About Beyond Divides
Stories of Healing and Hope in a world that often feels fractured
Our Mission
In a time when divisions seem deeper and voices louder, Beyond Divides exists to explore the nuanced stories that mainstream media often overlooks. We believe that beneath every perceived divide lies a more complex truth - one that reveals our shared humanity rather than our differences.
Inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken pottery is mended with gold, our podcast seeks to find the golden threads that can heal our fractured communities. We don't aim to eliminate differences, but to understand them in a way that brings healing rather than further division.
Through intimate conversations with remarkable individuals across the UK, we uncover the unexpected connections that bind us together and explore how ordinary people are doing extraordinary work to bridge divides in their communities.
What We Believe
Every Story Matters
Behind every statistic and headline are real people with complex stories that deserve to be heard and understood with dignity.
Connection Over Division
While differences are real and valid, our shared experiences and values often outweigh what separates us.
Healing Is Possible
Communities can heal from trauma and division when people come together with intention, compassion, and hope.
Hope Transforms
When people can imagine a better future together, they become capable of creating change that seemed impossible.
Meet Your Host
Modupe Sofolabo
Modupe brings a unique perspective to conversations about division and healing, shaped by his experience bridging cultural, generational, and social divides throughout his career and personal journey.
With a background in community engagement and storytelling, he has spent years listening to voices from across the spectrum of human experience, always seeking the threads that connect rather than divide.
As someone who has navigated multiple identities and communities, Modupe understands firsthand how complex and nuanced our social divides can be - and how healing becomes possible when we approach each other with genuine curiosity and compassion.
His approach to hosting reflects the kintsugi philosophy at the heart of the podcast: finding the golden threads that can mend what seems broken and creating something even more beautiful in the process.
The Kintsugi Philosophy
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold. Rather than disguising the breaks, this technique celebrates them as part of the object's history.
This philosophy guides everything we do at Beyond Divides. We don't pretend that divisions don't exist or try to paper over real differences. Instead, we seek to understand how communities, relationships, and individuals can emerge from fracture not just whole, but more beautiful and resilient than before.
"The cracks in our communities aren't something to hide - they're where the light gets in."
Inspired by Leonard Cohen