Ep 287 Peacewarts: Resonant Charms - The Mirror Question (Class 5)

In class 5, we explore the "Mirror Question" as a tool for de-compression and restorative justice. We discuss the Three Mirrors of content, feeling, and need, and the importance of the "impact before intent" sequence. We examine the Navajo Peacemaking Courts and the Oakland Unified restorative school model to see how reflection can replace retribution.

Homework:

Books: If you'd like to read more on this subject, some book suggestions are Changing Lenses: Restorative Justice for Our Timesby Howard Zehr, a foundational text written by the grandfather of modern restorative justice that details how to focus on community impact and repair rather than retribution, and A Way of Being by Carl Rogers, which deeply explores client-centered validation and the immense psychological de-compression that occurs when someone feels accurately mirrored.

Learning Topics: The Three Mirrors (Content, Feeling, Need); Restorative Justice and the Oakland Unified model; Hózhó and the Navajo tradition; Impact before Intent sequencing; De-weaponizing paraphrase techniques.

Ep 286 Peacewarts: Lab 7-11-26: Learning about Creative Commons licensing and CC BY-SA 4.0

In this episode, we look at the structural future of this project and why traditional copyright might not serve the ultimate goal of peace education. Avis shares that fictional Kitty tells Higgins that she is taking herself to lunch, and today she is taking herself out on a lunch date too!

What is covered in this episode:

To help navigate the differences in open licensing, here is the quick spectrum of how these licenses operate:

You can read the full license terms for the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license (CC BY-SA 4.0) at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Ep 285 Peacewarts: Resonant Charms 101 - The Architecture of a Sentence (Class 4)

In class 4, we analyze the "Pronoun Blueprint" and the internal structure of speech to understand how sentences can either bridge divides or ignite factions. We compare the distributive responsibility found in Lincoln’s Second Inaugural and Nelson Mandela’s 1994 inaugural address. We also introduce the Metaphor Temperature Test as a tool for identifying and cooling high-conflict rhetoric.

Homework:

If you'd like to read more on this subject, some book suggestions are Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America by Garry Wills, a brilliant masterclass on sentence architecture and structural balance that demonstrates how deliberate rhetoric can reshape a fractured national identity, and Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, which provides the essential global perspective on using balanced, inclusive language to distribute social responsibility and systematically mend a divided nation.

Learning Topics: The Pronoun Blueprint (we/our vs. you/they); Distributed responsibility in leadership; Lincoln and Mandela as case studies; The Metaphor Temperature Test; Parallel structure as a de-escalation tool.

Ep 284 Peacewarts: Resonant Charms 101 - De-Escalation Framing (Class 3)

In class 3, Avis Kalfsbeek discusses de-escalation framing as a method for lowering the emotional weight of a conflict without compromising on the truth. We explore how anchors in our language drag conversations toward escalation and how to replace evaluative judgment with descriptive observation. We examine the 1978 Camp David Accords and the Colombian peace process as masterclasses in reframing positions into interests, allowing for solutions that preserve dignity and honor.

Homework:

If you'd like to read more on this subject, some book suggestions are Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury, a global gold standard for negotiation that teaches how to separate structural positions and demands from actual underlying interests to reframe disputes, and Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss, which bridges the tactical mechanics of the FBI behavioral change stairway model with real-world linguistic framing to lower emotional temperatures safely.

Learning Topics: De-escalation framing and linguistic weight; The FBI behavioral change stairway; The 1978 Camp David Accords; Reframing surrender in the Colombian peace process; Descriptive vs. evaluative language; The neuroscience of linguistic anchors.

Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Ep 283 Peacewarts: Resonant Charms - The Doorway Sentence (Class 2)

In class 2, Avis Kalfsbeek explores the concept of the doorway sentence as a tool for lowering defensiveness and inviting participation. We examine the difference between a harsh start-up and a soft start-up, drawing on the family therapy work of Virginia Satir and John Gottman. By looking at Māori hui protocols and the labor organizing of Dolores Huerta, we discuss how honor-preserving openings and curiosity-based language can turn a deadlock into a dialogue.

