Stories of Impact | Human Flourishing, Compassion & Connection

What is the hidden human cost of ethical fashion? Explore how clothing supply chains affect garment workers, human rights, and human flourishing. Every time we buy clothing, we participate in a global supply chain. But how much do we really know about the people who make what we wear? In this episode of Stories of Impact, Dr. Robert Handfield and Dr. MD Rejaul Hasan of North Carolina State University explain why ethical fashion requires more than environmental sustainability. It also demands safe workplaces, fair treatment, and respect for the human rights of garment workers. Drawing on decades of supply chain research and firsthand experience in apparel manufacturing, they examine the conditions behind global clothing production, including child labor, forced labor, unsafe factories, and the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh. The researchers also introduce their proposed Ethical Apparel Index, a project designed to make information about factory working conditions more accessible to consumers and investors. They explain how greater transparency could help people make informed decisions, hold brands accountable, and support better treatment of workers. At its heart, this conversation is about human flourishing: how our everyday choices connect us to people around the world, and why dignity, safety, and opportunity should matter at every stage of the supply chain. Chapters: Global supply chains and human rights ( 2:48 ) Introducing the Ethical Apparel Index ( 7:10 ) The countries and workers behind our apparel ( 8:08 ) How transparency can change buying decisions ( 26:41 ) What ethical fashion means for human flourishing ( 28:29 ) Dr. Robert Handfield — Bank of America Professor of Supply Chain Management at North Carolina State University, with approximately 35 years of experience studying supply chains. Dr. MD Rejaul Hasan — Textile engineer and researcher working on the Ethical Apparel Index at North Carolina State University's Poole College of Management. His research draws on experience in the garment manufacturing industry. Read the transcript of this episode Catch the video edition of this episode here: The Ethical Apparel Index Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Stories of Impact explores the art and science of human flourishing through conversations about wellbeing, hope, compassion, altruism, mindfulness, spirituality, positive psychology, and human connection. Presented by journalist Richard Sergay and writer-producer Tavia Gilbert, the podcast brings together research, personal stories, and conversations with experts to explore how individuals and communities can flourish.

Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. In the next two episodes, we dive into the climate crisis. Today, we hear from Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and tireless advocate for climate justice. She explains why we must include everyone — young people, indigenous groups, women, the natural world — when we talk about the future of our planet. Learn more: Mary Robinson The Elders Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future More about Constance Okollet "East Biloxi loses an icon. She shared MS Coast climate issues across the world." Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. Today, we revisit an episode from last season, where we heard from Dr. Berry Billingsley, an education researcher in Swansea in the UK. Frustrated by the lack of questions in her science class, she began a quest to encourage students to think, about themselves, life, and the universe. Read the transcript of this episode Catch the video edition of this episode here: Big Questions in Classrooms Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Instagram , Bluesky , and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. In our last episode, we visited Medellín, Colombia. Today, we travel to Rwanda, a country that was ravaged by the genocide against the Tutsis in 1990, for a story about how a path to forgiveness and piece is possible even after the worst of tragedies. Today's episode offers a powerful example of courage, peace, and forgiveness. Our story looks back thirty years, to one of the most violent periods in modern history — the genocide against the Tutsi — and to the resilience and wisdom of the Rwandan spirit and heart. On April 6, 1994, beautiful Rwanda, known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, became a hell on Earth. Between April and July 1994, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were slaughtered in a horrifying frenzy of state-sponsored terror. Freddy Mutanguha, an ethnic Tutsi, was just eighteen years old when the genocide began. Today, Freddy shares the story of his unimaginable losses, the miracle of his survival, and his life's work nurturing peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation in his country and across the world. A warning: this episode includes descriptions of murders – it's a difficult listen, but an important one. Read the transcript of this episode Learn more about the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Aegis Trust Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org • • Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. Our expert today is not a researcher, but a former world-class dancer: Judith Jamison. Judith sadly passed away in 2024, but when we spoke with her in 2021, she shared the incredible story of revered Black dancer Alvin Ailey and what she's learned from a life spent in the arts. Learn more: Judith Jamison Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Alvin Ailey Video: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing Revelations Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode

Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. This time, we travel to Medellín, Colombia, to meet Dr. Santiago Tobón. He has dedicated his life to understanding the structures and societal role of Medellín's criminal gangs, why teenagers want to join them, and how to help them see that a lawful life can be prosperous, too. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. Today we revisit an episode from our first season, aired during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. David Sloan Wilson is a biological sciences researcher at Binghamton University, and he explains what actually makes teamwork dream work, how cultures engender or discourage cooperation, and how to get people from different backgrounds to cooperate during times of crisis. Learn more about David Sloan Wilson and the Evolution Institute. Mentioned in this episode: Elinor Ostrom Michelle Gelfand's Tight and Loose Cultures Robert Putnuam's Bowling Alone Subscribe to​ ​Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts. Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Keep up with the podcast series at storiesofimpact.org See the full Stories of Impact video series Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by the​ Templeton World Charity Foundation

Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. In our last episode, we heard about the positive effects of coming together and sharing a meal. But for millions of Americans, that rarely happens. In fact, some 20 million people in the US today say they don't have any friends. So how do we solve this loneliness epidemic? Today, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, who studies just that. Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas is the Science Director at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, which tracks cutting edge research studies that focus on how important our relationships, our tendency towards generosity and cooperation, and our sense of mattering or contribution to our communities are to our health and wellbeing over the course of our lives. She wants to understand the science of loneliness. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Today we're back in conversation with Dr. Adam Cohen, social psychologist and psychologist of religion at Arizona State University, who shares another research project that explores the way religious ritual connects participants more deeply not only with faith, but with community — this time, not through the practice of abstaining from food, but from breaking bread together. Dr. Arielle Levites, Managing Director of the Collaborative for Applied Studies in Jewish Education and a Research Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at George Washington University had the same idea — that observing Shabbat wasn't just a nice idea, it was a practice with measurable impact. So the team designed a study, enlisting the participation of Aliza Kline, founding President and then-CEO of OneTable, an organization designed to help young Jews develop independence and confidence in observing the ritual of Shabbat dinner in their homes. The question they wanted to answer? Does Shabbat dinner as a spiritual practice increase social connectedness? Read the transcript of this episode Learn more about the research Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

In today's episode we speak to Athena Aktipis, co-director of the Human Generosity Project, about the current results of her study of cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Aktipis discusses the insights both past and current research offer about the extent and the limits of human generosity during catastrophic events. This is the third episode in a special, five-part Covid-19 conversation series. Learn more about Athena Aktipis and The Human Generosity Project Mentioned in this episode: A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit Subscribe to​ ​Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts. More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by the​ Templeton World Charity Foundation

In today's episode, host Richard Sergay speaks with Erez Yoeli, director of the Applied Cooperation Team at MIT's Sloan School of Management, about how to motivate people to cooperate and behave altruistically during a pandemic. Dr. Yoeli discusses how we can harness the power of reputation to encourage prosocial behavior, and suggests ways to make the message of altruism appeal to everyone in a time when people are receiving conflicting messages about what is right. This is the second episode in a special, five-part Covid-19 conversation series. Learn more about Erez Yoeli Mentioned in this episode: Matthew Rabin Robert Boyd Subscribe to​ ​Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts. More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by the​ Templeton World Charity Foundation

In this episode, we hear from Joseph Bulbulia, professor at the University of Auckland and the MacLaurin Goodfellow Chair in Theological and Religious Studies. Professor Bulbulia discusses how religious interaction, worship, and teaching come together in different ways to facilitate group cooperation, and what we can learn from that to support us during the pandemic. Learn more about Joseph Bulbulia . Subscribe to​ ​Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts. More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by the​ Templeton World Charity Foundation

The first episode of the Stories of Impact podcast special, five-part Covid-19 conversation series features Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Host Richard Sergay speaks with Dr. Fredrickson about why her work in positive psychology is more relevant than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Fredrickson offers tips on how to nurture our positive emotions and resilience amid the stress and anxiety we are all experiencing, as well as how to foster strong social connections going forward post-Covid. Learn more about​ ​ Dr. Barbara Fredrickson​ and the​ PEP Lab Subscribe to​ ​Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts. More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions ​info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Today's conversation is with David O'Brien, Assistant Research Director at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. Prof. O'Brien talks to Richard about how we as citizens can bring our democratic values to bear on social media platforms; the role privacy plays online in allowing democracy and democratic citizenship to flourish; and more. More about David O'Brien and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society Mentioned in this episode: Citizenship in a Networked Age How to Watch TV News Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts More about this episode Read the transcript of this episode Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube Comments, questions and suggestions info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

