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PODCAST

SoftPower/FulStories

Christopher Wurst

Epic weekly tales from every corner of the globe. Forget politics, academia, or the office, these are "soft, powerful stories" told by those who lived them. Is what happens in Kinshasa really important in Kansas? Should an Idahoan care about the problems of an Indonesian? (The answer is yes, but...) SP/FS gives the human story center stage. People can debate the virtues of global soft power, but no one--from Osaka to Omaha to Ouagadougou--can deny the magic of these encounters. Each episode begins

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

00:34:13

#9 - Flo Reed

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/10/10

Flo Reed believes--no, she knows--that when people work together, they can overcome challenges and create significant change. Her work in Central America in the Peace Corps allowed her to see the threats that small farmers faced and gain insight into how to confront them, leading eventually to her founding of Sustainable Harvest International. Since then, SHI has helped thousands of rural farming families restore degraded land, increase food security, and build more sustainable

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00:41:54

SP/FS BONUS: Catastrophic Diplomacy (Dr. Julia Irwin)

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/10/06

Dr. Julia Irwin is the leading scholar writing about the history and impact of US disaster relief. In this fascinating conversation, she shares some entertaining and little-known stories to outline the evolution of American aid and the implications of American disengagement from disaster efforts around the world. (Note: This episode is a companion piece to SP/FS #8 with Warren Acuncius.) SoftPower/FulStories uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through

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00:33:21

#8 - Warren Acuncius

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/10/03

Warren Acuncius has seen a lot. His work for USAID as a disaster relief specialist took him all over the world. He saw the aftermath of cataclysmic tragedies and suffering on a scale that most cannot imagine. But he also saw what can be accomplished when humans--from different countries and backgrounds--come together to give each other aid and comfort. It turns out that both earthquakes--and people--can move mountains.SoftPower/FulStories uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in

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00:27:31

#7 - Alexa West

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/09/26

Before Alexa West became the quintessential Solo Girl traveler, inspiring a new generation of women to confidently explore the world on their own, she was a solo girl (Peace Corps) volunteer--still helping women, but from a very foreign village in remote Bulgaria. It was a vital stop on the journey to becoming a truly badass traveler.'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace

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00:13:55

SP/FS BONUS: Merullo's Island

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/09/22

In this short companion piece to novelist Roland Merullo's regular SP/FS episode, he discusses his deeply unique--and even more deeply remote--Peace Corps role, in perhaps the most remote location ever assigned.

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00:33:45

#6 - Roland Merullo

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/09/19

In the waning years of the Soviet Union, the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) mounted massive exhibitions about American culture throughout the USSR--with everything from fully equipped American kitchens to a car display featuring a little red Corvette. Roland Merullo managed one such exhibition, "Design USA," and had plenty of stories about it.Roland Merullo's books are enjoyed worldwide. They blend close observations of regular life with humor and spiritual insight. Many are set in

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00:32:15

#5 - Betsy Small

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/09/12

Betsy Small grew up aware of both her privileged place in the world and her family's rapid rise from poverty and persecution. Both left a mark, resulting in decades of empathy and action--at home and in some of the most vulnerable places in the world.SoftPower/FulStories uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS

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00:11:13

SP/FS Bonus: The Art of Diplomacy

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/09/08

In this short companion piece to Ambassador Pamela White's regular SP/FS episode, she discusses the art of diplomacy, using her time with The Gambia's fascinating but deeply flawed former President Yahya Jammeh. Pamela White served as the U.S. Ambassador to The Gambia from 2010 to 2012; her focus was on strengthening governance, health, and development partnerships.Yahya Jammeh ruled The Gambia from 1994, when he seized power in a coup, until 2017, maintaining control through repression,

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00:34:58

#4 - Ambassador Pamela White

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/09/05

Pamela White has given more than four decades of her life, serving the United States all over the world. As a Peace Corps volunteer, with USAID, and eventually as the U.S. Ambassador to The Gambia and Haiti, she has--and continues to--embody the best of American diplomacy and assistance work overseas.SoftPower/FulStories uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists,

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00:33:58

#3 - Glenn Blumhorst

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/09/05

Glenn Blumhorst is a global citizen who has lived, worked, and travelled in more than 70 countries. Starting as a Peace Corps volunteer in a tiny Guatemalan village, he would grow into a local legend: "Don Glenn de las Luces" -- literally, 'Sir Glenn of the Lights." It also sums up his lifetime pursuit of serving others.SoftPower/FulStories uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors

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00:29:42

#2 - Elizabeth Gore

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/09/05

Elizabeth Gore, founder of the hugely successful fintech company Hello Alice, has spent her life breaking down barriers and helping others to help themselves. Whether college classmates seeking independence, Bolivian women farmers seeking empowerment, or a million and a half entrepreneurs seeking business success through her company, Elizabeth's impressive accomplishments are inextricably linked to the progress of others.SoftPower/FulStories uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement

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00:33:23

#1 - Carl Henn

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/08/30

Author Carl Henn likes to claim that he has spent two centuries in Africa. And while it may have only felt like 200 years, his actual decades of life-saving work there--as a Peace Corps volunteer, NGO worker, and USAID health specialist--spanned North, East, South, and West Africa. His stories are fueled by the same compassion and ever-present sense of humor that marked his overseas career. Even through some very dark times. SoftPower/FulStories uses first-person stories to explore why U.S

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00:04:01

SP/FS Introductory trailer

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/07/09

SoftPower/FulStories is a storytelling podcast that highlights human connections around the world, featuring a diverse array of accomplished storytellers with decades of experience in soft power. Because no one can go it alone, and everybody needs friends. Even mighty nations. Podcast launches 9/5.

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00:00:28

SP/FS opening

SoftPower/FulStories ·

2025/06/08

SoftPower/FulStories launches on September 5, 2025.

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34 results

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