Best The Polis Project Podcasts (2025)

1
Be like Water: Becoming Nature Again with the River Dôn Project and Jonny Douglas 1:29:30

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5h ago1:29:30

1:29:30

Water is our lifeblood and Clean Water (along with Clean Air and Clean Soil) is one of our core Three Asks, the non-negotiable baselines that underpin a flourishing future for people and life on our planet. Getting there, means everyone beginning to care at a bone-deep level, way beneath our conscious minds and having a sense of how we might get th…

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People's Charter for People Power - with Katy Rubin and Oli Whittington of Our House 1:18:13

7d ago1:18:13

1:18:13

We know that our 'democracy' is, in fact, a kleptocracy that is not fit for purpose IF that purpose is the continuation of complex life on earth. The sociopaths who have stolen control show no signs of shifting to something that works, so it's way past time that ordinary people across all walks of life embraced the tools of participatory democracy …

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#197 Doing More with Less with Dr Ed Poliness 27:17

10d ago27:17

27:17

In a time when lettuce costs are skyrocketing and healthcare access is slipping out of reach for many, how can GPs continue to deliver excellent care with dwindling resources? In this compelling conversation, Dr. Rob Park speaks with Dr. Edmund Poliness — medical director of Wathaurong Aboriginal Medical Service and GP at The Living Room in Melbour…

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Dancing the Path of the Inner Warrior with Diarmuid Lyng of Wild Irish Retreats 1:24:44

14d ago1:24:44

1:24:44

We're on the edge of a cliff and the way out is through - through the obfuscations and extractive values and downright lies of predatory capitalism. Through to authenticity, and integrity and finding language for how we can be who we really are, what our souls yearn to be. And that language is not always English. This week's guest, Diarmuid Lyng, s…

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#196 Cultural Conversations and the Water Well Project with Dr Linny Phuong 27:43

21d ago27:43

27:43

How do you explain a blood test, a referral, or even shared decision-making when the entire healthcare system is foreign to your patient? In this deeply thoughtful and practical episode, Dr. Linny Phuong, paediatric infectious diseases physician and founder of the award-winning Water Well Project, joins Dr. Rob Park to explore how we as clinicians …

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Still In the Eye of the Storm: Finding Calm and Stable Roots with Dan McTiernan of Being EarthBound 1:20:10

21d ago1:20:10

1:20:10

Our priority now is to find -and then embody - a sense of grounded stability, a sense of safety, a sense of embodied connection to the Web of Life... This is the single most important thing we can be doing to create a world we'd want to leave behind, and this week's guest, Dan McTiernan, is one of those who is leading courses, trainings and embodie…

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Sit with the River, Breathe Sacred Smoke, Love with the World: Building a Bioregional world with Joe Brewer 1:21:01

28d ago1:21:01

1:21:01

How can Bioregionalism supplant the nation state as the natural unit of civilisation? Joe Brewer is living, breathing and teaching the ways we can work together with each other and the natural flows of water and life. We know that the current paradigm is breaking apart in real time, but how do we become the light that shines through the cracks? How…

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Solstice Meditation 2025 - Sun Stands Still - by Manda Scott 22:42

1M ago22:42

22:42

Here is a meditation for the Solstice – the moment when the sun stands still. It is suitable for Summer and Winter solstice. You don't have to do this at the exact moment of stillness: it’s the connection that counts, the marking of the turning point from days lengthening to shortening (or vice versa if you’re in the southern hemisphere). This is a…

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Thoughts from the Solstice Edge: Turning the Page on a Dying System with Manda Scott 27:00

1M ago27:00

27:00

As we head into the solstice- that moment when the sun stands still—whether you're in the northern hemisphere where we have the longest day, or the southern, where it's the longest night—this solstice feels like a moment of transformation. The world is turning over, turning a page. The old system is visibly—palpably—breaking apart. A new system wil…

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#195 Trauma-Informed Primary Care and Sense of Safety with Dr Johanna Lynch 1:11:28

