Best The Unexceptionals Podcasts (2025)

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005: India: Will the Largest Democracy in the World Survive Religious Nationalism? 1:21:13

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23d ago1:21:13

1:21:13

This episode of American Non-Exceptionalism delves into the rise of Hindu nationalism in India and its global impact, including its manifestations within the Indian diaspora in the United States. Hosts Matthew Taylor and Susie Hayward discuss the symbolism and controversy surrounding the use of a bulldozer in an India Day parade in New Jersey, high…

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008: Poland and Europe: Sacred Symbols, Righteous Resistance, Secular Movements 1:13:20

2d ago1:13:20

1:13:20

In this episode of American UnExceptionalism, we travel to Poland to explore how faith, nationalism, and LGBTQ+ resistance collide in one of Europe’s most religious countries. The story begins in 2019, when Polish activist Elżbieta Podleśna was arrested after distributing images of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa with a rainbow halo—a provocative …

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American UnExceptionalism: Resisting religious nationalism in Sri Lanka and Myanmar 1:04:24

4d ago1:04:24

1:04:24

This week we’re featuring an episode from American UnExceptionalism, a limited podcast series that examines the intersection of authoritarianism and religious fundamentalism around the world – looking for lessons that Americans can learn from to resist Christian nationalism and the threat it poses to our democracy. The series turns the idea of Amer…

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007: Turkey's Political Tension: Secularism, Islam, and Nationalism 1:15:33

9d ago1:15:33

1:15:33

In this compelling episode, we sit down with a Dr. S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana whose deep personal and scholarly ties to Turkey illuminate one of the most significant political transformations of the last century. Together, we trace Turkey’s journey from the final years of the Ottoman Empire to the creation of a modern, secular republic—and then to …

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006: Israel, Palestine, and Christian Zionism 1:10:37

17d ago1:10:37

1:10:37

In this episode, Matt and Susie unpack the complex interplay between US and Israeli politics, centered around two controversial projects: Project 2025 and Project Esther. The hosts discuss the origins and implications of these projects, which aim to reshape US governance and address antisemitism through controversial means. The conversation covers …

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The antidote to polarization may be hiding in plain sight 35:00

18d ago35:00

35:00

In the last decade, the field of peace-building has turned its eye toward the United States, as polarization has gotten worse, and political violence has increased. Our guest Peter T. Coleman is a part of that movement to bring peace-building or bridge-building to Americans. Coleman is a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University,…

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004: Sri Lanka and Myanmar: Gen Z Resisters, Rogue Monks, and the Power of Decentralized Protest 1:07:25

1M ago1:07:25

1:07:25

In this episode, the hosts delve into the recent political upheavals in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, focusing on the unique aspects of the resistance movements in each country. In order to break down the dimensions of these political movements, they welcome scholars David Moe (Yale) and Geethika Dharmasinghe (University of Toronto). The discussion emphas…

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Shining a light on veterans and their children 34:24

1M ago34:24

34:24

“ Military children serve alongside their parents, except they're invisible.” – Harold Kudler, M.D. Millions of American children have had parents serve in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other wars following September 11, 2001. This episode focuses on the wellbeing of those children, who tend to grow up fast. Susan Hackley is the director of the short docum…

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003: South Korea: K-Pop Demon Hunters IRL 1:12:16

1M ago1:12:16

1:12:16

South Korea is a nation that is deeply entwined with the United States. From the Korean War (which never technically ended) to Korean pop culture to the deep ties between Korean and American evangelical communities, what happens in the US affects South Korea and vice versa. But most Americans weren’t paying attention to the fact that Korean democra…

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002: Brazil: Twinsurrections 1:00:09

1M ago1:00:09

1:00:09

Our trip around the world begins in Brazil. The parallels between what’s happening in the US and what’s happening in Brazil are striking. In both places, you have powerful Christian movements that have become politically active over the last decade, aligning themselves with certain right-wing populist political figures and policy priorities that ha…

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How immigrant and ethnic news media are fighting disinformation 37:23

2M ago37:23

37:23

In our time when rumors and lies spread across the internet with lightning speed, journalists play a vital role in debunking misinformation and disinformation. Media outlets run by and for non-white audiences, while working under great financial pressure, occupy a special role in the information ecosystem. With immigrants and people of color so oft…

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001: It's Time to Leave American Exceptionalism Behind 31:12

2M ago31:12

31:12

Religious Nationalism is Global - So is the Resistance In this first episode, Dr. Matthew D. Taylor and the Rev. Susan Hayward make the case that we in America need to listen to and learn from those who’ve been resisting religious nationalist movements in other contexts. By showing humility, and leaving American exceptionalism behind, we will bette…

