The Larger Us Podcast: Recent Episodes
Larger Us
The show that's about how we can become a larger us rather than a them-and-us, by working at the places where our states of mind and the state of the world meet
What happens when one of the world’s most important maritime choke points stays closed for months?
Alex Evans speaks to former UK resilience tsar Bruce Mann about the real-world consequences of the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and why the biggest impacts may still lie ahead.
Bruce draws on decades of experience in civil contingencies, emergency planning, and systemic risk analysis to explain how an oil shock can rapidly evolve into a manufacturing shock, food shock, economic shock, and eventually a social and political crisis.
The conversation explores:
- Cascading failures in globally interconnected systems
- Why governments may be undercommunicating risk
- The dangers of “Big Mother” government responses
- How communities and households can build practical resilience
- The difference between panic and preparedness
- Whether globalization created hidden fragilities
- Why crises can sometimes produce genuine breakthroughs
People
Alex Evans is the founder and Executive Director of Larger Us. He’s also a Visiting Professor in Practice at Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the author of The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough? (Penguin, 2017).
Alex is a former Campaign Director at Avaaz, where he ran campaigns on areas including Brexit and human rights. He’s also been a political adviser, including for two UK Secretaries of State for International Development and in the UN Secretary-General’s office, and as a consultant for organisations from Oxfam to the US National Intelligence Council.
Bruce Mann
Bruce Mann’s career in the UK Civil Service covered a wide range of national security policy and operational roles in the Ministry of Defence and Cabinet Office, including as Head of the Nuclear Accident Response Organisation and in the Cabinet Office Secretariat dealing with terrorism and major emergencies. He was appointed in 2004 to be Director of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, where he led the UK Government response to a wide range of domestic emergencies.
After leaving the Civil Service, Bruce has provided support to a wide range of countries in eastern Europe, the Gulf and East Asia, as well as English Local Resilience Forums, seeking to develop their risk and emergency management strategies, law and capabilities, and to assess their preparedness. Bruce was Leader of the Independent Review of UK Civil Protection arrangements on behalf of the National Preparedness Commission, of which body he is a Commissioner. He was also an Expert Witness and Adviser to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry. He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management and a member of its Global Advisory Board; and a member of the Advisory Board of Safehouse Pro, a Community Interest Company established to advance community and household preparedness as the foundation of wider societal resilience. He is also a Senior Associate of the UK Resilience Academy.
Further Reading
2022 Review of UK civil contingencies arrangements
Bruce’s evidence to the Covid-19 Inquiry, with Professor David Alexander
Bournemouth University report on UK household resilience
Government survey of public attitudes on risk perception, resilience and preparedness
Essay on the UK National Preparedness Commission by Lord Toby Harris
Alex Evans interviews Dr. Scilla Elworthy, renowned peacebuilder and founder of the Oxford Research Group and Peace Direct. They discuss the power of dialogue in defusing nuclear tensions, the critical role of humility and listening in conflict mediation, the impact of trauma on world leaders, and the increasing influence of women in diplomacy. Dr. Elworthy shares lessons from her decades of peace work, offers practical advice on building empathy and resilience, and highlights the transformative potential of “inner work.” The conversation concludes with practical advice for individuals seeking to build peace.
Key topics
- The origins and impact of the Oxford Research Group’s nuclear dialogues
- The role of trust-building, silence, and listening in conflict resolution
- How humiliation, contempt, and trauma drive conflict
- The rising influence and unique approach of women in peace and diplomacy
- Meditation and contemplative practices in facilitating dialogue
- The necessity of inner personal work for effective external peacebuilding
- Personal stories of inspiration and hope in peace work
- Practical advice: stopping, breathing, and listening, in order to foster peace
People
Dr. Scilla Elworthy is a peace activist, founder of the Oxford Research Group and Peace Direct, author and has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Scilla pioneered effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers and their critics through the Oxford Research Group, which she founded in 1982.
In 2002 she founded Peace Direct, to support and learn from local peace-builders in conflict zones. She has advised Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson on establishing The Elders, and in 2003 received the Niwano Peace Prize.
