The Forgiveness Effect

What if we didn’t judge people by the worst thing they’ve ever done? Our conversation with Dr. Laura Sheppard, JD may change the way you view crime and punishment in America. Laura didn’t know Azim Khamisa when she began teaching an anti-violence curriculum at a prison in Northern California that included the story of his son Tariq’s killing. Years later, after law school and a career as a post-co...

In this episode, Azim Khamisa and Melaina Spitzer talk to Dr. Fred Luskin, a Stanford University psychologist and Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects, about his teaching and research on forgiveness. Dr. Luskin’s personal stories, including his struggles with his mother-in-law, as well as his professional experiences show how unforgiveness keeps people trapped in victim narrati...

In this episode, Melaina Spitzer interviews Azim Khamisa about his forgiveness journey, from the senseless murder of his son, Tariq, to his destination: peace.  At a time when division and conflict dominate headlines, Azim's story offers a radically different path forward. His journey from devastated father to global peace advocate proves that even the most profound tragedies can become cataly...

Can forgiveness truly heal us and transform the world? In the premiere episode of  The Forgiveness Effect , co-hosts  Azim Khamisa  and  Melaina Spitzer  explore this powerful question. Azim, founder of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, interviews Melaina, an award-winning peacebuilder, coach, and Founder & CEO of Inner Peacebuilding, about her two decades guiding communities and organizations in...