Finding Humanity

This is Part 2 of a two-part episode on extremism.

Jesse Morton was a drug-dealing groupie when he became fascinated with Islam — and converted to it. But, it wasn’t until the U.S. waged the ‘War on Terror’ after 9/11 when Jesse embraced a Salafi-jihadi ideology, an approach to jihadism also taken by groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

In this episode, we take a look inside the life of a reformed Muslim extremist. Here, Jesse shares how he leveraged new technologies to grow ‘Revolution Muslim’, a New York-based jihadist organization that was connected to a number of terrorism cases. On the show, we also talk about individual characteristics that make a person susceptible to recruitment, how kindness can lead to an extremist’s deradicalization, and what each of us can do to fight extremism.

Featuring policy and advocacy insights from experts: Naureen Chowdhury Fink, Executive Director at The Soufan Center; and Jason Blazakis, Professor of Practice, Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies and Director of Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

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Finding Humanity is a production of Humanity Lab Foundation and Hueman Group Media.

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For more information, visit findinghumanitypodcast.com.

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Can businesses help solve the greatest societal challenges we face?

Historically, the business sector has accelerated social inequity, fueled human rights violations, and exacerbated climate change. With a global cultural shift underway, are businesses truly evolving from contributors to humanity’s biggest problems to drivers of positive change?

In this special series from Finding Humanity, we’ve partnered with B Lab to bring you honest conversations with leaders and policy experts who examine the role of the business community in addressing today’s pivotal challenges—from uplifting marginalized communities through Open Hiring®, to reducing the environmental damage of consumer products, to ending food waste that can alleviate the hunger of more than 820 million people.

Finding Humanity is a production of the Humanity Lab Foundation and Hueman Group Media. This special series is created in partnership with B Lab, the nonprofit behind the B Corp movement.

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Finding Humanity is a production of Humanity Lab Foundation and Hueman Group Media.

Subscribe, rate and leave us a review.

For more information, visit findinghumanitypodcast.com.

Follow us on Twitter @find_humanity and Facebook.

Male athletes in most sports make significantly more than female athletes. One of the reasons for this pay gap is that men’s sports receive vastly more media coverage, television licenses, and sponsorship deals. However, even in cases where women’s sports are as popular, we have been slow to achieve equal pay.

In this episode, we hear from former basketball player Tajay Ashmeade about the ways in which her gender impacted her career. We examine the reasons behind the gender pay gap, highlight the progress achieved so far, and outline a way forward.

Featuring Tajay Ashmeade, CEO of Nurture SPRT and Dr. Richard Lapchick, Director, Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida in conversation with Hazami Barmada, Activist & Founder of the Humanity Lab Foundation.

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Finding Humanity is a production of Humanity Lab Foundation and Hueman Group Media.

Subscribe, rate, and leave us a review.

For more information, visit findinghumanitypodcast.com.

Follow us on Twitter @find_humanity and Facebook.

From picking a new name to burning her belongings and spying on new members, Dr. Janja Lalich did not foresee how her life would dramatically change as a budding feminist in the 70s. Like many others, the Democratic Workers Party, a cult she joined through a study group, first appealed to her political interests.

Alternative religions and occult groups have been present throughout modern history. While the number of people in cults globally is unknown, experts estimate that there are up to 10,000 cults in the United States. Even though most cults are religious, cult is a term that doesn’t refer to religion at all. In this episode, we break down what cults are and how prevalent they are in our societies? We’ll look at the dangers of cults and how they swell into large, powerful groups. Without physical restraint of freedom, how do cults trap their members with mental shackles, fear, and abuse, and more importantly, what are effective ways to help members exit a group and not feel traumatized when they start to live again in the outside world?

Featuring policy and advocacy insights from experts: Dr. Janja Lalich, Professor Emerita of Sociology, California State University Chico and Founder of Cult Research and Information Center, Dr. Steven Hassan, Founding Director of Freedom of Mind Resource Center, and Dr. Suzanne Newcombe, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at the Open University and Honorary Director of Inform, King's College London.

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Finding Humanity is a production of Humanity Lab Foundation and Hueman Group Media.

Subscribe, rate and leave us a review.

For more information, visit findinghumanitypodcast.com.

Follow us on Twitter @find_humanity and Facebook.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a harmful practice that transcends religion, geography and class, and is carried out as a way to control women’s sexuality. While studying at the University of Texas, Maryum Saifee heard about FGM for the first time — which soon unearthed a dark memory from her childhood.

According to the UN, gender-based violence is the most pervasive yet least visible human rights violation in the world. It is a global pandemic that affects 1 in 3 women in their lifetime.

More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to the harmful practice of FGM. This episode examines why FGM and other forms of gender-based violence are prevalent in societies. As a survivor, Maryum shares how cultural and religious norms allow perpetrators to go unpunished. We explore solutions to protect survivors and put an end to gender-based violence.

Featuring policy and advocacy insights from experts: Prof. Yakın Ertürk, former UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Natasha Latiff, Human Rights Lawyer at SAHR and Women for Justice Afghanistan.

The Elders Special Segment Guest: Graça Machel, Freedom Fighter, International Advocate for Women’s and Children’s Rights, and Founding Member of The Elders.

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This episode is made possible with the support of Vodafone Americas Foundation. To learn more about their programs and how you can support their network of partners, visit vodafone-us.com

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Finding Humanity is a production of Humanity Lab Foundation and Hueman Group Media.
Subscribe, rate, and leave us a review.
For more information, visit findinghumanitypodcast.com.
Follow us on Twitter @find_humanity and on Facebook @findinghumanitypod.