Humankind on Public Radio

Donna Hicks, author of Dignity, recounts her experiences as an international conflict mediator that led her to an understanding of how an assault on the dignity of a person or a group must be healed, before strife can stop. To view additional resources for this episode please visit: humanmedia.org/EPISODEPAGELINK Follow “Humankind on Public Radio” at: https://www.humanmedia.org/podcast/ Human […]

Former NY Times science reporter Daniel Goleman, the best-selling author of Emotional Intelligence, discusses current research on the importance and mechanics of attaining personal focus. To view additional resources for this episode please visit: humanmedia.org/EPISODEPAGELINK Follow “Humankind on Public Radio” at: https://www.humanmedia.org/podcast/ Human Media performs public broadcasting production and distribution activities in association with WGBH/Boston, NPR and […]

The moving tale of the late Mae Bertha Carter, a sharecropper who raised thirteen children and also stood firm—against harassment—in her quest to integrate public schools in Sunflower County, Mississippi. To view additional resources for this episode please visit: humanmedia.org/EPISODEPAGELINK Follow “Humankind on Public Radio” at: https://www.humanmedia.org/podcast/ Human Media performs public broadcasting production and distribution activities in […]

Elementary school students learn about ethics, language and common sense when a folklorist leads them through a fascinating exploration of age-old wisdom sayings and their relevance to everyday life. To view additional resources for this episode please visit: humanmedia.org/EPISODEPAGELINK Follow “Humankind on Public Radio” at: https://www.humanmedia.org/podcast/ Human Media performs public broadcasting production and distribution activities in association […]

We hear from chaplains and students on a college campus (Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennesee) with a long tradition of promoting dialogue among various groups. To view additional resources for this episode please visit: humanmedia.org/EPISODEPAGELINK Follow “Humankind on Public Radio” at: https://www.humanmedia.org/podcast/ Human Media performs public broadcasting production and distribution activities in association with WGBH/Boston, NPR and […]

Overworking has become a cultural norm in Rabbi Arthur Waskow’s opinion. Waskow’s coalition “Free Time/Free People” is spearheaded by members of various faiths, and insists that a workable culture must actually work less, and a functional population functions best when there’s less to do. . A timely and persuasive philosophy, Waskow and his associates urge […]

At the typical nursing station of today’s hospitals, it can sometimes seem like high-tech medical machinery supersedes a personal connection between the patient and nurse or other health care professional. But for many caregivers, that one-to-one relationship is the essence of their service. To view additional resources for this episode please visit: humanmedia.org/EPISODEPAGELINK Follow “Humankind on […]

What does it mean to set aside one’s own agenda and truly focus on another person, perhaps someone who is suffering?

There’s a kind of mystery in sitting calmly, patiently, attentively and tuning into someone else’s personal story and life journey. In this special program, you’ll hear the reflective insights of people who listen for a living: physicians, counselors and clergy. To view additional resources for this episode please visit: humanmedia.org/EPISODEPAGELINK Follow “Humankind on Public Radio” at: https://www.humanmedia.org/podcast/ […]

Although many people crave the break from daily work they receive upon retirement, in some cases the experience of an “endless vacation” eventually causes individuals to feel purposeless. Marc Freedman has been tracking the trend of seniors returning to the workforce to give something back to society in areas such as education, health care, and […]

This program recounts how American and Soviet physicians joined together on a mission to educate their governments and their peoples about the medical effects of nuclear war beginning in the early 1960s. Calculating the medical consequences of a nuclear war eventually led to the founding of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, […]

Parenting today is performed in the face of an almost impossible arsenal of influences. Such influences can cloud, distract, and even displace the parent from his or her greatest responsibility: guidance. The Kabat-Zinns, a couple from Lexington, MA, authors, and parents, reach out to their fellow parents in this thoughtful and clarifying episode of Humankind. […]

We consider the moral implications of scientific research, especially when the aim is to develop military arms. Are the scientists involved morally responsible for the use of these weapons on civilians? Author and historian Robert Neer recounts the top-secret research conducted at Harvard in the early 1940s, which yielded the weapon napalm. We also hear […]

This is the second part of our special on the revered journalist and ‘Catholic Worker’ founder Dorothy Day. Recalling the words of her grandmother, Kate Hennessy recalls, “She always said they did not intend to start a soup line. They did not intend to open up houses of hospitality. That this just happened because of […]

When Pope Francis addressed Congress in 2015, he cited four great Americans: President Abraham Lincoln, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., theologian Thomas Merton, and Dorothy Day, the famous writer and activist. Day, who died in 1980 at age 83, was a remarkable 20th century figure: journalist and founder of the “Catholic Worker” movement, […]

The United States incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world. Some in this diverse population are dangerous and apparently don’t seek rehabilitation to a more productive life. For many others, though, incarceration is a forced opportunity for self-examination and positive change – a process that can be supported and stimulated by spiritual […]

America’s founders recognized that without a king, the fledgling nation would need an informed citizenry—or their bold experiment in democracy would fail. So in early America, the government subsidized newspapers, established the postal system to facilitate information flow and drew up plans for public education. But now in the digital age, does the demise of […]

The second part of our documentary on the brother of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski who reminds us that, “We’ve got to take back the ideal of justice, we’ve got to take back this principle of human dignity. We’ve got to take it back from vengeance, from hatred, we’ve got to say: look, we’re all in this […]

Actress Joanne Hamlin looks at the role of outstanding women in America’s spiritual history. Among other women of strong faith, Hamlin re-creates the life and philosophy of Christian Science founder, Mary Baker Eddy. To view additional resources for this episode please visit: humanmedia.org/EPISODEPAGELINK Follow “Humankind on Public Radio” at: https://www.humanmedia.org/podcast/ Human Media performs public broadcasting production and […]

In a remarkable contrast within one family, we meet social worker David Kaczynski, who in early 1996 had a “dark night of the soul” when he realized that his older brother Ted was the “Unabomber,” a serial murderer. Supported by his wife, and later by his mother, David felt compelled to notify federal authorities, leading […]