Today, Scilla focuses on developing The Mighty Heart, a course that equips people with ten practical skills for transforming conflict. The course helps break cycles of violence and supports paths toward dialogue and agreement.
Alex Evans is the founder and Executive Director of Larger Us. He’s also a Visiting Professor in Practice at Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the author of The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough? (Penguin, 2017).
Alex is a former Campaign Director at Avaaz, where he ran campaigns on areas including Brexit and human rights. He’s also been a political adviser, including for two UK Secretaries of State for International Development and in the UN Secretary-General’s office, and as a consultant for organisations from Oxfam to the US National Intelligence Council.
Further Reading
The Business Plan for Peace by Scilla Elworthy
Making Terrorism History by Scilla Elworthy & Gabrielle Rifkind
Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) conflict data.
Writings and talks by Thich Nhat Hanh
Co-hosts Claire Brown and Alex Evans welcome former Green Party leader and MP Caroline Lucas. They discuss the evolution of green politics in Britain, and can help shape a better future.
Key Topics:
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Caroline Lucas’s Journey. Her path to becoming the UK Green Party’s first MP.
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Green Party Now. The party’s growth under new leader Zack Polanski.
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Progressive Alliances & Electoral Reform. Proportional representation and how can progressive parties collaborate more effectively?
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English Identity Post-Brexit. Caroline discusses her new book, “Another England”. What does Englishness mean today?
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History, Empire & Education. Unpacking Britain’s colonial past.
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Religion & Politics. The risks of ceding these "mythic" spaces to the hard right.
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Democracy & Local Power. Radical devolution, participatory democracy, and grassroots innovation.
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Climate Action for All. Why “inclusive adaptation” matters.
People:
Caroline Lucas was the UK’s first Green Party Member of Parliament (between 2010 and 2024), and before that served as a Member of the European Parliament for 10 years. She has also served as Leader and Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.
She is passionate about the role of education and the arts in mobilising action on the climate and nature emergencies. Caroline is Professor of Practice in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Sussex and Co-President of the European Movement. Her latest book is Another England: How to Reclaim our National Story.
Alex Evans is the founder and Executive Director of Larger Us. He’s also a Visiting Professor in Practice at Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the author of "The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough?" (Penguin, 2017). Alex is a former Campaign Director at Avaaz, where he ran campaigns on areas including Brexit. He’s also been a political adviser, including for two UK Secretaries of State for International Development and in the UN Secretary-General’s office.
Claire Brown
Claire has spent most of her career living and working in and with communities that have been disadvantaged by inequality. This includes time spent as a journalist reporting on the issues impacting former coal mining towns in Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire; helping to design and find funding for programmes tackling problems like youth crime, homelessness and health inequality; and making it fun and easy for locals to cook and eat with refugees who are new to their area. Communication and proactive community engagement has always been at the core of her work, spanning journalism, education, charity and the arts.
Further Reading:
The Myth Gapby Alex Evans
Another Englandby Caroline Lucas
Host Alex Evans is joined by David Steven, a senior fellow at the UN Foundation, senior fellow at NYU’s Center on International Cooperation, and Managing Director of River Path Associates. Longtime collaborators, Alex and David reflect on the "Long Crisis Scenarios" they developed during the pandemic and discuss how those ideas have fared five years on.
Key Topics:
- David’s path to international work
- Four key global risks: acute shocks, long-term stresses, deliberate disruption and folly, ignorance, neglect.
- Layers of crisis unfolding at different speeds
- The Four Long Crisis Scenarios Revisited: “Rise of the Oligarchs”, “Big Mother, “Fragile, Resilient”, “Winning Ugly”
- Reflections on risk, governance and international institutions
- The United Nations and the future of multilateralism
- Reasons to be hopeful
People:
David Steven is a seasoned analyst and consultant specialising in global governance, crisis management, and international cooperation. With experience advising the UN, World Bank, governments and more, David brings insight from decades working on global issues, policy papers, and scenario planning alongside Alex.
Alex Evans is the founder and Executive Director of Larger Us. He’s also a Visiting Professor in Practice at Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the author of "The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough?" (Penguin, 2017). Alex is a former Campaign Director at Avaaz, where he ran campaigns on areas including Brexit. He’s also been a political adviser, including for two UK Secretaries of State for International Development and in the UN Secretary-General’s office.
