Patchwork of Belonging

About Patchwork of Belonging

At Global Diversity Foundation, our work is informed by the belief that storytelling and radical imagination are vital forces for social transformation. Our podcast programming consists of a growing constellation of sonic spaces where voices from around the world meet, reflect, and reimagine pathways to more just, regenerative futures. Through three distinct series — Seeding Stories for Change, Patchwork of Belonging, and Rewor[l]ding Conservation — we explore the interwoven challenges of our time, from climate breakdown and cultural erosion to systemic injustice and the search for connection. Seeding Stories for Change brings together grassroots voices, activists, artists and scientists to share grounded stories of hope, resilience, and radical imagination. Together, we explore how seeds of change are being planted in communities, ecosystems, and institutions — and how these stories can grow into transformative action. Patchwork of Belonging is a sound-rich tapestry of fiction, documentary, field recordings, and poetic storytelling. It journeys through the fractured landscapes of identity and home, amplifying voices often marginalized in mainstream narratives. Through intimate stories of struggle and solidarity, it asks how we might restore our sense of belonging in a world marked by crisis and fragmentation. Rewor[l]ding Conservation rethinks what conservation can mean when rooted in justice, kinship, and humility. Through conversations with indigenous leaders, grassroots organizers, donors, artists and more-than-human voices, we examine the language, power, and possibilities of conservation in a time of planetary collapse. What needs to be reimagined? And can the word “conservation” still hold the world we hope to sustain?

Publisher

Global Diversity Foundation

Category

arts · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Apr 2023

Latest episode

13 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

18 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Apr 2026

   Rewor(l)ding Conservation #4: Perspectives from the Grassroots

   For this new episode of “Rewor(l)ding Conservation”, we invited curator, researcher and pedagogue Margarida Mendes to open up her sonic archives around the Tagus river in Portugal, unpacking her practice as a multidisciplinary researcher exploring how sound can be used not only to describe, but also to sense changing ecosystems. Situating herself in the watery world of the Tagus wetland, and drawing from her PhD research “Sensorial Ecologies”, in this two-part episode we follow Mendes’ voice as she introduces her work around how sonic practices can be mobilised towards ecological and community reparation and conservation. Her storytelling offers an example of how listening can shape one’s understanding of the environment, mediated by sensing infrastructures, interspecies interactions, and the impacts of extractive industries. The second part of the episode is an invitation to engage with deep listening, opening our ears to the flows and ebbs of the river, guided by meditative scores that bring us to an embodied relationality with its fluxes and pulses.

2. 

   9 Sept 2025

   Rewor(l)ding Conservation #3: At the Shores of the River Tagus (bonus)

   An invitation by Margarida Mendes to engage with deep listening, opening our ears to the flows and ebbs of the river, guided by meditative scores that bring us to an embodied relationality with its fluxes and pulses. Best appreciated in the company of a water body.

3. 

   9 Sept 2025

   Rewor(l)ding Conservation #3: At the Shores of the River Tagus

   For this new episode of “Rewor(l)ding Conservation”, we invited curator, researcher and pedagogue Margarida Mendes to open up her sonic archives around the Tagus river in Portugal, unpacking her practice as a multidisciplinary researcher exploring how sound can be used not only to describe, but also to sense changing ecosystems. Situating herself in the watery world of the Tagus wetland, and drawing from her PhD research “Sensorial Ecologies”, in this two-part episode we follow Mendes’ voice as she introduces her work around how sonic practices can be mobilised towards ecological and community reparation and conservation. Her storytelling offers an example of how listening can shape one’s understanding of the environment, mediated by sensing infrastructures, interspecies interactions, and the impacts of extractive industries. The second part of the episode is an invitation to engage with deep listening, opening our ears to the flows and ebbs of the river, guided by meditative scores that bring us to an embodied relationality with its fluxes and pulses.

4. 

