A brief historical and cultural recap of New Zealand for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this fascinating and unique country. For more resources and ad-free content, head to https://www.patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast

Special thanks to Larna Jensen-McCloy and Courtney McNaught for their contributions to this episode! Really appreciate you both.

Sources used in making this episode.

Transcript for this episode.

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Dr. Harini Bhat is a clinical pharmacist and storyteller obsessed with the moments in history that still can't be fully explained. Every week she investigates real events that defy easy explanation. Mass hysterias. Vanished civilizations. Medical oddities. Strange signals. Unexplained phenomena that keep repeating across centuries, as if history is trying to tell us something.

Hidden History doesn't dismiss ancient events as myth or superstition. It treats them as open case files, shaped by the limits of knowledge, technology, and record-keeping. Because the unknown isn't a failure of explanation. It's a constant in human experience, one that evolves, repeats, and sometimes deepens the more we learn.

Follow Hidden History with Dr. Harini Bhat now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or watch on YouTube @hiddenhistorypod. Listen here:  ⁠https://pod.link/1895066656

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A brief historical and cultural recap of Bhutan for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this fascinating and unique country. For additional resources, head to Patreon, where you get ad-free episodes and lots of ways to visualize this episode.

Special thanks to Kinley Dorji from Druk Asia and Chencho Lham from soultrips.co for their contribution to this episode! If you're interested in traveling to Bhutan, be sure to check out Druk Asia!

Sources used in making this episode.

Transcript for this episode.

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A brief historical and cultural recap of Hawai'i for travelers and non-travelers who want to learn more about this incredible place. For additional resources, head to Patreon.

*Corrections: Despite best efforts, I mispronounced some words in this episode and want to correct them here—most I did not pronounce the glottal stop that comes with the apostrophe: Kaho’olawe = Kah-ho-oh-la-vay; Moloka’i = Mo-lo-ka-ee; Lana’i = La-na-ee; ukulele = oo-koo-lay-lay; song=Mele; chant=oli pronounced oh-lee; Kalākaua = ka-lā-cow-ah (emphasis on lā); Liliʻuokalani=Lee-Lee-ooh-oh-ka-la-nee. My apologies. 

Sources used in making this episode. Special thanks for Rachel Cox for her assistance in research for this episode, the McQuiveys for insights, Malie and Cheryl Iwami-Benn for their audio additions, and Kailea for help with pronunciation. 

Transcript for this episode.

Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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In this episode, my guest, Shahnila Ahmad, explains the holy month of Dhul Hijjah and the holiday of Eid al-Adha to those who know little to nothing about it. You can also watch this conversation on Youtube.

About Shahnila: Shahnila Ahmad is a homeschool mom of four, parent mentor, and ICF-certified coach who is passionate about helping Muslim parents raise emotionally connected, resilient children. She is deeply interested in broadening education and historical narratives by uplifting diverse voices and minority perspectives, and encouraging a more thoughtful, multi-lens understanding of the world. In a time when societal values are constantly shifting, she is committed to staying rooted in the timeless principles of her faith, passing them forward in a way that cultivates justice, compassion, and goodness for all people. Through her platform @BraveMuslimParents, she supports families with practical, faith-centered guidance for intentional parenting.

Shahnila's Resources:

Eid Day

About Eid al-Adha

Explaining Eid al-Adha to non-Muslims

The Prophet's Last Sermon

Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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In this episode, I share my final reflections—what I have learned about peacemakers from the last year of studying peacemaking and learning from peacemakers. I share 8 qualities that I believe peacemakers have.

This is the final episode in this peacemaking series.

• Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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I'm excited to share a preview of a new podcast we think you’d enjoy: No Such Thing

No Such Thing is a show where three best friends and journalists settle their dumb arguments — and yours — by actually doing the research. Hosts Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph start each episode with an argument using just their gut feelings. Then they go out into the world, investigate, talk to experts, and conduct some experiments. Finally, the guys bring their findings back to the group to see if they can change minds, enlighten each other, and move past their emotional truths.Find No Such Thing on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. New episodes out Wednesdays

Listen here: No Such Thing

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In this episode, I interview Professor Brett Scharffs, the director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU. His extensive bio is found here. He joins the show fresh from speaking at the UN Human Rights Council — where he was invited to evaluate a landmark unanimous resolution on building cultures of peace. His central argument is that human dignity is the bedrock beneath all of it — the universal concept that makes human rights, religious freedom, and peaceful pluralism possible across wildly different cultures and ideologies. Brett is one of the most thoughtful guests we've ever had on the show, and I loved learning from him.

Transcript for this episode.

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Timestamps:

00:00 — Introduction: The UN resolution on cultures of peace and how Brett got involved

03:30 — How Brett's work in religious freedom led him to human dignity as a universal bridge-building concept

05:40 — Defining peacemaking — Brett's perspective alongside definitions from previous guests

07:49 — The UN Human Rights Council resolution on cultures of peace explained

10:31 — The Punta del Este Declaration, Eleanor Roosevelt, and how human dignity made the UDHR possible

23:33 — AI through the lens of human dignity: dignity-enhancing vs. dignity-degrading uses of technology

29:52 — The components of a culture of peace: virtues of the head, heart, and hand

42:01 — What kills cultures of peace — and the leaders who don't want it

53:37 — Why secular institutions overlook religious actors in peacemaking (and why that's a mistake)

1:04:11 — Brett's closing thoughts: none of us are powerless, and where his hope comes from

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Lebanon has been in the headlines for months — but the real story goes back 3,000 years. In less than an hour, get the context you've been missing: Phoenicians, civil war, Hezbollah, and how all of it leads to today.

This is a brief, approachable history of Lebanon for those who know little to nothing about it. Please keep in mind that this is not comprehensive, just a jumping off point for further learning.

• Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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Sources used in making this episode.

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What does negotiation have to do with peacemaking? Turns out, A LOT. Stan Christensen has spent decades negotiating in over 75 countries — between governments, ethnic groups, and armed factions — and he joins Wiser World to bring that hard-won wisdom down to earth. We talk about why conflict avoidance creates more conflict, how trust is built and broken, what skilled negotiators do differently, and why Stan believes there is no such thing as an intractable conflict. This one will change how you see every difficult conversation in your life.

Check out Stan's podcast "All Things Negotiation" to learn more about negotiation.

Transcript for this episode.

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 – Introduction & Stan's background
• 02:57 – What is negotiation, really?
• 04:10 – How negotiation and peacemaking differ
• 05:33 – Inside peace negotiations: what actually happens in the room
• 06:59 – What separates skilled negotiators from unskilled ones
• 09:27 – "Conflict avoidance leads to conflict"
• 10:20 – The key skills: curiosity, inquiry, and the orange story
• 14:41 – How trust is built (and broken)
• 17:32 – Why negotiation is never really a one-time thing
• 20:37 – How culture shapes negotiation (Colombia & France stories)
• 32:27 – The power of questioning your own assumptions
• 35:52 – There is no such thing as an intractable conflict
• 37:41 – The Peru-Ecuador story: finding common ground
• 40:50 – A seven-element framework for preparing to negotiate
• 44:56 – Reframing conflict as "creative problem solving"
• 48:41 – Negotiating with someone who has more power than you
• 53:04 – The role of emotion in conflict resolution
• 55:35 – "Go to the balcony": how to avoid getting emotionally hijacked
• 59:19 – Why we all under-apologize — and why it matters
• 1:02:25 – Apology at the macro level: why politicians won't do it
• 1:05:35 – What gives Stan hope
• 1:07:21 – Stan's one takeaway for listeners

For Wiser World:

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Today we explore the stories of five MORE impactful peacemakers throughout the world: Wangari Maathai, José Ramos-Horta, Mohandas Gandhi, Rigoberta Menchú, and Mairead Corrigan. Their stories are inspiring and very human, and I hope you enjoy learning about them as much as I did.

• Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
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