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Could Northern Ireland's lessons help shape the future of Israel, Gaza? 36:42

2M ago36:42

36:42

Our guest Megan K. Stack began a recent op-ed in the New York Times describing a contentious debate about anti-immigration riots in the Northern Ireland Assembly, “each speaker straining to upstage the last in outrage and fervor.” But unlike many opinion writers, she doesn’t go on to expound on the importance of civility in public discourse. Instea…

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Trailer 1:24

2M ago1:24

1:24

What can we Americans learn from others around the world about how to protect democracy when the stakes are high? Can we as Americans learn about how to challenge forms of religious nationalism and religious supremacy? What can we learn from Buddhists in Sri Lanka or Muslims in Turkey, or Christians in South Korea who have faced similar kinds of fo…

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How Viktor Orbán hacked Hungary’s Democracy 30:32

2M ago30:32

30:32

Since his election in 2010, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has transformed Hungary from a democracy into a quasi-authoritarian country. In Hungary today, elections, economic policies, and the media are warped to benefit Orbán and his conservative Fidesz Party. Orbán’s government, with its consolidation of executive power, Christian nationali…

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In Modi's India, journalists must fall in line or risk jail time 30:53

3M ago30:53

30:53

When we first read Suchitra Vijayan’s reporting on the media in India we were shocked to learn that much of the press in the world’s largest democracy, had fallen in line with Narendra Modi’s authoritarian agenda. Now it feels like a portent of what could happen in the United States. In India today, 75% or more of news organizations are now owned b…

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Far from Home: Human Library 38:44

3M ago38:44

38:44

This episode comes to us from independent journalist Scott Gurian. In the Nørrebro neighborhood of Copenhagen, there's a small building with a garden and wooden seats. At first glance, it looks like some sort of neighborhood cafe, but it's actually the Menneskebiblioteket or Human Library, where the "readers" and "books" are people having deeply pe…

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Peace photography: Healing through the lens 39:16

4M ago39:16

39:16

Peace negotiations and reconciliation processes can change the world – but they’re not much to look at. The shortage of compelling images is one of many challenges to making peace more tangible in our very visual world. But if we expand the concept of peace to include what peace actually means to people who have lived through conflict, then what pe…

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Want a less polarized society? Support local news 30:49

4M ago30:49

30:49

Think about the infrastructure that makes your community tick. Roads, schools, buses and trains, parks and playgrounds, the sewage treatment plant are probably the kind of things that first come to mind. But what about local news? Our guest this episode, journalism scholar Jennifer Henrichsen, says local newspapers, news webistes, and TV and radio…

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Can the Vatican Help Reframe the Narrative on Peace? 31:44

5M ago31:44

31:44

This podcast is a project of Making Peace Visible, is a small 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Somerville, Massachusetts. What we do is unique -- consistently analyzing how the media covers conflict, and amplifying stories of resolution and reconciliation that are often ignored by the mainstream media. In the month of July, we're working to …

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On the ground in Ukraine with Black Diplomats' Terrell Starr 34:31

5M ago34:31

34:31

This podcast is a project of Making Peace Visible, is a small 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Somerville, Massachusetts. What we do is unique -- consistently analyzing how the media covers conflict, and amplifying stories of resolution and reconciliation that are often ignored by the mainstream media. In the month of July, we're working to …

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Learning from Western news media's mistakes in Afghanistan 32:13

6M ago32:13

32:13

In hopes of learning from the past and In light of US missile strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and subsequent retaliation in an escalating regional conflict, we're revisiting one of our best episodes on how Western media covers war. Guest Bette Dam is a Dutch journalist who covered the war in Afghanistan for 15 years. She began her coverage in 2006…

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Unmasking American myths about war and the military 33:08

6M ago33:08

33:08

In the United States, about one sixth of the federal budget goes to defense. Why are many Americans so passive in the face of the massive expenditures for defense that crowd out spending on human needs like education, healthcare and infrastructure? Why does much of the media accept the status quo? And is all of this spending making Americans and th…

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The hidden science of us vs. them 34:57

7M ago34:57

34:57

“Humans are not rational beings with emotions. In fact, we're just the opposite. We're emotionally based beings who can only think rationally when we feel that our identities, as we see them, are understood and valued by others.” Those words from neuroscientist Bob Deutch triggered a lightbulb moment in the mind of Tim Phillips, a veteran peacebuil…

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Can democracy take us into the future? 31:44

7M ago31:44

31:44

Support for Donald Trump is slipping lately, at least in part because of the President’s violations of democratic rules and norms. In a New York Times/ Sienna College poll, a majority of respondents disapproved of Trump’s recent actions, including moves to eliminate government programs enacted by Congress, deport legal immigrants who have protested…

