Best Making Peace Visible Podcasts (2025)

1
In the Brazilian Amazon, environmental reporting is dangerous business 26:46

3d ago26:46

26:46

Brazil’s Arariboia Indigenous Territory is a green island that spans more than 413,000 hectares (1.02 million acres) in a sea of deforestation. Though the territory is protected by law, it’s become the site of incursions by loggers and cattle ranchers. In a five-year investigative series for the environmental news outlet Mongabay, reporter Karla Me…

1
Bonus: A nuanced conversation about USAID (Making Peace Visible) 33:51

9d ago33:51

33:51

This week’s episode is from our friends at the Making Peace Visible Podcast. When the Trump administration slashed the budget and suspended most of the staff of the United States Agency for International Development last month, their representatives said the agency was using taxpayer dollars to fund a radical, “woke” agenda around the world. Critic…

1
We Thought We Solved World Peace (Rebroadcast) 33:51

2d ago33:51

33:51

This week we’re bringing back our very first episode, We Thought We Solved World Peace, from September 2024. When host Bridget Conley was a college student in the 90s, there was this air of optimism. It might sound crazy to say now, but she and her colleagues honestly believed they had solved world peace. In this first episode of Disrupting Peace, …

1
Disrupting Peace: How to be president if you don't have a military 25:33

16d ago25:33

25:33

What's it like to lead without a military? This episode, from our friends at Disrupting Peace, focuses on Costa Rica, and explores what happens when a country abolishes its military, Costa Rica’s approach to domestic security, and the ways that having a military can increase violence and instability in a country. Carlos Alvarado Quesada served as P…

1
Italy: What are the long-term impacts of electing a populist leader? 37:46

17d ago37:46

37:46

To close out Season 2, we’re talking about the long-term impacts of electing a right-wing populist to office. Silvio Berlusconi transformed Italian government and society, beginning when he was first elected Prime Minister in 1994. In this episode, we’ll explore how Berlusconi legitimized the far-right (even though he himself was a center right pol…

1
US: Fighting for Academic Freedom in Higher Education 44:19

24d ago44:19

44:19

Today we’re talking about academic freedom in higher education. What it is, why it’s at risk, and what’s at stake for democracy when this particular freedom is eroded. We explore why academic freedom is so threatening to existing hierarchies, why it’s so hard to explain academics to a broad audience, and what everyday people are doing to fight for …

1
Journalism under authoritarianism: An indie reporter persists in Venezuela 36:17

1M ago36:17

36:17

Venezuela is a tough place to be a journalist. Our guest this episode, Tony Frangie Mawad wrote last year about the possibility of an opposition victory that would upend the regime of President Nicolás Maduro in the country's July elections. But even though the opposition candidate won the vote, Maduro held on to power, and this year has cracked do…

1
Costa Rica: How To Be President If You Don’t Have A Military 26:09

1M ago26:09

26:09

What's it like to lead without a military? In this episode, we focus on Costa Rica, and explore what happens when a country abolishes its military, Costa Rica’s approach to domestic security, and the ways that having a military can increase violence and instability in a country…Plus we’ll have our first former president on the show! Carlos Alvarado…

1
Syria: How Do You Rebuild After a Dictator? 34:27

1M ago34:27

34:27

How does a country rebuild after overthrowing a dictator? On December 8, 2024, armed forces led by Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham overthrew the Assad regime, which had ruled as a corrupt and brutal dictatorship in Syria for over 50 years. For now, the country is in an in-between phase – what was is gone, but it’s not yet clear what’s com…

1
What does ending mass incarceration have to do with peace? 34:57

1M ago34:57

34:57

After the end of the Cold War, many academics and policymakers believed that a global state of peace was achievable. People talked about a “peace dividend”: A long-term benefit. as budgets for military spending would be redirected to social programs or returned to citizens in the form of lower taxes. Our guest this episode, Bridget Conley, started …

1
South Korea: Successfully Opposing Presidential Overreach 26:06

1M ago26:06

26:06

Sustaining a democracy often looks mundane. It includes managing different stakeholders, crafting policy, debating nuances and compromising. Ending a democracy can be dramatic: and it almost happened on December 3, 2024 when the president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, attempted to declare martial law during a televised address. In this episode, we…

1
Iceland: Lessons From The World’s Leader in Gender Equality 32:08

2M ago32:08

32:08

What can we learn about building and sustaining a women’s movement from arguably the world’s leaders: Icelandic feminists? To kick off the season, we’re focusing on Iceland, the country ranked number one for gender equality for 15 years in a row. Together, we explore what makes Iceland unique, how younger generations are pushing the feminist agenda…