   4 Aug 2025

   Patchwork of Belonging #6: Growing Freedom

   Watch the Enligh-subtitled version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77zlFHkYbjA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77zlFHkYbjA) This episode takes us to Dar Bellarj Foundation in the heart of Marrakech's medina, where a three-day exploration of DIY publishing, plants, and propagation workshop was led by artist and publisher Heiba Lamara. Joined by the Gifted Mothers of Dar Bellarj, the workshop centered the liberating acts of zine-making and planting as tools for community connection and environmental awareness. Listen in as the mothers read their heartfelt contributions to the collective zine created during the workshop and share sincere reflections about connection to land. Heiba Lamara offers insight into her interdisciplinary practice, weaving gardening and publishing into a vibrant methodology for collective storytelling and ecological care. About Dar Bellarj For over two decades, Dar Bellarj has been a cornerstone of cultural and intergenerational exchange in Marrakech. Rooted in its community, this vital foundation provides a space for creativity, learning, and connection. It has been a pivotal partner of our Harvest Festival, hosting and co-curating workshops, markets, concerts, and more since the very first edition. About “How to Grow a Book” A unique workshop/installation blending the spirit of a seed swap with the hands-on creativity of a print room that took place during Harvest Festival in May 2024. Participants and visitor reflected on shared agri/cultures, exchanged plant knowledge, and participated in the creation of a communal publication. About Heiba Lamara An artist, gardener, and publisher, Heiba Lamara explores the intersections of zine-making, ecologies, and community storytelling. She is Assistant Editor of OOMK Zine and co-founder of Rabbits Road Press, bringing independent publishing practices to life across disciplines.

5. 

   28 Jul 2025

   Rewor(l)ding Conservation #2: The Point of Impact

   𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 [𝐢𝐢] 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫[𝐥]𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢 𝐃𝐮𝐟𝐟 (𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢), 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚 (𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐃), 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐳 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐫 & 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐧 (𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐤𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐚𝐤𝐢). “The work that indigenous communities and local organisations do when it comes to landscape conservation and climate adaptation is often invisible, and yet it is what is holding us. That is the point of impact.” — Resson Kantai Duff In this second episode of “Rewor(l)ding Conservation”, former participants of GDF’s Conservation & Communities Fellowship — Beatriz Murer, Reyni Palohoen, and Valery Binda, share insights from their respective fields, reflecting on the unique challenges and tensions that arise in their efforts to protect both indigenous communities and the wildlife they live alongside. Their stories navigate the complex interplay between local realities and broader systemic issues — particularly the structural barriers around funding and recognition that grassroots activists continue to face within the global conservation sector. To deepen this conversation, the second act of our podcast also brings in the voice of Resson Kantai Duff, Portfolio Funding Director at Maliasili, whose thoughtful and committed work has profoundly shaped the thinking of many in the conservation field. She unpacks the troubling reality that less than 1% of global philanthropic funding for conservation actually reaches local communities and grassroots organizations — despite these actors being on the frontlines of environmental protection. While criticising the dominant funding systems that continue to marginalize indigenous and local voices, together these voices call for a thorough review of our very own relationship with nature and its “conservation”, one that needs to move towards a radically different and more expansive way of belonging in nature, and to this planet. ** 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫[𝐥]𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 is developed with the support of the Darwin Initiative.

6. 

   24 Jul 2025

   Rewor(l)ding Conservation #1: Conservation, the Same Old Story?

   𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲? 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 [𝐢] 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫[𝐥]𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐫. 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐲 & 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐨 Over the past years we have seen the growing recognition of the role played by community-based conservation in stewarding landscapes and sustaining their communities. Yet, the increasing bureaucratisation of this practice and way of living raises the question: is today’s conservation part of the same old story? A story dominated by modernity and coloniality? If so, and following Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, how could we ‘hospice’ it? The opening act of our podcast series “𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫[𝐥]𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧”, explores some of these matters through the voices of Dr. Carolyn Finney and Global Diversity Foundation programme coordinator Emily Caruso. Drawing from personal experience, life-long research and work in the field, Carolyn and Emily offer more critical questions than straightforward answers, opening up the grounds to explore how we can step out of the sand-box in which conservation has thus far played to move into an open field that looks radically different. ** 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫[𝐥]𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 is developed with the support of the Darwin Initiative.

7. 

   18 Jul 2025

   Patchwork of Belonging #5: Weaving Connections

   In this episode of Patchwork of Belonging, we immerse ourselves in the practice of interdisciplinary artist William Bock. Will’s work spans cultures, landscapes, and identities, weaving together threads of community, ecology, and tradition. His approach invites us to reflect on the deep connections between people and the environments they inhabit. At the heart of this episode is Will’s participatory rope-making installation, where natural materials—harvested by his own hands—become tools for collective storytelling. Through this tactile process, participants are guided to engage with the land and its textures, creating moments of shared discovery. We also share a powerful, unplanned exchange between Will and Ali, a local farmer and environmental activist, captured amidst the rhythm of the workshop. This conversation, flowing across languages, becomes a testament to the strength of creative practice as a bridge between diverse perspectives and experiences. Join us as we explore how art can hold the threads of belonging, offering us ways to connect across cultural, ecological, and personal landscapes. About William Bock William Bock is an interdisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersections of culture, landscape, and identity. Using photography, painting, sound, performance, and installation, he investigates the connections between people, land, and ecology. A member of the Wilderness Art Collective, Bock is also a founding member of the award-winning Dig Collective, with projects showcased at Art Safiental Biennale (Switzerland) and PEER Gallery (London). He has produced and curated exhibitions, workshops, and residencies internationally, and previously co-directed the theatre collective Strangeworks, delivering projects for the Barbican and New Walsall Art Gallery.

8. 

   1 Jun 2025

   Rooting Conservation

   Moeumu, Andrea, Abigail, and Kanto share their experiences as conservation leaders from Samoa, Bolivia, Guatemala, and Madagascar, highlighting community-based approaches and cultural preservation in an interview with Fayçal and Nessie.

9. 

   23 Dec 2024

   King of Bees

   Earth Jurisprudence Practitioner Simon Mitambo shares insights into the resilient Tharakan culture and its dedication to ecological restoration through ancestral wisdom, cultural practices, and community dialogues in this interview.

10. 

    20 Nov 2024

    Sisters of Seeds

    Milka Chepkorir Kuto discusses seed sovereignty and indigenous resilience in Kenya, highlighting efforts to revive native seed varieties and combat corporate control in an interview episode.

11. 

    13 Nov 2024

    Life in the Orchards

    This episode of "Patchwork of Belonging" explores the lives of Moroccan people in the Al Haouz region after the 2023 earthquake, revealing their resilience and deep connection to ancestral lands despite immense loss.

12. 

    18 Sept 2023

    Fear & Polarisation pt. 2: The Ferguson Uprising

    Researcher Mihir Shirman discusses his documentation of the Ferguson uprising, sharing insights on how fear shapes social movements and influences political dynamics in this interview.

13. 

    31 Aug 2023

    Fear & the Body pt. 2 | Enhanced with healing sounds and guided meditations

    Simran Rawan interviews Karen Larbi, Nessie Reid, and Sulaiman R. Khan about fear's impact on the body, incorporating healing sounds and guided meditations to promote personal growth and empowerment in this interview episode.

14. 

    18 Jul 2023

    Fear & Polarisation, pt.1: The India-Pakistan Partition

    Simran and Samirah explore the deep-rooted fear and hatred between India and Pakistan 75 years after Partition, discussing the challenges of reconnecting with ancestral lands amid prevailing tensions in this interview.

15. 

    26 Jun 2023

    Fear & the Body pt.1: The Physiology of Fear

    Karen Larbi, Nessie Reid, and Sulaiman R. Khan explore the physiology of fear and its manifestation in the body, discussing strategies to transform fear into a powerful ally in an interview facilitated by Simran Rawan.

16. 

    1 Jun 2023

    Debunking Nature-based Solutions, pt. 1

    Frederic Hache, co-founder of the Green Finance Observatory, debunks environmental markets and nature-based solutions, revealing how they may fuel nature's destruction in this interview.

17. 

    9 May 2023

    Strenghtening the resilience of the High Atlas Amazigh Communities

    Tasnim Elboute and Hafida Mazoud discuss the Global Diversity Foundation's efforts to preserve cultural landscapes in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains and strengthen the resilience of Amazigh communities in this interview episode.

18. 

    13 Apr 2023

    Navigating Co-directorship

    Co-directors Emily and Nessie explore the opportunities of non-hierarchical leadership, discussing core values like diversity, equity, and inclusion that guide their collaborative approach in this interview.

Who has been a guest on Patchwork of Belonging

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Moeumu
• Andrea
• Abigail
• Kanto
• Simon Mitambo

Podcast Authority Score: 22 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

45

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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