Helena Cobban
Just World Podcasts
Just World Podcasts is an innovative podcast series on international affairs. In October 2025, we launched a new series titled "Gaza & the World." This series of public conversations hosted by Just World Ed president Helena Cobban explores the many intersections of the continuing Gaza crisis and the current deep shifts in the global balance. JWP is run by the non-profit foundation Just World Educational .
Author
Helena Cobban
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jun 5, 2026
Where to listen?
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Episodes
An interview with Ian Williams on UN Day 25.10.2017 39:31
Ian Williams joins Just World Educational on #UNDay to discuss the United Nations, the U.S., and the world. See www.justworldeducational.org for updates on Ian's speaking events. Book information and purchasing at justworldbooks.com/books/untold/ Support the show
The Ken Burns effect on the Vietnam War: an interview with Karín Aguilar-San Juan 23.10.2017 24:08
An interview recorded in early August 2017 with Karín Aguilar-San Juan. The interview covers the book she coedited with Frank Joyce called "The People Make the Peace: Lessons from the Vietnam Antiwar Movement" (Just World Books 2015) on U.S. antiwar activists and combat veterans against the Vietnam War and their efforts at citizen diplomacy through travel to Vietnam. The interview touche...
From Vietnam to Palestine, with Doug Hostetter 12.11.2016 34:20
Super-skilled peace activist Doug Hostetter talks about his groundbreaking work on the "Peoples Peace Treaty" that students from the United States, South Vietnam, and North Vietnam concluded in early 1971... about how his peace activism has evolved over the years and why he's long been a big supporter for the rights of Palestinians... and why he supports Just World educational Suppo...
Dr. Sarah Ahmed talks about her work with survivors of ISIS violence, in Iraq 20.08.2016 25:26
In this episode of the Just World podcast, Helena Cobban talks to Dr. Sarah Ahmed, another very inspiring young Iraqi who’s been working to provide direct relief to the news waves of refugees and internally displaced people inside Iraq. Dr. Sarah is the Director of Operations for a UK-based charity called the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East. She talks with passion and c...
Conversation with Taif Jany, graduate of the Iraqi Student Project 13.08.2016 21:29
From 2007 through 2012, American peace activists Gabe Huck and Theresa Kubasak ran an innovative project in Damascus, Syria, to provide mentoring to some of the many young Iraqis who had then found refuge in Syria from the terrible conflicts then raging inside US-occupied Iraq... to prepare them to win entry to-- and succeed at-- four-year colleges around the U.S. In May 2016, many of the 60-plus...
Talking with Rabbi Brant Rosen about Jewish Nonviolence and his work with the Quakers 28.07.2016 20:47
This a Just World Educational podcast, in which JWE President Helena Cobban talks on the phone with Rabbi Brant Rosen about his recent experience taking part in an action organized by the Center for Jewish Nonviolence-- and also, about he's found it being both a Jewish leader in his hometown, Chicago, and also a senior manager for the leading Quaker service organization there. Support the sho...
Amb. Chas Freeman on the interaction between Middle East events and the U.S. election 21.06.2016 39:49
On June 21, Just World Books CEO Helena Cobban had a fascinating 40-minute discussion with Amb. Chas W. Freeman, Jr., author of the recently published book America's Continuing Misadventures in the Middle East . In the conversation, Freeman discussed the recently-reported letter that 51 currently serving junior and mid-level diplomats signed onto, in which they called for tougher action again...
Sheila Carapico, Michael Hudson, & others discuss Yemen 14.05.2016 1:34:50
Since March 2015, a Saudi-led military coalition has pursued a very destructive military action inside the populous Arabian Peninsula country of Yemen. In late April 2016, Dr. Sheila Carapico, the editor of the new book Arabia Incognita: Dispatches from Yemen and the Gulf , discussed the Yemen situation in Washington DC with fellow-expert Dr. Michael Hudson. In this 95-minute podcast, you can lear...
