Commonweal

Commonweal The New School at Commonweal is a community of inquiry.

Through conversations, lectures, readings, and art exhibits, and free podcasts and videos, we explore topics in health, the arts and sciences, the environment, and the inner life.

03/07/2026

What’s happening in our world—and how do we respond? For the past four years, Commonweal’s Omega Resilience Awards project has been exploring this question with fellows and research teams across Africa, India, and Latin America. Now we’re ready to share what we’re learning.

Join us for weekend's podcast premier: a conversation with two of the ORA program researchers, who will share their findings and explore together: How do we respond to these times not just through individual stories, but through the larger work of changing our collective narratives?

Find the premier on YouTube by following the link in bio.

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Look for new podcast releases on Saturdays, just in time for your weekend listening.

Not sure why you're seeing the New School page under the Commonweal name? Don't worry, you're in the right place. Very s...
03/05/2026

Not sure why you're seeing the New School page under the Commonweal name? Don't worry, you're in the right place. Very soon the New School social media stream will be merging with the Commonweal stream, and you'll start to see New School posts (like this one) appear under the Commonweal banner.

No need to take action—we'll take care of everything on our end. We're excited to welcome you into the new experience.

This weekend, join us for a journey of self-discovery by listening to a classic podcast from the New School archives. Jo...
02/28/2026

This weekend, join us for a journey of self-discovery by listening to a classic podcast from the New School archives. Join TNS Host Michael Lerner in a two-part spiritual biography series with Sandra Maitri—artist, author, enneagram teacher, and long time teacher of the Diamond Approach to Inner Realization. The conversations follow her remarkable journey in spiritual work and provide insight into her work with both Claudio Naranjo and Hameed Ali, the founder of the Diamond Approach to Inner Realization.

Listen now by following the link in bio.

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Look for new podcast releases on Saturdays, just in time for your weekend listening.

Artwork: "Quan Yin of the Roses" by Sandra Maitri

WE HAVE NEWS! Our Commonweal and New School social media streams are merging. Soon you will see information, photos, new...
02/27/2026

WE HAVE NEWS! Our Commonweal and New School social media streams are merging. Soon you will see information, photos, news, podcast updates, upcoming events, and more news about Commonweal’s 50th anniversary year. The merge will be automatic—no need to take action. Look for this change coming soon.

02/21/2026

Over the decades, changes in environmental health agencies have shifted regulations of pollution and toxic chemicals away from federal level—and are galvanizing states to take action to protect the health of their communities.

In this weekend's podcast premier, CHE Director Kristin Schafer hosts a conversation with Susan Kaplan, an environmental health lawyer and professor, and Sarah Doll, longtime leader of the Safer States coalition, to discuss rollbacks in federal regulation of chemicals and how the potential for state action offers hope.

This is the next installment in the CHE Café series co-presented by the Commonweal New School and the Collaborative for Health and Environment (CHE).

Find the premier on YouTube by following the link in bio.

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Look for new podcast releases on Saturdays, just in time for your weekend listening.

How can we draw on reserves of existential courage to face the reality of our times? Join us today for a conversation wi...
02/17/2026

How can we draw on reserves of existential courage to face the reality of our times? Join us today for a conversation with Graham Leicester hosted by Commonweal Board Chair Katherine Fulton and Executive Director Oren Slozberg. Graham is the founder of International Futures Forum, a group established in 2001 to address the challenge of effective agency in “a world we do not understand and cannot control.”

Graham has spent the last two weeks in residence at Commonweal as a visiting scholar, musing on the challenges of the polycrisis with friends and fellow travelers. This conversation will reflect on his experience, with the human response to polycrisis as a central focus.

Beyond Survival: Sustaining Human Agency in Challenging Times

* Tuesday, February 17 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Pacific
Join us in Commonweal Library or on Zoom
$15 suggested donation, no one turned away

Register now using the link in the comments below!

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Help events like this one reach more people by:

❤️ Leaving a heart
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Artwork: "Mushroom Library" by Jon Marro

A new day is dawning and we don't want you to miss it! For the past four years, Commonweal’s Omega Resilience Awards (OR...
02/15/2026

A new day is dawning and we don't want you to miss it! For the past four years, Commonweal’s Omega Resilience Awards (ORA) project has been on a journey of exploration with fellows and research teams across Africa, India, and Latin America.

We've been asking how we respond to these times—not just through individual stories, but through the larger work of changing our collective narratives. Now we’re ready to share what we’re learning.

Join us in person or online for a 1-hour moderated conversation with two of the ORA researchers, who will share their findings and explore these questions together.

The conversation will include time for questions, followed by a reception and viewing of the ORA gallery exhibit (on display through April) featuring stunning artwork by Jon Marro, bringing the four years of this project to life.

Narrative, Resilience, and Social Change

* Sunday, February 15 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Pacific
Join us in Gallery Commonweal or on Zoom
$15 suggested donation, no one turned away

Register now using the link in bio!

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Help events like this one reach more people by:

❤️ Leaving a heart
💬 Writing a comment
🔁 Sharing with friends

Artwork: "Body Mapping" by Jon Marro

Love comes in many forms, and our relationships are as diverse as the world we live in. Today, as many of us are reflect...
02/14/2026

Love comes in many forms, and our relationships are as diverse as the world we live in. Today, as many of us are reflecting on love and companionship, we invite you to open your heart to this conversation from our New School archives.

Join Host Brenda Salgado as she speaks with Grace Sesma, a Yaqui/Mexican cultural practitioner in the curanderismo tradition. They share personal stories, talk about the importance of being in connection with Mother Earth right now, and share wisdom about ways we can “become indigenous” to our place and each other.

Available in both English and Spanish. Listen now by following the link in bio!

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El amor se presenta de muchas formas y nuestras relaciones son tan diversas como el mundo en el que vivimos. Hoy, mientras muchos de nosotros reflexionamos sobre el amor y el compañerismo, los invitamos a abrir su corazón a esta conversación de nuestros archivos de la New School.

Súmate a la presentadora Brenda Salgado en su charla con Grace Sesma, practicante cultural Yaqui / mexicana en la tradición del curanderismo. Contarán historias personales, hablarán sobre la importancia de estar conectado con la Madre Tierra en este momento. Nos participarán su sabiduría sobre las formas en que podemos “volvernos indígenas” en nuestro espacio y con los demás.

Disponible en inglés y español. ¡Escúchalo ahora siguiendo el enlace en la biografía!

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Look for new podcast releases on Saturdays, just in time for your weekend listening.

Help podcasts like this one reach more people by:

❤️ Leaving a heart
💬 Writing a comment
🔁 Sharing with friends

Have you been wondering, "What’s happening in our world—and how do I respond?" For the past four years, Commonweal’s Ome...
02/12/2026

Have you been wondering, "What’s happening in our world—and how do I respond?"

For the past four years, Commonweal’s Omega Resilience Awards (ORA) project has been exploring this very same question with fellows and research teams across Africa, India, and Latin America. Now we’re ready to share what we’re learning.

Join us in person or online for a 1-hour moderated conversation with two of the ORA researchers, who will share their findings and explore these questions together.

The conversation will include time for questions, followed by a reception and viewing of the ORA gallery exhibit (on display through April) featuring stunning artwork by Jon Marro, bringing the four years of this project to life.

Narrative, Resilience, and Social Change

* Sunday, February 15 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Pacific
Join us in Gallery Commonweal or on Zoom
$15 suggested donation, no one turned away

Register now using the link in bio!

---

Help events like this one reach more people by:

❤️ Leaving a heart
💬 Writing a comment
🔁 Sharing with friends

Artwork: "Body Mapping" by Jon Marro

At Commonweal we are rising to the challenge of the times and mobilizing our natural human capacities for growth, learni...
02/09/2026

At Commonweal we are rising to the challenge of the times and mobilizing our natural human capacities for growth, learning, wisdom, and hope.

This week we are excited to welcome Visiting Scholars Graham Leicester, founder of the International Futures Forum in Scotland, and partner Margaret Hannah. During their residency at Commonweal’s New School, our visiting scholars will explore how global, community, and personal challenges can be met with creativity, collaboration, determination, and efficacy.

Join the exploration by reading Graham’s residency statement (link in bio), and sign up for a conversation with Graham on Tuesday, February 17, hosted by Commonweal Board Chair Katherine Fulton and Executive Director Oren Slozberg.

Beyond Survival: Sustaining Human Agency in Challenging Times

* Tuesday, February 17 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Pacific
Join us in Commonweal Library or on Zoom
$15 suggested donation, no one turned away

Register now using the link in bio!

---

Help events like this one reach more people by:

❤️ Leaving a heart
💬 Writing a comment
🔁 Sharing with friends

Artwork: "Mushroom Library" by Jon Marro

When hard times leave us in despair, we need music to bring our hearts and minds alive again. In this weekend's podcast ...
02/07/2026

When hard times leave us in despair, we need music to bring our hearts and minds alive again. In this weekend's podcast premier, Michelle Jacques brings her unforgettable voice to Commonweal and connects us to something much larger than ourselves—community, history, and spirituality. Accompanied on piano by Matt Berkeley, together they weave the sacred and the soulful, and channel that energy into a space of joy.

This week's podcast is a powerful, heart-opening experience filled with hope and a deep sense of connection that stays with you long after the final note.

Join us for the premier on YouTube by following the link in bio!

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Look for new podcast releases on Saturdays, just in time for your weekend listening.

Help podcasts like this one reach more people by:

❤️ Leaving a heart
💬 Writing a comment
🔁 Sharing with friends

What will it take to muster a fully human response to this moment of long- and short-term peril and opportunity we call ...
02/02/2026

What will it take to muster a fully human response to this moment of long- and short-term peril and opportunity we call the “polycrisis”? The world we're living in now may feel overwhelming, but at Commonweal we believe we have the capacity to rise to the challenge of these times and mobilize our natural human capacities for growth, learning, wisdom, and hope.

Come explore the possibilities with Commonweal Board Chair Katherine Fulton and Executive Director Oren Slozberg in conversation with Graham Leicester, founder of International Futures Forum, a group established in 2001 to address the challenge of effective agency in “a world we do not understand and cannot control.”

Graham will have spent two weeks in residence at Commonweal in February as a visiting scholar, musing on these challenges with friends and fellow travelers. This conversation will reflect on the experience, with the human response to polycrisis as a central focus.

Beyond Survival: Sustaining Human Agency in Challenging Times

* Tuesday, February 17 | 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Pacific
Join us in Commonweal Library or on Zoom
$15 suggested donation, no one turned away

Register now using the link in the comments below!

---

Help events like this one reach more people by:

❤️ Leaving a heart
💬 Writing a comment
🔁 Sharing with friends

Artwork: "Mushroom Library" by Jon Marro

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