Around the world, people understand life and each other in vastly different ways. In "What Do We Know?," we will delve into profound ways of knowing often dismissed by Western thought, including intuition, artistic expression, empathy, and the wisdom of dreams. We will explore diverse, non-Western approaches to knowledge formation including interconnection, collective well-being, intuition, and other ways of knowing. Hosted by Commonweal Narrative Director Susan Grelock Yusem.

In the first conversation in the series, join Nigerian-born artist, storyteller, and pacemaker Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin for a conversation about his work, life, and family.

Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin

First things first, Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin na the pikin of Victoria Elomese Omonhinmin and Cosmos Ijogbe Omonhinmin, E family big well well and e believe say all these things na very important reason wey make am the person wey e be today, because of the type of pikin wey e be to e mama and papa, the type of brother wey e be to e siblings and the nephew, cousin and uncle wey e be to e extender family and the different communities wey e don stay, all join to make am the very person wey dey do the type of work wey e dey do and difference nor dey between e work and daily life, all of dem joining together as storyteller and spacemaker.

Na for Benin City, for Nigeria naim dem born Okhiogbe Omonblanks Omonhinmin. Omonblanks na interdisciplinary creative or “ambassador of entanglement” wey dey use everything e fit use take make things happen, like form or position wey e need take do e project. He believe say the body na memory collector, and everything wey we dey do get e own life. The evidence dey show through e relationship with people, stories, spaces, spices, and cooking. Shared collected memories and food na key parts of e practice and e work get plenty elements of social engagement. https://theartconcept.org

Host Susan Grelock Yusem

Susan is a researcher, storyteller, and super-curious human. She believes that psychology can be a generative force for environmental sustainability and social justice. Susan is a depth-based community psychologist who has built teams and led communications for over 20 years in the regenerative food space. Her work is centered in the imaginal and narrative repair. She is a reader, writer, and runner. She serves as Commonweal's director of narrative development. susangrelockyusem.site

The New School at Commonweal is a collaborative learning community offering conversations about nature, culture, and inner life---so that we can all find meaning, meet inspiring people, and explore the beauty and grief of our changing world. tns.commonweal.org .

Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.