Walk Talk Listen Podcast

In this episode of Crossing Thresholds, Maurice Bloem speaks with Binalakshmi Nepram, an Indigenous scholar, poet, and peacebuilder from Manipur in Northeast India. Bina’s life and work sit at the intersection of climate disruption, armed conflict, and Indigenous spirituality — a place where survival is not abstract, but lived every day.   Bina reflects on growing up in a deeply land-connected Ind...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Lucy Plummer, a youth advocate, doctoral researcher, and UN representative with Soka Gakkai International reflects on a deeply personal journey—from seeking peace through retreat, to discovering that real transformation happens through engagement, responsibility, and relationship. Drawing on her experiences in India and her Buddhist practice, she shares how her...

In this episode of a special series of the podcastWalk Talk Listen, Maurice Bloem is joined by Lewis Cardinal, an Indigenous leader, teacher, and bridge-builder whose work centers on relationship—to land, to spirit, and to one another.   This conversation is part of Crossing Thresholds: Religion, Resilience & Climate Migration, a special series that brings research on climate, faith, and human...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Maurice Bloem speaks with Brian Adams, who has spent nearly three decades building bridges of respect and understanding across more than 40 countries in Africa, Europe, North America, and the Asia–Pacific. Brian reflects on curiosity as a defining thread in his life — a habit of asking questions that began in childhood, often driving his mother to distraction,...

Welcome to Episode 1 of Crossing Thresholds: Religion, Resilience & Migration, a special mini-series of Walk Talk Listen produced by the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities (JLI). This series brings to life new research on climate change, faith, and human mobility from JLI’s recently published Climate, Faith & Migration report, developed in collaboration with Christi...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Maurice Bloem is joined by Lorenz Sell, co-founder of Sutra, for a reflective conversation about humility, receiving, and what it means to create spaces—both digital and human—where genuine connection can emerge.   Lorenz shares how experiences such as Burning Man became unexpected teachers in his life, challenging deeply ingrained habits of control, self-suffi...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Maurice Bloem speaks with Sara Rahim, a global interfaith practitioner and youth leader working at the intersection of belonging, inclusion, and social transformation. Sara is part of the Programming Team of ACWAY, supporting young leaders across regions who are building bridges across difference through interfaith cooperation and grassroots leadership. With a...

Benny Rietveld — bassist, composer, arranger, musical director for Santana, and former member of Miles Davis’ band — joins Walk Talk Listen for a deeply reflective, funny, and generous conversation about music, presence, heritage, and healing.   Born in Utrecht and raised in Honolulu, Benny grew up in a multicultural mix of Dutch-Indonesian roots, Hawaiian upbringing, family parties full of guitar...

Adam Nicholas Phillips is Chief Executive Officer of Interfaith America, the nation’s largest bridge-building organization working across campus, corporate, and civic settings. With two decades at the intersection of faith and public life, Adam previously served in the Biden–Harris Administration at USAID, where he led Faith-based and Localization efforts, shaped development policy, and supported...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, our guest is Sibu Szymanowska, a human rights advocate, entrepreneur, traveler, and global citizen with nearly two decades of experience living and working across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.   Sibu is the co-founder of The Hybrid Tours, a social enterprise that blends sustainable, intentional travel with storytelling to challenge stereotypes and foster real...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, host Maurice Bloem speaks with Åsa Jarskog, a key leader in the global Inner Development Goals (IDG) movement. Åsa has spent more than 35 years working in leadership, strategy, and sustainability across 67 countries — coaching executive teams, governments, development banks, and global organizations including IKEA, Ericsson, Lufthansa, Vodaphone, and the World...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, Hira Aftab — founder of Our World Too, a platform dedicated to re-humanizing narratives around refugees and displaced communities, and co-founder of The Hybrid Tours, a social enterprise blending travel and social impact, is our guest.   Hira reflects on her journey as a “third-culture kid” growing up between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, and how her live...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, host Maurice Bloem speaks with Sarah Rehman, Membership and Administrative Specialist for the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers. Holding four master’s degrees — in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Mediterranean Security, Theology, and Women’s and Gender Studies — Sarah combines intellectual depth with the compassion of a peacebuilder who has se...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, host Maurice Bloem talks with Fadi Daou, Executive Director of Globethics and one of today’s most thoughtful voices on ethics, spirituality, and leadership.   Fadi shares his journey from leading the Adyan Foundation to his current work promoting ethical governance and human fraternity. He speaks about what it means to act from conviction rather than ambition,...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, I speak with Drew Tucker, vibraphonist, educator, and Director of the Jazz Road program at South Arts. Known for his wit, creativity, and signature reminder that “It’s not a xylophone,” Drew has spent his career reshaping how people listen — not only to instruments, but to one another.   Drew shares stories of his early musical influences, his lifelong love of...