1
A nuanced conversation about USAID 33:10

2M ago33:10

33:10

When the Trump administration slashed the budget and suspended most of the staff of the United States Agency for International Development last month, their representatives said the agency was using taxpayer dollars to fund a radical, “woke” agenda around the world. Criticism coming from the Left since the founding of USAID in 1961 has characterize…

1
Introducing Season 2: Lessons from Global Resistance 3:03

2M ago3:03

3:03

In Season 2 of Disrupting Peace, we are looking around the world – and here in the US – to learn about how people resist efforts to concentrate political power. In each episode, host Bridget Conley, research director at the World Peace Foundation, speaks with local experts on the history and practicalities of resistance. Together they explore what …

1
"The Fight for Haiti" tells the story of a people's movement against corruption 28:16

2M ago28:16

28:16

Often the news covers crises without context. That's especially true when it comes to coverage of the Global South in international media. Our guest this episode, journalist and documentary filmmaker Etant Dupain, gives us a behind-the-headlines look at events in Haiti, his home country. Dupain says that the gangs who control much of the country no…

1
Could the Israel/Hamas ceasefire lead to lasting peace? 34:10

3M ago34:10

34:10

Israel and Hamas are just over two weeks into a ceasefire agreement, after fifteen months of fighting. This is a paradoxical moment to talk about long term peace. The horrific October 7th attacks and the near - destruction of Gaza that followed, served to amplify already high levels of distrust, hate, and trauma. At the same time, the war has demon…

1
Fact checking from your phone 24:04

3M ago24:04

24:04

Imagine you’re living through a crisis in your part of the world. It could be a natural disaster, a contentious election, or even a coup d’etat. Rumors are swirling on social media, on television, and even your family group chat. Events are unfolding rapidly, and you don’t know what to believe. What if, just by sending a text message, you could rea…

1
A Syrian journalist in exile looks towards home 33:26

4M ago33:26

33:26

This is a pivotal moment in Syria, the abrupt end of a brutal dictatorship that killed and tortured thousands and terrorized Syrian society. The Assad regime also suppressed speech, and we’re now seeing a surge in independent reports on the news and social media. The big question is what happens next? And what does this change mean to the region? I…

1
Have we lost the moral common ground? 35:22

4M ago35:22

35:22

Please consider supporting our work at the intersection of peace, conflict, and the media! Make a tax-deductible contribution today at makingpeacevisible.org. Thank you! When you look at the online reactions to major events, or watch news footage of political rallies, you might conclude that people on the political Left have a completely different …

1
From Ukraine, war reporting that feels personal 32:56

5M ago32:56

32:56

Support this podcast with a tax-deductible donation. Photographer Anastasia Taylor-Lind and writer Alisa Sopova create intimate, accessible portraits of Ukrainian civilians living close to the frontlines of the Russian invasion. Sometimes their subjects are picnicking in a park or tending a garden. Other times, they’re repairing a ceiling damaged b…

1
In America, a braver way to talk about politics 30:17

5M ago30:17

30:17

In the 2024 election, it was clearer than ever that Americans are “watching different movies,” as political analyst Van Jones put it. Essentially, we’re living inside different narratives that aren’t of our own making. During this campaign season more than ever before, the presidential and VP candidates appeared on sympathetic podcasts as a way to …

1
Tired of polarization? Time to detox 32:50

6M ago32:50

32:50

If you’re listening to this podcast, you’re probably concerned by the level of polarization we’re seeing in societies around the world. We can point fingers at social media, the news media, political parties, fear mongering leaders, poor education, broken political systems… the list is long. The divides can seem so vast, the problems so huge. It’s …

1
How Will The Election Impact Immigration? 28:50

6M ago28:50

28:50

Today’s guest will help us explore this question, as well as the current state of immigration in the US, the areas where both Democrats and Republicans are getting things wrong, and why increasing empathy is necessary to create change. Jason De León is a Professor of Anthropology and Chicana/o and Central American Studies at UCLA, Executive Directo…

1
Rethinking international peacebuilding in Muslim countries 36:59

6M ago36:59

36:59

Our guest in this episode is a scholar and peacebuilder who knows the world of peacebuilding intimately, and offers a critique from the inside. Qamar-ul Huda is the author of Reenvisioning Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution in Islam, published in April 2024. He’s worked for major players like the US Institute of Peace and the UN Development Prog…

1
What Does Prison Abolition Have To Do With World Peace? 37:34

6M ago37:34

37:34

What is prison abolition, and what does it have to do with world peace? Today’s guests help us dig into this question, tackle some common misconceptions about prison abolition, and hear what restorative justice looks like first-hand. Catherine Besteman is the Francis F. Bartlett and Ruth K. Bartlett Professor of Anthropology at Colby College, whose…