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In the Brazilian Amazon, environmental reporting is dangerous business 26:46

8M ago26:46

26:46

Brazil’s Arariboia Indigenous Territory is a green island that spans more than 413,000 hectares (1.02 million acres) in a sea of deforestation. Though the territory is protected by law, it’s become the site of incursions by loggers and cattle ranchers. In a five-year investigative series for the environmental news outlet Mongabay, reporter Karla Me…

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Disrupting Peace: How to be president if you don't have a military 25:33

8M ago25:33

25:33

What's it like to lead without a military? This episode, from our friends at Disrupting Peace, focuses on Costa Rica, and explores what happens when a country abolishes its military, Costa Rica’s approach to domestic security, and the ways that having a military can increase violence and instability in a country. Carlos Alvarado Quesada served as P…

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Journalism under authoritarianism: An indie reporter persists in Venezuela 36:17

9M ago36:17

36:17

Venezuela is a tough place to be a journalist. Our guest this episode, Tony Frangie Mawad wrote last year about the possibility of an opposition victory that would upend the regime of President Nicolás Maduro in the country's July elections. But even though the opposition candidate won the vote, Maduro held on to power, and this year has cracked do…

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What does ending mass incarceration have to do with peace? 34:57

9M ago34:57

34:57

After the end of the Cold War, many academics and policymakers believed that a global state of peace was achievable. People talked about a “peace dividend”: A long-term benefit. as budgets for military spending would be redirected to social programs or returned to citizens in the form of lower taxes. Our guest this episode, Bridget Conley, started …

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A nuanced conversation about USAID 33:10

9M ago33:10

33:10

When the Trump administration slashed the budget and suspended most of the staff of the United States Agency for International Development last month, their representatives said the agency was using taxpayer dollars to fund a radical, “woke” agenda around the world. Criticism coming from the Left since the founding of USAID in 1961 has characterize…

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"The Fight for Haiti" tells the story of a people's movement against corruption 28:16

10M ago28:16

28:16

Often the news covers crises without context. That's especially true when it comes to coverage of the Global South in international media. Our guest this episode, journalist and documentary filmmaker Etant Dupain, gives us a behind-the-headlines look at events in Haiti, his home country. Dupain says that the gangs who control much of the country no…

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Could the Israel/Hamas ceasefire lead to lasting peace? 34:10

10M ago34:10

34:10

Israel and Hamas are just over two weeks into a ceasefire agreement, after fifteen months of fighting. This is a paradoxical moment to talk about long term peace. The horrific October 7th attacks and the near - destruction of Gaza that followed, served to amplify already high levels of distrust, hate, and trauma. At the same time, the war has demon…

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Fact checking from your phone 24:04

11M ago24:04

24:04

Imagine you’re living through a crisis in your part of the world. It could be a natural disaster, a contentious election, or even a coup d’etat. Rumors are swirling on social media, on television, and even your family group chat. Events are unfolding rapidly, and you don’t know what to believe. What if, just by sending a text message, you could rea…

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A Syrian journalist in exile looks towards home 33:26

12M ago33:26

33:26

This is a pivotal moment in Syria, the abrupt end of a brutal dictatorship that killed and tortured thousands and terrorized Syrian society. The Assad regime also suppressed speech, and we’re now seeing a surge in independent reports on the news and social media. The big question is what happens next? And what does this change mean to the region? I…

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Have we lost the moral common ground? 35:22

12M ago35:22

35:22

Please consider supporting our work at the intersection of peace, conflict, and the media! Make a tax-deductible contribution today at makingpeacevisible.org. Thank you! When you look at the online reactions to major events, or watch news footage of political rallies, you might conclude that people on the political Left have a completely different …

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From Ukraine, war reporting that feels personal 32:56

1y ago32:56

32:56

Support this podcast with a tax-deductible donation. Photographer Anastasia Taylor-Lind and writer Alisa Sopova create intimate, accessible portraits of Ukrainian civilians living close to the frontlines of the Russian invasion. Sometimes their subjects are picnicking in a park or tending a garden. Other times, they’re repairing a ceiling damaged b…

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In America, a braver way to talk about politics 30:17

1y ago30:17

30:17

In the 2024 election, it was clearer than ever that Americans are “watching different movies,” as political analyst Van Jones put it. Essentially, we’re living inside different narratives that aren’t of our own making. During this campaign season more than ever before, the presidential and VP candidates appeared on sympathetic podcasts as a way to …

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Tired of polarization? Time to detox 32:50

1y ago32:50

32:50

If you’re listening to this podcast, you’re probably concerned by the level of polarization we’re seeing in societies around the world. We can point fingers at social media, the news media, political parties, fear mongering leaders, poor education, broken political systems… the list is long. The divides can seem so vast, the problems so huge. It’s …

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Rethinking international peacebuilding in Muslim countries 36:59

1y ago36:59

36:59

Our guest in this episode is a scholar and peacebuilder who knows the world of peacebuilding intimately, and offers a critique from the inside. Qamar-ul Huda is the author of Reenvisioning Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution in Islam, published in April 2024. He’s worked for major players like the US Institute of Peace and the UN Development Prog…

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Cross-border environmentalism in the Middle East 32:06

1y ago32:06

32:06

"Nature knows no political borders. " - David Lehrer On a small desert campus, students from Israel, Palestine, and other parts of the Middle East take classes in ecology, earth sciences and renewable energy. They also debate the hot button issues: history, politics, religion, war, occupation, terrorism, while learning to listen actively, and livin…

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Amidst war, a Palestinian nonviolence movement grows 39:08

1y ago39:08

39:08

Ali Abu Awwad is hard to summarize. He grew up with a mother in the PLO, and served jail time for his role in the resistance during the First Palestinian Intifada. In an Israeli prison, Ali learned the power of nonviolence when he and his mother went on hunger strike to see each other. After his brother was killed by Israeli soldiers, his family me…

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How do we make peacebuilding mainstream? 36:53

1+ y ago36:53

36:53

Most people feel that peacebuilding – resolving conflicts and decreasing violence – is a positive thing. But as we've said many times on this podcast, peacebuilding is virtually invisible in the world. Today’s guest, veteran mediator and peacebuilder Mark Gerzon, says to strengthen peace and reconciliation efforts, we need to make peacebuilding mai…

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John Marks, pioneering the use of media to promote peace 29:19

1+ y ago29:19

29:19

Social entrepreneurs are a unique breed of people, capable of conjuring up a vision, a new way of doing something, a solution to a problem; but they also have the skill and the determination to overcome all the obstacles to implement their vision. John Marks is a remarkable social entrepreneur who, with his wife Susan Collins Marks, built the large…

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Film as a catalyst for reconciliation in Sierra Leone 32:16

1+ y ago32:16

32:16

Imagine living next door to a person who murdered your father, raped your sister, or even killed your child. This was the case for many people in Sierra Leone who endured a brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002: the majority of the 50,000 who died were those killed by their own neighbors. While working with a program that facilitates ritual reconcilia…

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Designing tech for trust in a polarized world 35:07

1+ y ago35:07

35:07

On July 28, 2024, a teenage boy carried out a fatal stabbing attack on a dance class in Southport, England. Three little girls were killed, and eight other children and two adults were injured. Police arrested and detained the assailant. They didn't release his name, because he was under 18. A user on X posted that the suspect was a Muslim asylum s…

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From war reporter to peace journalist in Uganda 27:21

1+ y ago27:21

27:21

Gloria Laker Aciro was a teenager when war upended her family’s life in Northern Uganda. The Lord's Resistance Army, led by the infamous Joseph Kony, were known for their brutality, and for kidnapping children and making them child soldiers or child brides. As a young displaced person, Aciro became a journalist so the world would know about the suf…

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Elevating nonviolent narratives in Hollywood 30:51

1+ y ago30:51

30:51

Close your eyes and think of the word “war” or “gun violence.” What’s the first image that comes up? Maybe it’s news footage of the wars in Gaza or Ukraine. Or maybe it’s a scene from a movie like Hotel Rwanda or Bridge on the River Kwai, or a shoutout in any number of crime and cop dramas. Scripted storytelling, with its ability to get up close an…

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Can the UN 'save us from hell'? 30:27

1+ y ago30:27

30:27

“The United Nations was not created in order to deliver us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell.” - Dag Hammarskjöld. “To Save Us From Hell” is a new weekly news and analysis podcast about the UN. Mark Leon Goldberg, a veteran global affairs journalist and editor of the news outlets UN Dispatch and Global Dispatches, and Anjali Dayal, a pol…

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Democracy Works: Youth activism gets pragmatic 34:20

1+ y ago34:20

34:20

On February 14, 2018, a former student opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, with an assault rifle he’d purchased legally. Hiding in a janitor’s closet, David Hogg recorded his classmates on his phone. "I interviewed my classmates so that if we didn't make it out of there, hopefully our voices would carry on,” Ho…

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How do you measure peace? 27:38

1+ y ago27:38

27:38

How do you measure peace in a country? Do you look at the rates of violent crime? Assess the justice system? What about freedom of the press, the health of the economy, or general happiness? Today's guest, Steve Killelea, is the founder and Executive Chairman of the Institute for Economics and Peace, an internationally renowned think tank. Each yea…