Think Peace Podcast: Where Peace Crosses the Mind

We take pride in our free will but do we fully understand what goes into free will and is it actually as free as we believe? How much control do we have over our decisions and actions? In this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch sits down with philosopher of mind and psychology Dr. Robyn Repko Waller to discuss the inner brain mechanisms that control free will, the intersection of philosophy and neuroscience, and how a better understanding of our brain mechanisms and human behavior can help us potentially quell polarization and conflict.

Indigenous communities have practices which have helped them reconcile differences and heal from trauma. What are these practices? What is their definition of healing? How can we integrate indigenous wisdom into current healing and peacebuilding practices? On this special episode of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch co-hosts this powerful discussion with Senior Producer Cam Cassar as they are joined by indigenous healers Dr. Euphrasia (Efu) Nyaki and Donald (Del) Laverdure to discuss their journey into healing, how ancestral wisdom and spirituality factor into their practices, and how their approaches to healing can help inform domestic and global healing and peacebuilding.

This episode is a special one in that it was part of a live event held earlier in partnership with the Think Peace Learning and Support Hub, The Mary Hoch Foundation, and the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation at George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. You can watch the video of the event here. 

Conflict is an inevitable and unavoidable aspect of the human experience and conflicts manifest themselves in a multitude of ways. Certain conflicts can be easily resolved while others have destructive and chaotic potential. In this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch is joined by social psychologist Dr. Robin Lynch to discuss the different types of conflict she has encountered, her experiences working in family court, and the crucial role of empathy in resolving some of these conflicts.

The human brain has within it the capacity to dehumanize others. What impact can this dehumanization have on someone’s political beliefs and behaviors? How can it impact political cooperation and the ability to bridge divides? Can we re-humanize each other to mend a fraying social fabric?

These questions can be answered by the field of “neuropolitics”, which explores the intersection of neuroscience and politics. In the first episode of Season 2 of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch sits down with political neuroscientist and lecturer Dr. Liya Yu to discuss what neuropolitics entails, her experiences in teaching in this field and some findings from her research for her upcoming book, Vulnerable Minds: The Neuropolitics of Divided Societies.

To foster peace, one must look at it holistically. This involves looking at the attitudes, institutions, and structures required to create and sustain peaceful societies and analyzing the obstacles that hinder pathways towards these peaceful societies. In the final episode of Season 1 of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch is joined by global philanthropist and founder of the Institute for Economics and Peace Steve Killelea to discuss the relationship found between economics and peace, his creation of the Global Peace Index, and how societal structures get in the way of positive peace.

The arts are one of the major tools of human connection and communication. The arts tell stories, convey messages, and bring people together from all walks of life. Due to the power and scope of art, its role within truth telling and healing processes cannot be understated. In this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch is joined by Daniel Banks and Adam McKinney, co-founders and co-artistic directors of DNAWORKS in Fort Worth, Texas, an organization dedicated to healing through the arts. They discuss how they use art and dance as a form of identity representation, how they are conducting racial healing processes in their community, and how our culture and heritage can lead to liberation.

War is by nature a time of violence and once you take a step back and examine what actually causes people to engage in warlike violence, you realize just how powerful the brain can be. It can flip a switch within an easy-going person and cause them to commit unspeakable acts that they may have never engaged in had it not been a time of conflict. What causes this flip in our brain? Can one be redeemed from this? In this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch sits down with author, researcher, professor and globally recognized peacebuilder Dr. Mari Fitzduff, to discuss the neuroscience of violence, how you reconcile violent intergroup relations, and her global experiences mediating violent conflict.

In seemingly intractable conflicts, there are people who wholeheartedly believe in one viewpoint while there are those who just as vehemently hold the opposite view. How do you even begin to resolve such a polarizing conflict? