{"podcast":{"title":"Common Threads: An Interfaith Dialogue","slug":"common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462","podcast_index_feed_id":450462,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/4g1jyNuN","website_url":"https://www.wgvunews.org/programs/common-threads","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/73e87d5a-7bcd-4521-9f32-3647c0cd2aae/c2b9340d-e286-40b9-8c87-d12eadd050a9/3000x3000/common-threads.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"Fred Stella","episode_count":356,"summary":"Rated as the #1 podcast on all matters interfaith by Feedspot (https://blog.feedspot.com/interfaith_podcasts/), this is a weekly program that airs on Michigan NPR affiliates WGVU and WGVK. These 2 stations cover the entire western portion of the state. The show is hosted by Fred Stella, President of Interfaith Dialogue Association, an affiliate of Kaufman Interfaith Institute, which operates out of Grand Valley State University, the license holder of both stations. Each week Fred invites clerics, authors, activists and the occasional mystic into conversation about the role of spirituality and religion in politics, world affairs, societies and individuals. The parameters are quite wide. Besides his passion for all things transcendent, Fred Stella has an extensive resume in the world of media. Since his graduation from college Fred has worked in multiple radio formats, including news/talk, where he developed his skills in the art of the interview. He also has extensive experience in TV, stage, web entertainment, audiobook narration and more. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-05T06:19:20.949167+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462"},"episode":{"title":"The Plight of the Bhutanese Refugees Parts 1 & 2","slug":"the-plight-of-the-bhutanese-refugees-parts-1-2","published_at":"2026-02-13T07:20:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462/the-plight-of-the-bhutanese-refugees-parts-1-2","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462","url":"https://www.wgvunews.org/programs/common-threads","audio_url":"https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/920008cb-7530-4ec5-b363-8198629c298e/episodes/e0996622-d7f5-4f60-ab74-b70d3da4ba9e/audio/26a9a4e0-a898-4b76-a6fd-a4e22491979c/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=4g1jyNuN","summary":"There are so many vulnerable populations around the world, and it's hard to keep up with them all. One group that sustained very serious abuse is the Hindu community in the Asian nation of Bhutan. Oddly, for centuries there existed a comity between Hindus and Buddhists that was inspiring to see. In Nepal, many people practice both. So it's quite disheartening to learn that over 20 years ago, the despotic Buddhist king of Bhutan expelled over 100,000 Hindu citizens of Nepali heritage. For 2 decades these hardworking people lived in cramped huts in refugee camps in Nepal before being dispersed to welcoming countries. In these episodes we talk with Narad Adhikari from the Global Bhutanese Hindu Organization about this travesty that he, his family and many dear friends survived and ultimately thrived. This one is a heartbreaker, kids. But very inspirational. Theme music \"Nigal.\"","meta_description":"There are so many vulnerable populations around the world, and it's hard to keep up with them all. One group that sustained very serious abuse is the Hind…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3380,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462/episodes/the-plight-of-the-bhutanese-refugees-parts-1-2/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/common-threads-an-interfaith-dialogue-450462/the-plight-of-the-bhutanese-refugees-parts-1-2.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}