Listening to diverse perspectives offers a medium for us to learn from each other and work towards a more inclusive and harmonious world. From a young age, many people are frustrated because they feel their voices are not seen, heard, or understood. It has become a common practice to defend a position before truly understanding another’s point of view. How can we use listening to enhance our relationships?

For insights on how to hone our peacemaking abilities, Harvesting Happiness Podcast host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with the Executive Director of the Nobel Peace Center, Kjersti Fløgstad.

Kjersti shares the inspiration behind the “Power of Dialogue Project” and the book that was born from it, Those Who Listen, Change the World. Kjersti also offers timely tips on how to convert discourse into dialogue. 

This episode is part of The Good Citizen’s Election Season Survival Guide to Restoring Common Sense and Sanity in a Crazy World—produced in collaboration with renowned, fair-minded subject matter experts who provide strategies that enhance critical thinking, increase civic engagement, and foster healthy pleasure to boost personal well-being and relationship satisfaction.

Meet Our Guest:

Kjersti Fløgstad is the Executive Director of the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, where she focuses on using the Nobel Peace Prize to inspire peace through dialogue, a principle central to many laureates' work. With a background spanning NGOs and business, Fløgstad was Secretary General of UNICEF Norway (2000-2011) and chair of Care Norway’s board. She later worked as a business consultant specializing in sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility before joining the Nobel Peace Center in 2020 after a role at DNB, the largest bank in Norway.

The Nobel Peace Center published a small book of significant importance about the power of dialogue entitled Those Who Listen, Change the World.

Kjersti Fløgstad — Peacemaking Through Listening: 

• The history of the Nobel Peace Center. {3:36}
• Those Who Listen, Change the World includes 8 simple, yet challenging principles. {6:43}
• Listening builds trust in relationships when we disagree with others. {11:57}
• It is crucial to create safe spaces for people to talk about their differences. {18:54}

“Listening is not only with the ears. It's with the totality of our being.” - Lisa Cypers Kamen

Like what you're hearing? Slip on over to www.harvestinghappiness.com for more!