This episode of Nonviolence Radio opens with neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni on empathy, imitation, and the “dark side” of emotional contagion, followed by reflections on Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Love Your Enemy” sermon and Michael’s Nonviolence Report. A thoughtful exploration of how understanding human behavior can strengthen the practice of nonviolence.

Transcript available at nonviolenceradio.org

On this episode of Nonviolence Radio, we explore Active Hope—the practice of choosing a direction and moving toward it, even when the future feels uncertain.

We  begin with Chris Johnstone (co-author of Active Hope with Joanna Macy), who shares a grounded, non-sugarcoated view of hope as something we activate: by naming what we love, honoring our pain for the world, and building the emotional and communal skills that help us keep going. Johnstone’s “thrutopian” lens offers a way through crisis that refuses both denial and despair.

The episode then turns from inner resourcing to urgent reality on the ground. In a powerful Nonviolence Report, Michael speaks with Mel Duncan, co-founder of Nonviolent Peaceforce, who has just returned from the occupied West Bank to what he calls the “occupied Twin Cities.” Mel draws a direct line between what he witnessed under settler and military impunity in Palestine and what he describes as ICE activity and intimidation in Minnesota—naming the shared dynamics of fear, disappearance, and the erosion of accountability. But he also brings a crucial through-line of connection: nonviolent protective presence. From villages and school routes in the West Bank to neighborhoods and high schools in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Mel describes the same essential practice—trained civilians showing up, documenting, accompanying, de-escalating, and organizing community care—to interrupt harm and protect the vulnerable. The conversation makes a compelling case that the “distance” between global conflict zones and our own streets can collapse quickly—and that nonviolence is a practical discipline we can strengthen now, together.

Transcript Available at nonviolenceradio.org 

In this first episode of 2026, Nonviolence Radio welcomes visionary scholar Riane Eisler for a spacious and deeply human conversation about the cultural shift our world is being asked to make—from systems of domination toward cultures of partnership. Drawing on Eisler’s lifelong work, including The Chalice and the Blade and Nurturing Our Humanity, we move through memory, trauma, economics, education, and story, discovering how nonviolence is not just an ideal but a lived, relational practice.

Together, we explore what it means to build a world rooted in care, courage, and connection—and how a “new story” of who we are and what we’re capable of can help guide us through this time of profound transition.

As we come to the close of the year, we’re offering two reflections from Michael Nagler’s Nonviolent Moment—previously aired pieces brought together as a single, contemplative year-end offering. We’ll return with new recordings in January. Until then, we invite you to pause, listen, and carry these moments gently into the turning year.

In this end-of-year episode of Nonviolence Radio, we reflect briefly on the long arc of nonviolence—its strengths, its strains, and the importance of staying grounded during a season that can feel heavy and uncertain. The heart of the program is a deeply nourishing conversation with John Blue, a Taoist monk and doctor of Chinese medicine, who invites listeners into the inner practice of nonviolence through the lens of Taoism. Drawing on themes of wintering, harmony, and wu wei—“doing non-doing”—John explores how rest, stillness, and attentiveness to natural cycles are not retreats from the work of justice, but essential sources of clarity, resilience, and renewal. As political and social pressures mount, this episode offers a timely reminder that rest itself can be a form of resistance.

Transcript available at NonviolenceRadio.org

In this episode, we speak with Sudanese organizer and activist Mubarak Elamin about the unfolding crisis in Sudan. Mubarak offers a perspective on the nonviolent history of the country and how the current war is not a civil war but a proxy war, and what we can do as part of an international community of solidarity. 

In this episode, Nonviolence Radio speaks with Sheila McCarthy of Meta Peace Team about her recent month in the West Bank providing unarmed civilian protection. She shares stories of courage and daily life under occupation—from olive harvests under threat to villages gated off by the Israeli military—and reflects on how standing nonviolently with others becomes an act of resistance and hope.

Transcript and archives available at MettaCenter.org/NonviolenceRadio and NonviolenceRadio.org

Sarah Van Gelder has spent decades asking a vital question: how do we build power rooted in love and community? As the founding editor of YES! Magazine (now on Truthout), and through her Substack, How We Rise, she explores ideas and stories that help us resist authoritarianism and create systems that work for everyone. Join us for an inspiring conversation about what it means to rise together in these challenging times.

Plus, don’t miss our popular segment—the Nonviolence Report with Michael Nagler!

Transcript available at NonviolenceRadio.org

In this episode of Nonviolence Radio, hosts Stephanie Van Hook and Michael Nagler speak with Kathy Kelly, board president of World Beyond War, about the urgent need to move beyond militarism and the false promises of security through violence. Sparked by a recent speech from U.S. official Pete Hegseth glorifying lethality and dismissing pacifism, the conversation dives into the deeper truths about human nature, real security, and the power of nonviolent action. Kathy, a lifelong peace activist, contrasts militarism’s destructiveness with the courage and coordination of nonviolent efforts like the Global Sumud Flotilla, and Michael joins with insights from science and history affirming our innate capacity for cooperation.

Transcript available at NonviolenceRadio.Org

In this interview, we speak with Dr. Deb Roman, an integrative physician and advocate for compassionate health care. Together, they explore the current state of health care—what’s working, what’s not, and how we can move toward a more humane, whole-person approach to healing. Deb shares insights from her experience in medicine, as well as her vision for a system that better supports both patients and practitioners.

Learn more about her work: 
Finding-Health.Com 

And find more of Nonviolence Radio (including transcripts) at NonviolenceRadio.org