Is The World On Fire?: Recent Episodes
Is The World On Fire
What is your fire? Everywhere you go, you can feel and see an endless amount of challenges burning around the world. Because of this, we decided to interview peacebuilders, social innovators, experts, academics and other people trying to fight against these challenges. 'Is the world on fire?' is a podcast made by students and alumni at the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego.
Dr. May Farid is the newest professor at the Kroc School of Peace Studies and just finished her first year teaching here in San Diego. Dr. Farid is a specialist in NGOs and grassroots movements and her research focuses on the intersection between citizen initiatives and state policies and how this dynamic plays into development and good governance. Dr. Farid talks about the importance of community-driven development, expanding ways for people to engage in social movements and what it was like growing up attending local schools in Macao and China.
Natalia Ventura and Nanzi Muro are activists transforming their communities through art. Natalia, an interdisciplinary artist and abolitionist from Chula Vista, California, blends her Mexican-Cuban-American heritage with her passion for nonviolence. Nanzi, an artivist from the borderlands, channels her unique experiences of living between the U.S. and Tijuana into powerful social practice art, advocating against the injustices at the U.S.-Mexico border. Both are dedicated to using their creative talents to illuminate critical social issues and foster radical love and transformation. Tune in to hear their inspiring stories and their vision for a more just world.
Natalia's website -- https://www.nataliaventura.com/
Nanzi's website -- https://nanzi-muro.wixsite.com/artivism
Yaroslav Trofimov is the Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent at the Wall Street Journal, where he has worked since 1999 covering the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. He has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize the last two years for his coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. An author of 3 books, his latest is "Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence." Listen for the inside story on the history of Ukraine, Russia's propaganda warband the role of journalists during conflict.
Keep up with Yaroslov Trofimov and his work here: https://yarotrof.com/
Check out his new book, "Our Enemies Will Vanish" here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/731521/our-enemies-will-vanish-by-yaroslav-trofimov/
Kelsey O. Daniels is a dynamic creative force and seasoned community organizer from South East San Diego. Kelsey delves into the ancestral, wellness, and liberation dimensions of dreaming. As the founder of "Check, Please!" and "The Black Dream Experiment," Kelsey curates spaces that empower authentic storytelling and celebrate the rich tapestry of Black dreaming. Beyond their roles as a poet, mixed media artist, singer, and dreamworker, they have been a dynamic force in community advocacy, collaborating with organizations such as Creative Mornings, Women's March San Diego, Amnesty International, and ACLU San Diego. Join us as Kelsey challenges notions of white failurism and champions self and community care as paths to dream space.
To learn more about Kelsey’s work you can check out her website: https://kelseyshere.com/
To stay updated on Kelsey's live performances follow
https://www.instagram.com/andsheshere_/ and https://www.instagram.com/dreamforgetreturn/
You can contact her via email at heylove@kelseyshere.com
Mara Tissera Luna is an international consultant focusing on understanding the root causes of forced displacement in Latin America and the Caribbean and improving protection for displaced populations. She's a social anthropologist who specializes in Latin America and the Caribbean. She advises UNICEF, Georgetown University, the University of Edinburgh and Refugees International among others and has helped write more than 25 reports, handbooks, and short articles. Her latest work is “A Ridiculously Simplified Guide to Intersectional & Decolonial Research.”In this episode, we talk about decolonial, intersectional, and feminist practices that peacebuilders should be bringing to all of their work.
Reach out to Mara:
:https://www.linkedin.com/in/maratisseraluna/
For more on her research and publications:
https://maratisseraluna.academia.edu/
Ridiculously Simplified Guide to Intersection & Decolonial Research here: https://latinamerica.website/guide
Suggested reading:
https://aidnography.blogspot.com
The World's Most Neglected Displacement Crisis:
https://www.nrc.no/feature/2023/the-worlds-most-neglected-displacement-crises-in-2022/
An interview with Dr. Nadine Puechguirbal, an expert with over two decades working in gender, peace, and security. The breadth of her experience ranges across a diverse landscape including gender mainstreaming, addressing sexual and gender-based violence, preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse, safeguarding, diversity and social inclusion, and advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout her career in peace building she has worked in different sectors of the United Nations training her unique gender lens on humanitarian work in Niger, Somalia, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and more.
