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Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement

Join me, Prof Wayne Visser, for inspiring conversations with leaders in the breakthrough movement to regenerate nature, society and the economy. Thriving is about going beyond sustainability to a net positive agenda of innovation and regeneration. Each episode is a dialogue with thought leaders and pioneering practitioners, capturing their perspective on the six great transitions to thriving: how to go from degradation to restoration of ecosystems, from depletion to renewal of resources, from disparity to responsibility in communities and workplaces, from disease to revitalisation of health, from disconnection to rewiring through technology, and from disruption to resilience in infrastructure and institutions. We also explore what kind of leadership are needed to create a thriving future, and how organisations can take action to integrate thriving into their strategies, products and services. This is not about false hope or blind optimism, but we actively focus on innovative solutions and positive tipping points for change. The podcast builds on the foundations of my bestselling book "Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society and the Economy." I look forward to having you join the movement for thriving and welcome your suggestions for who I should feature as invited guests on the podcast. Credits: Host: Wayne Visser. Podcast music: Amil Raja

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Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement

S3.E1: Surviving the Global Riptide: - From Panic to Purpose

July 16, 2026 • Wayne Visser • Season 3 • Episode 1

0:00 | 22:49

Season 3 is an experiment. It features an AI-generated dialogue that deep dives into each chapter of the book, Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society and the Economy. Let me know what you think!

Episode 1 is based on "Hope" (The Prologue).

Core Theme: Moving from panic to purpose in the face of global crisis.

The Sodwana Bay Metaphor: The author shares his personal story of nearly drowning in a South African riptide. He explains that it wasn't the current that was most dangerous, but the potential to lose hope and panic. This serves as a powerful metaphor for our current global challenges like climate change and inequality.

Regeneration vs. Degeneration: A look at the two competing forces of life. While entropy leads toward disorder and decay (degeneration), life is inherently regenerative, creating synergy and order out of randomness.

The Paradox of Progress: A reflection on the 30 years since the 1987 Brundtland Report, "Our Common Future." While we have seen spectacular progress in lifting millions out of poverty, we are simultaneously "speeding toward a cliff" regarding biodiversity loss and climate change.

Hope as an Action Verb: Hope is not "blind optimism" or a "happily ever after" prescription. It is a radical choice to work at the "root" (the Latin radicalis) of systems to effect change.

The "Possibilist" Attitude: Adopting the spirit of Hans Rosling and Viktor Frankl—choosing to be positive because we have a hand in creating the future.