In this episode, Martha Middlemiss Lé Mon joins Maurice for a deep and thoughtful conversation about the intersections of faith, education, and human flourishing. Martha, a researcher and educator at Uppsala University’s Faculty of Theology, reflects on her work exploring how religious and worldview education can foster understanding, empathy, and coexistence in plural societies.   Together, they...

In this episode, Maria Lucia Uribe, Executive Director of Arigatou International, talks about the power of bringing children, youth, and communities together to foster peace, dignity, and justice. She reflects on how interfaith collaboration and dialogue help create safe, nurturing environments where children can thrive and be agents of positive change.   Maurice and Maria Lucia explore her work l...

In this episode, Liliya Khasanova shares her inspiring journey of empowering youth to become leaders in interfaith dialogue and global peacebuilding. From her work with A Common Word Among Youth (ACWAY) to her academic pursuits, Liliya speaks about the importance of giving young people the tools and confidence to navigate a world filled with complex challenges and divisions.   Maurice and Liliya e...

In this episode, Noor Rehman opens up about his journey from childhood experiences that shaped his deep commitment to protecting children, to his current role as Regional Coordinator for South Asia at the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities (JLI). Noor reflects on how growing up in an environment where discipline sometimes came through physical punishment sparked his lifelong...

Martine Miller takes us on a journey through two decades of working on the front lines of conflict in over 80 countries worldwide. From Libya and Sudan to Afghanistan and Myanmar, she has partnered with local communities, governments, and multilateral agencies to support early warning systems, negotiations, transitional justice, and post-war recovery. In this deeply human conversation, Martine sha...

Peter Yeboah is the Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), the largest and oldest non-state health actor in the country, responsible for nearly 30% of national health service delivery. With three decades of leadership across Ghana and Africa, he has become a key figure in advancing equitable, accessible, and community-centered health care. In this conversation, Pet...

Nayla Tabbara is a Lebanese scholar, activist, and co-founder of Adyan , an organization dedicated to promoting coexistence, diversity, and interreligious solidarity. With decades of experience in interfaith dialogue, citizenship education, and pluralism, Nayla has become a leading voice in bridging divides across communities. She currently serves as Adyan’s President and has been instrumental in...

This week’s Walk Talk Listen comes with a quick update. Due to my travels to South Africa for the G20 Interfaith Forum, the regular episode will be released on Friday morning instead of Wednesday. In this special intermezzo, I share my reflections from the forum in Cape Town, where over 400 participants gathered under the theme Ubuntu in Action – Focus on Vulnerable Communities. These impressions...

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, I’m joined by Dr. Sherrie Steiner, Associate Professor of Sociology at Purdue University Fort Wayne and historian for the G20 Interfaith Forum . Speaking with openness and candor, Sherrie takes us from her childhood in the California desert through the challenges that shaped her resilience, to her work today in environmental sociology, public health, and global...

In this heartfelt episode of Walk Talk Listen, Patrick Bell reflects on the journey that shaped his personal faith and professional calling. From formative moments in the UK—where a touring Christian band sparked his spiritual curiosity—to becoming a voice in global faith-based collaboration, Patrick’s story is rich with reflection, growth, and honesty.   We explore the tension between certainty a...