For part 2 of our series highlighting the state of prisons in the U.S., we speak with Wehtahnah Tucker, a lawyer with more than a decade experience working in the California Department of Corrections and co-moderator of a recent lecture by Angela Davis on prison abolition. Leeya and Wehtahnah go deep on the current state of the carceral system, the Norway Model and the tricky business of shutting down prisons in communities that have come to rely on them as a source of economic stability. Wehtahnah details the complex issues faced by trans prisoners in California and tells us her "audacious" vision for the future of prisons in the state.
- https://www.vera.org/california-state-of-incarceration
- https://www.vera.org/news/justice-reform-101?ms=email_110323_e1_eng_b&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email_110323_e1_eng_b&emci=22f9d2e3-1f74-ee11-b004-00224832eb73&emdi=76e4f8ac-597a-ee11-b004-00224832eb73&ceid=87625
- https://www.themarshallproject.org/
- https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/end-mass-incarceration
Legendary activist Angela Davis delivers the Kroc School's Distinguished Lecture on the history of American prisons and the urgency of prison abolition. Recorded in front of a live audience on Oct. 11, 2023, Davis speaks about the importance of convincing people that prisons are not inevitable, the role of imagination in advocating for change and how to avoid burnout in social justice activism. She calls out the dangers of prison reform and hails the collective wisdom of incarcerated populations.
Part Three of our Women Peacemakers Series introduces Sveto Muhammad Ishoq, an award-winning women’s rights activist, TEDx speaker and social entrepreneur from Afghanistan. Her work on international platforms has been instrumental in amplifying Afghan womens' voices during the Taliban regime. Sveto has founded several organizations, including Ayat, a social enterprise that employs Afghan women in the fashion industry and Chadari, an NGO that raises awareness about Afghan women and girls through community projects, storytelling, and awareness building. She talks with Leeya about Afghan Superwomen, her entrepreneurial mindset and the meaning of home when you live abroad.
https://www.change.org/p/solidarity-with-afghans-in-pakistan-stop-the-deportations
Part Two for our Women Peacemakers Series shines a light on the work of Shadi Rouhshahbaz, a young Iranian peace builder, futurist and researcher. She shares her remarkable journey from underground activist to founder of PeaceMentors, the first young-women-led peace building initiative in Iran. In this episode she delves into the Iranian information gap, the "Women, Life, Freedom" Movement and the human cost of getting the world to look at you.
Part One of our Women Peacemakers Series kicks of with Kay Soe, a feminist and gender equality advocate from Burma with nearly two decades of experience in public policy, strategy development, evaluation and researchrelated to gender equality, labour migration, and peace and security. Listen as we discuss the 70 year-old civil war that her home country is undergoing, the mental toll of working for peace, and why women must be included in every stage of the peace process.
Tune in for this very special guest-host episode with Kroc School graduate student and Queer scholar Thomas Oliver. Thomas interviews Jack Harrison-Quintana, M.A. the Director of Grindr For Equality. Jack is a queer Latino activist, author, and researcher. He has worked with the National LGBTQ Task Force, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), the Global Trans Research and Advocacy Project (GTRAP), and Khemara, as well as five state and local LGBTQ+-related ballot measure campaigns. Thomas and Jack talk about the development of LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. as well as abroad. Jack details what work is being done in the transnational space and details how Grindr intervenes for LGBTQ+ safety.
Grindr for Equality
https://www.grindr.com/g4e
Grindr Holistic Security Guide
https://assets.website-files.com/641dc6058ca7b72a1422b5d7/6436c2bf48bde3005f39e0eb_G4E-HolisticSecurityGuide-English.pdf
Grindr's Blueprint for Trans and Non Binary Sexual Health and Liberation
https://assets.website-files.com/641dc6058ca7b72a1422b5d7/64c3dde0ce3fee72ae22cd4f_G4E-TSH%20Report-English.pdf
Free HIV Tests
https://www.cnet.com/health/medical/you-can-order-a-free-hiv-test-on-grindr/
In this first episode of Season 4, host Clara Nithiaparan speaks with Dr. Sarah Federman, Associate Professor at the Kroc School of Peace Studies, University of San Diego. Inspired by her newest book “Transformative Negotiation,” they touch on topics such as the nexus between peacebuilding and the business world through negotiation, the win-win-win approach, what's the best way to negotiate via text, how negotiation has to begin with you in order to address bigger social problems in today's world, and more.
https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520386938/transformative-negotiation
Meet our Season 4 co-hosts, Clara Nithiaparan and Leeya Appleby, as they tell us about their studies at the University of San Diego Kroc School of Peace Studies and what's coming up in this brand new season of Is The World on Fire?
CW: depictions of violence and death, systematic abuse
In this episode, Théa is joined by guest-host, Eriq Vargas, founder of the Palestine Solidarity Committee at USD and a graduate of the Kroc School. This episode's guest is Michael Lynk, former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights situation in the Palestinian Territories. Together, Eriq and Michael discuss one of the longest standing conflicts in the world today, detailing the ways in which Israeli occupation and systematic oppression of Palestinians has created the conditions that can be described in none other way than as Apartheid.
Palestine has been occupied by Israeli military since 1967 despite countless UN resolutions denouncing its violent and racist tactics which have led to the displacement of generations of Palestinians. Palestinians now make up approximately 5.9 million displaced individuals across the Middle East alone. In the episode, Eriq and Michael discuss how this has been made possible through major international actors turning a blind eye, and via a sophisticated mechanism of state propaganda.
Finally, Eriq shares his insights on some of the ways that institutions and states can support the West's disenfranchisement from Israel's apartheid government, and urges listeners to learn more about the situation in Palestine.
Update: In April of this year, Israeli forces carried out violent raids on the Haram Al-Sharif compound and Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan for the third year in a row. Just this July, Israeli forces attacked Jenin refugee camp, injuring dozens and killing 9, including children. Palestinian people killed by Israeli forces this year has reached over 200.
Resources and further learning:
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More on Michael Lynk can be found here
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To learn more about how Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories is impacting human rights, visit:
- Amnesty International's Investigative Report
- https://decolonizepalestine.com/
- https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article
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2021 Human Rights Watch Report
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You can listen to the full USD panel event with Michael Lynk and Omar Shakir (Human Rights Watch) here.
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And check out these resources organized by Eriq Vargas and the Palestine Solidarity Committee at USD here and here.
Did you like this episode? Share your thoughts via email or via instagram by messaging the Kroc School.
Join Guest Host, Tamara Sharifov and Thea in the studio as they reflect on a previous conversation recorded with Tibetan Buddhist teacher of the Nyingma Longchen Nying-Thig order, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche.
Together they discuss how the Buddhist concepts of anger, leadership and love can play a role in reducing burnout, improving personal resilience, and building a strong practice for conflict resolution work. Rinpoche shares his wisdom and insights into the Buddha Dharma, leadership in times of turmoil, the power of positivity, and the tenants of building a relationship with yourself to sustain the work you do.
“I was not arrested, I was rescued." - Jackie Reed, Founder of Women Initiating Success Envisioned, Director of Women's Re-Entry at Urban League of San Diego County
Guests, Jackie Reed, and our very own, professor practice in criminal justice and former federal criminal defense lawyer, Janice Deaton, discuss the programmatic and service barriers facing women after incarceration. Listen as Jackie sheds light on some of the root causes of incarceration among the women she's served, as well as her personal experience with imprisonment, re-entry and achieving sobriety in a society that regularly stigmatizes and marginalizes you for your worst acts. Together, she and Janice offer a deeply illuminating account of the ways in which our criminal justice system harms women and their families and discuss some of the ways that policy and practice should be strengthened to better support women's resilience and re-entry.
To support clients of Jackie's organization, WISE, consider making a small donation or attending the WISE Gala in August, 2023. Tickets sold here: https://www.nationalwise.org/
Content Warning: this episode includes mention of addiction, intimate partner abuse, violence against women, violent criminal offenses, and other content that may be alarming to listeners.
In this episode, we engage in a riveting conversation with Jamie Beck, the founder and managing attorney of Free to Thrive, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing legal services to survivors of human trafficking. Jamie's impact journey took a pivotal turn when she received a letter from an incarcerated survivor, sparking the formation of a state-wide legislative advocacy coalition. Their mission? To influence sentencing judges to consider survivors' history of abuse and victimization when convicted of violent crimes. In 2020, the coalition championed a bill (AB-124) to achieve this, extending its scope to survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence. However, facing opposition, the bill was significantly weakened at the last moment, leaving coalition members disheartened and questioning their approach.
In the wake of this defeat, Jamie found herself reflecting on her leadership role within the coalition. She questioned whether her approach was too forceful, potentially causing survivors to relive their trauma. This episode serves as an epilogue to the teaching case titled 'Free To Thrive: The Struggle and Stagnation of Advocacy For Justice,' part of the USD Teaching Cases on Social Impact.
Kim Stanley Robinson—author of "The Ministry for the Future"—reflects on the complexity of the challenges we face with climate change.
Hosted by the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, the science fiction writer gives a lecture recorded in front of a live audience at the University of San Diego’s Peace & Justice Theatre. After the lecture, the author takes questions from Kroc School students Franco Castro Escobar and Théa Klement.
His novel, The Ministry for the Future, was selected as one of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2020 and one of Bill Gates’ “5 Great Books for the Summer” in 2022.
To buy the novel, "The Ministry for the Future", visit https://www.amazon.com/Ministry-Future-Kim-Stanley-Robinson/dp/0316300136
What is the relationship between authoritarianism, storytelling, and memory? Ronald Niezen—author of "The Memory Seeker"—reflects on the intricacies of war crimes, the temptations of revenge, and our obligations to the past. Ronald is an expert in digital activism and open-source investigations. He works as a Professor of Practice at the University of San Diego, in the Departments of Sociology, Political Science, and International Relations.
To buy and read his first novel, "The Memory Seeker", visit https://www.amazon.com/Memory-Seeker-Novel-Ronald-Niezen-ebook/dp/B0BLC95Y36
Etleva Bejko, Executive Director at Survivors of Torture, International (SURVIVORS), is a highly respected immigration services leader with over 20 years of experience in the field. Throughout her career, she has responded to humanitarian crises, rallied community groups, and built programs and teams that have served generations of refugees and immigrants throughout the San Diego County. Mackoy speaks with her about the intricacies of San Diego's immigration and asylum processes and how survivors works to rebuild the lives of those immigrants who have experienced torture.
To learn more about SURVIVORS, visit www.notorture.org or connect with the organization's social networks:
Instagram (@survivors_sandiego), Facebook (Survivors of Torture, International), LinkedIn, and Twitter (@notorture). There are many ways to get involved with SURVIVORS! If you'd like to learn about volunteer opportunities or participate in a tour of the healing center, please email survivors@notorture.org. To make a donation to meet the growing needs of SURVIVORS' clients and their families, visit the following link: https://notorture.org/donate/
Part II of the Women PeaceMaker Series brings you a discussion between Honduran development professional, Tania Martinez, and Mexican specialist in urban violence reduction, Dolores Hernandez. In this episode, Théa engages with these incredible women to talk about their work in Honduras and Mexico and about what it means to contribute to peacemaking in the Americas. From advocating for indigenous rights, to finding ways to bridge civil society's 'safer cities' efforts with local government initiatives, these two women are making a difference in their communities and teaching us that it's possible to build a better world through even our everyday actions.
