David FriedlandAre you wanting to learn more about civil society ? Well you’ve come to the right place. This is a curated list of the best civil society podcasts of 2021.
We have selected these podcasts for a variety of reasons, but they are all well worth a listen. We tried to select a variety of podcasts across the spectrum from hosts with a wide breadth of experience.
We are always keen to hear your feedback, if we have missed a podcast, tweet us @MagazineWelp and we will check it out!
Best Civil Society Podcasts 2021
With thanks to ListenNotes, Crunchbase, SemRush and Ahrefs for providing the data to create and rank these podcasts.
Columbia Energy Exchange
- Publisher: ColumbiaUEnergy
- Total Episodes: 132
Columbia Energy Exchange features in-depth conversations with the world’s top energy and climate leaders from government, business, academia and civil society. The program explores today’s most pressing opportunities and challenges across energy sources, financial markets, geopolitics and climate change as well as their implications for both the U.S. and the world.
Giving Thought
- Publisher: Giving Thought
- Total Episodes: 118
This is the podcast from CAF’s think tank Giving Thought, where we look at big issues, themes and news stories that relate to philanthropy and the work of civil society. Our host, Rhodri Davies, leads you through a wide range of fascinating topics, and also speaks to great guests who bring their own insight and expertise on civil society issues. For more in depth content from Giving Thought, please visit https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/blog-home/giving-thought
Givers, Doers, & Thinkers—A Podcast on Philanthropy and Civil Society
- Publisher: Jeremy Beer
- Total Episodes: 21
Givers, Doers, and Thinkers introduces listeners to the fascinating people and important ideas at the heart of American civil society. We speak with philanthropists, foundation leaders, reformers, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit executives, religious believers, historians, sociologists, philosophers, journalists, and anyone else who will help us understand contemporary civil society’s achievements and failures. We also sprinkle in practical advice for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers. This is the podcast for anyone interested in that vital space where philanthropy and civil society intersect.
Inclusive Education Project Podcast
- Publisher: Amanda Selogie and Vickie Brett: Special Education and Civil Rights Attorne
- Total Episodes: 173
Disability rights is the next frontier in civil rights. We believe education is the key to building an inclusive society and ensuring that all students are given an equal opportunity. The Inclusive Education Project Podcast, hosted by Special Education and Civil Rights attorneys, Amanda Selogie and Vickie Brett, offers a fresh, smart perspective on what it takes to truly make our educational systems and communities inclusive. Tune in each week as Amanda and Vickie share insight on topics ranging from education reform to advocating for equal rights for all students, and participating in modern activism. This show will also offer user-friendly resources to help you and your family navigate the educational playing field.
On the Cusp
- Publisher: Elisabeth Braw
- Total Episodes: 30
Elisabeth Braw, scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, presents ‘On the Cusp’ which focuses on how governments, business and civil society can work together to strengthen countries’ defence against existing and emerging threats. Each episode she interviews a guest who is a leader in their respective field.
Pricing Nature
- Publisher: Yale Center for Business and the Environment, and Yale Carbon Charge
- Total Episodes: 8
Pricing Nature is a limited-series podcast from the Yale Center for Business and the Environment and the Yale Carbon Charge. It tells a story about the economics, politics, and history of carbon pricing, which many argue should play a critical role in any national climate policy. We feature conversations with carbon pricing experts from government, academia, and civil society. Join us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else you listen. To learn more, visit our website, pricingnature.substack.com.
