Peace Thru Forgiveness

The Forgiveness Effect

Science EN ↓ 4 episodes

The Forgiveness Effect explores how forgiveness transforms lives and relationships, offering a path to healing that extends from the personal to the global. Co-hosts and peacebuilders Azim Khamisa and Melaina Spitzer lead heartfelt conversations with experts and practitioners who share real stories and science-backed insights into forgiveness, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution. Together they reveal how forgiveness—including self-forgiveness—helps us move beyond pain, rebuild trust, and create lasting change. Join us on the journey at peacethruforgiveness.org.

Author

Peace Thru Forgiveness

Episodes

Mining for Gems: Restorative Justice and Second Chances 19.03.2026 47:45

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...

The Science of Letting Go 30.10.2025 1:04:01

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...

From Tragedy to Forgiveness 27.09.2025 39:59

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...

We Have No Enemies 21.09.2025 53:24

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...