Connecting through dialogue: deep listening in divided times
How do we really listen — to each other, and to the world around us?In this final episode of season two, host Christine Wilson explores the practice of deep listening — a powerful communication method rooted in empathy, openness, and the desire to understand across divides.Christine is joined by journalist, media executive and author Emily Kasriel, who developed the Deep Listening methodology. Drawing on her work from across news, conflict resolution and academia, Emily’s new book Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends, and Foes offers a practical guide to navigating disagreement and building connection in a noisy, polarised world.We also hear from Hawraa Ghandour, an English teacher, educational trainer and founder of Media Literacy Lebanon. Hawraa took part in the BBC and British Council’s Crossing Divides deep listening project in Lebanon, an experience that continues to shape her work with students and communities, using media and dialogue to foster understanding.Together, Emily and Hawraa reflect on the challenges of truly hearing another’s perspectives, and how slowing down, staying curious, and practising empathy, can create the space we need to leave aside our assumptions and bring about positive change.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking conversations on culture, communication, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:Deep Listening: A Transformative Experience - By Tiba Khalifa, 90 Youth Voices Participant, British Councilhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/deep-listening-transformative-experienceDeep listening as an approach to tackle polarisationhttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/deep-listening-approach-tackle-polarisationCrossing Divides with Deep Listening for BBC100https://www.bbc.com/news/world-61984236Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
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33:25
Changing words, changing worlds: English in an age of transformation
What does the future hold for the English language? And how is technology transforming the way we speak, write and connect across borders?In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson explores how digital culture is reshaping the English language, from the rise of internet slang to the impact of AI, social media, and globalisation on how we communicate.Christine is joined by renowned linguist and author David Crystal, one of the world’s leading experts on the English language. With more than 100 books to his name – including the landmark Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language – David reflects on how English has evolved over centuries, and what its future might look like in an increasingly digital world.We also hear from César Bizetto, an English teacher, teacher trainer, and academic director based in São Paulo. With over 20 years of classroom experience, César shares how English language instruction has changed in Brazil, and why he believes teaching English is about more than grammar, it’s about opening doors.Together, David and César explore how English is shifting across contexts, continents, and generations, and what that means for education, culture, and connection.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more global stories on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:The Future of English research programme: https://www.britishcouncil.org/future-of-english The Future of English: in conversation with David Crystal (March 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64HRT797Lsc Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
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Power in knowledge: How girls’ education helps communities thrive
When girls are educated, communities thrive – but how do we make that a global reality in the digital age?In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson explores the urgent issue of girls’ education in a rapidly changing world – where access to schooling, digital literacy, and life skills can transform futures and communities.Christine speaks with Wadi Ben-Hirki, a Nigerian activist and founder of the Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundation, who has spent nearly a decade advocating for marginalised girls across Nigeria. From addressing early marriage to supporting school re-entry, Wadi shares how her youth-led organisation empowers young women through education, equality, and opportunity.We also hear from Diana, an EDGE trainer working under a pseudonym in Myanmar, who was inspired by her mother to pursue a career in education. Through the British Council’s English and Digital for Girls’ Education programme (EDGE), Diana teaches English, life skills and digital literacy to girls from displaced and marginalised communities – helping them rebuild confidence and resilience in the face of conflict and multiple crises.Together, Wadi and Diana reflect on the power of education to reshape not only individual lives, but entire societies, and what it takes to make that vision a reality.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more global stories on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:The Wadi Ben-Hirki Foundationhttps://www.instagram.com/wadibenhirkifoundation/EDGE Programmehttps://www.britishcouncil.org/english-assessment/english-programmes/english-language-empowerment/english-digital-girls-educationSchools Connect report: Status of Gender Responsive Inclusive School Practiceshttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/status-gender-responsive-inclusive-school-practices-ethiopian-primary-schools-focusSchools Connect report: Creating more inclusive schoolinghttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/creating-more-inclusive-schooling Schools Connect report: Barriers to girls’ education – A synthesis of British Council research in Africahttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/schools-connect-barriers-girls-education Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
