Planetary Conversations – Details, episodes & analysis

Dr. Deirdre Nunan has spent many years working with Doctors Without Borders and bringing her skill as an orthopedic surgeon to people in famine stricken and impoverished communities in countries around the world. Recently Dr. Nunan has spent time in the Gaza strip treating patients impacted by the war between Israel and Hamas.

In this episode Dr. Nunan shares with Warren her experiences working alongside local physicians, in extremely difficult conditions, to try and save the lives of civilians injured by the weapons of war.

In this episode hear Warren's interview with Jamie Kneen, Outreach Coordinator and Canada Program Co-Lead for MiningWatch Canada. Jamie leads MiningWatch's work on mining policy advocacy and mining activity in western and northern Canada, leading policy reform and providing strategic and technical support to communities affected by mineral exploration and mining projects. Listen in on this insightful conversation on the impacts of mining in Canada, particularly on indigenous communities in the north.

Listen in on Warren's interview with Kasari Govender and Laura Track. Kasari Govender is the first independent B.C. Commissioner for Human Rights and is responsible for promoting and protecting human rights in our province through the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. Laura Track is the Director of the Community Legal Assistance Society’s Human Rights Clinic, as well as its Director of Education. She advocates on behalf of people who have experienced discrimination and assists complainants to navigate BC’s human rights process.

Warren's guest is Dr. Paul Kershaw, an award-winning tenured professor at the University of British Columbia. Paul is a policy professor in the UBC School of Population and Public Health. He is the founder of Generation Squeeze, a non-profit organization that is the driving force behind advocacy for policy changes to support housing affordability, rent controls, taxes on empty homes, the recent $10/day daycare program across Canada, fair access to medical care, and generational equity.

In this episode from October of 2025, Warren speaks with Sara Kishawi, a student activist and Gaza born resident of Nanaimo B.C. about her reactions and reflections on the war and recent ceasefire in the Gaza strip.

On this show Warren's guest is Mike Boudreau, Engineer, businessman, Rotarian, member of PeaceBuilders.world and leader of the Peace and Pizza program in Salmon Arm. Warren and Mike talk about Mike's journey from Engineer to peace builder and to the practice of Buddhism. Mike's story is one of personal evolution and change, and finding ways to be at peace with one's self, and to bring peace to the world.

On this show Warren's guest is Darcia Narvaez, Professor of Psychology Emerita at the University of Notre Dam. Darcia has written extensively on issues of character, moral development, and human flourishing. She studies the effects of early life experience on sociality, morality and thriving. She hosts the website EvolvedNest.org which emphasizes the importance of nestedness for all ages in order to maintain wellbeing and compassionate morality.

This episode includes Warren's conversation with Susan Blacklin, the author of Water Confidential - Witnessing Justice Denied. In her book she shares stories of the fifteen years during which she observed the challenges in obtaining safe drinking water for Canadians in rural and First Nations communities. Her late ex-husband, Dr. Hans Peterson, developed a biological water treatment process for First Nations. She shares the indifference of Government and sometimes outright discrimination toward First Nations as they attempted to make safe drinking water a reality for their communities.

Susan's new book is Water Justice - What You Don't Know Can Kill You. It will be released on World Water Day, March 22, 2026.

Listen in on Warren's conversation with Luke Kemp, Ph.D. author of Goliath's Curse. Luke is a research associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge. He has a background in human geography, international relations and economics, all of which he tutored or lectured in at the Australian National University. Luke is the author of the widely acclaimed book Goliath's Curse. Published in 2025, the book is a historical study of the collapse of human societies from the Bronze Age to the Modern era.

In this episode Warren talks with Guy LaChapelle about the World Values Survey. Guy is a tenured professor of Political Science at Concordia University in Montreal Canada. He was the Secretary General of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) from 2000-2020 and organized 10 World Congress around the world for the International Political Science Association. Guy will talk about the origins of the World Values Survey, some of the key aspects of the survey scope and content, and how the survey results are open access for all researchers and organizations around the world.