The Peace Frequency

In this episode we talk with Ariana Barth, USIP Program Specialist about her experience facilitating dialogue with Seeds of Peace, an organization that helps teenagers from regions of conflict learn the skills of making peace. As part of the Community-based Peacebuilding: Engaging Youth course, Ariana discusses the benefits and positive aspects of working with youth, particularly through dialogue.

In this episode, Chief Diversity Officer & Associate Provost for Tufts University, Mark Brimhall-Vargas talks with us about the importance of ensuring diverse voices are heard in conflict or potential conflict settings. This includes extensive discussion about intergroup dialogue being used as a tool to ensure voices are heard. What is dialogue? What are different models of intergroup dialogue? How does one frame questions in a non-threatening manner?

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jeff Helsing and Dr. Matt Levinger about the importance of conflict analysis. What is the connection between insiders and outsiders when trying to analyze a conflict? Are there certain frameworks that are more effective than others when gathering information? How are drivers of peace and drivers of conflict identified? Why is adaptive leadership important in conflict analysis? What is the difference between conflict management and peacebuilding? These are some of the questions that are discussed during this hour long podcast.

In this episode, we talk with Lisa Schirch from Alliance for Peacebuilding who offers her insight on peacebuilding around the world. What is peacebuilding? Who does it involve? What does it entail? Providing stories from her work around the world, Lisa also discusses the importance and sometimes obstacles of conducting a conflict analysis and the need to continually reassess it.

In this episode, we talk with former USIP Senior Advisor, Dr. Sharon Morris about the changing face of conflict and the importance of conducting deep conflict analysis with multiple voices and perspectives. Some questions that are explore include: Are conflict analysis too simplistic? How deep is deep enough? Who is the ideal team to conduct a conflict assessment comprised? How do you effectively work with interpreters to be successful? Whose views and interpretations matters when conducting an analysis?

In this episode, we interview former USIP Senior Program Officer Candace Karp on countering violent extremism, as part of the course on Conflict Analysis. In this interview, Dr. Karp explains what CVE is and distinguishes violent extremism from violence. She also discusses the current challenges and opportunities in Afghanistan, as well as the role of listening in conflict analysis.

In this episode, we interview USIP Senior Program Officer Fiona Mangan on the topic of rule of law. As part of the course on Strategic Peacebuilding, Ms. Mangan discusses prison reform and the importance of rule of law in post-conflict areas. During the interview, she answers such questions as: What is the difference between rule of law and human rights? What aspects of rule of law are universal? What are some examples of best practice?

In this episode, USIP Senior Policy Fellow Maria Stephan, co-author of Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict, discusses the concept of civil resistance as a tool for both conflict prevention and transformation. Dr. Stephan addresses such questions as: Where does civil resistance fit into peacebuilding? How can external actors support nonviolent campaign movements? How can nonviolent movements address potential spoilers?

In this episode, USIP Academy Director Nadia Gerspacher discusses the fundamentals of community policing. As part of the course on Strategic Peacebuilding, she distinguishes community policing from hard policing and talks about the importance of working with local communities when engaging in security sector reform.

In this episode we speak with former USIP Academy Vice President Lopez. As part of our series on Strategic Peacebuilding, Dr. Lopez addresses a variety of topics, including the meaning of strategic peacebuilding, the growth of the peacebuilding “industry,” and when strategic peacebuilding occurs during the cycle of conflict.