1
Why Addressing the Climate Crisis Will Increase Peace 29:22

7M ago29:22

29:22

What if the inequalities and exploitation that are destroying the environment are also driving conflict? Today’s guests help us understand how preventing conflict and responding to the climate crisis actually go hand in hand: Tatiana Garavito Ibañez is a facilitator, organizer, and lifelong student dedicated to exploring the intersections of migrat…

1
Cross-border environmentalism in the Middle East 32:06

7M ago32:06

32:06

"Nature knows no political borders. " - David Lehrer On a small desert campus, students from Israel, Palestine, and other parts of the Middle East take classes in ecology, earth sciences and renewable energy. They also debate the hot button issues: history, politics, religion, war, occupation, terrorism, while learning to listen actively, and livin…

1
AI & Autonomous Weapons Today 26:01

7M ago26:01

26:01

Are we already living in the sci fi future where weapons decide who to kill? In this conversation, we explore how AI and autonomous weapons are being used today, specifically in places like Ukraine and Gaza. Bridget speaks with two leaders in research and activism to find out why they’re concerned, and how we can regain hope. Laura Bruun is a Resea…

1
The Arms Trade - Let’s Talk About Big Weapons 24:10

7M ago24:10

24:10

In this episode, we’re talking about big weapons: bombs and the weapon systems that convey them. We dive deep into the military industrial complex and explore what it will take to rein in both nuclear and conventional weapons on a global scale. Bridget speaks with two of the leading activists and researchers on nuclear and conventional weapons, res…

1
Amidst war, a Palestinian nonviolence movement grows 39:08

7M ago39:08

39:08

Ali Abu Awwad is hard to summarize. He grew up with a mother in the PLO, and served jail time for his role in the resistance during the First Palestinian Intifada. In an Israeli prison, Ali learned the power of nonviolence when he and his mother went on hunger strike to see each other. After his brother was killed by Israeli soldiers, his family me…

1
We Thought We Solved World Peace 33:05

7M ago33:05

33:05

When host Bridget Conley was a college student in the 90s, there was this air of optimism. It might sound crazy to say now, but she and her colleagues honestly believed they had solved world peace. In this first episode of Disrupting Peace, Bridget speaks with Yale law professor Sam Moyn and South African activist Mamello about what went wrong in t…

1
How do we make peacebuilding mainstream? 36:53

8M ago36:53

36:53

Most people feel that peacebuilding – resolving conflicts and decreasing violence – is a positive thing. But as we've said many times on this podcast, peacebuilding is virtually invisible in the world. Today’s guest, veteran mediator and peacebuilder Mark Gerzon, says to strengthen peace and reconciliation efforts, we need to make peacebuilding mai…

1
John Marks, pioneering the use of media to promote peace 29:19

8M ago29:19

29:19

Social entrepreneurs are a unique breed of people, capable of conjuring up a vision, a new way of doing something, a solution to a problem; but they also have the skill and the determination to overcome all the obstacles to implement their vision. John Marks is a remarkable social entrepreneur who, with his wife Susan Collins Marks, built the large…

1
Film as a catalyst for reconciliation in Sierra Leone 32:16

8M ago32:16

32:16

Imagine living next door to a person who murdered your father, raped your sister, or even killed your child. This was the case for many people in Sierra Leone who endured a brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002: the majority of the 50,000 who died were those killed by their own neighbors. While working with a program that facilitates ritual reconcilia…

1
Pain-Free Behind the Chair: Flexibility strength Tips for Hairstylists and Salon Owners 1:09:30

8M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

In this enlightening episode, we sit down with @industryaligned to tackle a crucial topic for hairstylists and salon owners: preventing body pain and maintaining flexibility while working behind the chair. Join us as we explore effective strategies to protect your body from the physical demands of the profession, ensuring you can deliver your best …

1
Styling Your Social: Boosting Visibility and Content Creation with @erica6style 54:56

9M ago54:56

54:56

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of social media visibility and content creation with the inspiring @erica6style. If you're a hairstylist or salon owner looking to elevate your online presence, this episode is a must-listen! Erica shares her expert insights on crafting engaging content, building a loyal following, and leveraging social …

1
Designing tech for trust in a polarized world 35:07

9M ago35:07

35:07

On July 28, 2024, a teenage boy carried out a fatal stabbing attack on a dance class in Southport, England. Three little girls were killed, and eight other children and two adults were injured. Police arrested and detained the assailant. They didn't release his name, because he was under 18. A user on X posted that the suspect was a Muslim asylum s…

1
From war reporter to peace journalist in Uganda 27:21

9M ago27:21

27:21

Gloria Laker Aciro was a teenager when war upended her family’s life in Northern Uganda. The Lord's Resistance Army, led by the infamous Joseph Kony, were known for their brutality, and for kidnapping children and making them child soldiers or child brides. As a young displaced person, Aciro became a journalist so the world would know about the suf…

1
Introducing Disrupting Peace 2:55

9M ago2:55

2:55

Disrupting Peace explores why peace hasn’t worked, and how it still could. In each episode, Bridget Conley, research director at the World Peace Foundation, speaks with a researcher specializing in one obstacle to peace, and an activist who’s changing systems from the ground up. Together they explore what worked, what didn’t, and why we shouldn’t g…

1
Elevating nonviolent narratives in Hollywood 30:51

10M ago30:51

30:51

Close your eyes and think of the word “war” or “gun violence.” What’s the first image that comes up? Maybe it’s news footage of the wars in Gaza or Ukraine. Or maybe it’s a scene from a movie like Hotel Rwanda or Bridge on the River Kwai, or a shoutout in any number of crime and cop dramas. Scripted storytelling, with its ability to get up close an…

1
Can the UN 'save us from hell'? 30:27

10M ago30:27

30:27

“The United Nations was not created in order to deliver us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell.” - Dag Hammarskjöld. “To Save Us From Hell” is a new weekly news and analysis podcast about the UN. Mark Leon Goldberg, a veteran global affairs journalist and editor of the news outlets UN Dispatch and Global Dispatches, and Anjali Dayal, a pol…

1
Democracy Works: Youth activism gets pragmatic 34:20

11M ago34:20

34:20

On February 14, 2018, a former student opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, with an assault rifle he’d purchased legally. Hiding in a janitor’s closet, David Hogg recorded his classmates on his phone. "I interviewed my classmates so that if we didn't make it out of there, hopefully our voices would carry on,” Ho…

1
How do you measure peace? 27:38

11M ago27:38

27:38

How do you measure peace in a country? Do you look at the rates of violent crime? Assess the justice system? What about freedom of the press, the health of the economy, or general happiness? Today's guest, Steve Killelea, is the founder and Executive Chairman of the Institute for Economics and Peace, an internationally renowned think tank. Each yea…

1
Teaching Peace Journalism in Lebanon 33:56

12M ago33:56

33:56

Vanessa Bassil is the founder and president of the Media Association for Peace, and has personally trained journalists and journalism students in Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East. She is currently in graduate school at the University of Bonn in Germany, working towards a PhD in Peace Journalism. Peace Journalism, the guiding practice …

1
Making Peace “Possible” with William Ury 47:20

12M ago47:20

47:20

William Ury is one of the world’s most influential peacebuilders and experts on negotiation. He advised Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos in the lead up to that country's historic 2016 peace agreement with the FARC, and played a key role in de-escalating nuclear tensions between the U.S. and North Korea in 2017. Getting to Yes, which Ury co-wr…

1
Tales of Tibetan resilience and resistance in exile 35:53

1y ago35:53

35:53

When India-based reporter Amy Yee got a call from her editor to cover a press conference with the Dalai Lama, she stopped what she was doing and booked the next flight. She was headed for Dharamsala, where the Buddhist leader and thousands of Tibetan refugees make their home. It was March 2008, and the Dalai Lama was responding to violence in Tibet…

1
25. The Journey of a Stylist Interview With Erica Santos Salon Owner & Custom Jewelry Boutique 1:08:36

1y ago1:08:36

1:08:36

Join us on this inspiring podcast as we dive into the journey of a high-achieving stylist who has successfully pivoted and grown their business. Discover the strategies, mindset, and tools they used to overcome challenges, tap into new opportunities, and achieve remarkable success in the beauty industry. Learn from their experiences, gain valuable …

1
Decoding dehumanization in the brain 36:54

1y ago36:54

36:54

“Humans are not rational beings with emotions. In fact, we're just the opposite. We're emotionally based beings who can only think rationally when we feel that our identities, as we see them, are understood and valued by others.” Those words from neuroscientist Bob Deutch triggered a lightbulb moment in the mind of Tim Phillips, a veteran peacebuil…

1
24. Embracing Pivotal Moments: Navigating Change and Growth in Your Entrepreneurial Journey 1:18:01

1y ago1:18:01

1:18:01

Interview with Chelsea Carter @chelsearenee_ at https://linkr.it/3C7gbW In this insightful episode, we explore the significance of pivotal moments in your entrepreneurial journey and discuss strategies for embracing change and fostering growth. Join us as we delve into the transformative power of embracing these pivotal moments and how they can sha…

1
Understanding intergenerational trauma in Israel/Palestine 32:53

1y ago32:53

32:53

Intergenerational trauma, also called historical trauma, is defined as cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over the lifespan and across generations, emanating from massive group trauma experiences. The brutal October 7th attacks by Hamas inside of Israel, and the IDF’s seemingly relentless assault on Gaza have captured the world’s atten…

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Making Peace Visible Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen