The Waging Peace Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Good Friday is supposed to be about the cross, but what happens when we take that story to the place where modern violence is manufactured?  Shane Claiborne joins us with a challenge that’s as simple as it is unsettling: if you knew a bomb was being built for a school full of kids, wouldn’t you try to stand in its way? Listen to find out: How Holy Week is connected to the real-tim...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with Minneapolis community song leader Liz Digitale Anderson about Singing Resistance and why singing can turn strangers into a brave “we” in the middle of fear and state violence. We trace how simple songs support nonviolent action, deepen trust, and help communities protect neighbors without leaving anyone behind. • Singing Resistance as a leaderful national movement gro...

Send us Fan Mail High school is tough. Teen mental health is rougher.  She planned not to see sophomore year—now she’s a 17-year-old mental health advocate. Hear how vulnerability, therapy, and grit turned pain into purpose. Ileini shows how patience, presence, and small steps rebuild a life.  Parents and teens—this one matters. Will you try the “just sit and listen” tool this week? Listen to her...

Send us Fan Mail Mohsin Modi-Ud-Din, founder and CEO of MeWe International, shares his innovative work using storytelling and communication to transform trauma in conflict zones including Gaza and Syrian refugee camps. In this second part of our conversation you will hear more about how: • MeWe International builds communication and storytelling interventions for psychological well-being and commu...

Send us Fan Mail Stories we tell ourselves shape our relationships and psychological well-being. Mohsin Modi-Ud-Din shows how harmful narratives can erode mental health while transformative storytelling rebuilds connections across even the deepest divides.  Listen to hear more about: • Mohsin's experiences in Gaza with humanitarian medical missions  • How storytelling interventions help traum...

Send us Fan Mail At 18, Sophia chose prison over participating in occupation. "When you recognize you have a choice, you have responsibility for that choice." Her story reveals how militarism dehumanizes everyone it touches.   "Violence will only breed more violence." The only future we have is a future together."  Sophia Orr who spent 85 days in military prison for refusi...

Send us Fan Mail Sofia Orr, a 19-year-old Israeli conscientious objector, shares her journey of refusing mandatory military service and spending 85 days in prison for her stance. Listen to hear how: Sofia began questioning military service at age 13, viewing it as a political choice rather than obligation She describes Israel as "more an army with a country than a country with an army" w...

Send us Fan Mail Rita Brent blends comedy and advocacy, using her platform to address serious societal issues while promoting joy and connection. Through her journey from childhood musician to stand-up comedian, Rita emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, community support, and compassion in navigating life's challenges. • Exploring the evolution from music to comedy  • The significance...

Send us Fan Mail Educator and DEI expert Jebeh Edmunds breaks down what we don't know about DEI. You'll learn: Where Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) originated. How to take action when you experience or witness discrimination in your school or community. Why our fight for justice, peace and equality is happening right now. This episode delves into the historical context and contemp...

Send us Fan Mail Part two of our conversation with Sharon delves into the essential role of hope in effecting positive change and combating the perils of cynicism.  After you listen, you’ll know:  How to choose between hope and toxic positivity  3 ways to take one small action to make Big Changes. One powerful, underused tool you can start using immediately to kick cynicism to the curb. About Shar...

Send us Fan Mail Sharon McMahon, America's Government Teacher and creator of Sharon Says So, joins Diana to discuss being Minnesotan,  complexities of cultural identity and its relationship with democracy, focusing on how allegiance to group identity can overshadow commitments to national values.  Through an engaging discussion, Sharon & Diana underscore the importance of hope and the pow...

Send us Fan Mail Read a book by a teenage author lately? You will now! Zion Lester is a teenage author who wrote a children's book with Big Ideas about homelessness. " Zion Learns to See " is her newest book co-written with her Dad Dr. Terence Lester, Found of Love Beyond Walls .  An organization raising awareness and advocacy for those experiencing poverty and homelessness. This ep...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine a world where the strongest force isn't violence, but Peace.  Dr. Reverend Vonnetta West is a force. Her work is reshaping hate and conflict with the power of Kingian Non-Violence. As a Senior Trainer at The King Center in Atlanta, a Consultant training us to work for justice in our workplace or in Liberia in the school she founded to positively impact youth. She  joi...

