The Heart of Peacebuilding

Life is a sacred challenge of radical unknowability, and it will eventually push you out of this universe. But how you respond to that challenge, therein lies your divine truth, and the discovery of your eternal nature. The desert is your teacher, but your destiny is your own soul.

-Marc Gopin

We hold a vision of a world we want to live in and we are struck by the reality that surrounds us. Is the world more violent than before or less? Do we move toward a sense of despair or do we cultivate a sense of deeper resolve–to work now for what we may never see during our own lifetimes? In this show we explore these ideas in discussion with our regular guests, Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers of PopularResistance.org. They join us to talk about the State of the Popular Resistance Movement Worldwide (aka the Resistance Report). Keeping their finger on the pulse of the movement, Zeese and Flowers offer us ideas for involvement in the larger struggle for democratic societies and inspiration for long-term commitment to something larger than ourselves. Follow their work and get involved at popularresistance.org.

Then, we turn to Marc Gopin, Director of the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (CRDC), the James H. Laue Professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. Gopin explains why he feels the world is on track toward less violence, and helps us to explore some of the nuances and strains of peacebuilding in conflict areas such as in the context of Israel-Palestine. And the soul of human beings. To read Gopin’s excellent blog, visit www.marcgopin.com.