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34:28
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34:28
Exhibitions in motion: what happens when art travels
Can art be a tool for repair? And what happens when exhibitions themselves move across borders?In this episode of Our World, Connected, host Christine Wilson dives into the relationship between art, architecture, and place — and how both disciplines are being used to challenge colonial narratives, spark dialogue, and imagine alternative futures.Christine is joined by writer, artist and curator Rosie Olang’ Odhiambo, who speaks about her collaborative, cross-disciplinary practice and her recent exhibition, In Transit: Under Another Sky, which she co-curated with E.N. Mirembe. First shown in Kampala and Nairobi, and soon opening at the Africa Centre in London, the exhibition weaves together sound, image, and text to explore transience, marginal identities, and shifting geographies.We also hear from Kabage Karanja, an architect and co-founder of Nairobi’s cave_bureau. Speaking from the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, Kabage reflects on using caves as sites of cultural memory and of decolonial storytelling and his bold vision for architecture as a force of geological repair.Together, Rosie and Kabage explore what it means to tell stories of place, migration, and resistance — and how visual arts and architecture can both reflect and reshape the world we live in.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking discussions on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:British Council Artshttps://arts.britishcouncil.org/UK at the Venice Biennalehttps://venicebiennale.britishcouncil.org/cave_bureauhttps://www.cave.co.ke/Follow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
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35:47
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35:47
Classrooms in crisis: the role of education technology in conflict
What are the benefits — and the ethical challenges — of relying on EdTech in crisis environments? Can technology offer true educational equality when access is still uneven?For many children around the world, the start of the learning day is marked not by the opening of a classroom door, but of a laptop. As education increasingly moves online, technology has become both a bridge and a barrier — especially for young learners living through conflict.In this episode of Our World, Connected, we explore the transformative role of educational technology in some of the world's most challenging environments. With millions of children living in conflict zones today—almost double the number from just a few decades ago—access to education has taken on new urgency and new forms. Host Christine Wilson speaks with Dr. Koula Charitonos, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University, to unpack the promises, limitations, and ethical complexities of EdTech, particularly for learners facing extraordinary hardships.We also hear from Olga Pavlenko, a senior teacher and teacher trainer based in Kyiv, Ukraine, who shares her first-hand experiences teaching through a full-scale invasion — and how technology became her students' lifeline to learning. Together, Olga and Koula unpack the realities of digital education in conflict zones and refugee camps, from resilience and connection to the risks of surveillance and digital colonialism.Listen to Our World, Connected, brought to you by the British Council. Subscribe and follow for more thought-provoking discussions on culture, connection, and the power of education.Additional Resources & Links:English and Empowermenthttps://www.britishcouncil.org/english-assessment/english-programmes/english-language-empowerment Supporting schools and teachers teaching refugee children https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/case-studies-insights-and-research/supporting-schools-and-teachers-teaching-refugee Understanding Ukrainian young people’s current concerns, needs, and hopes: Looking ahead to a future rebuilding of Ukrainehttps://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/concerns-needs-hopes-ukraine Understanding the effectiveness of professional development opportunities for teachers delivered remotelyhttps://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/case-studies-insights-and-research/understanding-effectiveness-professional https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/learning/the-open-sanctuary-hubFollow British Council Research and Insight:Newsletter – https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight/subscribe Twitter – https://twitter.com/InsightBritish Website - https://www.britishcouncil.org/research-insight
Our World, Connected is a brand-new podcast from the British Council, placing you at the heart of the biggest global conversations about culture, connection, and empowerment. Join host Christine Wilson, Director of British Council Research and Insight, and a diverse lineup of world-renowned experts and thinkers as they examine the most pressing issues of our time - and uncover the human stories behind them.
We’ll explore the transformative power of arts, culture, language, and education amidst global challenges like peacebuilding, sustainable development, climate change, and the growth of AI.
Colombia