Episodes

  • Racial Consciousness Is Like a Muscle with Jacco van Sterkenburg – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 227)

    Racial Consciousness Is Like a Muscle with Jacco van Sterkenburg – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 227)
    Feb 18 2026
    In Episode 227 of Walk Talk Listen, Maurice talks with Jacco van Sterkenburg, Associate & Endowed Professor of Race, Inclusion & Communication at Erasmus University Rotterdam and newly appointed Chief Diversity Officer of the university. His research spans how media, sport, and gaming shape cultural narratives about race, ethnicity, gender, and leadership. Jacco’s work draws on decades of scholarship — from his PhD on race, ethnicity, and the sport media to recent projects on video gaming, gender, and football representation. It sits at the intersection of cultural studies, psychology, and media analysis. In this conversation, he reflects on what it means to be “inside” and “outside” dominant norms, and how seemingly neutral spaces like games or sports broadcasts are sites of meaning-making. He talks candidly about how easy it is, especially for white researchers, to “go with the flow” without questioning assumptions — and why developing racial consciousness is like training a muscle. Whether you’re interested in media, culture, sport, or leadership, this episode invites you to rethink the familiar and practice deeper awareness. Listener Engagement:
    • Discover the songs picked by Jacco and other guests on our #walktalklisten here.
    • Learn more about Jacco via his LinkedIn. Also check out his research related website, link here.
    • Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
    Follow Us:
    • Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
    • Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
    • Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
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    59 mins
  • Crossing Thresholds: “The Land Is Life” with Biswash Chepang – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 5)

    Crossing Thresholds: “The Land Is Life” with Biswash Chepang – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 5)
    Feb 11 2026
    Welcome to Episode 5 of Crossing Thresholds: Religion, Resilience & Migration, a special mini-series of Walk Talk Listen produced in connection with research by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities (JLI) and Christian Aid on faith and climate migration. In this episode, Maurice Bloem speaks with Biswash Chepang, an Indigenous rights advocate from Nepal, about what climate change, displacement, and faith mean for communities whose identity, spirituality, and survival are inseparable from land. Biswash reflects on Indigenous worldviews in which land is not a commodity, but a living relationship that connects birth, death, culture, and belief. Their conversation explores how climate pressure affects Indigenous communities long before migration takes place. As forests disappear, land rights are denied, and livelihoods erode, people can become displaced without ever moving. Biswash describes how the loss of land ownership and access creates forms of silent displacement that are often overlooked in policy discussions about climate migration. Faith runs throughout this conversation, not as an abstract concept, but as something embedded in land, rivers, forests, and daily life. Biswash speaks about spiritual practices rooted in nature, as well as the complex role of religious change in contexts of poverty and exclusion, where faith can offer both support and profound cultural disruption. Biswash’s reflections echo findings from the JLI–Christian Aid evidence review, which shows that climate migration is frequently preceded by prolonged environmental and social stress, that strong spiritual ties to land shape decisions not to migrate, and that displacement often takes emotional, cultural, and spiritual forms that are difficult to measure. His story gives voice to these dynamics, grounding research insights in lived Indigenous experience. Rather than a formal interview, this episode is a listening dialogue about land, belonging, faith, and the quiet thresholds people are forced to cross when their relationship with place is put under pressure. Learn more about the research behind this series: [link to JLI–Christian Aid report] During our conversation we experienced some challenges with our connection and therefore you will hear a couple of hiccups that we couldn't get edited out. Our apologies for at least two moments where it seems that Biswash his answers were cut short. Listener Engagement:
    • Learn more about Biswash via his LinkedIn and Facebook. Follow his writings via his WorldPress site.
    • Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
    Follow Us:
    • Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
    • Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
    • Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
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    57 mins
  • Spirituality Was a Lifeline: Creating Conditions for Awakening” with Rich Havard – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 226)

    Spirituality Was a Lifeline: Creating Conditions for Awakening” with Rich Havard – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 226)
    Feb 4 2026
    Rich Havard is the Director of the Youth Mental Health Fund at the Decolonizing Wealth Project and in Episode 226, he shares his journey from growing up in a small town in rural Mississippi to becoming a leader at the intersection of spirituality, justice, and philanthropy. Reflecting on his upbringing, he speaks honestly about how experiences of difference, exclusion, and faith shaped his early sense of vocation and empathy for others. Rich describes how spirituality became a lifeline throughout his life, from childhood questions about identity and purpose, through his coming-out journey, and into his work creating spiritually grounded communities for young adults. He traces how this calling evolved through pastoral ministry, the founding of the Inclusive Collective, and later into philanthropy, where he sought to become the kind of funder he wished he had when leading a small nonprofit. Now, at the Youth Mental Health Fund, he works to support culturally responsive approaches to mental health that integrate spirituality, justice, and community care for young people. The conversation also explores what it means to “decolonize” wealth and challenge philanthropic systems to move resources differently toward collective well-being rather than accumulation. Rich reflects on moments that compelled him to act against injustice, on the role of faith communities in standing with vulnerable people, and on the fragile but persistent hope that comes from choosing to be an “arc bender.” This episode is a thoughtful meditation on healing, belonging, and the inner work needed to sustain outer change. Listener Engagement:
    • Discover the songs picked by Rich and other guests on our #walktalklisten here.
    • Learn more about Rich via his LinkedIn. Also follow Instagram and Facebook of the Decolonizing Wealth Project.
    • Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
    Follow Us:
    • Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
    • Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
    • Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
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    55 mins
  • Crossing Thresholds: From Violence to Healing with Nidia Bustillos Rodriguez (Episode 4)

    Crossing Thresholds: From Violence to Healing with Nidia Bustillos Rodriguez (Episode 4)
    Jan 28 2026
    Welcome to Episode 4 of Crossing Thresholds: Religion, Resilience & Migration, a special mini-series of Walk Talk Listen produced in connection with new research by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities (JLI) and Christian Aid on faith and climate migration. In this episode, Maurice Bloem speaks with Nidia Rosmery Bustillos Rodríguez, a Bolivian traditional healer and herbalist born in Cochabamba, whose life and work bring together lived experience, academic training, and Indigenous knowledge. Nidia is trained in information management, development studies, and transpersonal psychology, and her professional path integrates research, cultural management, and institutional work in the fields of intercultural health, development, and the rights of Indigenous women. Their conversation explores migration not only as physical movement, but as rupture and transformation. Born to parents who migrated for work and later forced to leave Bolivia to escape violent abuse, Nidia reflects on how family migration shapes identity across generations and how displacement, trauma, and spiritual meaning intersect. Her story reveals how survival can become a pathway toward healing, both for oneself and for others. Nidia’s professional work mirrors these themes. She has conducted research on traditional women healers, the use of natural resources, and information and communication technologies for the empowerment of Indigenous women, as well as on tambos and the Qhapaq Ñan. She currently serves as a Program Officer at the Pawanka Fund for the Arctic, Pacific, and Eurasia regions, and is responsible for the traditional medicine laboratory GAIA-TERRA. She is also CEO of DREAMCO SRL and the Cruz del Sur Foundation, and has collaborated widely with international organizations and feminist and Indigenous networks to strengthen initiatives related to traditional medicine, cultural heritage, and the preservation of ancestral knowledge. Nidia’s reflections echo key findings of the JLI–Christian Aid evidence review, which shows that faith and spirituality shape how people interpret displacement and that resilience often takes forms that policy and humanitarian systems struggle to recognize, including emotional, relational, and spiritual dimensions. Her life story gives human form to these insights, illustrating how loss, movement, and meaning are deeply intertwined. Rather than a formal interview, this episode is a listening dialogue about what it means to leave home, to survive violence, and to transform pain into care. It is also a conversation about knowledge, memory, and the enduring role of ancestral wisdom in times of upheaval. Learn more about the research behind this series: [link to JLI–Christian Aid report] Listener Engagement:
    • Learn more about Nidia via her LinkedIn and Facebook. Although not finished yet, her website will be soon available via: http://www.nidiaingaia.com
    • Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
    Follow Us:
    • Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
    • Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
    • Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Freedom of Belief, Lived with Filip Buff Pedersen - Walk Talk Listen (Episode 225)

    Freedom of Belief, Lived with Filip Buff Pedersen - Walk Talk Listen (Episode 225)
    Jan 21 2026
    In this episode of Walk Talk Listen Filip Pedersen, senior political advisor at the Centre for Church-Based Development (CKU) in Denmark reflects on a life shaped by movement, service, and encounters across cultures — and how those experiences led him to work at the intersection of development, human rights, and freedom of religion or belief. The conversation explores why freedom of belief is often misunderstood, how it shows up in people’s daily lives, and why a rights-based approach matters for peaceful coexistence, democracy, and development. Drawing on concrete examples from communities and policy spaces alike, Filip speaks about moving beyond abstract dialogue toward accountability, inclusion, and action — and what keeps him hopeful when progress feels slow. Listener Engagement:
    • Discover the songs picked by Filip and other guests on our #walktalklisten here.
    • Learn more about Filip via his LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, and the CKU website and Facebook.
    • Background articles as mentioned by Filip during this episode:

      Their learning review on five years of FoRB projects https://cku.dk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/FORB_LearningReview_web_highRes.pdf

      and DK MFA report on FoRB by Nordic Consulting Group https://cku.dk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/FORB-Report.pdf

    • Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
    Follow Us:
    • Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
    • Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
    • Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
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    53 mins
  • Crossing Thresholds: Nonviolence Became My Resistance: Calling for a New Social Contract with Binalakshmi Nepram (Episode 3)

