Humankind on Public Radio

David Freudberg

In times of fast-paced change and challenge, how do we hold onto our humanity? Each week, public radio's award-winning Humankind presents the stories of doers and dreamers who strive to make our planet a more humane and livable place. Through David Freudberg's moving documentaries and dialogues, we hear the voices of forward thinkers, peacemakers, health and education leaders, practitioners of spirituality and simplicity, environmental champions, and many others. For more: humanmedia.org. **Podcast does not correspond to public radio schedule.

  • Teaching Nonviolence, Pt 1

    In a world of too much violent conflict, this documentary asks: Can the traits of peacemaking be taught to young people in schools? Examining this imperative question are some of America’s most innovative leaders in the field of conflict resolution education and peace studies.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    29 January 2026, 8:01 am
  • Giving Voice to Youth

    Barbara Cervone, a lifelong educator who started a network of small schools and later became a grantmaker involved in investing hundreds of millions of dollars in public schools, undertook a new venture in 2001. She founded What Kids Can Do as a national effort to amplify the voices of young people.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    22 January 2026, 8:01 am
  • Eric Foner – Justice Denied, Pt2_26

    Pulitzer Prize-winning Lincoln historian Eric Foner chronicles the Dred Scott decision (often derided as the Supreme Court’s worst ruling), which held that black people have “no rights” and aggravated tensions between north and south, setting the stage for the bloody Civil War.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    15 January 2026, 8:01 am
  • Serving the Whole Patient

    In this segment, we hear the stories of two contemporary hospital social workers who describe encounters with patients looking for a way to explore important life questions that can arise in times of challenge.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    8 January 2026, 8:01 am
  • Digital Sabbath with Bill Powers

    William Powers, author of “Hamlet’s Blackberry,” describes the dilemma of being addicted to information technology, and how he and his family committed to regular time free of technological intrusions.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    1 January 2026, 8:01 am
  • Unconditional Love: North Carolina Hospice

    Exploring a fascinating philosophy of community and spiritual service, this documentary visits a hospice where all staff are volunteers and all patients receive care free of charge.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    25 December 2025, 8:01 am
  • 29 minutes 13 seconds
    Janet Connors

    A mother in Boston, who faced the horrific news that her 19-year-old son was murdered in a home invasion, preaches forgiveness with accountability, as a way to heal her own pain as well as society’s dysfunction.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    18 December 2025, 8:01 am
  • Deep Listening

    When we’re in a disagreement, it’s sometimes hard simply to listen to the other person. The emotional temperature may be high and we can shut down in a defensive posture. But skillful listening is a core practice of conflict resolution and, potentially, a doorway to improved relations, greater self-understanding, and personal growth.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    10 December 2025, 6:39 am
  • 29 minutes 11 seconds
    Holistic Nurses

    We hear from a variety of nurses about the stresses they face in today’s fast-paced medical setting—and how they struggle to find the time needed to treat the whole person.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    5 December 2025, 1:20 am
  • 29 minutes 23 seconds
    Haley House – Kathy McKenna

    Haley House was established in 1966 to shelter and serve unhoused people in Boston. Co-founder Kathy McKenna reflects on the line between helping people in need and becoming an “enabler” of people who don’t want to improve.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    28 November 2025, 2:50 am
  • 28 minutes 46 seconds
    Helen Keller – An Optimist in Spite of All, Pt1

    Helen Keller—subject of this audio biography—surmounted both deafness and blindness by learning to communicate with great eloquence, and became an unlikely world superstar.

    To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are  heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

    20 November 2025, 8:01 am
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