Building the Solidarity Economy: Awakening to Our Mutuality and Shifting the Terrain of Power | Manuel Pastor

Building the Solidarity Economy: Awakening to Our Mutuality and Shifting the Terrain of Power | Manuel Pastor

Author: Bioneers September 9, 2026 Duration: 31:15
At the core of our civilizational breakdown is an extractive economy that wastes both nature and people, at the same time it is Hoovering extreme wealth up to the billionaire class. But with breakdown comes breakthrough. Professor Manuel Pastor believes we’re living through a moment of profound transformation. It will come down to what we do – or don’t do – at this moment of radical change. In this episode, we hear from Pastor on how shocks to the system are precipitating a great awakening and growing movements to transform the economy to our economy. Featuring Manuel Pastor, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at USC and Director of its ⁠Equity Research Institute⁠, has long been one of the most important scholars and activists working on the economic, environmental and social conditions facing low-income urban communities and the social movements seeking to change those realities. He has held many prominent academic posts, won countless prestigious awards and fellowships for his activism and scholarship, and is the author and co-author of many important, highly influential tomes. Resources ⁠Solidarity Economics: Why Mutuality and Movements Matter⁠ | 2021 Book by Manuel Pastor and Chris Benner ⁠SolidarityEconomics.org⁠ | Joint Project of the Equity Research Center (ERI) at the University of Southern California and the Institute for Social Transformation at UC Santa Cruz ⁠Manuel Pastor – Solidarity Economics: Mutuality, Movements and Momentum⁠ | 2021 Bioneers Keynote Address ⁠Solidarity Economics: Our Economy, Our Planet, Our Movements⁠ | 2021 Bioneers Panel ⁠Bioneers Reader: Our Economic Future⁠ | Free eBook This is an episode of the Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature series. Visit the ⁠radio and podcast homepage⁠ to learn more.

There's a quiet revolution unfolding, one that draws its most profound ideas not from boardrooms or labs alone, but from the living world itself. Bioneers: Revolution From the Heart of Nature gives voice to that movement, presenting conversations that feel both urgent and deeply grounded. This award-winning podcast, curated by Bioneers, acts as a gathering place for some of the most compelling social and scientific thinkers of our era. Each episode explores how the genius of natural systems can inform our approach to modern crises. You’ll hear detailed discussions on topics ranging from practical biomimicry and ecological design to the interconnected realms of social justice, indigenous wisdom, and restorative psychology. The series refuses to silo these subjects, instead weaving them into a coherent vision for transformation. What emerges is a kaleidoscopic view of solutions that are as much about healing our communities as they are about restoring the planet. Tuning in, you encounter a rare depth of perspective, where the separation between ecological and social health dissolves. It’s a space where leading-edge ideas feel less like abstract concepts and more like a viable path forward, all explored through genuine dialogue and a celebration of human ingenuity working in concert with nature’s intelligence. This is a podcast for those looking to move beyond the headlines and into the heart of what it means to build a truly regenerative future.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Bioneers: Revolution From the Heart of Nature
Podcast Episodes
Plastic Planet: Stopping Big Oil, Big Plastic, and Big Misdirection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:15
After World War II, the U.S. government worked with industry to create a single-use, disposable consumer culture as a way to ensure ongoing market prosperity. Who benefited? Consumer product companies like Coca-Cola, and…
The Nature of Language and the Language of Nature [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:23
Over 7,000 languages are spoken around the world. Each one reflects a rich ecosystem of ideas - seeds that grow into a multitude of worldviews. Today, many of these immeasurably precious knowledge systems are endangered…
How, Then, Might We Live?  with Krista Tippett & Azita Ardakani [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:55
After accomplished stints as a journalist, author and diplomat, and studying theology at Yale Divinity School, Krista Tippett was struck by a significant gap in the media landscape—a lack of deep, intelligent conversatio…
Saving Nature Means Saving Ourselves | Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:15
Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant shares her personal odyssey as a wildlife ecologist, conservation biologist and co-host of the famed TV nature show “Wild Kingdom.” As a scientist dedicated to protecting and conserving the diversity o…
Laboring for Justice: See No Stranger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:15
In a world that’s unraveling from climate disruption and gaping inequality, another climate crisis confronts us: the climate of hate and othering. Award-winning scholar and educator Valarie Kaur says to overcome racism a…
The Apology: Love Means Having to Say You’re Sorry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:15
They say love means never having to say you’re sorry. But what if that popular aphorism from the 1960’s is wrong and that love precisely means having to say you’re sorry? Can an apology release the trauma, grief, rage an…