To learn more about these fellows and about the Women Peacemaker Fellowship at the Kroc Institute, visit the website at: https://www.sandiego.edu/peace/institute-for-peace-justice/initiatives/women-peace-security/women-peacemakers/
In Part I of our special Women Peacemaker Series we interview Nattecia Nerene Bohardsingh about her work as a lawyer and activist for civil rights in Jamaica. She is one of few experts and advocates in the field of reparatory justice. Listen in as Mackoy speaks with Nattecia on what it takes to work in her field. Making promises to ourselves, advocating for the oppressed, and working in the face of resistance are some of the many topics in which Nattecia gives her thoughts.
To learn more about the WPM fellows and about the Women Peacemaker Fellowship at the Kroc Institute, visit the website at: https://www.sandiego.edu/peace/institute-for-peace-justice/initiatives/women-peace-security/women-peacemakers/
Emilie Amrein is a scholar, artist, educator, and community builder. They locate their work in community practice, drawing on the revolutionary wisdom of abolitionist, anti-colonial, and anti-capitalist organizers and freedom dreamers from the Global Majority. In this episode, Théa asks Emilie about their work along the border, and together, they explore the practices of inclusive music making, collective storytelling, and the power of the arts in resistance and justice-making, to disrupt harmful systems.
More about Emilie can be found on their website at: https://www.emilieamrein.com/
Listen to the full song, "Scaling Walls, Building Bridges" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgIxRF4XBQo&feature=youtu.be
Has the world gotten better in recent history? Is there a reason to be optimistic? How do we get to conversations of love, peace, and togetherness in spaces that are inherently divisive? Join in on these conversations while listening to Dr. Dustin Sharp, a distinguished mass atrocities specialist, speak on the future of the world and how to expand our minds beyond binaries of the status quo to build a better world now.
What challenges do leaders face in this “post-truth” era? How can individuals help to build trust in democracy and its institutions? What does social entrepreneurship look like in-light of the many fires we find in today’s world? In this episode, Social Innovator, Roshan Paul, and author of A New Reason to Work, talks with host, Thea Klement, about social innovation, leadership, and the synergies we need to tackle some of today’s hottest fires.
What are the ethical contradictions within creating social change? Are peace studies going in a meaningful direction, or are we just reinventing the wheel endlessly? In this episode, Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick talks with host Mackoy Turpen about how changemaking is evolving and where he sees the future of peace studies.
How do the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what we've been through affect our ability to heal and connect with others? In this episode, Conflict Management and Resolution graduate student, Mathew B. Holloway II, talks with host Thea Klement about the power of "re-storyation" and the work that his organization, Conversations by Courage, is doing around the United States to support social transformation in the 21st century.
What does it mean to be a professional humanitarian? In this episode, USAID Regional Humanitarian Advisor, John Patterson, tells us what it's like to advise on response efforts in some of the most high-stakes humanitarian projects around the world. Our host and graduate student, Théa Klement, discusses with John what's needed in the field of humanitarian aid and how his experiences have taught him about what it takes to be a professional "fire-fighter."
Not all menstruators menstruate the same. Tabitha Nakholi is the founder of the Wezesha Binti Foundation, a Kenyan NGO that seeks to empower, nurture, and inspire girls and women to take charge of their menstrual, sexual, and reproductive health. In this episode, Social Innovation graduate Zoe Luiz talks with Tabtiha about the fires she is fighting in Kenya, and around the world.
Is it possible to hold corporations accountable for their complicated pasts in humanitarian atrocities? There are many major corporations that have had a notable presence in conflict areas. Is there a world in which they can flip the script, and become changemakers who promote peace? Sarah Federman, an Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution at the University of San Diego’s Kroc School of Peace Studies, joins current Peace & Justice masters student Mackoy Turpen to answer these questions and more