Is The World On Fire?

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/

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.

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

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.

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 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 This episode's guest is Michael Lynk, former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian Territories (2016-2022). Michael and our guest host discuss one of the longest standing conflicts in the world today, detailing the ways in which Israeli occupation and the systematic oppression of Palestinians has created the conditions that can be described in no 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, Michael discusses how this has been made possible through major international actors turning a blind eye, and via a sophisticated mechanism of state propaganda. Finally, we share 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: ⁠here⁠ Amnesty International's Investigative Report- https://decolonizepalestine.com/ - https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article - 2021 Human Rights Watch Report here herehere 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, Founder of Women Initiating Success Envisioned (WISE), 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, guest host, Michelle Kamau engages 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/