In today's episode, we consider what writers, researchers, and scholars say we can learn from the history of polarization in other countries and learn about some of their potential solutions for polarization. Today's episode features researchers Jay J. Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer , co-authors of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony . We also hear from Dr. Hahrie Han , Professor of Political Science and the Director of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University; Uriel Epshtein , Executive Director of the Renew Democracy Initiative ; Joshua Fryday , Chief Service Officer for the State of California with California Volunteers ; and Evan Mawarire , a Zimbabwean clergyman who founded #ThisFlag Citizen's Movement. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

This episode defines polarization and explores its causes and effects. Next, we consider what we can learn from the history of polarization in other countries and share the antidotes to polarization that research has uncovered. Finally, we explain why it's important to make a long-term investment in polarization research. Today's episode features researchers Jay J. Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer , co-authors of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony . We also hear from Alison Taylor , Executive Director at Ethical Systems , a research collaborative affiliated with NYU; Dr. Hahrie Han , Professor of Political Science and the Director of the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University; Uriel Epshtein , Executive Director of the Renew Democracy Initiative ; and Joshua Fryday , Chief Service Officer for the State of California with California Volunteers . Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube

Stories of Impact brings back some of our favorite conversations this season. Today, we continue our series about how citizens can understand and heal polarization, with a conversation with Dr. Sean Westwood. Dr. Westwood studies American politics and how partisan conflict manifests in the United States, its consequences and its origins. Read the transcript of this episode Learn more about the research Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Instagram , Bluesky , and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

We're back this episode for our second timely interview focusing on political polarization, wrapping up in conversation with Dr. Kurt Gray, professor of moral psychology and neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill, and the director of the Deepest Beliefs Lab in the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. Moral psychology is the descriptive understanding of our moral judgments, or concern with not just how people should make moral decisions, but how they actually do. Why does this matter? In Dr. Gray's words: "To understand our contentious and divided political moments where people are unwilling to discuss politics across the aisle or entertain even that the other side is a reasonable human being in the way that you feel about yourself and your own side. We do disagree already when it comes to politics. But where does this political disagreement come from? …Once you get that, then you can understand where this political animosity comes from. But it's really a question of moral disagreement. And for that you need to understand our moral psychology." Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Instagram , Bluesky , and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Our intention on the Stories of Impact Podcast, whether flora, fauna, homo sapiens, or otherwise, the variety of subjects we've featured across 120+ episodes has underscored our commitment to people's progress and well-being. (It's certainly enriched our wellbeing to tell each story!) But is well-being the same as flourishing, or does one lead to the other? How do we know what flourishing is? What do people actually need to flourish? Times are tough; IS anyone actually flourishing? To answer those questions, we're turning today to two international researchers who are leading a ground-breaking study on human flourishing: Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, John L. Loeb and Francis Lehman Loeb professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Byron Johnson, director of The Institute for Studies of Religion and a distinguished professor of the social sciences at Baylor University. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

When Joshua Plotnik was a kid, he wanted to become a veterinarian and day dreamed of a future caring for animals large and small. By the time he got to college, he eagerly worked with every type of vet he could think of, from small animal vets to large animal horse veterinarians. On a summer break from his undergraduate studies at Cornell University, he interned as a zookeeper at the Central Park Zoo, and a mentor there encouraged him to reach out to the internationally-acclaimed primatologist Dr. Franz de Waal, known for his research on cooperation in primates. When the young student approached Dr. de Waal to ask if he might take him on as a PhD candidate, Dr. de Waal extended an invitation — the chance of a lifetime. Dr. Plotnik started researching chimpanzee behavior — where a lot of psychology researchers land, he says. But Dr. Plotnik's interests soon expanded to question how those similarities evolve across these different species, if it's not due to a common ancestor? With that fascination driving his work, Dr. Plotnik soon asked Dr. de Waal for his support setting up a field site where he could immerse himself in researching the behavioral flexibility of one the largest animals he'd worked with yet: Elephants. And so, for the last two decades, Dr. Plotnik's research has focused on wild and captive elephants primarily located in Thailand. Now an associate professor of psychology and the director of the Comparative Cognition for Conservation Lab at Hunter College, City University of New York, he's currently wrapping up a years-long study about elephant intelligence. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation