“Focusing on the positive outcomes gives you agency; you can literally see the progress happening and that keeps you moving forward.” - Nick Cooney

Nick Cooney is a social entrepreneur, alternative‑protein investor, and author. He joins Humanism Now to discuss to unpack the hidden moral cost of doing nothing. Drawing on insights from his new book What We Don’t Do, Nick explains why inaction outweighs mis‑action, how to count the suffering we can prevent, and why business, capital and compassion must pull in the same direction.

Topics we cover

✔︎ The four‑quadrant framework of action vs inaction
✔︎ Measuring impact: turning empathy into numbers
✔︎ Beating overwhelm with data‑driven altruism
✔︎ Alternative proteins and the end of factory farming
✔︎ Lever VC’s investment thesis & the business case for good
✔︎ Animal suffering as a neglected moral emergency
✔︎ Effective altruism, long‑termism and their critiques
✔︎ Habits that keep the “do‑more” muscle strong

Connect with Nick

• Website – nickcooney.com
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Medium
• ResearchGate

Resources

• What We Don’t Do – Nick Cooney (2025)
• Nick Cooney Books
  • Change of Heart
  • Veganomics
  • How to Be Great at Doing Good
• Lever VC – global VC fund for sustainable food innovation
• Lever Foundation – non‑profit accelerating humane food systems
• The Humane League – farm‑animal advocacy organisation
• Good Food Institute – think‑tank for alt‑protein R&D and policy

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

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Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“We need to care more about believing what is true than being right and being proved right.” - Bo Bennet

With outrage-bait, memes and “gotcha” clips swarming every feed, being able to think about our thinking is no longer optional. Social psychologist, entrepreneur and Positive Humanism author Dr Bo Bennett joins host James Hodgson to show why critical thinking is a life skill for everyone, not a luxury for academics. Drawing on decades spent dissecting logical fallacies (plus a generous dose of humour), Bo maps out how we can swap combativeness for curiosity—and outrage for evidence—in our daily conversations.

In this episode

• System 1 vs System 2: knowing when to hit the cognitive brakes
• 25 “greatest-hits” fallacies—from appeal to authority to the straw man
• Aristotle’s trio of logic, emotion & character (and why emotion is only fallacious when it replaces reason)
• The Socratic method for lowering defences and dodging the back-fire effect
• “You need to care more about believing what is true than being right and being proved right.” —Bo
• Expertise-transfer traps: why even humanists can slip up on politics or science
• Handling contrarian takes on settled research: focus on the scientific process
• A practical habit: run emotional posts through AI for a fast, source-linked fact-check before you hit share

Follow Dr Bo Bennett

• Website & books: bobennett.com
• Logical fallacy database: https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsbennett/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bobennett7750

Resources

• Logically Fallacious — Dr Bo Bennett
• Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Curiosity isn’t a trait — it’s a practice. And like any practice, we have to keep doing it even when it’s hard.” — Dr. Julie Pham

In this episode of Humanism Now, we explore curiosity as a practice. Dr. Julie Pham — social scientist, community builder, and author of the bestselling 7 Forms of Respect® — joins us to unpack how curiosity, respect, and communication transform not just workplaces, but our relationships and communities.

As the founder and CEO of CuriosityBased, Dr. Pham teaches leaders and teams how to embed curiosity into daily practice — through self-awareness, relationship-building, and clear communication. Drawing from her personal story and professional insight, Julie shares how our assumptions about listening, respect, and disagreement shape the way we connect and collaborate.

In this episode:

• Why curiosity is a skill, not a trait — and how to develop it
• How to approach difficult conversations using the CAFA method (Context, Action, Feeling, Ask)
• The difference between hearing and believing — and why it matters
• Respect is relative: how upbringing and culture shape our communication
• How curiosity bridges differences — even across generational, cultural, and political divides
• When not to have the conversation: the two questions to ask before engaging

Featured Resources:

• 📕 7 Forms of Respect: www.formsofrespect.com
• 🧠 CuriosityBased: www.curiositybased.com
• 🎥 TEDx TalkCuriosity as a Practice: Watch here
• 🎧 Curiosity at Work podcast: Listen here

Follow Dr. Julie Pham:

• 📸 @juliephamphd on Instagram
• 🎵 @juliephamphd on TikTok
• 📸 @curiositybased on Instagram
• 💼 @curiositybased on TikTok
• 📘 CuriosityBased Facebook

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Surviving isn’t just about leaving — it’s about learning to trust yourself again after someone else’s voice has lived in your head for years.”  — Rachael Reign

In this powerful episode of Humanism Now, Rachael Reign, survivor and founder of Surviving Universal UK, shares her deeply personal story of escaping spiritual abuse and coercive control and her ongoing campaign to protect others.

