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PODCAST

UNDERCURRENTS

How do we practice peace in this broken world? How can we make a meaningful impact in our community? How can we better align our faith and values with our action? For 105 years, MCC’s mission has been to show God’s love to all by meeting basic human needs and working for peace and justice. In this all new season of Undercurrents, we"ll share not only the stories of hope and challenge from MCC’s programs, but also to help us learn from them and ultimately inspire us to action. Thank you for joining

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

00:22:14

Ep 42 - Make bread, not bombs

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/10/01

Canada is re-arming at a pace not seen since World War II — and most of us have no idea what that actually means. In this episode, Ken talks with Kelsey Gallagher, senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, to cut through the political spin and understand what Canada's historic increase in military spending really looks like on the ground: where the money comes from, where the weapons go, and who ends up paying the price.Then, MCC Canada's Director of Advocacy Anna Vogt makes the case that

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00:02:13

Season 7 trailer!

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/09/21

Welcome to Season 7 of Undercurrents!Well, once again, if you only look at headlines, the world is a raging dumpster fire. We’ve got trade wars, we’ve got genocide, we’ve got catostrophic flooding and wildfires, billionaires and unhoused people, the list goes on. At times like this, a prayer made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous comes to mind:God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;courage to change the things I can;and wisdom to know the difference.This season, we are going to

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00:23:29

Ep 41 - What does change actually look like? A season...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/06/30

Changing your mind is hard. Changing your relationships is awkward. And changing systems can take generations. In this Season 6 finale of Undercurrents, we revisit the most powerful moments from the season — some heard for the first time — to ask: what does it actually look like when perspectives shift, relationships transform, and systems begin to crack open?This episode is a reminder that slow, faithful, relational work is not wasted work. Seeds planted today feed the people who come after

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00:29:43

Ep 40 - "We never lose with refugees": Canada's most...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/06/16

What does it look like to open a door that changes everything?In this episode of Undercurrents, we trace the remarkable story of how Canada became a world leader in refugee welcome — and why that legacy matters more now than ever.Host Ken Ogasawara sits down with Mike Molloy, retired Foreign Service officer and one of the architects of the world's first private refugee sponsorship program, to hear how a small clause buried in a 1976 immigration act became a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of

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00:05:10

PSA

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/06/04

Two public service announcements, some truly disturbing social media comments and a reminder that "We are Better Together!"

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00:52:09

Ep 39 - Daily bread and a hundred-year plan: Sarah...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/05/21

Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts!What does it mean to follow Jesus in a world built on systems of oppression? Ken sits down with the prophetic Sarah Augustine - author, scholar, activist and co-founder of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. We talk about Jesus’ mic-drop moment, we talk about divesting from systems of death, we talk about a one-hundred-year organizing strategy and lots more. This one is challenging -

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00:23:51

Ep 38 - Re-mastered: Bidder sweet update!

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/05/07

Watch the video here: It's relief sale season in Ontario! As the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale celebrates its 60th anniversary — and an extraordinary $15 million raised over six decades — we're re-releasing one of our favourite episodes with a fresh coat of paint.Episode 16 "Bidder Sweet" tells the story of one of the most electrifying moments in quilt auction history, featuring legendary quilter Renske Helmuth, auctioneer Gary Jantzi, and a bidding war that had a thousand people on their feet

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00:24:18

Ep 37 - How "zooming in" can help us take climate...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/04/22

In this episode of Undercurrents, Ken Ogasawara connects stories from Guatemala to a high school in Ontario to explore how climate action can be a form of peacebuilding.Meeting MCC partners in Guatemala, Ken witnesses how climate change is disrupting crops, livelihoods, and families—forcing difficult choices like migration. Yet communities respond with resilience and practical action, especially through youth learning new ways to care for the land.Back home, those same seeds take root at Rockway

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00:19:48

Ep 36 - The best thrift shops in the world

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/04/09

What makes MCC thrift shops the best?In this episode, Ken Ogasawara goes behind the scenes of MCC Thrift to follow the life of a donation—from the moment it’s received to the moment it finds a new home (or gets repurposed in surprising ways). Along the way, we hear from Mark Patfield, General Manager of the MCC New Hamburg Thrift Centre, who offers a window into the care, structure, and decision-making that shape what ends up on the shelves.The episode also introduces us to some of the people who

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00:27:02

Ep 35 - From charity to relationship: a better way...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/03/26

Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you listen to podcasts!How should non-Indigenous Christians engage in Truth and Reconciliation? What does it really mean to “love your neighbor” on Turtle Island?What does it actually look like to move from charity to relationship?In this second and final episode of our two-part series, we continue a powerful conversation with three non-Indigenous Christian panelists reflecting on their journeys toward meaningful relationships with

