II anti-Nazi resistance movement, The White Rose, which distributed leaflets and used graffiti to criticise Nazi crimes and the political system. She was beheaded for treason when she was 21 years old. By Klara Avsec

7. Terry Fox

Casa Comum — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 02:10:46 +0000

Terry Fox (1958-1981) was a young humanitarian who lost his leg due to bone cancer, but still managed to run across Canada, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with a prosthetic leg. His goal was to raise money for cancer research and to show that there are no limits, even for people with disabilities. He became a great inspiration and a hero for people all around the world. By Hana Radovanović

6. Harvey Milk

Casa Comum — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:17:19 +0000

Harvey Milk (1930-1978) foi um político e ativista norte-americano e o primeiro homem abertamente gay a ser eleito para um cargo público nos Estados Unidos. A sua carreira permitiu subverter a ordem política tradicional, contribuindo para a conquista de direitos de uma minoria sexual até então fortemente discriminada e violentada. Por Leandro Londoño