Homework:

Books: If you'd like to read more on this subject, some book suggestions are The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman and Nan Silver, which anchors the foundational psychology of using a soft start-up instead of a harsh start-up to invite participation rather than cornering someone, and Changing the Conversation: The 17 Principles of Conflict Resolution by Dana Caspersen, a highly practical guide focused on shifting away from destructive attack-and-defend postures toward open, curiosity-driven dialogue.

Learning Topics: Doorway sentences and levitation phrasing; Soft start-up vs. harsh start-up in communication; Māori hui protocols and lineage greetings; Polyvagal theory and social safety cues; Dolores Huerta and invitation-based organizing.

Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts Homework for Resonant Charms Class 1 and Real-life Peace and War Check-in: July 4, 2026. In this episode I do homework from Resonant Charms 101’s Class 1 and ask Perplexity.ai what real life conflicts and peace victories are happening with the goal to be more grounded in our peace studies. I also read a Rumi poem.

Peace and love,

Ep 281 Peacewarts: Resonant Charms 101 - The Tuning Fork Test (Class 1)

Welcome back to Peacewarts! Avis Kalfsbeek opens the Department of Resonant Charms with a formal orientation to the Resonance Chamber and the departmental axiom: Resonance over Reach. In Class 1, we introduce the tuning fork test as a foundational skill for reading the 70/30 rule of communication. Using the history of listening circles in South Africa, we examine how a deliberate slowing of frequency allows for social repair. We explore the one breath behind technique and the importance of attuning rather than matching the intensity of an opponent.

Homework:

Books: If you'd like to read more on this subject, some book suggestions are My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem, which explores the deep somatic connections of how collective calm or trauma vibrates through a room's emotional climate, and The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist, a brilliant look at how we attend to our environment and why focusing strictly on verbal content fails if we ignore the holistic climate.

Learning Topics: Departmental Orientation; Language as Architecture; The 70/30 rule of communication; The ten-second pre-speech scan; South African TRC Listening Circles; Attuning vs. matching; The one breath behind technique.

Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts returns tomorrow with a brand-new department, but first, a brief pause.

In this informal update, Avis Kalfsbeek shares what she’s been working on over the past month—from launching Bullet Poof and caring for her mother to working on the latest Pedro novella and developing a new long-term project called The Peace Experiments. She also offers heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined her for the 30 days of Kitty O’Compost during National Gun Violence Awareness Month.

The episode introduces a new idea that will weave through the remainder of the Peacewarts curriculum: the commons. Throughout the upcoming classes, listeners will explore peace not simply as the absence of violence, but as something built together through the care of shared resources, relationships, and community spaces.

Whether you’re returning to Peacewarts or discovering it for the first time, this episode serves as a welcoming bridge to the next department, Resonant Charms 101, beginning in the next episode.

Ep 279 Why is Rick Rubin Selling Athletic Nicotine? Kitty wants to know.

Why is nicotine suddenly being marketed as a wellness product?

In this episode, Kitty O’Compost turns her satirical eye toward the rise of “athletic nicotine,” a new generation of premium nicotine pouches aimed at runners, creatives, executives, and health-conscious high performers. Using Rick Rubin’s podcast sponsorship as a starting point, Kitty explores how a highly addictive substance is being wrapped in the language of mindfulness, optimization, and intentional living.

With humor, skepticism, and a trip through the False Consensus Detector, Kitty examines the growing effort to separate nicotine from its tobacco past and position it alongside coffee, supplements, and other performance tools. Along the way, she asks whether beautiful branding can obscure biological reality and whether a wellness halo can transform public perception without changing the underlying molecule.

Avis closes the episode with a personal reflection on his admiration for Rick Rubin’s work and his repeated requests that Rubin reconsider promoting athletic nicotine to his audience.

Listen for the peace.

