The New School at Commonweal

Join TNS Host Michael Lerner for a conversation on why microgrids are gaining popularity in California, the United States and around the world with the experts: Peter Asmus (Research Director with Navigant Research); Margaret Bruce (Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition); and Darren Malvin (CEO of Marin-Based American Solar).

Community-Led Conservation: Zambia's Mukungule Nature Conservancy In the North Luangwa Valley—one of the most biodiverse and intact wilderness areas left in Africa, with some of the highest remaining concentrations of wildlife left on the continent—illegal wildlife poaching had decimated wildlife, bringing once-vast elephant herds to the brink of extermination. Hammer Simwinga, a Zambian environmentalist, saw that extreme poverty was driving villagers to environmentally harmful practices, counter to traditional African values. He created an innovative program that reduced poverty and transformed poachers into caring conservationists protecting their cultural and natural heritage. Elephant and wildlife populations rebounded. The deep link between indigenous communities and their lands—experiential, spiritual, biological—is something not yet fully appreciated in conventional approaches to conservation, but that may be key to saving the earth’s future. Join TNS Host Michael Lerner in conversation with award-winning environmentalist Hammer Simwinga.

Join us for a conversation with James K Thornton, founder of Client Earth and host, Michael Lerner.

Join us for a conversation with Celeste Mergens and host, Michael Lerner. Celeste Mergens, Founder & CEO, Days for Girls Celeste founded Days for Girls after a trip to Kenya in 2008, when she learned that girls in an orphanage were facing huge challenges each month because they lacked access to hygiene options. What first began as an effort to supply disposable pads quickly evolved into a more sustainable solution. Her engineering and sewing experience drove the Days for Girls Kit design, which went through 28 iterations all informed by extensive feedback from women and girls around the world. ​

Join TNS Host Michael Lerner in part two of a two part conversation with Beatrice Chestnut, one of the most accomplished interpreters of the enneagram in our times. Her book, The Complete Enneagram, is widely recognized as one of the best resources for enneagram students. This seminar is primarily designed for people with at least a basic knowledge of enneagram. Reading or a familiarity with Chestnut's book in advance of the event will help prepare you for the conversation.

Join TNS Host Michael Lerner in part two of a two part conversation with Beatrice Chestnut, one of the most accomplished interpreters of the enneagram in our times. Her book, The Complete Enneagram, is widely recognized as one of the best resources for enneagram students.  To follow along with Beatrice Chestnut's presentation while listening to part one of the podcast, or just for reference, please download the following PDF file at: https://tns.commonweal.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/03/Commonweal_Enneagram_talk.pdf This seminar is primarily designed for people with at least a basic knowledge of enneagram. Reading or a familiarity with Chestnut's book in advance of the event will help prepare you for the conversation.

Join TNS Host Michael Lerner in a spiritual biography conversation with retired psychotherapist and Vedic astrologer Kristina Flanagan.

~Co-presented by Point Reyes Books and the Mesa Refuge~ Join us for a conversation between TNS Host Michael Lerner and Author and Journalist Michael Pollan about his new book, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence. How to Change Your Mind explores the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs—and the spellbinding story of Pollan’s own life-changing psychedelic experiences. This is the second in a series of two conversations between Michael Lerner and Michael Pollan on the subject of psychedelics. Michael Pollan is the author of seven previous books, including Cooked, Food Rules, In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and The Botany of Desire, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. A longtime contributor to the New York Times Magazine, he also teaches writing at Harvard and the University of California, Berkeley. In 2010, TIME magazine named him one of the one hundred most influential people in the world.

Join TNS Host Michael Lerner in conversation with Dr. Brian Bouch for a conversation about integrative oncology—part of our Healing Circles series of conversations. Brian Bouch, MD, has forged a career in medicine incorporating the best of conventional therapies with proven complementary and alternative therapies. A skilled acupuncturist and acupuncture teacher, he founded Hillpark Integrative Medical Center in 1987 and artfully blended Chinese medicine with functional medicine, osteopathic manual therapies, nutritional therapies, and intravenous therapies. Working alongside other medical doctors, licensed acupuncturists, osteopathic physicians, naturopathic physicians, bodyworkers and nurse practitioners, Dr Bouch and his colleagues at Hillpark garnered a reputation for successfully treating complex medical problems untouched by other practitioners. Dr. Bouch retired from office practice in 2016, but continues to provide advocacy services to a limited number of patients, and to mentor advocacy fellows.

Join TNS Host Michael Lerner in conversation with Dr. Brian Bouch for a conversation about integrative oncology—part of our Healing Circles series of conversations. Brian Bouch, MD, has forged a career in medicine incorporating the best of conventional therapies with proven complementary and alternative therapies. A skilled acupuncturist and acupuncture teacher, he founded Hillpark Integrative Medical Center in 1987 and artfully blended Chinese medicine with functional medicine, osteopathic manual therapies, nutritional therapies, and intravenous therapies. Working alongside other medical doctors, licensed acupuncturists, osteopathic physicians, naturopathic physicians, bodyworkers and nurse practitioners, Dr Bouch and his colleagues at Hillpark garnered a reputation for successfully treating complex medical problems untouched by other practitioners. Dr. Bouch retired from office practice in 2016, but continues to provide advocacy services to a limited number of patients, and to mentor advocacy fellows.