Resources and Further Reading:
The Long Crisis Scenarios, Local Trust
Confronting the Long Crisis of Globalisation, Brookings Institution
Shooting the rapids: multilateralism and global risks,The Global Dashboard
Alex Evans speaks to Miriam Juan-Torres González, a leading expert on polarisation, democracy and belonging. They discuss the evolution of political polarisation since 2016, the rise of authoritarian populism and strategies for building bridges and defending democracy in turbulent times. Miriam shares insights from her research and real-world examples of successful civic campaigns, offering practical advice for anyone passionate about positive change.
Key Topics:
- Issue-based vs affective polarisation and the global landscape.
- The role of the political right and left in driving polarisation. When it can be a necessary strategy for justice.
- The importance of focusing on authoritarianism and democracy.
- The pitfalls of mainstream parties adopting far-right rhetoric. Alternative strategies for centrist governments.
- Relational organising, deep canvassing, and bridge-building.
- Do labels like “fascism” and “radical right” describe current political trends?
- The importance of electoral and grassroots strategies in defending democracy.
- A new vision of democracy.
- Integrating bridge-building with justice.
People:
Míriam Juan-Torres González is an expert on authoritarian populism, polarisation and human rights. She is Head of Research at OBI's Democracy & Belonging Forum at UC Berkeley, and formerly acted as advisor to Our Common Home and taught at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She is the co-author of “Hidden Tribes: A Study of America’s Polarized Landscape” and the lead author of “Britain’s Choice: Common Ground and Division in 2020s Britain". She is also co-chair of the Board of the Belong Network.
Alex Evans is the founder and Executive Director of Larger Us. He’s also a Visiting Professor in Practice at Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the author of "The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough?" (Penguin, 2017). Alex is a former Campaign Director at Avaaz, where he ran campaigns on areas including Brexit. He’s also been a political adviser, including for two UK Secretaries of State for International Development and in the UN Secretary-General’s office.
Resources & Further Reading:
Chris Armitage’s blog on racism.
Corrine Fowler’s interview on the Larger Us podcast
Alex Evan's article on Radical Love and Depolarisation
Hidden Tribes (US) report
Britain’s Choice (UK) report
Research by Maria Stephan and Erica Chenoweth on nonviolent resistance
The Othering and Belonging Institute’s work on targeted universalism
Subscribe for more conversations on navigating turbulent times and building a brighter future. Music by Fogheart, with permissio
Alex Evans welcomes Adam Kahane - renowned facilitator, author, and expert in scenario planning and system transformation. Adam shares insights from his experience of scenario planning as part of peace processes in South Africa and Colombia, discusses the power of stories in shaping the future, and helps us discover practical habits which can create positive change in complex systems.
Key moments:
- Adam’s journey from Shell’s scenario team to global peace-building and system change
- The Mont Fleur scenarios: bringing together divided groups in South Africa to imagine possible futures
- The power of stories and metaphors in scenario planning
- Building trust in polarised environments
- The difference between normative (vision-driven) and analytical (possibility driven) scenario planning
- Lessons from both successful and disappointing scenario processes
- What makes system transformation possible: shared concerns, openness, and diversity of perspectives
- Everyday habits for transforming systems, including the metaphor of “finding cracks” in systems to enable change
- Adam’s perspective on hope and the importance of collective, persistent engagement
People:
Adam Kahane is a leading organiser, designer and facilitator, celebrated for facilitating the Mont Fleur scenarios in South Africa as the country was exiting its apartheid era. He has worked in more than fifty countries, in every part of the world, with executives and politicians, generals and guerrillas, community activists and United Nations officials and many more.
He is the author of several influential books, including “How to Work with People You Don’t Agree with or Like or Trust” and his latest, “Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems.”
Alex Evans is the founder and Executive Director of Larger Us. He’s also a Visiting Professor in Practice at Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and the author of The Myth Gap: What Happens When Evidence and Arguments Aren’t Enough? (Penguin, 2017).