Send us Fan Mail  Rev Cece Jones Davis is a Woman Who is Making History Today. Her impact has been recognized and celebrated throughout the United States, including an Emmy nomination for a KFOR News conversation on racial (re)conciliation, receiving the 2021 Change.org Changemaker of the Year Award and Special Congressional Recognition for her efforts in civil rights and social justice. From a sm...

Send us Fan Mail Rev Sharon Risher shares her journey from the Emanuel Church shooting tragedy to leading the charge for gun reform and the end of the death penalty.  Discover her story of transformation on our latest podcast episode.  In this Episode learn:  How being a gun violence victims family member changed her mind. How she found her purpose. What Women Leaders we should be supporting. Why...

Send us Fan Mail Elie was born and raised in Jerusalem to Christian parents who are neither Jewish nor Palestinian. Elie’s life experiences of growing up in Israel/Palestine is why she chose to pursue graduate studies in Conflict & Reconciliation and Creative Writing. Her research and writing skills are the foundation for the collection of stories of Peace Heroes from all around the world. Pea...

Send us Fan Mail Blackness + Holiness and a daughters tribute to a Mother with mental illness. Marcie Alvis Walker is the creator of the popular Instagram feed Black Coffee with White Friends. She is also the creator of Black Eyed Bible Stories. Marcie is passionate about what it means to embrace intersectionality, diversity, and inclusion in our spiritual lives.  Find out what 8th grade Marcie +...

Send us Fan Mail A viral instagram challenge became a New York Times   bestselling book that challenged a generation the summer George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery became a rallying cry in cities and towns across the country, forcing the United States to confront the racism of its past and present.  How do we combat racism, change the world and become A Good Ancestor? Layla Saad , an Ea...

Send us Fan Mail Have you listened to an adult adoptee's perspective on foster care and adoption? I'm an adoptive mom and I learned from Angela Tucker , a Black woman adopted out of foster care by white parents , what I most wished I had learned through the adoption process. Learn the one phrase Angela says an adopted person in your community needs to hear from you! Listen to the story o...

Send us Fan Mail Get ready to enter the world of Ariel Gold, a fierce advocate for Palestinian rights and the Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, America's oldest interfaith peacemaking organization . This remarkable woman has spent 20 years working diligently to bring peace to a region marred by violence, and in this episode, she shares her journey and  two action steps we can take...

Send us Fan Mail How do we teach our children about violence in a way that empowers them rather than instills fear? Are we actively debunking the myth that violence is justice? Tune in as we navigate the challenge of discussing violence with our children - an issue our own parents often shied away from.  I'm a Mom, War Veteran and Peacemaker and I'm sharing how we can center our kids dig...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is a call to action - to step out, make a difference, and weave a fabric of unity, equality, and justice in our communities. Shannon Martin, an author and Neighboring evangelist nudges us to confront our privilege and channel it towards equity and justice in education through the power of Neighboring. How do we sit in tension?  Be part of bridging the chasm between th...

Send us Fan Mail I wanted to interview Nikkolas Smith because his art is like a lightning bolt.  How does a Black man from Texas, educated at the famous HBCU Hampton University land in California to work as an Imagineer for Disney  for 11 years make a portrait of George Floyd that crosses the continent and unites the world in grieving and raising our voices for justice?  His story is stunning.  Hi...

Send us Fan Mail Let's  journey into the world of street level poetry and activism with the phenomenal poet, Drew Jackson. From his humble beginnings in South Jersey, we follow his path through writing hip hop lyrics, pastoring  and into the realm of poetry.  What does it mean to be a black man in America? Drew's work unpacks this weighty question, exploring themes of identity, justice,...