    Crossing Thresholds: Nonviolence Became My Resistance: Calling for a New Social Contract with Binalakshmi Nepram (Episode 3)
    Jan 14 2026
    In this episode of Crossing Thresholds, Maurice Bloem speaks with Binalakshmi Nepram, an Indigenous scholar, poet, and peacebuilder from Manipur in Northeast India. Bina’s life and work sit at the intersection of climate disruption, armed conflict, and Indigenous spirituality — a place where survival is not abstract, but lived every day. Bina reflects on growing up in a deeply land-connected Indigenous community under martial law, where rituals, food, and shared spiritual practices have long sustained resilience. She speaks powerfully about Indigenous knowledge as living science, about women who patrol the streets at night to protect their communities, and about the meaning of staying rooted to land even amid violence and climate stress. Throughout the conversation, Bina reminds us that resilience does not begin with institutions — it begins with people, memory, and care. This episode weaves lived experience with insights from the Climate, Faith & Migration research, highlighting how Indigenous and faith-based knowledge systems are often the first to respond to crisis, yet remain overlooked by external actors. It is a conversation about peace, dignity, and the right to survive as a people — and an invitation to listen more closely to those who have been holding the line for generations. Listener Engagement:
    • Learn more about Bina via her LinkedIn, and her organization's website.
    • Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
    Follow Us:
    • Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
    • Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
    • Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
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    1 hr
  • Engaging, Not Retreating with Lucy Plummer – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 224)

    Engaging, Not Retreating with Lucy Plummer – Walk Talk Listen (Episode 224)
    Jan 7 2026
    In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Lucy Plummer, a youth advocate, doctoral researcher, and UN representative with Soka Gakkai International reflects on a deeply personal journey—from seeking peace through retreat, to discovering that real transformation happens through engagement, responsibility, and relationship. Drawing on her experiences in India and her Buddhist practice, she shares how her understanding of happiness shifted from isolation to connection. Lucy speaks candidly about youth despair, mental health, and why engagement—especially at the local level—matters more than ever in a fragmented world. She explains how spaces for dialogue, such as SGI’s community discussion meetings, create belonging and restore dignity in everyday life. Her reflections bridge lived experience, spiritual practice, and policy advocacy, offering a grounded perspective on what it means to take responsibility for one’s life while walking alongside others. The conversation also explores the Inner Development Goals, youth participation in sustainable development, and the inner–outer dynamic of change. Lucy offers a compelling reminder that progress is not only technical or structural—but deeply human. This episode is an invitation to resist retreat, stay present, and choose engagement—even when the path feels uncertain. Listener Engagement:
    • Discover the songs picked by Lucy and other guests on our #walktalklisten here.
    • Learn more about Lucy via her LinkedIn, and the SGI's website and Instagram, Facebook.
    • Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
    Follow Us:
    • Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
    • Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
    • Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Crossing Thresholds: Restoring Balance — Indigenous Teachings on Land, Spirit & Responsibility with Lewis Cardinal (Episode 2)

    Crossing Thresholds: Restoring Balance — Indigenous Teachings on Land, Spirit & Responsibility with Lewis Cardinal (Episode 2)
    Dec 31 2025
    In this episode of a special series of the podcastWalk Talk Listen, Maurice Bloem is joined by Lewis Cardinal, an Indigenous leader, teacher, and bridge-builder whose work centers on relationship—to land, to spirit, and to one another. This conversation is part of Crossing Thresholds: Religion, Resilience & Climate Migration, a special series that brings research on climate, faith, and human mobility into dialogue with lived wisdom from communities on the frontlines. While rooted in evidence, the series remains true to the spirit of Walk Talk Listen: creating space for connection and for leaders who are working—often quietly and patiently—to make the world more just, more sustainable, step by step. Lewis reflects on how climate change is experienced not only as environmental disruption, but as a disturbance of balance that is deeply cultural and spiritual. He speaks about the disappearance of lakes, shifting patterns of water, and what it means for Indigenous communities when land that carries memory, ceremony, and identity is under threat. Throughout the conversation, Lewis returns to the role of ceremony—not as something symbolic or abstract, but as a practical and spiritual response to imbalance. Ceremony, he explains, helps communities remember who they are, how they belong to the land, and how relationships can be restored even in times of great disruption. At the heart of Lewis’s reflections is a worldview grounded in relationship: resilience not as infrastructure or technology, but as connection—built over generations, rooted in responsibility, kinship, and care. His insights echo a core finding of the Climate, Faith & Migration research: that communities are already responding with deep wisdom, long before global systems take notice. This episode invites listeners to slow down, listen carefully, and reconsider what resilience really means in a changing climate. For the full report of this research check this link. Listener Engagement:
    • Learn more about Lewis via his LinkedIn, and his organization's website.
    • Share your feedback on this episode through our Walk Talk Listen Feedback link – your thoughts matter!
    Follow Us:
    • Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
    • Visit 100mile.org or mauricebloem.com for more episodes and information about our work.
    • Check out the special series "Enough for All" and learn more about the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).
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    57 mins