Alex is a former Campaign Director at Avaaz, where he ran campaigns on areas including Brexit and human rights. He’s also been a political adviser, including for two UK Secretaries of State for International Development and in the UN Secretary-General’s office, and as a consultant for organisations from Oxfam to the US National Intelligence Council.
Resources & Links:
Adam’s books, including “Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems”, can be found here.
More information about the Mont Fleur Scenarios can be found here.
Our music is "Cleanse the Corruption" by Fogheart, used with permission.
Thank you for listening and do subscribe for our next episodes.
Why do those of us in western societies find it so difficult to face the prospect of our deaths, or to grieve collectively for experiences of shared loss? How does unprocessed collective grief - for instance about the pandemic - show up politically? And might changes in how we think and feel about death make it easier for us to confront existential risks like climate breakdown?
Ivor Williams is an old friend of Larger Us’s (he co-wrote This Too Shall Pass, our report on collective grief written at the height of the pandemic), a healthcare designer working at the cutting edge of end-of-life care, and now founder of Mortals, an extraordinary small group journey into our attitudes to both death, and everything that happens before it.
Featuring:
Alex Evans is founder and director of Larger Us, writer of the Good Apocalypse Guide on Substack, Professor in Practice at Newcastle University, and author of The Myth Gap.
Elizabeth Oldfield is chair of Larger Us, host of The Sacred podcast, author of Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, and was formerly director of Theos, the UK's leading think tank on religion in public life.
Ivor Williamsis designer and founder of Mortals, a small group programme that explores questions around dying and living well. He has worked as an end-of-care designer with Imperial College and the NHS, is an end-of-life doula, and was co-creator of Cove, one of the first mental health apps to be recommended by the NHS.
What happens when an African American befriends members of the Ku Klux Klan? Our guest for this episode is Daryl Davis - a blues musician who's played with greats like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and BB King, and who's also persuaded more than 200 white supremacists to leave groups like the KKK. We talk to Daryl about how his extraordinary journey began, what drives him to do this work, and what the rest of us can learn from his approach.
Please be aware that this episode contains a description of a violent and racist incident and use of offensive racist language in that context.
Featuring:
Alex Evans is founder and director of Larger Us, writer of the Good Apocalypse Guideon Substack, Professor in Practice at Newcastle University, and author of The Myth Gap.
Elizabeth Oldfield is chair of Larger Us, host of The Sacred podcast, author of Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, and was formerly director of Theos, the UK's leading think tank on religion in public life.
Dr Daryl Davis is an international recording artist and race relations expert. He has received numerous awards for his book Klan-Destine Relationships and his award-winning film documentary Accidental Courtesy. He is the first Black author to write a book on the Ku Klux Klan based upon in-person interviews and personal encounters.
Other resources:
The Larger Us programme
What does it mean to be 'fully alive' during turbulent times? Our guest for this episode - who'll also be joining us as one of our rotating cast of co-hosts - is Elizabeth Oldfield, the author of Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times and Chair of Larger Us's board. Liz talks about how connection and belonging are at the heart of what she writes about in her book, what it's like to live in an intentional community, and how we fill the 'religion shaped hole' in modern life.
Featuring:
Alex Evans is founder and director of Larger Us, writer of the Good Apocalypse Guide on Substack, Professor in Practice at Newcastle University, and author of The Myth Gap.
Claire Brown is head of development and impact at Larger Us, oversees the organisation's climate conversations project, and has previously worked on welcoming refugees to the UK and as a local journalist.
Elizabeth Oldfield is chair of Larger Us, host of The Sacred podcast, author of Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, and was formerly director of Theos, the UK's leading think tank on religion in public life.
Other resources:
Caleb Meakins TEDx - My 40 days - facing the fear of failure
Citizens by Jon Alexander
The Larger Us programme
Sound Effect by Shagor Miah from Pixabay
What do you do when you find yourself at the centre of a culture war? Our guest for this episode is Professor Corinne Fowler who became a target for ‘anti-woke’ journalists and politicians due to her work exploring the colonial histories of National Trust properties. Corinne’s approach - to positively engage with her attackers - yielded some surprising results and she shares what she’s learned about taking on the culture warriors. We also had a wide-ranging discussion about her fascinating new book, Our Island Stories. In it we join Corinne on a series of walks through the countryside during which she delves into the history of slavery, colonialism and empire that has shaped our green and pleasant land. We spoke about everything from her approach to research to the links between oppression and at home and abroad.
