Listen to the first episode of this academic years Open Thanatology Talks! Podcast series. Recorded from a live webinar on the 29h January 2025, this episode features a panel discussion around the question of what are the tensions in seeking to ‘decolonise’ ‘bereavement andgrief’? Our regular podcast hosts, Dr Joanne Jordan (Research Fellow and co-chair for Open Thanatology) and Professor Erica Borgstrom (Professor of Medical Anthropology and co-chair for Open Thanatology) invited guest host DrJane McCarthy (Honorary Associate at The OpenUniversity) to introduce this topic. Jane is currently leading an Open Societal Challenge at the university about the intersection between decolonisation,bereavement studies, and the climate emergency, known as Existential Dis/Connection. The conversation featured: Janet Wildman (volunteer/ supporter of community action around social injustice), who chaired the discussion, and Samira Ben Omar (a community organiser with over 25 years’ experience of working in the public, community and voluntary sector), who was the discussant. Joining Janet and Samira were Hady Kamar (an integrative intercultural psychotherapist working in private practice and with the NHS Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service as a Senior Therapist); Chukumeka Maxwell (a Social Entrepreneur; Registered Community Social Worker UK & Mentor Founder /co-Director Consulting & Solutions Ltd; Founder/Advisor, CEO at Goodwill in Action To Prevent Suicide CIO) and Jacqui Stedmon (an Emerita Professor at the University of Plymouth, co-founder, trustee and clinical volunteer at the children’s bereavement support service, Jeremiah’s Journey based in Plymouth). We were also joined by a large online audience who contributed their thoughts, questions, and experiences in the chat box. The full webinar recording is available on the Open Thanatology ORDO repository here. A previous presentation by Jane on this topic can be found here.