We Need To Talk About This
We bring our shared passion for humanity and diverse backgrounds to hot topics that society is discussing in Denmark, the U.S., and across the world. We want to contribute to healthy discourse on issues that are shaping us. Shanelle is a former Deputy Executive Director at UNICEF and Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations where she spent two decades leading humanitarian efforts and working in dozens of countries including some of the most complex. She founded the Yellow House in 2019 to accelerate organisations' positive impact on humanity. She has been a Council Member of the World Economic Forum Artificial Intelligence Council, Board Member of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB & Malaria, and is a guest lecturer on Business & Social Impact at the London School of Economics. She is an American living in Denmark … raising her Danish dog together with her partner. Jean has a long career in public affairs and communications and is currently leading Environment-Social-Governance (ESG) at a property investment firm. She returned to Copenhagen after spending seven years in London where she was in on the early years of impact investing. Jean is deft in driving sustainable change and brings her African-Danish perspectives to equitable and productive partnerships. She’s advised various organizations including Kjaer Global, DC Finance and Windrush Equestrian. Jean adores her wonderful two teenage girls ... and American politics. Follow the podcast on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/weneedtotalkabout_this/Jean :https://www.instagram.com/jeanahlefeldtlaurvig/ Shanelle: https://www.instagram.com/shanellehall/
Episodes
26 episodes
In their voice: Young people & social media - Part 2
In this two part episode, we talk with two young people about the juxtaposition of the mental health crisis of young people -- and -- the pervasive role of social media in young people's lives. Sara Lund (age 18) and Ingrid Ahl...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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44:03
In their voice: Young people & social media - Part 1
In this two part episode, we talk with two young people about the juxtaposition of the mental health crisis of young people -- and -- the pervasive role of social media in young people's lives. Sara Lund (age 18) and Ingrid Ahlefeldt-...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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42:55
Reflections on 2022!
Alas, 2022 is coming to a close, and what would the WNTTAT podcast be if we didn't talk about it?! In this episode we share our reflections on what we feel defined society at the macro level in 2022 - as well as what defined each o...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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56:08
Mogens Lykketoft - Analysis from a world’s statesman (part 2)
In part two of this incredible conversation with Mogens Lykketoft, we dive into the current economic situation in Europe with steep rises in utility costs and looming recession. We also talk about the dynamic shift underway with the Europea...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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33:05
Mogens Lykketoft - Analysis from a world’s statesman (part 1)
Buckle-up - we have the most amazing guest with us on a two part series. Elections are before us and who better to talk through the differences between the political systems of Denmark, US and other countries - than statesm...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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51:13
Popcorn ...
Popcorn? So ... in this episode we're sharing some kernels (touché) of what caught our attention over the past week via the podcasts we listen to, the you tube channels we watch, and what we've read. We briefly touch on many topics - from unkin...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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46:57
Aging - Part 2
In Part 2 of our episode on Aging, we talk about menopause -- should we dread it or is it actually the start of the best phase of life? We unexpectedly discuss age taken to the nth degree - death ... and then we take a self-critical look at how...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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52:18
Aging - Part 1
In Part 1 of our episode on Aging, we start off by debating the different phases of life - and the different ways of framing them. Which decade milestone was more disturbing - turning 40, 50 or was it 30? Laugher is such an importan...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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42:42
China & much more with Mette Holm, Part 1
Author, journalist and commentator - we are delighted to have Mette Holm join us for a two part episode. Mette has authored some 15 books including: China – from Empire to Capitalism, The Mekong River – Mother of Waters, 1990: Let...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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1:08:11
China & much more with Mette Holm, Part 2
Author, journalist and commentator - we are delighted to have Mette Holm join us for a two part episode.Mette has authored some 15 books including: China – from Empire to Capitalism, The Mekong River – Mother of Waters, 1990: Lett...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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48:28
Shanelle and adenomyosis
This week's episode is the most downloaded episode from "We need to talk about this" to date.Shanelle tells her story about being diagnosed with Adenomyosis 20 years too late. The fact that 1 in 5 women is estimated to have Aden...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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41:05
Jean's story: Growing up biracial in Denmark
Being biracial is beautiful. But what is it like in a society that blends nationality with ethnicity? This was one of our first episodes and we decided to re-upload it as we think you'll love it. Hearing people's story is a powerful way to incr...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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59:57
Women and friendship - Part 2
Grateful for women and friendship - we talk about both in this two part episode. Though especially friendship, since it is how our celebration of women is often realised. We talk through complexities like judgment, vulnerabili...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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38:44
Women and friendship - Part 1
Grateful for women and friendship - we talk about both in this two part episode. Especially friendship though, since it is how our celebration of women is often realised. We talk through complexities like judgment, vulne...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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40:28
Adopted daughter, adoptive mother - an intimate conversation, Part 2
We have the deep honour of facilitating a conversation between an adoptive mother, Camlynn Blumenthal, and an adopted daughter, Chanda Kornbek Meyer. Not related, Chanda and Cami talk about their experiences as a daughter and a mother. They sha...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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40:09
Adopted daughter, adoptive mother - an intimate conversation, Part 1
We have the deep honour of facilitating a conversation between an adoptive mother, Camlynn Blumenthal, and an adopted daughter, Chanda Kornbek Meyer. Not related, Chanda and Cami talk about their experiences as a daughter and a mother. They sha...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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46:54
Portrait of a ballet dancer - Kristoffer Dahl Sakurai
Ever wonder what the life of a professional ballet dancer is like? Kristoffer Dahl Sakurai was a Principal Dancer for the Royal Danish Ballet from 2005-2011. Being half Danish and half Japanese, Kristoffer broke racial barriers in t...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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54:51
A case of injustice
In this episode we talk about the case of two parents who are falsely convicted of female genital cutting (FGC). After serving time in prison and thanks to investigative journalist Frederik Hugo Ledegaard, the truth comes to surface. Jean...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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29:30
Abortion & the overturning of Roe
Most people have a strongly held conviction on abortion. It tends to be on one side of the issue or the other: pro-choice or anti-abortion (or pick your phrasing). The reality of this world is that there is much more to it than two sides. Join ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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51:41
Political correctness
It's the phrase everyone knows, but no one wants to talk about. Well, we dare to dive in. We unpack what being politically correct means and how it is experienced so differently. We segue to cancel culture (and talk through a few...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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51:07
Launch Q&A: Why this podcast and what's to come?
We hosted a reception to mark the soft launch of We Need To Talk About This and this short episode is a live recording of the Q&A portion of the event. Why this podcast? Why now? What topics will be covered? We unpack a fe...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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21:43
Our first guest! Lauren Donovan - on compassionate and accountable journalism
Lauren Donovan brings nearly a decade of journalism experience to the podcast. She speaks about the paradox of being a compassionate journalist and holding power accountable. She also gives an inside look at the techniques of broadcast journali...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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48:10
The latest on Elon Musk and Twitter (well, as of 29 May)
As you may know by now, Jean and Shanelle have become a little obsessed with Elon's supposed buyout of Twitter. The 'on again, off again' situation is impacting Twitter's share price as well as Tesla's. Jean's hunch is that the deal isn't...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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9:42
Unions - can they restart a revolution of love?
Last week the first Amazon warehouse voted to be unionised. The President of the Amazon Labor Union, Chris Smalls, spoke about his motivation for unionising - love. This really struck us - can we use love as a driver of business actions?! ...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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59:20
The slap heard around the world - and a look at violence in our societies
It has been more than a week since the Oscars and people are still talking about the 'slap that was heard around the world.' Jean and Shanelle join the discussion and it quickly turns to a question of whether physical violence is actually...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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40:50