Down to Earth Conversations

Monday Mar 13, 2023

66. Keren Maxwell - Sexuality, Tics, and Parenting with Empathy

Monday Mar 13, 2023

I asked Keren Maxwell to come on the podcast because an often overlooked way of doing good in the world is simply raising children. Keren and her husband Glen have 4 children and celebrate them so well. Keren hasn't come on as a parenting expert, but simply to share her journey of celebrating and loving her children through whatever comes, including the many curve balls that are part and parcel of parenting.

In this conversation Keren and I talk about journeying with one of her children in the area of sexuality and identity, and then walking with her other children who developed various levels of uncontrollable tics over the past few years.

I think there is so much in this conversation whether you are a parent or not.

___

Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Monday Feb 27, 2023

65. Corinne Haines - Leading Through Challenge, Regeneration, and the Christchurch City Mission

Monday Feb 27, 2023

Corinne Haines is the current Christchurch City Missioner - or CEO of the City Mission. Corinne is a successful business leader, a wife and mother, a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and a generous and caring person.

We talk about her journey into business and then leading in business, particularly through adversity such as the Christchurch Earthquakes and an office fire that came soon after. We talk about how her journey has taken her to the Ministry of Defence and the regeneration of Christchurch, and then we discuss her current role as City Missioner, what that entails, and what she's learnt along the way.

For more on the Christchurch City Mission check out citymission.org.nz

To support Manny and Sarah's quest for a mobility vehicle, as mentioned in the episode, head to my give-a-little page

___

Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Monday Dec 19, 2022

64. Audible Arts Special

Monday Dec 19, 2022

In this episode I bring together poetry and song from former guests of the podcast as a Christmas gift to you all.

The episode features music from Juliagrace (ep.5) and Music with Michal (ep.50), as well as poetry from Te Karere Whitiao Scarborough (ep.10), Dietrich Soakai (ep.34), Mohamed Hassan (ep.59), Joel McKerrow (ep.31), and myself.

And to finish the episode I bring you the audio version of my kids book - Three Things to Know: An E Tū Tāngata Story - read by tamariki (children).

Find Julia Grace at her website, Facebook, Instagram, or Spotify.

Find Music with Michal at her website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Spotify.

Check out more poems from Te Karere Whitiao Scarborough (formerly Zane) on YouTube.

Check out more poems from Dietrich Soakai on YouTube, and check out his mahi at VOYCEWhakarongoMai or on Instagram at @voycenz

Find Mohamed Hassan at his website, where he links to his social media and his books. Hear more of his poems on YouTube.

Find Joel McKerrow's art exhibition HUMAN on his website, or check out his School for Creative Development. You can also find his poems on YouTube and Spotify.

And to purchase a copy of my book, head to etutangata.nz where you can also sign up for their resource kete that includes the audio version of the book (as read by me, and also the one read by tamariki).

___

Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Monday Dec 12, 2022

63. Dickson Whānau - Generosity, Creativity, and How to Make Their Day

Monday Dec 12, 2022

My whānau (family) join me for today's episode, sharing their thoughts about kindness, generosity, creativity, making the world a better place, and making someone's day.

The episode is laid out in three short interviews. First, I talk to Sophia and Mackenzie together, then a brief chat with our four year old Korah, before rounding off the episode with a kōrero with Beks around creativity, generosity, and inclusion.

Find Sugar Lips on Facebook, Instagram, or our website. And learn about our commitment to make a social impact with a generous sprinkling of inclusion.

___

Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic or facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic or @commoners_communion

Monday Nov 28, 2022

62. Naomi Toilalo - Whānau Kai, Being Brave, and the Spirit of Giving

Monday Nov 28, 2022

Naomi Toilalo is a wife, mum, tv presenter, reality TV contestant, and a baker. She runs the Instagram page Whānau Kai and has just released her first cook book of the same name, which is in both te reo Māori and English.

We talk māoritanga, Māori television, family, generosity, and what led to the creation of Whānau Kai.

Check out Whānau Kai on Instagram or Facebook. You can also find Whānau Kai: the Giving Series on YouTube.

Check out Naomi's cook book online or wherever good books are sold.

Donate to my give-a-little page here to help keep the podcast going into 2023.