'Gaza Kitchen' authors, in conversation with Claudia Roden 20.10.2015 52:45
A fascinating, 50-minute discussion held at the 2015 Frankfurt Book Fair among the authors of 'The Gaza Kitchen', Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt, and Claudia Roden, the doyenne of Mediterranean cuisine documentation. Support the show
Falk and Bennis launch Falk's great new book on Middle East! 10.06.2015 1:01:15
This is the recording of the great discussion that Richard Falk, author of "Chaos and Counterrevolution: After the Arab Spring" had with Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies, to mark the book's June 9th launch. A thoughtful seminar with two renowned experts. Support the show
Gareth Porter speaks in Berkeley, CA, early April 2014 14.04.2014 1:32:15
Berkeley Fellowship Unitarian-Universalist hosted a lively discussion with Gareth Porter in early April, about his new book 'Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare.' The evening was co-sponsored by BFUU's Social Justice Committee and Project Censored. The discussion was moderated by Project Censored head Mickey Huff. Support the show
Matt Zeller's campaign for his interpreter 25.09.2013 8:47
Matt Zeller, author of the fine memoir 'Watches Without Time: An American Soldier in Afghanistan', has been waging a big campaign to save the life of his interpreter, Janis Shinwari. Hear about his campaign-- and also hear an excerpt from his book telling of his parting from Shinwari in Kabul, in december 2008. Support the show
Getting to Gaza: A reading from Laila El-Haddad's 'Gaza Mom Abridged' 15.09.2013 12:32
To mark the publication of the abridged edition of Laila El-Haddad's classic 'Gaza Mom' book, we present a short reading from the book that focuses on the terrible problems Laila, like all Gaza's people, has in trying to get in and out of her home territory. Support the show
Author Short: Rami Zurayk on his 2009 visit to Aleppo 20.07.2013 10:29
Rami Zurayk is a Lebanese agronomist and social activist. In this podcast, Just World Books owner Helena Cobban reads an excerpt from his 2011 book 'Food, Farming, and Freedom'. The excerpt is a charming account of a short visit he and his family made to Aleppo, Syria, in July 2009. Support the show
Convo with Laila El-Haddad about her recent visit to Gaza 13.07.2013 21:21
Laila El-Haddad, co-author of our much-acclaimed recent cookbook 'The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey' was recently back in Gaza. Though her time there was hectic, we caught up with her soon after her return to the United States, and talked with her about the reactions Gaza's people had to the cookbook-- and also about how the recent moves by the Egyptian military to cl...
Amb. Chas W. Freeman Jr on his recent visit to China 28.04.2013 24:39
Just back from ten days in China, Chas Freeman, the author of 'Interesting Times: China, America, and the Shifting Balance of Prestige' describes and assesses how the many high-level Chinese officials he talked to there propose to calm the tensions currently wracking East Asia, regarding North Korea and other issues. Support the show
Dr. William Quandt Tracks Latest News on Turkish-Israeli Relations from Istanbul 03.04.2013 15:52
Dr. William Quandt, veteran Middle East analyst and editor of 'Troubled Triangle: The United States, Turkey, and Israel in the New Middle East,' discusses the latest breakthrough in Turkish-Israeli relations with Dr. Sebnem Gumuscu from Sabanci University and Dr. Soli Özel from Kadir Has University during his recent trip to Turkey. Support the show
Matt Zeller on key U.S. lessons from the war in Afghanistan and its relationship with the war in Iraq 25.03.2013 37:14
Matt Zeller, author of 'Watches Without Time: An American Soldier in Afghanistan,' discusses the highlights from his recent college speaking tour and his key lessons learned from Afghanistan—some of which come from surprising places. Matt also reflects on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War, what the war in Afghanistan would have looked like if we had never invaded Iraq, and how these w...
Brant Rosen reflects on his book, the views of young American Jews, and the Arab Spring 15.02.2013 36:32
In this podcast, Rabbi Brant Rosen, author of 'Wrestling in the Daylight: A Rabbi’s Path to Palestinian Solidarity,' shared his reflections on his book and how it has impacted his understanding of “what to do” with his beliefs and convictions as well as provided his insights about the effects of Operation Cast Lead, the Gaza flotilla incident, and other Israeli actions on both the views...
Miko Peled discusses his January 2013 travels-- and more! 02.02.2013 29:40
Miko Peled, author of 'The General's Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine' discussed his fascinating recent travels in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan with Just World Books owner Helena Cobban. In this conversation, Miko also looked back at some of the main things he's learned doing book events around 'The General's Son' over the past ten months. Support the sho...
Jon Randal discusses the Sabra and Shatila massacres with Helena 14.09.2012 44:21
Thirty years ago this month, fighters from Lebanon's Christian-extremist Phalangist militia, working in close coordination with the Israeli military, committed massacres against unarmed Palestinians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila that shocked the world. JWB author Jonathan Randal was in Beirut at the time. In this podcast, which is linked to the recent publication of his book "...
Yaprak Gursoy discusses Turkey's regional role 18.08.2012 19:35
Yaprak Gursoy, a contributor to Troubled Triangle: The United States, Turkey, and Israel in the New Middle East and a professor at Istanbul's Bilgi University, discussed Turkey's role in the Syrian crisis and other regional arenas in a mid-August interview with JWB's Dalia Mortada. Support the show
Soli Özel talks about Turkey's role in Syria and the rest of the Middle East 24.02.2012 15:14
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Chas Freeman discuss Middle East prospects with Helena 26.01.2012 26:43
In this 26-minute podcast, Amb. Chas W. Freeman, Jr. discusses the risk of heightened U.S. confrontation with Iran during the current election year. He says he expects little U.S. activism in Palestinian-Israeli peacemaking-- and that U.S. influence in the region is anyway declining. Also, that there is now little prospect of a two-state outcome emerging. He also gives a smart assessment of the ef...
Reidar Visser gives Helena Cobban a bleak assessment of U.S. achievements in Iraq 12.11.2011 22:33
The U.S. occupation of Iraq is scheduled to draw to a final end on December 31 of this year. Just World Books author Reidar Visser has closely tracked Washington's efforts to try to build a democratic, accountable government in Iraq and now, as the nearly nine years of occupation draws to an end he tells Helena Cobban that the political situation there is bleak. Support the show
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