World Beyond War: A New Podcast

Stakes are high for activists and advocates for a humane world to catch on to the shockingly rapid pace of change in the field of advanced technology. What is blockchain, and how can it help protect our freedom of speech? How do we monitor military spending in an age when bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies defy monitoring? What about artificial intelligence and cloud computing in the hands of monopolistic, US-centric tech giants? And is the world’s cooperative open source software community staying healthy through all these paradigm shifts? Tech innovator and artist Robert Douglass joins Marc Eliot Stein for an in-depth discussion of futuristic topics that are already changing the landscape of progressive activist movements.

Peace activist Kathy Kelly has crossed borders into dangerous war zones and been arrested more than 80 times to help refugees and victims and gain an understanding of the true nature of war, sanctions, structural violence, imprisonment and injustice. In episode 34 of the World BEYOND War podcast, Anni Carracedo and Marc Eliot Stein talk to Kathy Kelly about her life of fearless activism and welcome her into the new role of Board President for this organization. Musical excerpt: "Para la guerra nada" by Marta Gomez.

We’re joined by four peace students on four continents: Iryna Bushmina of Ukraine, Stephanie Effevottu of Nigeria, Brittney Woodrum of USA and Anniela Carracedo of Venezuela. These students led creative projects as part of the new Peace Education and Action for Impact program, along with Dr. Phill Gittins who founded this educational program along with World BEYOND War and Rotary International. Including musical excerpts from two of the projects, as well as a preview of the Water & War Film Festival with Greta Zarro and Rachel Small.

Peace activist Koohan Paik-Mander joins Marc Eliot Stein to talk about the crisis of military escalation in Europe and the specter of superpower proxy wars in Ukraine, Taiwan, Iran, Venezuela. Koohan talks about her life's work as an environmental and antiwar activist, and how a significant protest movement to stop the construction of a US military base in Korea’s Jeju Island revealed to her the deep power of solidarity. We also talk about biodeiversity, anarcho-pacifism, white nationalism in US military and police forces, Xi Jinping's appearance at Davos, massive whale deaths in the Pacific ocean from military actions, the place of technology and social media in the lives of activists, the parallels between today’s Ukraine/Russia buildup and Europe’s collapse into the first world war in 1914, and what must be remembered from Barbara Tuchman’s history book “The Guns of August”. Musical excerpt: Youn Sun Nah.

Marc Eliot Stein talks to Matthew Petti, an up-and-coming journalist studying Arabic in Amman, Jordan. The wide-ranging conversation covers the politics of water, the credibility of journalism, the status of refugee communities in Jordan from Palestine, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, the outlook for peace in an age of imperial decline, empires from USA to Russia to China to Iran to France, "middle east" vs. "west asia" vs "holy lands", Saddam Hussein nostalgia and much more. Musical excerpt: "Yas Salam" by Autostrad.

An interview about the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow with Tim Pluta, World BEYOND War’s chapter organizer in Spain. Tim joined a coalition to protest COP26’s weak stance on the “carbon bootprint”, the disastrous abuse of fossil fuels by military forces that USA and other nations refuse to acknowledge. Host Marc Eliot Stein talks to Tim about his experience on the streets of COP26 along with Nancy Mancias and Greta Thunberg, about his life as a veteran turned peace activist, and about the mood of political conservatism in Spain. (Music removed.)

On October 6, 2021, World BEYOND War presented the first War Abolisher awards to Peace Boat, Mel Duncan and Save Sinjajevina. This episode brings us into the ceremony where Peace Boat founder Yoshioka Tatsuya, nonviolent defense pioneer Mel Duncan and Save Sinjajevina activists Milan Sekulovic and Petra Glomazic talk about their inspiring achievements, introduced or joined by friends and allies Ann Wright, John Reuwer, Rosemary Kabaki, Leah Bolger, Pablo Dominguez and Persida Jovanovic. With live music by Ron Korb. Also including a chat with World BEYOND War's development director Alex McAdams about the organization's exciting growth.

Jodie Evans learned about civil disobedience from Jane Fonda as a teenage activist in the late 1960s, and is still being arrested with Jane Fonda in 2021. Along the way, she worked on the disruptive presidential campaign of Jerry Brown, co-founded CODE PINK with Medea Benjamin, and travelled on peace delegations to North Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. Today she is leading “China is Not Our Enemy”, with an urgent message of cross-cultural bridge-building as a remedy for insane hyper-militarism. For the 28th episode of the World Beyond War podcast, Marc Eliot Stein interviews Jodie Evans about her remarkable life of peace activism. (Music removed.)

USA’s investment in high-tech weapons and military artificial intelligence is rapidly accelerating, as Microsoft and Amazon enter the top ranks of corrupt military profiteers. The people are completely left out of the conversation as our governments devote billions of dollars to the grotesque science of mass murder, and our familiar tech giants betray our trust. Jan Weinberg of Show Up America joins Marc Eliot Stein to talk about Project JEDI, Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), killer robots, “Black Mirror”, facial recognition, surveillance clouds, autonomous nuclear weapons triggers, the Senate Armed Services committee and the need for greater investigative journalism on this topic. Musical excerpt: “American Idiot” by Green Day.