As founder of Surviving Universal UK, Rachael supports other survivors of high-control groups and leads a growing campaign to amend Section 76 of the UK Serious Crime Act.

In this episode

• Rachael's journey into, and out of, UCKG
• What draws vulnerable young people into high-control groups
• How unpaid labour and spiritual obedience become normalised
• What led Rachael to walk away and how she supports other survivors
• The warning signs of cultic or coercively controlling groups
• Where UK law falls short in protecting against coercive control outside domestic settings
• How we can hold abusive systems accountable
• The role the public  and policymakers can play in driving survivor-led legal reform

Surviving Universal UK

🔗Surviving Universal UK
📧 [email protected]
📸 @survivinguniversaluk
🎵 @survivinguniversaluk

Contact Rachael

🌳linktr.ee
🎤Speaker bookings - Rachael Reign
📸 @Msrachaelreign

Resources

• BBC Panorama
• The Guardian
• The Londoner

Need support?
If you or someone you know has been affected by the topics discussed in this episode, Faith to Faithless are here to help.

Faith to Faithless Helpline (UK): 0800 448 0748
Email:

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

 "Inclusion isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about creating a space where people feel safe enough to stay." - JC Candanedo

Artist, activist, and humanist JC Candanedo shares his journey from a Catholic school in Panama to the art studios of London. His work weaves together identity, displacement, and community action, exploring how creativity can challenge injustice and build inclusive, compassionate societies.

In this epsiode, JC reflects on growing up atheist in a deeply religious culture, navigating migration and marginalisation, and why the arts are one of the most powerful tools we have for social transformation. JC shares the challenges of creating welcoming spaces within the humanist community, and how diversity and solidarity must be more than just aspirations—they must be action.

Key Topics Covered

• How JC’s atheist upbringing in Catholic Panama shaped his identity and activism
• Art as language: using creativity to open space for difficult but vital conversations
• Why Latin American and Arab/North African diasporas are "invisibilized" in UK systems
• The work of the Noria Collective in building solidarity among Global Majority communities
• How JC discovered humanism later in life—and how it changed his view of religion
• Practical advice for humanist groups on inclusion, outreach, and community care

Follow JC

• 🔗 JC’s Work: jccandanedo.com
• 🔗 Noria Collective: wearenoria.com / 📷 @we.are.noria
• 🔗 Axis: axisweb.org
• 📣 Campaign: banconversiontherapy.com
• 📷 Instagram: @jccandanedo
• 💼 LinkedIn: jccandanedo

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"Transcendence is the connection with something wider; the world, the cosmos, nature, other fellow human beings, and doing good in this life"— Dr Lindsay De Wal 

When Dr Lindsay De Wal became the first non-religious head of chaplaincy in the NHS, she redefined what spiritual support can look like in modern healthcare. From sceptical colleagues to international media headlines, her appointment marked a turning point for inclusive pastoral care. 

In this powerful and personal conversation, Lindsay shares how she built a humanist framework for care grounded in deep listening, horizontal transcendence and unwavering compassion.

In This Episode

• Why only 4% of hospital chaplaincy visits serve non-religious patients
• How the Netherlands became a global leader in humanist pastoral care
  What “horizontal transcendence” means—and why it matters in non-religious care
• The art of active listening and the power of silence in emotional support
• How to become a humanist pastoral carer—and why demand is growing fast
• The rise of the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network across the NHS

Follow Dr. Lindsay de Wal

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Dr.LdW
• UK Non‑religious Pastoral Support Network

Episode References: 

• Become a Pastoral Carer, UK Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network
• The Development of Non-Religious Pastoral Support in the UK, Dr David Savage 
• History of The Netherlands Humanists Association, Humanistisch Verbond
• Interview with Lindsay de Wal: UK’s First Humanist NHS Chaplain on Non-Religious Pastoral Care, The Humanist 

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“The highest value, the most precious value we have is not peace—it’s freedom.”  — Michael Bauer 

This week on Humanism Now, we’re joined by Michael Bauer, CEO of Germany’s Humanistische Vereinigung—a 175-year-old humanist organisation offering professional community services without religion, grounded in ethics, dignity, and freedom.

