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.

  • 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
  • 29 minutes 26 seconds
    Compassionate Friends

    Aiming to “transform the pain of grief into the elixir of hope,” a group called The Compassionate Friends, with more than 600 U.S. chapters, brings together parents who’ve suffered the loss of a child, to help them sort through complicated emotions among kindred spirits.

    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.

    13 November 2025, 8:01 am
  • 29 minutes 11 seconds
    Sobriety High School

    In this episode we visit William J Ostiguy High School. It is a learning facility designed to help kids with a history of substance abuse—who support each other in their quest to remain clean and sober.

    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.

     

    6 November 2025, 8:01 am
  • 29 minutes 37 seconds
    The Relaxation Response

    Harvard Medical School Professor Herbert Benson, MD pioneering work on the Relaxation Response has helped millions of people learn a simple meditative technique to reduce the harmful effects of stress.

    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.

    30 October 2025, 7:01 am
  • 31 minutes 40 seconds
    Faith and Social Justice, Pt2

    We profile Raphael Warnock, US senator from Georgia and also the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta — the congregation once led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. What sustains your faith in “shaky times”?

    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.

    27 October 2025, 7:01 am
  • 22 minutes 5 seconds
    Faith and Social Justice, Pt1

    Progressive voices of conscience have long arisen in faith communities. This Humankind documentary explores the spiritual impulse for social change.

    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.

    23 October 2025, 7:01 am
  • 29 minutes 26 seconds
    Power of Concentration with George Mumford

    George Mumford teaches top athletes the “superpowers” of mindfulness, concentration, insight, right effort and trust as techniques to strengthen performance and avoid the trap of spiritual demise.

    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.

    16 October 2025, 7:01 am
  • 22 minutes 49 seconds
    Aging in Community, Pt2

    For the first time in our history, there will be more older adults than children. This huge societal change will affect how families provide eldercare, how older Americans access transportation, and whether people can age in their own homes among neighbors they know — and avoid nursing facilities, where about 30% of Covid-19 deaths occurred. These shifts will accelerate a trend that began three decades ago with passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act: local communities are attempting to become more age-friendly. What changes will this mean for how families relate, how our streets and sidewalks are designed, how we use technology? On Aging in Community, a special project from Humankind public radio, you’ll hear stories of transition and dignity — and meet people who are showing the way.

    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.

    9 October 2025, 7:01 am
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