Faith Fuels New Podcast By Young Unificationists

Two young Unificationsists behind the newly launched podcast Dinner Table Talk dived into the topic of inequality during their latest episode “Is World Peace Attainable?” (ep. 2), which aired February 14 on YouTube. The podcast, fueled by their community activism and faith, has been a hit with nearly 200 subscribers to the channel.

“For young people, what we’re seeing in the world today can be hard to digest, especially with a lot of the things that circulate on social media–a lot of it is not positive news,” said 20-year-old co-host Stephanie Dias, from New York. “Something that I’ve been doing every night that helps me go to sleep more peacefully is writing three good things that happened that day, because I want to go to bed with a smile.”

“I do the opposite of Stephanie,” said co-host Soonmee Iwaskai, 22, from Philadelphia. “The first thing I do when I wake up is smile; even if I end up pushing the snooze button, I smile and go back to sleep.”

Both young women said having an ‘attitude of gratitude’ is foundational to their approach to the podcast–and everyday life. Dias, who handles a range of responsibilities and projects as the assistant pastor of Manhattan Family Church, developed the podcast idea with Iwasaki for a nationwide S!NERGY competition by Youth and Students for Peace (YSP).

“We talked about creating a project where we can use our faith to reach other young people,” said Dias. “I never thought it would be a podcast!”

The duo debuted Dinner Table Talk on January 10 after placing third in the competition. Their friendly, witty banter instantly puts viewers at ease–a welcomed contrast to the more serious nature of the topics addressing the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs).

“Our podcast explores the UN’s 17 SDGs and how to take real action toward achieving them,” said Iwasaki.

The daughter of Pastor Shota Iwasaki of Philadelphia Family Church, Iwasaki said her faith has inspired her community involvement and direction in life. Both she and Dias desire effective sustainability change that benefits generations to come worldwide.

“Sustainability is almost a taboo topic because everyone has their own opinions,” said Dias. “But with knowledge and faith, something that seems impossible to reach can be reached. Dinner Table Talk is for everyone–family, friends, co-workers, and even teachers and professors. We want to have these conversations to spotlight amazing leaders that exist who are taking their faith and putting it into action.”

In their recent episode, the hosts welcomed youth activist Tarina Kaur Ahuja, a Harvard University freshman from Virginia who was featured on CBS This Morning for her public work. At 18 years old, Ahuja is co-founder and president of Young Khalsa Girls (YKG) and The Greater Good Initiative, a think tank dedicated to bringing empathy to public policy.

“Just a bit of empathy can save the world,” said Ahuja. “I have a resting smiling face, where people will see me smiling and nodding. My friends clown me for it, but it’s okay to feel whatever you feel; what I center on is something in my faith called ‘eternal optimism.’”

The women primarily discussed reducing global inequalities–SDG 10–which focuses on social, political, and economic inequalities and aims to support the poorest and most vulnerable communities.

“When we care about what God cares about, the answer is people and this world,” said Iwasaki. “Caring for the environment is a big common base that people can share, regardless of their religious or non-religious backgrounds.”

The monthly podcast’s next episode will air in March.

You can learn more about Dinner Table Talk on YouTube and Instagram.

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