Humankind on Public Radio

What’s it like to be a spiritual presence in a war zone? What’s the duty to honor the lives of human beings who die in war, whether from your side or the “enemy”?

Rev. Chris Antal, a Unitarian Universalist minister in …

In this documentary, we explore what it’s like to experience “moral injury”— when soldiers witness or participate in war-time acts that violate their …

After war, our veterans face a new battle: emotional and spiritual conflict that is normal to human beings who’ve experienced intense brutality. In …

We hear from chaplains and students on a college campus (Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennesee) with a long tradition of promoting dialogue …

Dissatisfied with what they perceive as a distorted, negative picture from mainstream media, a Maine magazine publisher and a California radio producer created their own niches for presenting positive social trends.

The Prisoners Literature Project, an all-volunteer service based in Berkeley, California, packages and ships books to people who are incarcerated, as …

In the wake of shocking violence at abortion clinics, two apparent enemies — women representing pro-choice and pro-life factions in the Boston area, …

Christal Presley, an English teacher in Virginia who experienced “secondary trauma” in response to the extreme behavior of her father, a Vietnam-era veteran with PTSD, tells how the family began a journey of recovery.

Following incarceration in New Jersey for a multiple homicide he did not commit, Rubin Carter managed to emerge from prison in 1985 with an …

As dramatized in a Bob Dylan song and ‘The Hurricane’ starring Denzel Washington, ex-prize fighter Rubin Carter tells how he was wrongly convicted of …

Today over two million people partake of the storytelling, the good humor, the words of wisdom and the gallons and gallons of free coffee made …

Alcoholics Anonymous marks its beginning when one hopelessly addicted drunk realized that connecting with a fellow-sufferer would create a safe zone …

“At the end of the day,” says Jonathan Star about his English translation of Tao te Ching from the original Chinese, “it’s not about attaining anything.  The Tao keeps saying ‘it’s everywhere!’  It’s to notice another …

Jonathan Star took twelve years to master the nuances of ancient Chinese in his quest to produce a remarkably lucid and evocative English translation of Lao Tsu’s brilliant masterpiece of wisdom. Guidance in the subtle …

Within a decade, America will be looking different. In addition to other demographic changes, 70 million Baby Boomers are now entering their …

Author and prison therapist Robin Casarjian reframes the act of forgiveness not to condone hurtful behavior, but as a shift in perception that allows …

Within a decade, America will be looking different. In addition to other demographic changes, 70 million Baby Boomers are now entering their …

The Constitution specifies that once federal judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, they can hold their office “during …

The Republican party has not won the majority of votes in six of the last seven presidential elections. And yet vacancies on the Supreme Court have allowed Republican presidents to appoint six of the last ten justices. …

Have our courts – intended by America’s founders to be an independent arbiter of justice – turned into another political battlefield? Are today’s …

Have our courts – intended by America’s founders to be an independent arbiter of justice – turned into another political battlefield? Are today’s …

Bay Area physician and Univ. of California medical professor Martin Rossman, author of “The Worry Solution”, describes ways to distinguish between …

This episode of ‘Humankind on Public Radio’ is part of a special series, ‘The Spiritual Care Podcast’. For more episodes exploring the role of …

This episode of ‘Humankind on Public Radio’ is part of a special series, ‘The Spiritual Care Podcast’. For more episodes exploring the role of …

This episode of ‘Humankind on Public Radio’ is part of a special series, ‘The Spiritual Care Podcast’. For more episodes exploring the role of …

This episode of ‘Humankind on Public Radio’ is part of a special series, ‘The Spiritual Care Podcast’. For more episodes exploring the role of …

David Freudberg, host of Humankind public radio, announces a new podcast on the fascinating practice of “spiritual care”: stories of caregivers (chaplains, nurses, social workers, etc.) who provide nonsectarian support …

The new urban agriculture movement offers a way for us to re-connect our lives to nature.

Which foods have the largest global warming footprint—and which are most climate-friendly?

Public school cafeterias are changing! We visit two in New England where recent policies reflect much greater attention to healthy meal options than …

Hundreds of colleges are now moving toward healthier, more climate-friendly food choices on campus.

A 15-minute stress reduction session to calm the body and mind.

Gas taxes you pay at the pump go into a huge pool of federal transportation funds. How should the money be divided up? Plus high-speed rail, pro and …

What is the global warming footprint of cars vs. public transit? Story of a family seeking a low-carbon lifestyle. Also, hear the views of transportation experts, the president of AAA, and others.

Business people and environmentalists come together: improved public transportation helps to grow the economy, for lots of reasons. Bankers and the Sierra Club on the same side.

The story of a Virginia man who accepted his county’s “challenge” to go car-free for a month; plus voices of motorists filling up at the pump; bus riders in a low-income neighborhood and others.

Professors of medicine and nursing describe ways to treat the whole patient. And a look at medical use of acupuncture and meditation, for which …

With diet a factor in ailments from diabetes to obesity, medical students at the country’s third largest campus attend cooking classes to learn how …

The problem of rushed medical visits, now standard nationwide, can strain both doctors and patients. The story of a Calif. woman who was misdiagnosed with MS, until a different doctor had the time to listen and …

This look at the emergence of “integrative medicine” begins with a visit to America’s busiest trauma center, in Baltimore, where patients receive both emergency care and natural treatments to soothe the challenges of …

A lively profile of “Granny D,” (Mrs. Doris Haddock of Dublin, New Hampshire) famous for her 14-month walk across the United States to promote campaign finance reform. (Part 2)

A lively profile of “Granny D,” (Mrs. Doris Haddock of Dublin, New Hampshire) famous for her 14-month walk across the United States to promote campaign finance reform. (Part 1)

Hear a diversity of voices and views on today’s debates over whether voters should be required to show ID at the polls. Some Americans believe that …

A fascinating history of the much-contested right to vote in America: from slaves freed after the Civil War, to women’s suffrage, to the civil rights movement. Included is the moving first-person story of a young woman …

We hear from veterans who wrestle with healing from “moral injury” which occurs after a violation of conscience, based on events they witnessed or …

We hear profiles of American soldiers who, after military duty, returned home to face another battle—the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder …

When we’re in a disagreement, it’s sometimes hard simply to listen to the other person. But skillful listening is a core practice of conflict …

A return visit to the Seeds of Peace summer camp, when teenagers from opposing sides of conflict regions, including the Middle East, arrive for amazing encounters of dialogue and fun.

How can we avoid reacting furiously when someone provokes us? Hear a fascinating array of answers from theologian Frank Rogers, Rabbi Michael Lerner, …

In a world given to so much brutality, it would be easy to underestimate the impact of basic human compassion in actually resolving strife, yet even …

We hear stories of peacemakers who draw from their diverse lives and religious traditions as a basis for breaking down barriers and promoting …

We look back on the stunning display of forgiveness and nonviolence by the grieving families and congregants of Mother Emanuel church, where a gunman …

In this episode of Humankind, hear nuclear experts pro and con, an emergency room physician, and a variety of voices telling the story of a controversial reactor in Vermont. Part 1 of 2.

This episode explores the very human level at which some nurses interact with patients at their most vulnerable moments. What spiritual questions …

How do nurses, who are exposed to continual suffering by patients, manage to keep their hearts open and maintain compassion? Nurses describe the centrality of communication with patients and the skills of “active …

Inspiring stories of how active nurses use self-care techniques that help them manage, and transcend, the stresses of their essential work life, both on the job and after hours.

A no-holds-barred look at the stressful conditions in which many nurses work: the long hours, the emotional toll, the rapid pace, and the way that …