The Venezuela Briefing
- Publisher: WOLA
- Total Episodes: 7
The Venezuela Briefing podcast, hosted by the Venezuela program at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), is a regular source of analysis on Venezuela’s crisis. WOLA’s experts will guide listeners through engaging discussions about the crisis, highlighting the efforts of civil society actors and policymakers on the ground working to chart a new path forward. Hosted by Geoff Ramsey and Kristen Martinez-Gugerli. For more information on WOLA’s work on Venezuela, visit WOLA’s Venezuelan Politics and Human Rights Blog at www.venezuelablog.org
NCUSCR Events
- Publisher: National Committee on U.S.-China Relations
- Total Episodes: 227
The National Committee on United States-China Relations is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization that encourages understanding and cooperation between the United States and Greater China in the belief that sound and productive Sino-American relations serve vital American and world interests. With over four decades of experience developing innovative programs at the forefront of U.S.–China relations, the National Committee focuses its exchange, educational and policy activities on politics and security, education, governance and civil society, economic cooperation, media and transnational issues, addressing these with respect to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
The DonorSearch Masterminds Series
- Publisher: DonorSearch
- Total Episodes: 24
The DonorSearch Mastermind Series is your all-access pass to the top voices in the world of social good. Every week, we feature original writing, live interviews, credit earning webinars, and a deep dive podcast with thought leaders, innovators, and change makers in fundraising, philanthropy, and civil society. You will learn how you can advance your work, your organization, and your positive impact on the world.
The History of Ancient Greece
- Publisher: Ryan Stitt
- Total Episodes: 124
The History of Ancient Greece Podcast is a deep-dive into one of the most influential and fundamental civilization in world history. Hosted by philhellene Ryan Stitt, THOAG spans over two millennia. From the Bronze Age to the Archaic Period, from Classical Greece to the Hellenistic kingdoms, and finally to the Roman conquest, this podcast will tell the history of a fundamental civilization by bringing to life the fascinating stories of all the ancient sources and scholarly interpretations of the archaeological evidence. And we won’t just detail their military and political history, but their society, how the Greeks lived day-to-day, as well as their culture—their art, architecture, philosophy, literature, religion, science, and all the other incredible aspects of the Greek achievement , while situating the Greeks within a multicultural Mediterranean whose peoples influenced and were influenced by one another.
Democracy Paradox
- Publisher: Justin Kempf
- Total Episodes: 50
The Democracy Paradox explores the diverse range of perspectives and insights about democracy through an interview format. Every week new scholars are invited to share their breakthrough research or bold ideas about politics, economics, and society. Most interviews are stand alone episodes, but some are tied together like the three episode arc “Resistance, Revolution, Democracy” which explored the concept of civil resistance and revolution to produce democracies. These three interviews featured Erica Chenoweth, George Lawson, and Johnathan Pinckney. Listeners can also visit www.democracyparadox.com to read weekly reviews on classic works of politics, international relations, and philosophy. Democracy is a complex and nuanced concept. It challenges our preconceptions. Take the time to explore the Democracy Paradox.
Voices from SA
- Publisher: Voices from SA
- Total Episodes: 111
Discussions with people working in the arts,business, academia and civil society in South Africa. Listen to new perspectives on issues of race, gender and transformation. The host, Nicholas Claude, is a freelance writer based in Johannesburg. He was born in London, raised in Durban and returned to South Africa in 2010 after living in Stockholm for thirteen years. To support the podcast go to https://www.patreon.com/voicesfromsa
Social Innovation: The Social Ideas Podcast
- Publisher: CJBS Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation
- Total Episodes: 59
The Social Ideas podcast shares the impact of social innovation, its necessity and its capacity to challenge the status quo. Throughout this series, highly committed change makers in business, civil society, policy and academia will talk about their work, their ideas and their motivation to strive towards to a more equitable and sustainable world.The Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, acts as a platform for research and engagement with social innovators, academia and policy in UK and across the world.
Ruled by Reason
- Publisher: American Antitrust Institute
- Total Episodes: 9
The American Antitrust Institute’s Ruled by Reason podcast explores current topics in progressive antitrust with experts from enforcement, business, and academia. Ruled by Reason guests discuss and debate the benefits of competition for markets, consumers, and workers. We delve into the importance of antitrust enforcement for promoting competition in our markets and democratic values in civil society.
