Welcome to the Peace Histories Podcast!

Today is June 12, 2026, and we’re excited to release our newest episode. In this episode, we chat with Floris de Ruiter, a fellow PhD researcher from the Faculty of History at the University of Leiden. He writes about theories of violence, nonviolence, and the nation-state in the political thought of Indian ashrams.

Together with Kamila Smagulova, Floris shares highlights from his recent fieldwork in India and China. He discusses some of the fascinating intellectual and peace-oriented documents he discovered at the Aurobindo Ashram, Shantiniketan, and Nisargopchar Ashram, while also exploring Sino-Indian ashram connections through figures such as Tan Yun-Shan, You Yunshan, and Xu Fancheng.

If these themes interest you, this episode is definitely worth a listen. We would like to take a short summer break, and we will be back with a new episode on October 12, 2026. Have a nice summer, all our listeners, and see you after summer!

For more information about our activities, please click: https://peace.lucdh.eu/

Welcome to the Peace Histories Podcast!

Today is May 12, 2026, and we’re excited to present a new episode each month on the 12th. In this episode, we feature Robert James Taylor, a fellow PhD from the Faculty of History at the University of Oxford. He discusses with Floris de Ruiter from our peace movements team topics such as India, the British Hippies, and the idea of Peace, highlighting the unique combination of these themes and his research stories. If any of these subjects interest you, this podcast could be a perfect fit. Stay with us, and see you next month!

For more information on our activities, kindly check: https://peace.lucdh.eu/

Welcome to the Peace Histories Podcast!

Today is April 12, 2026, and we’re delighted to bring you a fresh new episode each month on the 12th. In this episode, we’re thrilled to have a special chat with Professor Bradley Simpson from the University of Connecticut. Visiting all the way from the United States, he’s here in the Netherlands to share insights about his fascinating book on the history of self-determination.

The book is titled The First Right: Self-Determination and the Transformation of International Order, 1941–2000. Is this book part of your reading list this year? Then, this is the perfect podcast for you. We encourage you to listen to this podcast first before reading his book. With us, let’s dive into Brad’s story of his activism, his interest in small places like Timor-Leste, and what brought him to research about self-determination.

We hope you enjoy this episode and see you next month!

For more information about our activities, please visit: https://peace.lucdh.eu/ 

Welcome back, everyone!

Today is 12 March 2026, and we’re excited to bring you a brand new episode. We’re delighted to have Hugh McDonnell from the University of Groningen with us as we share the fascinating story of Jacques Pâris de Bollardière, a French army general known for his inspiring commitment to nonviolence. You might be wondering, how could an army, often associated with violence, adopt such a peaceful stance? Is that even possible? If you’re curious, make sure to listen to our podcast right now! Hugh’s book on Jacques Pâris de Bollardière will be launching soon, so you’re getting an exclusive sneak peek from his talk. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we will meet again next month. See you!

For more information about our activities, please visit https://peace.lucdh.eu/

Welcome to Peace Histories Podcast!

We're excited to be back! Today is February 12, 2026, and we have a very special episode lined up. We're sharing our reflection on fieldwork we've done in many incredible places, from Kazakhstan to the United States, from Tunisia to France, exploring everything from physical archives to oral history. Are you thinking about doing research abroad? Looking for fresh inspiration or alternative methods? This podcast might just be perfect for you. And if you know of any archives you believe our team should explore, we'd love to hear your suggestions, comments, or stories. Feel free to leave a comment or visit our website at https://peace.lucdh.eu/

See you in the next episode!

Welcome to the Peace History Podcast!

We hope you’re having a fantastic start to the New Year! Today is January 12, 2026, and we’re excited to bring you our very first episode of this year. Are you thinking about eating more vegetables or maybe going vegetarian as part of your New Year's resolutions? If so, we’ve got something special lined up just for you. Today, we’re featuring a wonderful conversation with Dr. Julia Hauser from the University of Kassel. Her latest book, A Taste for Purity: An Entangled History of Vegetarianism (2023), offers a fascinating look at the global history of vegetarianism from the mid-19th century through the early Cold War. Have you ever wondered why people back then chose to become vegetarians? How about the vegetarian movements? Or how vegetarianism connects to the idea of peace? Or simply do you need something to motivate you on your diet, but from a historical lens? If any of this sounds interesting, then this podcast is just right for you!

Stay with us to explore more stories from peace history. For more of what we do, visit https://peace.lucdh.eu/

Welcome to the Peace History Podcast!

We’re thrilled to bring you the final episode of the year on December 12th, 2025. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has listened and supported us—your enthusiasm truly means the world! Today, we’re excited to have Dr. Becky Alexis-Martin with us. Becky is a passionate lecturer in Peace Studies and International Development at the University of Bradford in the UK. Her first book, Disarming Doomsday: The Human Impact of Nuclear Weapons since Hiroshima, received the 2020 L.H.M. Ling Outstanding First Book Prize. She’s a remarkable scholar, blending history and geography in her work. Tune in to learn more about her inspiring contributions! We’ll be back next year with even more fascinating stories. Stay with us!

For more of our activities, please visit https://peace.lucdh.eu/

Welcome to the Peace History Podcast!

It’s 12 November 2025, and today’s episode is extra special with our guest, Irina Gordeeva, a Research Associate at the Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History (ZZF) in Potsdam, Germany. Have you ever been curious about Tolstoyan pacifism, transnational grassroots peace movements, and the lives of activists during the late Soviet period and beyond? If so, this episode is a must-listen. Thank you for listening. See you in the next episode!

For more information on our activity, please visit our website https://peace.lucdh.eu/

Welcome to the Peace History Podcast!

Today is 12 October 2025. Did you know that the 12th of October is celebrated each year as Freethought Day? This day honors the value of independent thinking, and today, we’re excited to take you on a journey beyond just words. Our guest today is Maria Kyveli Mavrokordopoulou from the Vrije Universiteit (VU) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who is passionate about how peace movements expressed themselves through art exhibitions.

One of her remarkable projects is the “Atomic Age” exhibition at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, which was on display from 11 October 2024 to 9 February 2025, and we as a team were able to visit last fall. If you’re a fan of art and support anti-nuclear protest, this is definitely a must-listen podcast. Stay with us and see you on the next episode!

For more information about our activities, kindly check https://peace.lucdh.eu/

Welcome to the Peace History Podcast!

As promised, we’ll meet on the 12th of each month. Today is 12 September 2025. Did you know that this date is also observed as the United Nations South-South Cooperation Day? In this episode, we’ll explore how peace movements developed in the global South, with a special focus on China. Our guest today is Elisabeth Forster from the University of Southampton, UK, who studies the history of peace concepts in nationalist and communist China. If you’re interested in China and Just War theory, this podcast is perfect for you. Thank you for listening, and until the next episode! 

Please visit our website for more of our activities: https://peace.lucdh.eu/