Referenced Materials & Studies:

Corporate Strategy: Magazine, "How This Founder Changed Minds Instead of Pushing Sales" by Christopher Cason (April 2026). Link to Inc. Article

Cardiovascular Risks:The American Heart Association (AHA) Policy Statement, "Impact of Smokeless Oral Nicotine Products on Cardiovascular Disease: Implications for Policy, Prevention, and Treatment" (Published in Circulation). This study tracks the adverse effects of oral pouches on cardiovascular biomarkers and the specific dangers of synthetic nicotine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39624904/

Excerpt: “Abstract. Smokeless oral nicotine products are addictive, and their use has potential adverse effects on some but not all biomarkers of cardiovascular risk. The use of some types of these products, for instance, is associated with an increased mortality risk in those with ischemic heart or cerebrovascular disease. Similarly, smokeless tobacco has the potential to increase the risk of oral cancer, but the risks depend on the chemical composition of the product. The market of smokeless oral nicotine products has transformed since the last American Heart Association smokeless tobacco policy statement. Several varieties of tobacco-free oral nicotine products-including oral nicotine pouches; nontherapeutic nicotine gums, lozenges, and tablets; and nicotine gummies-have rapidly proliferated. The sales of oral nicotine pouches, in particular, have increased substantially; however, no data are available on their cardiovascular or health risks. In addition, synthetic (compared with tobacco-derived) nicotine has been used in some brands of oral nicotine products, but its cardiovascular and health effects have been inadequately studied. Robust public policy levers are identified to support ending addiction to all commercial tobacco products. Critical components and policy initiatives include clinicians emphasizing the prevention of tobacco product initiation and supporting cessation with established pharmacological and behavioral tobacco dependence treatment therapies as primary goals for achieving an end to commercial tobacco and nicotine addiction.”

Public Health Data:The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Fact Sheet on Oral Nicotine Pouches, highlighting rapid dependency loops, systemic toxicity, and the acceleration of youth addiction through modern marketing.

Excerpts: “There are no safe tobacco products, including nicotine pouches. This is especially true for youth, young adults, and women who are pregnant.” “More research is needed to better understand the short- and long-term health effects of using nicotine pouches.”

Join the Community / Get the Books:AvisKalfsbeek.com

Ep 278 “The Final Call from the Oval Throne” – National Gun Violence Awareness Month (Bullet Poof Bulletins)

Celebrating the grand finale of the Bullet Poof Bulletins series for National Gun Violence Awareness Month, Avis Kalfsbeek brings down the house at the Spoke-Easy Stage with a wild narrative update.

Tonight, Kitty O’Compost recounts a bizarre shop phone call she received earlier in the day from the corporate-backed "Mr. President Emperor USA," who demanded she shut down the community forge for ruining the firearms market. Kitty uses the encounter to drop a final, brilliant history lesson drawn from the archives of executive firearms—exposing how early American leaders treated weapons as ornamental, velvet-boxed relics rather than everyday lifestyle accessories. Inspired by the transformative, hopeful themes of Bullet Poof, this finale ends with a powerful call to action, thanking the community for coming together and challenging us to invest in real-world neighborhood solidarity.

Resources:

Bullet Poof is a hopeful eco-fiction novella about what happens when ordinary people refuse to accept the gun status quo.

Get the book: https://www.aviskalfsbeek.com/bullet-poof

National Gun Violence Awareness Month: www.wearorange.org

Theme Music: "Turn the Steel" and punk intros produced by Avis Kalfsbeek (via ElevenLabs).

Music Credits & Support: Buy LPs and music downloads directly from the bands' websites, or from platforms like Bandcamp where artists retain the majority of your purchase.

This project is inspired by decades of punk ethos, raw energy, and the brilliant musicians who shaped the movement. The sonic landscape of this series was informed and inspired by:

The Sex Pistols, Black Flag, Rites of Spring, The Buzzcocks, Minor Threat, The Clash, Social Distortion, Bad Religion, The Dead Kennedys, The Ramones, Jawbreaker, Fugazi, Rise Against, The Damned, The Stooges, Bad Brains, Bikini Kill, The Lawrence Arms, Husker Du, Pennywise, The Adicts, The Exploited, Descendents, Stiff Little Fingers, Crass, The Germs, Dropkick Murphys, Operation Ivy, Against Me!, Green Day, Blink-182, The Hives, Sleater-Kinney, The Violent Femmes, The Network, The Jam, The Gaslight Anthem, No Use For A Name, and The Interrupters.