In this episode of The Need for Courage, host John Byrne speaks with renowned peace activist Kathy Kelly about the challenges and possibilities facing peacemakers today. Drawing on decades of experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Central America, and beyond, Kelly reflects on the human costs of war, economic sanctions, forced migration, and growing global militarization.

The conversation explores the importance of bearing witness to suffering, building relationships across borders, and embracing nonviolent action in the face of injustice. Kelly also discusses her work with Voices in the Wilderness and World BEYOND War, her experiences engaging in civil disobedience and serving time in prison, and the lessons young people can teach us about courage, solidarity, and hope.

From the realities of conflict zones to practical ways individuals can get involved in peacemaking efforts, this episode offers a powerful reflection on what it means to choose courage in an increasingly uncertain world.

What does peacemaking look like in a world shaped by war, displacement, trauma, and division?

In this episode of The Need for Courage, host John Byrne speaks with Basir Bita, a clinical counselor, peace educator, writer, and longtime advocate for nonviolence. Drawing on his experiences as an Afghan refugee, mental health professional, and collaborator with Marquette University's Center for Peacemaking, Basir explores the connections between healing, resilience, and social change.

The conversation examines the ongoing challenges facing Afghanistan, including restrictions on women and girls, economic hardship, migration, and the lasting effects of conflict. Basir also reflects on the role of mental health in peacemaking, the importance of listening to one another's stories, and how communities can respond to trauma with compassion rather than fear. Basir offers a powerful vision of peacemaking as a way of living rooted in connection, dignity, and hope.

You can follow and read Basir's writing on Substack: https://basirbita.substack.com/

What does peacemaking look like when it begins with access to justice?

In this episode of The Need for Courage, host John Byrne speaks with Fr. Owen Chourappa, S.J., Executive Director of the Legal Cell for Human Rights in Northeast India. For nearly two decades, Fr. Owen and his team have empowered vulnerable communities by providing legal education, advocating for children's rights, combating human trafficking, and offering free legal representation to those who cannot afford it.

Fr. Owen shares how the organization trains local youth as "barefoot lawyers" and paralegals, equipping them to educate their communities, connect families with government resources, resolve local disputes, and assist victims of trafficking. He also reflects on the importance of dignity, community empowerment, and the role of international partnerships, including the Center for Peacemaking's relationship with the Jesuits of Northeast India.

Join us for a conversation about justice as a pathway to peace and how ordinary people can become powerful agents of change in their communities.

How do neighborhoods recover from decades of disinvestment? What role do residents, businesses, universities, government, and community organizations play in creating lasting change?

In this episode of the Need for Courage, host John Byrne speaks with Lindsey St. Arnold Bell, Executive Director of Near West Side Partners, about the ongoing revitalization of Milwaukee's Near West Side. Lindsey shares the history of the neighborhood, the impact of infrastructure and economic change, and how community-driven development can build trust, opportunity, and long-term prosperity.

Center for Peacemaking staff, students, and faculty have been key partners in the Near West Side Partners' community impact since it started in 2015.

What happens when schools prioritize relationships, healing, and belonging? In this episode of The Need for Courage, Willie Maryland and Drew deLutio share the story of the Milwaukee Public Schools Success Center, an innovative partnership that helps students thrive through restorative practices and wraparound support. Their conversation explores the transformative power of compassion, community, and meaningful relationships, offering a hopeful vision for how schools can respond to the social and emotional needs of young people and their families. 

Here is a link to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article mentioned in the podcast: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2023/05/22/milwaukee-public-schools-success-center-focuses-on-mental-health-to-address-behavior-challenges/70220799007/

Learn more about the Success Center here: https://mupeacemaking.medium.com/rebuilding-trust-accelerating-success-189564c4a5f5

Dinorah Cortés-Vélez, a professor of Spanish, specializes in Colonial Latin American literature. More than three centuries before modern debates about gender equality and intellectual freedom, a cloistered nun, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, asked difficult questions about who has the right to learn, speak, and pursue truth. Dr. Cortés‑Vélez, who has published extensively on Sor Juana, explores how Sor Juana sought to make education in philosophy and theology accessible to women.

Cortés-Vélez is the author of La filosofía de género de Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (“The Philosophy of Gender of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz”). ( https://brill.com/display/title/64079 )

Dr. Sumana Chattopadhyay, associate professor of Digital Media and Performing Arts, revealed the many insights media studies provides to better understand debates about immigration. She breaks down how sound bites, filter bubbles, affective polarization, and local vs. national coverage shape these stories.

Chattopadhyay also discussed how migrants are turned into symbols in political theater, drawing on the US migrant busing crisis of 2022 as a case study. She demonstrates how media framing and political messaging intensify division around immigration, and she encourages us all to engage in difficult conversations as a way to counter this.

Chattopadhyay is the author of When Migrants Become Political Pawns: Decoding the American Migrant Busing Crisis (https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/when-migrants-become-political-pawns-9781666957433/).

Hon. Mary Triggiano is the director of the Andrew Center for Restorative Justice at the Marquette University Law School and former chief judge of Milwaukee County Circuit Court, District 1. She shared many insights about restorative justice, including how it provides an avenue for people who have been harmed to ask questions directly to the person who’s harmed them—something that doesn’t happen in the traditional system of justice.

Having seen the effects of restorative practices in legal and community settings, Triggiano now works to train as many future lawyers and community leaders in restorative justice as possible. In our conversation, she referenced a recorded circle she hosted focused on addressing gun violence with victims, first responders, doctors, and offenders (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQjv98mXloU).

Dr. Michael Murphy, director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago, discusses how Pope Leo XIV is already directing the Catholic Church to engage with today’s most important social issues. Having previously collaborated with then Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Murphy shares why he believes building bridges and promoting peace will be cornerstones of the Pope’s leadership.

Murphy also examines Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas including the many angles from which Catholics should engage questions of AI, ethics, and the human condition. He concludes by making a case for why the humanities are more relevant—and important—now than ever.

Murphy is co-author of the chapter “Tinderization and Transcendence: Girard, McLuhan, and the Apocalyptic Imagination" in Theological Discourses on Social Media (https://www.routledge.com/Theological-Discourses-on-Social-Media/Barnett-Elliston-Williams/p/book/9781032436135) and is co-author of the forthcoming book Catholic Cosmotechnics for the AI Age (https://www.cokesbury.com/9781587311468-Catholic-Cosmotechnics-for-the-AI-Age).

Dr. Kimo Ah Yun, the 25th President of Marquette University, joined us for a discussion about how Marquette is a destination university for students who are interested in discovering their purpose, developing a moral compass, and making a difference in the world. He shared how his own lived experiences—including being a first generation college graduate and growing up in a Catholic household—have impacted how he understands the Marquette difference.

President Kimo also shared his continued commitment to the many ways Marquette students, faculty, and programs engage in service with and for our neighbors as the only Catholic, Jesuit university in the city of Milwaukee. Among these signature programs are the Center for Peacemaking’s collaboration with the Near West Side Partners and Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee, the Mobile Legal Clinic, the DentaMed mobile dental clinic, and student organizations like Midnight Run. Ultimately, he reiterated that one’s experience at Marquette should help to see how we are all connected to one another and are called to help one another.