Recording Artists
- Publisher: Getty
- Total Episodes: 7
What was it like to be a woman making art as the feminist and civil rights movements were transforming American society? In this first season of Recording Artists, a new podcast from the Getty, we’ll use archival interviews to explore the lives of six women artists—Alice Neel, Lee Krasner, Betye Saar, Helen Frankenthaler, Yoko Ono, and Eva Hesse. Host Helen Molesworth also speaks with contemporary artists and art historians to make sense of what it meant—and still means—to be a woman and an artist.
The India Energy Hour
- Publisher: 101Reporters
- Total Episodes: 7
The India Energy Hour podcast features in-depth conversations with leading energy, development and climate experts from academia, civil society, and the government. Through these interviews, we explore Indian energy transitions’ most pressing hurdles and promising opportunities. We look at the role that government, financial markets, social movements, and science plays in transition. Over time, we will examine energy issues in other Global South countries as well. The podcast is co-hosted by Shreya Jai, a leading energy and climate change reporter, and Sandeep Pai, an energy transitions researcher, and author. The show is produced by Tejas Dayananda Sagar, a multimedia journalist with 101Reporters.
Let’s Talk Sustainable Business
- Publisher: The Conference Board
- Total Episodes: 22
The Let’s talk Sustainable Business’ podcast series is aimed at people interested in how corporations can drive sustainable development by integrating sustainability into their overall business strategy and managing for positive impact. The series will feature conversations with experts and practitioners in the field of sustainability. The target audience includes corporate executives, consultants, academics and students as well as people in civil society with an interest to learn more about this complex subject. The series will cover the scope as laid out by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the principles of responsible business.
LBJ and the Great Society
- Publisher: PRX
- Total Episodes: 16
President Lyndon B. Johnson is today remembered largely for his failure in Vietnam. But before the war sunk his presidency, LBJ compiled a record of accomplishment on the domestic front unmatched since FDR. Medicare, civil and voting rights, clean air and water, Head Start, immigration reform, public broadcasting — fifty years later, these programs are so deeply woven into the fabric of American life that it is difficult to imagine the country without them. LBJ and the Great Society is a window on this transformative moment in U.S. history, and the larger-than-life figure at the center of it. Hosted by Melody Barnes, chief domestic policy advisor to Barack Obama and now co-head of the Democracy Initiative at the University of Virginia. The series is a sequel to LBJ’s War (also available in this feed), which mined a largely unheard trove of recordings from the White House to tell the story of Johnson’s ruinous misadventure in Vietnam.
Carnegie Endowment Events
- Publisher: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Total Episodes: 128
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a unique global network of policy research centers in Russia, China, Europe, the Middle East, India, and the United States. Our mission, dating back more than a century, is to advance the cause of peace through analysis and development of fresh policy ideas and direct engagement and collaboration with decisionmakers in government, business, and civil society.
On the Middle East with Andrew Parasiliti, an Al-Monitor Podcast
- Publisher: Al-Monitor
- Total Episodes: 54
Each week Andrew Parasiliti, president of the award-winning news site Al-Monitor, and Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor’s Senior Correspondent, interview newsmakers, journalists and thought leaders from the US and Middle East about the latest news and trends in the region.Andrew has been writing about, and traveling in, the Middle East for over three decades, meeting and interviewing the region’s top political and civil society leaders. Since obtaining his PH.D from Johns Hopkins University, he has held appointments at Harvard University, the RAND Corporation, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and as foreign policy adviser to US Senator Chuck Hagel. Andrew writes Al-Monitor’s must read Takeaway and Week in Review columns, and is an adjunct political scientist at RAND and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Amberin travels the region for Al-Monitor, specializing in breaking news and analysis in Turkey, Iraq and Syria and writes the daily Briefly Turkey newsletter. Prior to Al-Monitor, she covered Turkey, the Kurds and conflicts in the region for The Washington Post, The Daily Telegraph, The Los Angeles Times and the Voice of America, and was The Economist’s Turkey correspondent between 1999 and 2016.
