Episode 12: Part 2 — How Deep Listening Builds Trust

What actually changes when people stop talking at each other and start truly listening? In Part 2 of this two-part series, host Matt Levinger continues his conversation with Merissa Khurma, Founder and President of the AMENA Foundation and a strategic communications expert, to move from breaking down the idea of listening to understanding what makes it effective in practice. Through real-world examples—from a funding negotiation to a FIFA policy debate—Khurma shows how listening shifts conversations from assumptions to trust, and from conflict to problem-solving. The discussion highlights how reframing, cultural context, and attention to personal narratives can turn stalled or polarized interactions into meaningful progress. This episode closes the series by showing how listening, when practiced intentionally, becomes a tool for building outcomes that last.Host: Matthew Levinger – Host of the America’s Why Podcast and Professor of Practice of International Affairs at the George Washington University.Guest: Merissa Khurma – Founder and President of AMENA Foundation.Explore more of Merissa Khurma’s work at AMENA Strategies:https://www.amenastrategies.com/Follow AMENA Foundation and AMENA Strategies for more insights and updates:https://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-foundation-inc/posts/?feedView=allhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/amena-strategies/posts/?feedView=allVisit our website to learn more about the America’s Why Project and join the conversation: americaswhyproject.comListen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon MusicThe views expressed in the podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent those held by the America's Why Project team or the George Washington University.