Generous Listener

What if every meal you ate was more than just food—it was a conversation with yourself, others, and the planet? In this episode of Generous Listener, filmmaker and food activist Jian Yi takes us on a journey from his childhood love of storytelling to reshaping global food systems. Discover how stories can inspire change, how food connects us to culture and sustainability, and why mindful listening...

How can food reshape the way we see the world? In this episode of Generous Listener, Merve Çağlar sits down with ⁠Cooking Sections⁠ , the visionary artist duo behind groundbreaking works like the " ⁠Climavore⁠ " project. Daniel Fernández Pascual and Alon Schwabe share how they use art to challenge industrialized food systems, highlight the importance of local ecologies, and inspire long-term behav...

What if art could help us rediscover how to listen—to ourselves, to others, and to nature?  In this episode of Generous Listener, visionary curator and art historian Chus Martínez shares her reflections on generosity, community, and the transformative power of art. Host Merve Çağlar dives into Chus’s unique approach to exhibition-making, which challenges hierarchies, fosters dialogue, and inspires...

In this episode of Generous Listener, curator, writer, and art professional Fatoş Üstek  takes us into the heart of the evolving art world. Drawing from her book  The Art Institution of Tomorrow , Fatoş explores the crises facing cultural spaces—from financial constraints to the pressures of populism—and challenges us to rethink the role of art institutions. Join host Merve Çağlar as they discuss...

What does it mean to listen with your whole being? In this episode of  Generous Listener , acclaimed photographer and visual storyteller Rena Effendi shares how she captures the unseen stories of humanity—from war zones to moments of quiet resilience. Join host Merve Çağlar as they explore how empathy and openness allow Rena to build trust across cultural and emotional divides. From photographing...

How will we live together? This was the guiding question behind architect and MIT Dean Hashim Sarkis ’s curation of the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale . In this episode of Generous Listener, Hashim reflects on how listening generously—to people, communities, and nature—can inspire spaces that promote equity, sustainability, and connection. Host Merve Çağlar explores Hashim’s groundbreaking proj...

What if journalism could inspire hope instead of despair? In this episode of Generous Listener, journalist and author David Bornstein , co-founder of the Solutions Journalism Network , shares how he’s reimagining journalism to focus not just on problems but on solutions. Through his groundbreaking work, David highlights stories of resilience, innovation, and what’s working in our world. Host Merve...

Healing expert and researcher Ehud joins Dr McKenzie to discuss how listening to himself led him to become a healing expert. Ehud explains why listening is necessary and how listening can help us to reach our full potential and heal the world. Plus, Ehud shares the listening methods he does to listen to himself.  

Philanthropist Peggy Dulany joins Dr McKenzie to talk about the role of listening in philanthropy. Peggy discusses with Dr McKenzie how listening could help us to have a better world, why she founded Synergos Institute and how Synergos Institute helps world leaders to listen generously. She also shares tips on how she strengthens her capacity to listen generously.

Artist and composer Tarek Atoui joins Dr McKenzie to talk about how he challenges our traditional ways of perceiving sound. During their talk, Tarek explains why he believes sound is a catalyst for human interaction and how current social and political realities are referred to in his work. He also shares the fundamental differences between how children and adults approach generous listening. 

Human rights and environmental activist Kumi Naidoo joins Dr McKenzie to talk about the role of listening in activism. During their talk, Kumi and Dr McKenzie discuss how and why Kumi choose this path of action, why we need to listen to nature to save it and how listening could empower the cause of human rights. Plus, he shares how meditation has been a transformative activity for him.  

Humanitarian and journalist Zainab talks with Dr McKenzie about how her childhood experiences led her to try to become a generous listener and become an activist. Through sharing her real-life stories, Zainab explains how she found the courage to listen to people who committed crimes and terror. Also, she talks about how listening not only can be vital for the women’s movement but also change the...

Josette Sheeran , President of Canoo and the former World Food Programme Director Ambassador, and Dr McKenzie join forces to talk about the role of listening in diplomacy. Josette talks about how she came to listen to her own voice, how she believes in the power of listening to communities to solve the current issues we are facing and how we can develop leaders that can make a change. Through shar...

William Ury , one of the world’s leading experts on negotiation and mediation, joins Dr McKenzie to talk about the role of listening in dealing with differences. During their talk, William and Dr McKenzie speak about how William’s childhood impacted him to search for better ways to deal with our differences and how listening is essential to transform conflict in a constructive way. Plus, he tells...

Vuslat , Vuslat Foundation 's founder, joins Dr McKenzie to talk about why we need generous listening and why she founded this foundation. Through explaining her journey in founding the Vuslat Foundation, Vuslat invites us to question why we need a new social contract in today's world and how generous listening can help us make a more significant impact.