South America
8 episodes covering the history, culture, and stories of South America.
88. Conflict Avoidance Leads to Conflict: How Skilled Negotiators Build Lasting Peace // Stan Christensen
What does negotiation have to do with peacemaking? Turns out, A LOT. Stan Christensen has spent decades negotiating in over 75 countries — between governments, ethnic groups, and armed factions — and he joins Wiser World to bring that hard-won wisdom down to earth. We talk about why conflict avoidance creates more conflict, how trust is built and broken, what skilled negotiators do differently, and why Stan believes there is no such thing as an intractable conflict. This one will change how you see every difficult conversation in your life. Check out Stan's podcast "All Things Negotiation" to learn more about negotiation. Transcript for this episode. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Introduction & Stan's background 02:57 – What is negotiation, really? 04:10 – How negotiation and peacemaking differ 05:33 – Inside peace negotiations: what actually happens in the room 06:59 – What separates skilled negotiators from unskilled ones 09:27 – "Conflict avoidance leads to conflict" 10:20 – The key skills: curiosity, inquiry, and the orange story 14:41 – How trust is built (and broken) 17:32 – Why negotiation is never really a one-time thing 20:37 – How culture shapes negotiation (Colombia & France stories) 32:27 – The power of questioning your own assumptions 35:52 – There is no such thing as an intractable conflict 37:41 – The Peru-Ecuador story: finding common ground 40:50 – A seven-element framework for preparing to negotiate 44:56 – Reframing conflict as "creative problem solving" 48:41 – Negotiating with someone who has more power than you 53:04 – The role of emotion in conflict resolution 55:35 – "Go to the balcony": how to avoid getting emotionally hijacked 59:19 – Why we all under-apologize — and why it matters 1:02:25 – Apology at the macro level: why politicians won't do it 1:05:35 – What gives Stan hope 1:07:21 – Stan's one takeaway for listeners For Wiser World: Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast. Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/ Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter at https://wiserworld.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
75. When a Country is Held Hostage: A Conversation with Diego Vicentini
Today's guest, Diego Vicentini, is a Venezuelan film writer, director & editor. His debut feature film “Simón”—which exposes human rights violations committed by the Venezuelan regime—was able to overcome censorship in Venezuela and was nominated for the 38th Goya Awards (Spain’s Academy Awards) in the Best Ibero-American film category in representation of Venezuela and reached the #6 spot on Netflix's Global Top 10 in its first week on the platform. Since making the film, Diego is not able to go back to Venezuela due to threat of imprisonment. In this episode, Diego shares about the Venezuela diaspora, growing up Venezuela and the United States, his film Simón and the journey he took to have it shown publicly in Venezuela, and his advice for non-Venezuelans when it comes to Venezuelan politics. Learn more about his film, Simón, at simonmovie.com. This episode is sponsored by Surfshark. Go to https://surfshark.com/wiserworld or use code WISERWORLD at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast. Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/ Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter at https://wiserworld.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
74. Lessons from Venezuela: Wealth, Power, and the Cost of Ignoring Reality
Five macro-level lessons I learned from studying Venezuela's history that I hope to remember. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code WISERWORLD at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/wiserworld Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast. Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/ Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter at https://wiserworld.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
73. Venezuela 101 Part 3/3: Maduro, Hyperinflation, and Migration (2013 - 2026)
This is Part 3 of 3 of the Venezuela 101 series: a foundational history of Venezuela. This episode is a concise history of Venezuela from 2013 - early 2026, designed for those who know little to nothing about Venezuela. This episode covers: Chávez’s death and Maduro’s fragile rise to power Oil collapse, hyperinflation, and economic freefall Daily life under shortages, black markets, and repression Mass protests, loss of legitimacy, and historic migration U.S. sanctions, drug accusations, and Maduro’s 2026 capture If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes. Sources used in the making of this episode. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/ Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter at https://wiserworld.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
72. Venezuela 101 Part 2/3: Hugo Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution (1989 - 2013)
This is Part 2 of 3 of the Venezuela 101 series: a foundational history of Venezuela. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Venezuela from 1989 to 2013, designed for those who know little to nothing about Venezuela. This episode covers: Venezuela before Chávez and the shock of the Caracazo (1989) The rise of Hugo Chávez (1992–1998) How Chávez rewrote the political system. Oil, media, and consolidation of power. Life under Chávez and the system he left behind. If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes. Sources used in the making of this episode. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/ Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter at https://wiserworld.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
71. Venezuela 101 Part 1/3: Venezuela Before Chávez (1498 to 1988)
This is Part 1 of 3 of the Venezuela 101 series: a foundational history of Venezuela. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Venezuela from 1498 to 1988, designed for those who know little to nothing about Venezuela. This episode covers: - Venezuela pre-1498 (Columbus) - Spanish colonization - How Venezuela gained independence - The long road to democracy: caudillos, dictatorships, and more - The discovery of oil and the oil boom years - Oil crash and inflation of the 1980s If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes. Sources used in the making of this episode. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/ Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter at https://wiserworld.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
70. Venezuela 101: Cultural Preface
This is a Cultural Preface to the Venezuela 101 history series. It is not designed to be entirely comprehensive, as no culture or people are all the same. But, it is designed to help listeners meet the people before they study their history, and in it, we cover: 1. Population, Identity & Diversity 2. Social Personality & National Character 3. Family & Social Structure 4. Gender Roles & Expectations 5. Language, Accents & Slang 6. Food as Cultural Identity 7. Music, Dance & Artistic Expression 8. Beauty, Spirituality & Belief 9. Race, Class & Urban Life 10. Humor, Survival & Street Smarts 11. Friendliness & Foreigners 12. Daily Life & Leisure 13. Marriage, Names & Social Bonds If you'd like to learn more, please head to Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast, where you can support the podcast and learn more along the way! The main source of information for this episode was this book, as well as Venezuelan friends. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/ Sign up for free weekly email newsletter here: https://wiserworld.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21. Carnival in Brazil, Italy, & New Orleans (Mardi Gras)
This is a brief history of Carnival—noting in particular the history of Carnival, and some fun details about Carnival in Brazil, Italy, and in New Orleans (where it's called Mardi Gras). This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit airwavemedia.com to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. You can also support the podcast through Patreon. All other resources used in making this episode can be found here. Transcript for this episode. -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiserworldpodcast/ Website (sign up for email newsletter): https://wiserworldpodcast.com/ To join the email list, click on the website link, and it will take you there. Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices