Grow, reflect, act together.
The New School is Commonweal’s learning community and podcast. Together, we explore life’s big questions, offering events and publications in Commonweal’s areas of focus: finding meaning in a changing world, growing inner and community resilience, advocating for justice, and stewarding the natural world.
Conversations for meaningful change
Be in the room during conversations with inspiring thought- and action-leaders of our time. Explore life’s big questions in a “slow conversation” setting, reflect on different worldviews, and find connection in a welcoming community.
Eternal Song: Echoes of Resilience Across Indigenous Worlds
Maurizio Benazzo and Zaya Ralitza Benazzo with Host Susan Grelock Yusem
Co-presented with SAND (Science and Non-Duality) and Bolinas Film Festival
For tens of thousands of years, indigenous peoples were in deep kinship with the natural world while stewarding ancestral land and wisdom. Through the narratives of colonialism, capitalism, and individualism, our “modern” Western mindset has cast a collective fog of amnesia, and lead us into believing that we are separate from the Earth, each other, and the ancestral realm. The Eternal Song is the first in a series of award-winning films that explore the devastating impact of colonization on indigenous people and lands, and cultures—and how our collective future depends on remembering the eternal song of existence which calls us back to our original sense of belonging.
Join New School Host Susan Grelock Yusem for this conversation with Zaya Ralitza Benazzo and Maurizio Benazzo, the amazingly prolific filmmakers and founders of SAND (Science and Non-Duality)—a global community that comes together over a series of amazing documentaries.
By donation, you can watch the film discussed in this conversation — The Eternal Song: Ancestral Wisdom for Collective Healing — on the SAND website.
Events that bring us together
Join live gatherings—online or in person—to share stories, reflect, and build community. From famous to quietly fabulous, our speakers and hosts are doing inspiring things in the world, and every voice is welcome.
Leading Through the Polycrisis: Healing, Resilience, and the Future of Environmental Health and Justice
Sunday, Oct 18
1:00 pm – 3:30 pm PDT
In Gallery Commonweal and on Zoom
$15 suggested donation, no one turned away
Gary Cohen, Annie Leonard, and Brandi Jenkins, with Host Michael Lerner
Some leaders have said we are the first generation to understand the full dimensions of the climate crisis and the last generation to do something about it. As leaders, how can we hold the polycrisis without being crushed by the enormity of the personal, political and planetary challenges? Join Host Michael Lerner for a conversation with Gary Cohen, Annie Leonard, and Brandi Jenkins about the long road that has brought the environmental health and justice movement to where we are in this moment.
Our Genuinely Unprecedented Moment in History
Wednesday, Oct 28
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm PDT
In Commonweal Library or on Zoom
$15 suggested donation, no one turned away
Richard Tarnas and Host Michael Lerner
The crisis of our current moment in time demands that we do our utmost to see through a glass darkly. In this conversation, Richard Tarnas will join Host Michael Lerner to discuss insights and perspectives that might help shed light on the current turning point in human evolution.
Medicine for the Long Dark: Conversation, Listening, Ritual
Sunday, November 8
1 pm – 4 pm PST
In Gallery Commonweal and on Zoom
In-person seats are filled; join us online
$25 suggested donation, no one turned away
Francis Weller and Host Jaune Evans
Join Francis Weller and Host Jaune Evans as we explore the medicine we need for the Long Dark, the medicine we bring to the Long Dark, and surprisingly, the medicine we find in the Long Dark. The event will include conversation with Francis, time to listen, and a community ritual to allow for receiving and “risking revelation.”
Lines of inquiry that expand your worldview
Immerse yourself in a line of thought or inquiry at your own pace—building resilience and sparking new insights. Follow the journey of our Visiting Scholars, our favorite topics, and our favorite guests at Commonweal’s New School.
Words that inspire action
From thoughtful articles to creative zines and published books, the spirit of our community is captured in the sharing of ideas, stories, and practices that nurture resilience, wisdom, and care for the world.