We cover the #NoWar2021 global peace gathering in real time, featuring on-the-spot interviews with antiwar activists Julie Watkins, John Reuwer, Bart Bolger, Kate Jones, Margaret Rao, Noel Marshall, Donnal Walter, Scott Oates, Jean Cushman, Pauline Mary Lally, Terri Sleeva, Paul Maillet and Maryam Ahmad. Thanks to all who participated in this on-the-spot podcast episode at World BEYOND War’s #NoWar2021 virtual annual conference.

Hammam Farah of Palestine House in Toronto and Ariel Gold of CODEPINK join Marc Eliot Stein to talk about the crucial role the antiwar movement can and must play in Israel, Palestine and Gaza. Our in-depth conversation ranges from the experience of apartheid and urban bombardment in Gaza to the rising influence of Kahanism in Israel to the history of Hamas. An overview of a region in crisis, and of a global antiwar movement that must help find the path to peace.

Two of our guests, Vanessa Lanteigne and Dr. Brendan Martin, are on day 12 of a fast to protest Canada’s purchase of 88 fighter jets. We’re also joined by World BEYOND War’s Canada organizer Rachel Small to talk about commitment to difficult protest actions, Canada’s growing militarism, Gandhi, Ursula LeGuin and more. Hosted by Marc Eliot Stein. Musical excerpt “We can do it” by Amai Kuda et les Bois.

World BEYOND War's chapter leaders build regional movements to address a global problem. In this episode, Guy Feugap of Yaoundé, Cameroon, Helen Peacock of South Georgian Bay, Canada and Heinrich Buecker of Berlin, Germany join Marc Eliot Stein to talk about the activist chapters they run and the shared hopes and motivations behind the work they do. We talk about peace education and violence indoctrination, Erica Chenoweth, Defender21 and the right-wing resurgence in Europe. (Music removed.)

Fiction writers are accustomed to seeing the layers of motivation and conflict that drive the plots around us. In this special episode of the World BEYOND War podcast, we welcome two novelists, Vanessa Veselka ("The Great Offshore Grounds", "Zazen") and Rivera Sun ("The Way Between", "The Dandelion Insurrection") who each have unique backgrounds in activism and organizing. We talk about the hero's journey, the way protest actions can change our lives, labor unions, anger, nonviolence and sexual violence, leadership, Sharon Blackie, Leo Tolstoy and the problem of conquest activism. Hosted by Marc Eliot Stein. Musical excerpt: "Wonderous Stories" by Yes.

Suman Khanna Aggarwal, Gandhian scholar and President of the Shanti Sahyog center for nonviolence and conflict resolution in New Delhi, India talks to Marc Eliot Stein about her organization’s work and her own journey towards an understanding of Gandhian nonviolence, the science of peace and the discipline of conflict resolution. We also talk about global peace movements, Richard Attenborough's movie, spirituality, Tolstoy, Socrates and controversial aspects of Mahatma Gandhi's life. (Music removed.)

Where is the USA headed? Following the 2020 election, six American peace activists and board members of World BEYOND War talk about this large, troubled North American country's place on the planet and trajectory in times of climate crisis, health crisis, racial crisis, economic crisis and constitutional crisis. Donnal Walter, Odile Hugonot Haber, Gar Smith, John Reuwer and Alice Slater join Marc Eliot Stein for an open conversation. Musical excerpts: Childish Gambino, Bruce Springsteen.

Roundtable discussion with five young emerging activists in five continents: Alejandra Rodriguez in Colombia, Laiba Khan in India, Mélina Villeneuve in UK, Christine Odera in Kenya, Sayako Aizeki-Nevins in USA. We talk about cross-generational activism, education and history curriculums, legacies of war, poverty, racism and colonialism, the impact of climate change and the current pandemic on activist movements, and what motivates each of us in the work we do. Hosted by Marc Eliot Stein and World BEYOND War’s education director Phill Gittins. Musical excerpt: Shawn Mendes.

A roundtable tribute to lifelong activist and Popular Resistance co-founder Kevin Zeese with Margaret Flowers and World BEYOND War's David Swanson, Leah Bolger, Pat Elder and Marc Eliot Stein. (Music removed.)

Part Two with Nicholson Baker, author of "Baseless: My Search For Secrets In The Ruins Of The Information Act", talking about the CIA's unethical past, the Korean War, today's antiwar movements, psychological warfare against historians, gaslighting, Obama, Trump, the effectiveness of nonviolent protest. Also featuring the song "When I See You Cry" and a brief interview with the young peace activist composer Margin Zheng.

Nicholson Baker's important new book "Baseless" is about the US military and CIA's past secret experiments with biological warfare, and about the author and historian's attempts to get the information about these disturbing secrets that he is legally entitled to. Part one of Marc Eliot Stein's in-depth two-part conversation with antiwar activist, novelist and historian Nicholson Baker ranges over topics including permasecrets, cultural archives, Joseph Pulitzer, the Korean War, bat vector bombs, psychological warfare, gaslighting and police brutality videos. We also check in with World BEYOND War's president Leah Bolger and new social media manager Alessandra Granelli about the organization's latest activities. (Music removed.)