In a time when we each have a story to tell, a skill to teach, and knowledge to share, podcasting arose as the perfect tool for people to connect to the world. 

Previously, podcasts were called “audiblogs”, where their roots date back to the 1980s. In 2004 podcasts were born, taking audiblogs to a whole new level. 

Who invented podcasting? 

Adam Curry and Dave Winer are both credited with the invention of podcasting. And Ben Hammersley was the first person to mention the term “podcasting” in an article in the Guardian.

Why listen to a podcast? 

There are different and multiple benefits to listening to podcasts, including learning a unique topic, multitasking (especially when you are stuck in traffic on your way to work), cutting down on screen time, supporting small businesses, and most importantly keeping storytelling alive. 

This all sounds great, but we know and understand that despite their convenience, podcasts have their own disadvantages such as accessibility, time consumption, and limited audience.

What made podcasts popular? 

‘Wherever, whenever: you can listen to a podcast wherever you are and whenever you have time. Podcasts also provide a sense of community, there are a variety of topics that are covered across different podcasts. And as we all know, podcasts are the future! 

There is a podcast out there for everyone which is why Karam Founder and CEO Lina Sergie Attar has embarked on a journey to speak with people of all backgrounds and specialties on the topic of home and belongings. 

Where do you belong?

Belongings explores concepts of home, belonging, collective memory, loss, and displacement. Discussions revolve around questions like How do we find belonging? What is home to us now? What makes a community? How do we rebuild the sense of home after displacement? Is home where we are from, where we are going, or something in-between? Each episode includes an intimate conversation with a special guest as well as a lived experience account from a Syrian refugee. 

“I was looking for a new way to talk about belonging, displacement, and the communities that we build with a wider audience. Currently, most people have what is called “compassion fatigue” when it comes to the refugee crisis. In our world of concurrent crises, there’s little empathy left to go around. However, people often forget that their own experiences and stories of belonging connect in a deep way to stories of displacement. Everyone has a story of home — stories of innocence, estrangement, nostalgia, trauma, joy, and complex family dynamics. We are all in search of a sense of safety and comfort.” – Lina 

We hope you’ll join us as we explore the feeling of belonging together.

Belongings Podcast has launched today for International Podcast Day. You can listen to Belongings on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. You can also follow us on Instagram @belonginspodcast and Twitter @belongingsPC.