1M ago1:11:28

1:11:28

Host Dr Sam Manger is joined by Dr Johanna Lynch, an Australian General Practitioner who has spent the last 15 years working as a psychotherapist with adult survivors of childhood trauma and neglect. She founded a transdisciplinary trauma-informed clinic in Brisbane named Integrate Place which operated from 2009-2013 offering psychology, social wor…

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Falling in Love with the Future - with author, musician, podcaster and futurenaut, Rob Hopkins 1:18:42

1M ago1:18:42

1:18:42

Our guest this week, Rob Hopkins, is a towering figure in the world of regenerative change. Co-founder of Transition Network and of Transition Town Totnes, he is host of the podcast 'From What if to What Next', stars in the groundbreaking French film 'Demain', speaks at TED Global and TEDx events and most recently, has created a collaborative music…

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ReWilding our Water: From Rain to River to Sewer and back with Tim Smedley, author of The Last Drop 1:34:05

1M ago1:34:05

1:34:05

If you listen to this podcast for any length of time, you'll know that I believe the way forward is predicated on our finding shared values—I'd go for integrity, compassion, courage and generosity of spirit as the baselines—and then a suite of clear asks in the outer world and needs in the inner world. In logistical terms, at an absolute baseline, …

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#194 Antibiotic Therapeutic Guidelines Update with Dr Geoffrey Spurling 37:11

1M ago37:11

37:11

Host Dr. Rob Park joins forces with the ever-curious Dr. Geoffrey Spurling to unpack the most important updates from the recent Therapeutic Guideline on Antibiotics. Think doxycycline for kids (yes, really), a new first-line antibiotic for UTIs (if they’re even needed?!), and why you might need to start counting impetigo sores. Therapeutic Guidelin…

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This is how we build the future: Teaching Regenerative Economics at all levels with Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann 1:20:48

2M ago1:20:48

1:20:48

How do we let go of the sense of scarcity, separation and powerlessness that defines the ways we live, care and do business together? How can we best equip our young people for the world that is coming - which is so, so different from the future we grew up believing was possible? This week's guest, Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann is an educator, rege…

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Brilliant Minds: BONUS podcast with Kate Raworth, Indy Johar & James Lock at the Festival of Debate 1:53:10

2M ago1:53:10

1:53:10

We are honoured to bring to Accidental Gods, a recording of three of our generation's leading thinkers in conversation at the Festival of Debate in Sheffield, hosted by Opus. This is an unflinching conversation, but it's absolutely at the cutting edge of imagineering: this lays out where we're at and what we need to do, but it also gives us roadmap…

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#193 Answering Challenging Questions and the Media with Dr Michael Bonning 35:20

2M ago35:20

35:20

In his inaugural episode, host Dr Rob Park is joined by Dr Michael Bonning, GP, past NSW AMA President, media spokesperson and advocate to explore how we can answer difficult questions in the media with clarity, confidence, and care. From TikTok trends to political hot potatoes, today’s patients are more curious—and sometimes more confused by the v…

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Farm as Church, Land as Lover: Community. farming and food with Abel Pearson of Glasbren 1:16:50

2M ago1:16:50

1:16:50

We all know the future rests upon us building heart-grounded, spirit-led communities that link humanity to the Web of Life. We know that the key to this is building reciprocal relationships with our food and the land from which it comes. Doing this is…harder. So this week, we're speaking with Abel Pearson of Glasbren. Abel is a friend of the podcas…

1
Why Celebrity Algorithms are Destroying You 39:29

2M ago39:29

39:29

The hosts take a critical look at the algorithms ruling our lives on social media and beyond, with a warning to divest from celebrity content and culture that permeates the news cycle, politics, and more. Whereas the early Facebook and Instagram eras were known for curated and bespoke feeds that were personally made for you, social media has largel…

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Working from the Inside Out: Paths to Personal and Global Transformation with Renée Lertzman 1:09:54