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00:36:11

Ep 34 - Listening first: how non-Indigenous...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/03/12

How should non-Indigenous Christians engage in Truth and Reconciliation? What does it really mean to “love your neighbour” on Turtle Island?In this special live panel episode of Undercurrents, recorded at Westside Church in Burlington in partnership with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), we explore what it means for non-Indigenous Christians to become neighbours worth knowing.Featuring reflections from Karen Ward, Dr. Samuel Sarpiya and Doug McLachlin, three people with different starting points

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00:23:58

Ep 33 - Redefining "a good neighbourhood" in...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/02/26

What makes a good neighbourhood?Low crime rates? Strong property values? Walkability and good schools?In Episode 33 of Undercurrents, host Ken Ogasawara travels to the Queenston neighbourhood in St. Catharines, Ontario—a community many outsiders label “the worst neighbourhood in the city.” But is that the whole story?Ken spends the day with Tim Shields, MCC Community Mobilizer and longtime Queenston resident, exploring how relationships, dignity, and grassroots peacebuilding are reshaping what it

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00:23:51

Ep 32 - Giving our best: generosity, specificity and...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/02/12

In this episode of Undercurrents, host Ken Ogasawara goes behind the scenes with the Material Resources team at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to explore how relief kits, hygiene kits, school kits, and canned meat are prepared and shipped to communities facing crisis around the world — and right here in Ontario.What does it actually take to send a relief kit overseas? Why is MCC so specific about items like metal pencil sharpeners, heavy-duty nail clippers, toothbrush colours, towel sizes, and

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00:24:35

Ep 31 - Non-anxious presence, rocky soil and...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/01/29

A 30 second scroll through the headlines will give you a glimpse of a world desperately in need of peace. But peacebuilding is not only needed in Palestine and Israel, or Ukraine, or in South Sudan. Peace is needed in our own communities and in our own lives.In my conversation with Rod Friesen, we reveal three stories of peacebuilding from his career- and what we can learn something from each of these stories and how we can apply these lessons in our own lives.Transcription here.Discussion guide for

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00:01:47

How do we practice peace in a broken world? - Season...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2026/01/15

How do we practice peace in this broken world? How can we make a meaningful impact in our community? How can we better align our faith and values with our actions?These are the questions we want to explore in Season 6.For 105 years, MCC’s mission has been to show God’s love to all by meeting basic human needs and working for peace and justice. A quick scroll through the newsfeed is enough to tell you that the needs are many.But we also know that there is beautiful work being done that is making a

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00:34:17

Update 3: Podcast inspiration, refugee sponsorship...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2025/12/04

This update episode is with Ly. She shared her story so eloquently and vulnerably back in 2021 in Episode 10 about the impact of MCC’s hand-crafted relief materials how it changed her life. So today you’ll hear an update from Ly as she shares about how she and her church have paid that forward in a huge way, and how another Undercurrents episode (Ep 13 - I believe in miracles) inspired her during a tough stretch. Update begins at 27:53.

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00:26:39

Update 2: Pulled teeth, acts of kindness and one last...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2025/11/26

This update episode is with Wayne. I got to know Wayne through interviewing him a number of times over 2019 and despite the disruption of the pandemic, I’d still see Wayne occasionally around the office at various Circle of Friends gatherings. But over the last few years, I’ve been seeing less and less of Wayne. At the end of this episode, he’ll explain why. He also makes an unusual request.Undercurrents is sponsored in part by Kindred Credit UnionTheme song by Brian MacmillanArtwork by Jesse

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00:18:32

Update 1: Quitting piano lessons, finding his father...

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2025/11/15

We check in with Patrick - he of the beautiful singing voice and piano lessons - who was featured in the very first pilot episode of Undercurrents. Since I first interviewed him in 2018, life has changed a lot for Patrick. I re-connect with him to find out what's new (spoiler: a lot).Undercurrents is supported by Kindred Credit Union.Artwork by Jesse BergenTheme song by Brian MacMillan

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00:06:26

ANNOUNCEMENT(S)

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2025/11/07

Host Ken Ogasawara and producer Christen Kong share insights from listeners, tease an upcoming mini-season, and the audio clip that started it all!mcc.org/undercurrentsUndercurrents is sponsored by Kindred Credit Union.

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00:20:32

Ep 30 - Unspeakable suffering; defiant hope in DR Congo

UNDERCURRENTS ·

2025/06/20

The most brutal conflict of the modern era is grinding onwards in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In this episode, we’ll hear from Justin Zihindula and Esther Muziranenge, two Congolese from different families who were displaced and resettled in Canada many years apart. Undercurrents is generously supported by ⁠Kindred Credit Union.⁠Transcription is here.Download the discussion guide for this episode here.Read about MCC’s new $4.7M relief project with Global Affairs

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