Beatrice M. Spadacini

Freelance Journalist
Communications, Advocacy, Strategy

Focus areas: Global Health, One Health, Human Rights

Nice to meet you! I am a storyteller, a content creator and a strategic communications professional. I am passionate about telling stories that highlight our shared humanity and lead projects that promote independent journalism and foster a more just and equitable world.

Over the years, I have worked with many different international organizations to further programmatic goals, influence policies and behaviors, engage with communities and position critical social justice issues. As a writer, my work has appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Sojourner Magazine, The Guardian, Il Corriere della Sera, The East African, La Voce di New York and Internazionale weekly.

I am a certified children’s yoga teacher, a health coach, and a nutrition conscious Mom. When I am not writing an article, producing a podcast or managing a project, I play with clay, dance, and cook. I have a base in Silver Spring, Maryland and I spend an increasing amount of time walking on the beach in Pescara, Italy (background photo)!

SELECT ARTICLES

  • Mom holding a baby

    Parenting from Prison

    The United States has the highest female incarceration rate in the world. What does it man for mothers in prison? Sojourner Magazine July 2024

  • Children carrying placards

    Women don't Belong in Cages

    On Mother’s Day, formerly incarcerated women and their children lead a peaceful march to Washington DC. Lacuna Magazine, June 2024

  • Male actors on a stage

    GBV in Italy

    In Southern Italy a play about Bluebeard’s Brides is questioning gender norms that fuel violence against women. Truthdig, March 2024

  • Picture of clean water activist

    The Moms vs The Multinational 2024

    Mom activists in the Veneto region of Italy, have taken to court the company that polluted their water system. Truthdig January 2024.

  • Folklife Festival banner

    Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2023

    This year the festival celebrated diverse American cultures through two programs: Creative Encounters and The Ozarks.

  • PIazza dei Pescatori Pescara

    Why Loitering on the Adriatic Seashore is the Best College Prep for my Teen Daughter

    Summertime in Italy is special and may be the best place for American teens to decompress. La Voce di New York, 2023.

  • Charlotte Niwemusa and her son, Justin

    Foreign Service Officers Reflect on Global Health Diplomacy.

    Intimate conversations on what inspired US foreign service officers to embark on a career in global health. Afsa magazine.

  • Aid Workers do you Know What Your Pension is Funding?

    Some people dedicate their lives to eradicating poverty and promoting peace, but do they know what their pensions support? The Guardian, 2015.

  • Mother holding child

    One Less Worry: More Rwandans than Ever Before, Are Finding Affordable Health Care Options

    In in-depth look at Rwanda's National Health Care System and Commitment to Universal Health Coverage, Medium 2017.

  • Banking on Freedom

    An investigative story on the companies that profit from private prisons and prison services across the U.S. Sojourner magazine, 2016.

  • Photo of Giacinto Siciliano

    A Service for the Rights of Detainees

    An innovative service that promotes the rights of detainees inside and Italian correctional facility. La Voce di New York, 2018.

  • Man weaving basket

    Msafiri Magazine Kenyan Airlines

    Onward and Upwards: Rwanda has come a long way since the terrible days of 1994.

SELECT PROJECTS

  • Woman holding camera

    Health Journalism Network

    Manager of the Health Journalism Network of Internews, a global community of media professionals who cover global health.

  • NCD Prevention Campaign

    Team Lead for a UNICEF campaign that seeks to prevent noncommunicable diseases among young South Africans.

  • Photo of Stacy and Zoe

    Together Far Apart Podcast

    Executive Producer for a United Nations podcast on local solutions to global challenges in Small Island Nations.

  • Photo of Bea and Tim

    One in Four Podcast

    Executive Producer for two seasons of a podcast series focused on the challenges of re-entry from incarceration in the U.S.

  • Men running through desert

    UNICEF Peacebuilding and Conflict Study

    Tasked by UNICEF HQ to conduct a study on communication for behavior change strategies to promote peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

  • Woman dancing

    CARE Rwanda 25-Year Anniversary

    Team Lead on a project that marked 25 years of work by aid agency CARE in Rwanda. Lead writer for the publication and manager of a team of five media professionals.

MEDIA COVERAGE

  • Bea Interview photo

    Heartcast Media, Live from She podcasts

    What prompted me to start a podcast on re-entry from incarceration in the U.S.

  • Birds and breaking chains

    How to Support the Incarcerated Population in the United States

    An in-depth interview on why we need to focus on supporting those who come out of prison in the U.S. and reform the justoce system

  • Bea and Z

    My International Adoption Story (Italian)

    How we finally obtained full legalization of my daughter's international adoption

  • Bea and Z

    Adoption and Election Upheaval in Kenya

    Personal reflections on post-election violence and my adoption journey

  • Stories worth telling poster

    A Guide to Strategic and Sustainable Nonprofit Storytelling

    Mention and Contributor

  • Italian and American Flag

    Tra Stati Uniti e Italia: Quelle Mamme a Metà

    Italian single moms's journey into international adoption (in Italian)

CONTACT ME