___

Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic or facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic or @commoners_communion

Monday Nov 14, 2022

61. Scottie Reeve - Community, Compassion, and How to Walk by Moonlight

Monday Nov 14, 2022

Scottie Reeve is the author of the book, '21 Elephants', and co-hosts the podcast of the same name with the Reverend Spanky Moore (featured on episode 12). Scottie is also passionate about living in community with others, about caring for those who are neglected, or even cast aside, by society, and about how the church can make a real difference in the world

We talk about his time working for the Youth organisation, Zeal, the intentional communities he has lived in, including how they held him in both the great times and the very painful times. And we talk about his role as an Anglican church leader and how he is involved in doing church differently in the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn.

It is a powerful, and very vulnerable conversation.

Check out 21 Elephants, the book and the podcast, at 21elephants.co

Or the Brooklyn Anglicans at brooklynanglicans.nz

___

Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic or facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic or @commoners_communion

Tuesday Nov 01, 2022

60. Puna Wano-Bryant - Māori Justice, a Time to Heal, and Remembering Parihaka

Tuesday Nov 01, 2022

This is a very special episode as we prepare to remember the crown invasion of Parihaka on November 5th, 1881. If you don't know the story of Parihaka, you may wish to pause the episode and follow the links below to read a little about what happened. But the short of it was that the Crown ordered troops to invade Parihaka in response to the people of Parihaka showing active non-violent resistance to the confiscation of their lands, and the response of the people of Parihaka was kindness and intentional non-violence.

Today's guest, Puna Wano-Bryant, is from Parihaka, and a couple of years ago led the team who engaged with the Crown to negotiate a Crown apology for the atrocities committed in its name. With a background in law and arts, Puna has been actively pursuing justice for Māori in a range of ways for many years.

We talk about her identity as Māori, her passion for justice, Māori wards in local elections, and what it was like to negotiate with the Crown and receive an apology.

Read about the story of Parihaka at parihaka.maori.nz/history or nzhistory.govt.nz/occupation-pacifist-settlement-at-parihaka

See the trailer for the film The Children of Parihaka here.

Read about Minister Finlayson's book, Yes Minister, that Puna refers to here.

And connect with Puna on Instagram

___

Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic or facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic or @commoners_communion

Monday Oct 17, 2022

59. Mohamed Hassan - March 15, The Middle East, and How to Be a Bad Muslim

Monday Oct 17, 2022

Mohamed is a former NZ Poetry Slam Champion who represented New Zealand in the World Individual Poetry Slam in 2016. Mohamed has also worked in television and radio journalism in New Zealand and abroad over the last decade, and has produced some quality podcast series for Radio New Zealand. Most recently he is the author of the recently released, "How to Be a Bad Muslim, and other Essays".

We talk about the power of words and storytelling. We hear about some of his experiences as a journalist, including time covering the Middle East including the Palestinian/Israel conflict, and his reporting on the 2019 Christchurch terror attacks, when he was connected in so many ways to so many of the victims from the mosques.

We talk about Mohamed's book which covers themes of xenophobia, islamophobia, whānau, love, and loss. We also hear about why it was important to Mohamed to share about his mental health journey in a number of his book's essays.

Check out some of Mohamed's poetry and writing on Facebook or YouTube or check out his book "How to Be a Bad Muslim".

___

Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at

Music by Strahan:

Spotify: Strahan

Facebook: facebook.com/StrahanMusic or facebook.com/commonerscommunion

Instagram: @strahanmusic or @commoners_communion

Monday Oct 03, 2022

58. Dr Amy Kenny - My Body is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church

Monday Oct 03, 2022

Dr Amy Kenny is an amazing human being who has recently released a book titled "My Body is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church." In the book, and in our conversation, Amy shares her experiences of living in a world that is not designed with disability in mind. Sadly, her experience is that it is actually worse in the church than elsewhere.

We talk about her role teaching Shakespeare, her book and how it came about, and we tackle issues such as using disability as a metaphor, healing culture, whether she will run in heaven, whether hitting her other knee with a hammer would be helpful (?), how the church can be less ableist, and the difference she sees between inclusion and belonging.

If you are moved by the episode please consider sharing it with someone else - let's get this message out there.

Check out more from Amy at amy-kenny.com and go find her book wherever you can.

___

Connect with me at downtoearthconversations.com or at