2M ago1:09:54

1:09:54

We've known for decades that the 'Yell, Tell and Sell' strategy of belittling people, endeavouring to cajole—or shame—them into some kind of change doesn't work - in fact it can't work. It's not how we're wired. Cognitive neuroscience has been telling us this for decades but it's only recently that people have begun to listen. One of those who has …

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The Others Within Us: Meeting our Spirit Guides and other entities with Bob Falconer 1:11:31

2M ago1:11:31

1:11:31

Our world is more magical than we know - more than we can know. Increasing numbers of us are realising that the 'citadel theory of mind' where we see ourselves as isolated units within the boundaries of our own skulls is not how the world works. But if it isn't, then how do we make sense of the worlds beyond consensus reality? How do we engage with…

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Radical Change: Building a Parallel Economy with Peter Kemp of Citizen Coin 1:20:14

3M ago1:20:14

1:20:14

We are living through a time between stories—where the old economic narratives of scarcity, extraction, and separation are crumbling, and a new one is seeking to be born. At the heart of this transition is the question: What do we truly value, and how do we express that value in ways that nourish life? Imagine a society where every act of care, con…

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The Screen, the Stadium & the State: Bollywood Comes out to Play 31:57

3M ago31:57

31:57

The hosts take a sharp, playful, and unflinching look at Bollywood’s obsession with sports films and the not-so-subtle nationalism embedded within them. From Lagaan to Chak De! India to 83, they explore why India’s sports biopic industry has exploded in the past 15 years, and how these films turn real-life athletic struggles into patriotic spectacl…

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Beyond Zero Sum: Rehumanising our Conflicts with Carm Aufderheide of NorthStar Training Solutions 1:35:41

3M ago1:35:41

1:35:41

All flourishing is mutual, that's a given. And yet the schisms in our culture, the tribal divides and limbic hijack seem to grow deeper and more powerful by the day. It doesn't have to be like this. We do have the tools of connection, of genuine listening, of offering trust to gain trust and offering respect to gain respect, we just need to know ho…

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Red Pill/Blue Pill, Green Pill/True Pill – Creating a Media Commons with Debs Grayson of Opus Independents 1:24:28

3M ago1:24:28

1:24:28

Our legacy - or status quo - media is owned and run by billionaires for billionaires and the stories they promote are the ones that will keep us all in line. How do we shift the global narrative towards a future of mutual flourishing? It is axiomatic of this podcast that stories – the good and the bad – are what got us to where we are. We are a sto…

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Indian Cinema and Censorship: Featuring Anna M.M. Vetticad 43:21

3M ago43:21

43:21

The hosts are joined by award-winning film critic and journalist Anna M.M. Vetticad for a conversation on the state of Indian cinema under Modi-era censorship. A veteran of over 30 years in journalism, Anna brings her incisive political analysis and deep knowledge of film culture to this episode — exposing how India’s cinematic landscape has become…

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#192 Primary Care to Disadvantaged Communities with Dr Tim Senior 1:00:44

3M ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Dr Tim Senior has worked as a GP at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation, the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service in Campbelltown, South-West Sydney for the last 18 years. Prior to this he has worked in Central Australia, the Torres Strait and the UK, each time in low-income communities. Tim combines his clinical work with work as the Medical…

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How to Save the World - tipping points of social diffusion with Katie Patrick of Hello World Labs 1:18:42

3M ago1:18:42

1:18:42

'If you're not changing the numbers, you're not changing the world.' So says this week's guest, Katie Patrick. Katie Patrick is a Silicon Valley based environmental engineer, climate action designer, and author of How to Save the World: How to Make Changing the World the Greatest Game We've Ever Played, now taught in Harvard University’s graduate p…

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Bonus: Thoughts from the Edge - If the current system is not fit for purpose, what's our core response? 35:02

3M ago35:02

35:02

Suppose we accept that the current system is not broken - it is doing what it was always designed to do - which is to shovel wealth and power from the many to the few at a human scale and from the more-than-human world to the industrial/technical maw of predatory capitalism at an ecological scale. This is a death cult and it is in its death throes,…

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Visa and Border Regimes: Featuring Tanvi Misra 48:13

4M ago48:13

48:13

As the crackdown on immigration and violent deportations explode across the US, Suchitra, Bhakti, and Madhuri are joined by journalist Tanvi Misra to peel back the bureaucratic spectacle of American border regimes. The conversation takes a deeper look at how legal status — once seen as a form of protection — is increasingly weaponised by the state …

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Wellbeing: It’s about wholeness, not happiness - with Dr Mark Fabian, author of Beyond Happy 1:48:00

4M ago1:48:00

1:48:00

We grow up thinking we want to be happy (or at least, not-sad). But happiness isn't enough. What we need is wellbeing, and as Dr Mark Fabian quotes in the dedication to his book, Beyond Happy, "Wellbeing is about wholeness, not happiness, and wholeness is so much more demanding than happiness.' So what is wholeness, and what does it demand of us? A…

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If Op-Eds Could Kill 33:36

4M ago33:36

33:36

The hosts turn their lens on the insidious, galvanizing power of the opinion column. The hosts dissect how elite liberal media platforms like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal have weaponized their op-ed pages to manufacture consent, launder imperialist narratives, and maintain the myth of expert cre…

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A Longing for Belonging: Shifting the Cultural Paradigm with Looby Macnamara and Leona Johnson 1:23:58

4M ago1:23:58

1:23:58

If we are in the midst of the Great Derangement (thank you Amitav Ghosh), what tools do we have to help us shape a system that is actually fit for purpose? Who are our elders and what can they teach us? How do we learn to listen to our heart's (and hearts') desire and shape the communities of place, passion and purpose that will allow us to emerge …

1
Refaat Did Not Die, He Multiplied! Featuring Yousef Aljamal 43:53

4M ago43:53

43:53

The hosts invite writer, editor, and translator Yousef Aljamal for a moving and intimate conversation that honours the life, work, and enduring legacy of the late Refaat Alareer — Palestinian writer, poet, professor, and beloved mentor assassinated by Israel in December 2023. Yousef was Refaat’s student, collaborator, and close friend. Yousef assem…

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Now Then! Building networks of citizen power with James Lock of Opus in Sheffield 1:14:32

4M ago1:14:32

1:14:32

We all know the current system of predatory capitalism is not fit for purpose. We don't (yet) all agree on how to fix it, but for sure, no problem is solved from the mindset that created it. So how do we begin to compost the debris of the failing system to grow something constructive, generative, connected communities that can act as a bridge from …

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Be More Hawk! Being the courage to follow what's right with Rachel Musson of ThoughtBox Education 1:13:58

4M ago1:13:58

1:13:58

The old systems are no longer fit for purpose. What does an education system look like that's fit for the twenty-first century - where we put self care, people care, earth care at the heart of what we do? This week's guest, Rachel Musson, has made it her life's work to fashion ways of learning for all ages that put this Triple Wellbeing principle i…

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The War on Student Protest 36:14

4M ago36:14

36:14

The podcasts takes on the alarming escalation of state repression against pro-Palestinian student protesters in the U.S. The episode unpacks how legal frameworks, university complicity, and media narratives have converged to criminalize dissent on campus. From ICE raids to administrative gag orders, they break down how universities have transformed…

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Miraculous Carbon: Celebrating the Book of Life, Death and Potential with author Paul Hawken 1:22:37

4M ago1:22:37

1:22:37

How do we step past the magical thinking of the elites that says we can either use AI to 'Solve for Climate' - or just ignore the entire climate and ecological emergency completely? This week's guest, Paul Hawken, has been at the forefront of intelligent responses to the entire meta-crisis for decades. He has been profiled or written in hundreds of…

1
Make Indian American Women Brown Again 37:21

5M ago37:21

37:21

The hosts take a sharp, witty, and incisive look at the identity crisis of Indian American women in the public eye. From Kamala Harris to Mindy Kaling to Usha Vance, the hosts ask: why is the dominant representation of the Indian American woman so adjacent to whiteness? Why does she either perform hyper-assimilation or lean into fetishised exoticis…