From ceremony to solidarity, Bauer shows how organised humanism is more than a philosophy—it’s a movement of services, institutions, and action. Discover how practical humanism is creating a visible, inclusive, and values-driven future.

We discuss:

• How the Humanist Association of Germany began in the 1848 and how it survived twice being banned
• The importance of physical infrastructure and visible presence for secular communities
• How humanism serves as an ethical alternative providing meaning, guidance, and community—without supernatural belief
• Why inclusive, values-led services matter in a plural society, and how secular support systems can serve everyone
• The Humanists Shelter Program and the three-year diplomatic effort to bring humanist Mubarak Bala to safety
• The need for political engagement, funding, and infrastructure to build influence and lasting change
• A powerful personal reflection on defending humanist values in times of crisis

About Michael Bauer 

 🔗  michaelbauer.info

📰 Interview with In-sight Publishing

Connect with Humanistische Vereinigung  
 🔗 humanistische-vereinigung.de

📷  @humanistischevereinigung
🐦  @HV_Presse
🌳 Linktree: humanistischevereinigung

References:

• Humanists Shelter Program, Humanistische Vereinigung
• Cause for celebration: Mubarak Bala arrives in Germany, Humanists In

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

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Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

This episode was originally recorded in May 2024.

"What we have in common is what is taking us forward." — Lola Tinubu 

In May 2024, the High Court ruled that Michaela Community School’s “prayer ban” did not unlawfully interfere with students’ rights to religious freedom. This landmark decision reaffirmed the importance of secular education in promoting social cohesion — and raised questions about how schools should handle religion in increasingly diverse societies.

In this episode, Audrey Simmons and Lola Tinubu — co-leaders of the Association of Black Humanists and long-time Central London Humanists members — apply their legal and education expertise to unpack the implications of the case for humanists, educators, and advocates of a secular society.

Key Topics Covered

• The background of Michaela Community School and its secular ethos
• Why the court upheld the school’s ban under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights
• The tension between parental influence, religious identity, and student rights
• Why secular school environments can better accommodate diversity within religions
• How education must focus on shared humanity to address collective global challenges
• Why this ruling gives schools confidence to protect inclusive and evidence-based education

Episode resources:

BBC News: Michaela School: Muslim student loses prayer ban challenge
Humanists UK: Humanists UK respond to Michaela School ‘prayer ban’ ruling

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“If we focus so much on the 5% that divides us, we miss the 95% we already share.” — Alan Palmer

Alan Palmer is the former Chair of Central London Humanists, a trustee of Humanists UK, and a long-time NHS Trust Director. With over 17 years of experience in grassroots organising, Alan shares how London’s most active humanist group grew from pub chats to public campaigns, and how dialogue, ethics, and diversity remain central to its mission.

In This Episode

• How Central London Humanists became the UK’s largest humanist group
• Why participation is harder in a more secular, but less mobilised, society
• Lessons from pioneering Catholic-Humanist and Muslim-Humanist dialogue
• The power of repeating others’ views honestly in effective dialogue
• Working on COVID-19 triage ethics as an NHS Trust Director
• Why diversity, campaigning, and neutrality all matter in modern humanism
• Reflections on political inclusivity and unity across difference

🔗 Learn more or join a CLH event
www.centrallondonhumanists.org.uk

🔗 Learn more or join The Blackham Society
https://humanists.uk/join-the-blackham-society/

This episode was originally recorded in January 2024.

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

The pro-life religion we see today is a modern creation. It was created for political purposes." — Katherine Stewart

Katherine Stewart is an award-winning journalist and author, who has investigated the rise of religious nationalism and its impact on democracy for over 15 years. Her work appears in The New York Times and The New Republic. She is the author of The Good News Club, The Power Worshippers, and the new release Money, Lies, and God.

Key Topics Covered

• How the "Good News Club" exposed the stealth strategies of religious nationalists.
• The roots of Christian nationalism and its alliance with billionaires.
• Why abortion became a political weapon, not a religious crusade.
• How authoritarian leaders use religion to shield power globally.
• What gives hope — and how to fight back against democratic erosion.

Follow Katherine Stewart

• Website
• The Power Worshippers
• The Good News Club
• Money, Lies, and God (Pre-order now)
• Bluesky Social
• Twitter/X

Resources Mentioned

• Christians Against Christian Nationalism
• Vote Common Good
• God & Country documentary (based on The Power Worshippers)

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or [email protected]

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.