Badly Governed

A Podcast for Community Conversations

Badly Governed is for people who care about how systems of governance impact everyday life, especially around corruption, lack of transparency, and unfair or arbitrary decision‑making. It’s designed for community members who feel the effects of policy decisions in their daily lives and want space to unpack why institutions often fail them, as well as advocates, public‑health and social‑justice practitioners, and other professionals who are interested in systemic issues like poor governance and inequity. It also speaks to listeners who value conversations that blend lived experience with expert and academic insight, and who want thoughtful, community‑centered discussions about social and political systems rather than partisan hot takes or performative outrage.

What you’ll get from listening:

How to support:

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Have a story about bad governance, community power, or pushing for change? Share your experience, expertise, or organizing work and apply to be a guest on Badly Governed.

Lydje Lahens is a public health practitioner with diverse achievements in public health, healthcare, and health research administration. He works towards enhancing health equity by working with others to address the root causes of health disparities, systemic racism, and discrimination.

On the Badly Governed health equity podcast, Lydje brings his experience from hospitals, community health programs, and research administration into one place, breaking down how racism and bad policy show up in real people’s care. He connects headlines about governance, public health, and social justice to everyday stories about who gets access, who is ignored, and who pays the price when systems fail.

If you care about systemic racism in healthcare, health disparities, or why our institutions keep repeating the same harmful patterns, this public health podcast gives you language, context, and hope. You can listen to his unfiltered perspective on these issues on Badly Governed, where we dig into power, policy, and the future of health equity, without the jargon.

If these conversations matter to you, there are a few simple ways to keep the Badly Governed podcast going. You can support the show with a one‑time or recurring contribution via PayPal, follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel, and comment, rate, and share episodes on social media so more people can find them. And if you want to literally wear your impact, you can purchase merch from our store; every purchase directly helps fund the podcast, from production costs to bringing more community voices to the mic.

Reimagine Counseling offers culturally responsive mental health support grounded in social justice, centering community care, healing, and wellness for people most impacted by inequity.

The MA Black & Latino Caucus advances equity by uplifting community priorities, leadership, and policy solutions shaped by Black and Latino residents across cities, towns, and neighborhoods statewide.

Bridges to Health, Inc. advances social justice by designing research and interventions that confront structural health inequities while strengthening resilience, and power in communities.

Lahens Network, LLC is a public health company that promotes health equity and assists stakeholders at every level, designing programs, driving implementation, and evaluating impact across the world.

Badly Governed is a product of Lahens Network, LLC.

© 2026 Lahens Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.