"Part of the reason we underestimate the loneliness of people is that it's often hidden." Vivek Murthy, who has served as Surgeon General under three presidents, talks about one of the great health crises of our time: lonliness. In conversation with Maya Soetoro.
Vivek Murthy is Surgeon General of the United States. In service to three presidents, he has launched national initiatives to address the opioid crisis, to respond to Covid-19, and to alleviate chronic stress and isolation. A specialist in internal medicine, he received MD and MBA degrees from Yale and conducted research on vaccine development and clinical trials. He is the co-founder of three organizations: VISIONS, an HIV education program; Swasthya, a community health partnership for women in rural India; and TrialNetworks, which enhances the efficiency of clinical trials. His book, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, is a New York Times bestseller.
Maya Soetoro is a Consultant on the International Team at the Obama Foundation and a Faculty Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi. Previously, she was the Director of the Matsunaga Institute for Peace at the University of Hawaiʻi where, in addition to leading outreach and development initiatives, she taught Leadership for Social Change, Peace Movements, Peace Education, and Conflict Management. For many years, she worked at the University of Hawaiʻi College of Education where she taught Multicultural Education, Social Studies Methods, and Peace Education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Maya is the Co-Founder of Ceeds of Peace, the Peace Studio, and the Institute for Climate and Peace.
Audio Engineer: Alex Ruiz
A full-length video version of this episode, featuring special guests Josh Green and Kealoha Fox, can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/_hNpr0zNMUk
The Better Tomorrow Speaker Series features incisive conversations on the most pressing issues of our time. The project is a joint venture of the University of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Community Foundation, and Kamehameha Schools.
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