People Fixing the World

From flatpack classrooms in flood-prone Bangladesh to a literacy app in Somaliland, this podcast discusses empowering adults through reading. Explore personal stories like Oliver James, UK's Read Easy program, and the impact of literacy on women's independence and economic opportunities.

We all know about the power of music to change our mood or to make us move. But an increasing body of evidence is showing that music has an amazing ability to help us heal. In this programme we are going to meet people working at the cutting edge of music therapy. We find out about the innovative system that uses music to help people with dementia live at home for longer. We will see how using songs and rhythms is helping people with Parkinson’s move more freely. And in a refugee camp in Uganda we meet the teachers using music to bring people together and overcome trauma.Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/Reporter: Richard Kenny Series Producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Mix: Frank McWeeny(Image: Salam Music Program in Bidibidi, Uganda)

Transforming the global food system is vital in the fight against climate change. Currently, food production accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the food system also fails to properly nourish billions of people worldwide.In this edition of People Fixing The World we’re looking at high and low tech solutions to transform the ways we produce and consume food to make it greener and more equitable.In London, we visit a startup company making cheese from genetically modified microbes rather than cattle, in a bid to make dairy production better for the planet.And in Philadelphia we look at how planting fruit and nut trees in ‘food forests’ is tackling hunger by providing access to healthy, nutritious food for low-income communities across the city.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Zoe Gelber Series producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Tom Bigwood Sound mix: Frank McWeeny

Explore the use of psilocybin from magic mushrooms in treating treatment-resistant depression, including personal stories of relief. Delve into the science behind the psychedelic effects and the potential risks and benefits. Hear about the journey of a woman named Amanda and her transformative experience with magic mushrooms for mental health. Discuss the legalization and medical use of psilocybin in various countries, highlighting the ongoing debates and future prospects.

Whistleblowers - they're the good guys right? The ones who speak truth to power and have films made about the heroic stands they took? Sometimes. Often the people who speak up in the workplace are ignored or shut down. Worse still they're often bullied or harassed or end up losing their jobs. They're the ones you never hear about.This week we hear about two projects that are encouraging people to speak up about wrongdoing at work and how they're improving people’s work environment, saving time, money and even saving lives.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Claire Bowes Series Producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Penny Murphy Sound Mix: Annie Gardiner

Discover innovative ways to provide education to children worldwide, from offline internet access in Senegal to portable science kits in Africa. Explore a night school in Pakistan for child laborers and the challenges faced by marginalized children. Join the discussion on revolutionizing education and inspiring future scientists and engineers.

Australia used to be one of the most linguistically diverse places, with over 200 languages. Today, many of Australia’s indigenous languages are considered “highly endangered”. Inspired by his native language, Hebrew, Ghil’ad Zuckermann is a linguistics professor who is on a mission to revive Australia’s dead and endangered languages, painstakingly piecing them back together from historical documents. We speak to Ghil’ad and Shania Richards from the Barngarla community, whose language is being brought back from the brink. Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Josephine Casserly Producers: Claire Bates & Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Annie Gardiner Editor: Penny Murphy Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk Image: Shania Richards, in the uniform of the Youth Governor of South Australia

Exploring innovative solutions for elderly residents in Barcelona unable to navigate stairs, utilizing specialized wheelchairs for mobility. Highlighting a university-based retirement community in the US offering a college lifestyle experience for senior citizens. Emphasizing the importance of social interaction and engagement for the well-being of older individuals.

On this edition of People Fixing The World we meet people who’ve helped overcome long-standing cultural biases to create better outcomes for everyone. In India we hear about the social media campaigns which have helped city dwellers in Bengaluru see those who pick waste from rubbish dumps not as dangerous and dirty but as invaluable recyclers. In Nigeria we meet a traditional healer and a health worker who are collaborating to help improve the treatment of psychosis and break down some of the unhelpful attitudes towards severe mental health problems.Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Makuochi Okafor, Claire Bowes Series producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Penny Murphy Sound Mix: Andrew Mills(Image: Chief Mukaila Yusuf, BBC)

This podcast explores rewilding and the reintroduction of lost species to restore ecosystems. It discusses the benefits of rewilding, challenges of legislation and farmer engagement, and successful projects in Europe and Argentina.