Our Island Stories is published by Penguin Books.
Welcome to a new series of the Larger Us Podcast! This time we’re talking to Imran Ahmed, who is founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. We spoke to him in the immediate aftermath of the wave of far right riots that swept the UK in July after misinformation about the identity of the perpetrator of a mass stabbing targeting children spread rapidly and widely across social media.
Imran is an authority on the social and psychological impacts of digital platforms and the bad actors who exploit them, and he’s been a hugely influential voice in advising politicians around the world on policy and legislation to combat online hate and misinformation – so much so that Elon Musk sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate (and lost). For more about CCDH check out their website here, and you can find a recent Wired interview with Imran here.
How do we achieve social buy-in for the huge, disruptive and sustained transformation entailed in making our societies sustainable? Why is it such a problem that social media has become the 'public square' where we have big conversations about the future - and how have campaigning and activism become embroiled?
Hugh Knowles is co-director of Friends of the Earth and was formerly Head of Innovation at Forum for the Future, an independent non-profit working globally with business, government and other organisations to solve sustainability challenges using Futures and Innovation. He's speaking on this episode in a personal capacity.
How does a single chemical in our brains drive love, sex, consumerism and creativity? Why are some people more 'dopmaninergic' than others, why is that such a big deal for politics, and what does it mean for change-makers?
Daniel Lieberman is a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at George Washington University, co-author of the international bestseller The Molecule of More, and author of Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient Magic, and the Unconscious Mind.
How can we build inclusive belonging in conditions of acute polarisation - for example when members of a historically privileged group feel that more power and status for a historically marginalised group means less power and status for them? What do the recent US mid-terms mean for American democratic health, and what lessons do they offer for other countries?
Michelle Barsa runs the Omidyar Network's programme on Building Cultures of Belonging, and is a former program director at Beyond Conflict where she was lead author for their report on Renewing American Democracy. She has also worked at Inclusive Security, where she trained hundreds of women across Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, Libya and Nigeria, and at the US Department of Homeland Security on countering violent extremism.
How can we raise children in a world that appears to have gone so wrong? How are our children’s minds affected by that world, and how can we as parents and caregivers help them through it in ways that give them agency and the power to make the world better without placing the weight of the world on their shoulders?
Louis Weinstock is the author of How the world is making our children mad and what to do about it. He works as a psychotherapist, helping children and grown-ups alike through challenges like loss, trauma, divorce, burnout and breakdowns, and is co-founder of Apart of Me, an award winning charity that helps young people transform their grief into compassion.
A special edition of our podcast to talk about Building a larger us, our new guide to how to change the world in ways that bring people together rather than dividing them - not as a them-and-us, but as a larger us.
Alex Evans (founder of Larger Us and our usual host) switches sides to be guest this time, and we're delighted that Elizabeth Oldfield - host of The Sacred podcast and a senior adviser to Larger Us - joined us as our guest host for this episode.
What does it take to have conversations across deep divides? What's required of us - and what's required of the person we're talking to? What can happen when we have these kinds of curious conversations, and how can change-makers use them?
Mónica Guzmán is the author of the new book I Never Thought Of It That Way - How to have fearlessly curious conversations in dangerously divided times; an adviser to Braver Angels, one of the most exciting depolarisation organisations working in the US; a journalist in Seattle, an immigrant, a Latina, a dual US-Mexican citizen, and a mom to two bilingual kids.
She joined us to talk about her book, her work, what gives her hope, what gives her pause, and lots more besides.
What are we doing to ourselves when we tell ourselves we're Consumers 3,000 times a day? What would it look like to put the same creativity and energy into involving people as Citizens? What would you do in this time, if you truly believed in yourself and those around you?
Jon Alexander spent the first decade of his career in the advertising industry, selling some of the world's biggest brands. Then he realised he was caught up in a story he didn't believe in – the Consumer Story.
In his new book Citizens, Jon explores what we need to do to step into a bigger idea of ourselves: as collaborative, caring, creative Citizens who can shape our communities, organisations, and nations for the better. He joined us to talk about it.
How did progressive campaigners in the US manage to win bipartisan legislation ending the 'lock-em-up and throw away the key' era in criminal justice - and persuade 87 out of 100 Senators to vote for it, and Donald Trump to sign it?
Answer: by building a hugely diverse coalition that brought together everyone from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Koch Brothers and the religious right, and by foregrounding the personal stories of everyone from victims of crime to former prisoners.
Nisha Anand - former punk rock protestor and chief of staff to legendary organiser Van Jones, and now CEO of Dream Corps - was at the heart of this amazing breakthrough, and joined us to talk about how they managed it and what the lessons are for campaigners on other issues.
We live in the age of the tyranny of the now, driven by 24/7 news, the latest tweet, and the buy-now button. With such frenetic short-termism at the root of contemporary crises – from the threats of climate change to the lack of planning for a global pandemic – the call for long-term thinking grows every day. But what is it, has it ever worked, and can we even do it?
In this episode, we talk to Roman Krznaric, the author of The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World, which reveals six profound ways in which we can all learn to think long, exploring uniquely human talents like ‘cathedral thinking’ that expand our time horizons and sharpen our foresight. Drawing on radical innovations from around the world, Roman celebrates the time rebels who are reinventing democracy, culture and economics so that we all have the chance to become good ancestors and create a better tomorrow.
Roman is a public philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to change society. He's been named by The Observer as one of Britain’s leading popular philosophers, and his writings have been influential amongst political and ecological campaigners, education reformers, social entrepreneurs and designers.
Jon Yates is the author of "Fractured: Why our societies are coming apart and how to put them back together again". He's uniquely well placed to explore these issues, having both served as a government adviser and co-founded a series of charities that are designed to bring people together.
For years, our societies have been becoming more disconnected, so that most of us spend less and less time with people who are different - whether in terms of age, race, class, earning power, or education.
In "Fractured", Jon Yates argues that the more time we spend with people unlike ourselves, the more understanding and tolerant we become. We now need to forge a new "Common Life": a set of shared practices and institutions that can strengthen the glue that bonds our societies, in all their diversity.
Dave Fleischer runs the team at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Leadership Lab that created deep canvassing - a groundbreaking approach to political campaigning that uses doorstep conversations to change people's minds about potentially polarising issues and which helped to win the US equal marriage campaign.
Deep canvassing avoids pelting voters with arguments or facts; instead "we find surprising common ground by sharing our real, lived experience — vulnerable stories about ourselves and people we love— and invite voters to share in return."
We spoke with Dave about how deep canvassing works, the psychology of what makes it so effective, and how it potentially points the way towards new approaches to campaigning where success is about bridging divides rather than deepening them.
Show notes
Dave's TED talk, which includes the video of the deep canvassing conversation that we discuss in the episode: https://youtu.be/xN6O5LTaGyg
NY Times profile of Dave and his work: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/magazine/how-do-you-change-voters-minds-have-a-conversation.html
Karen Stenner has spent years researching why some people seem to have a psychological predisposition towards authoritarianism in the right conditions.
With her co-author Jonathan Haidt, Karen has explored how about a third of people across dozens of liberal democracies share this trait to some degree - a key factor in understanding why, for instance, so many Americans continued to support Donald Trump even as he lurched steadily further towards authoritarianism, and which has led Karen to argue that "liberal democracy has now exceeded many people's capacity to tolerate it."
We spoke to Karen about why support for authoritarianism is so widespread, what we can do about it, and what's next in countries like the US where right wing populism has been surging.
Hadiya Masieh has over two decades' experience in countering violent extremism and understanding how to challenge hate - and a unique perspective given her own experience as a former member of an extremist political organisation.
Today, Hadiya runs Groundswell Project, a pioneering initiative that works in communities to map both extremist and pro-peace groups on the ground, build a diverse coalition to tackle causes of extremism, and then amplify local voices through Groundswell Project's reach with local and national news and on social media.
We spoke to Hadiya about her story, her work, and how people working to support larger us rather than them-and-us dynamics can learn from Groundswell Project's insights.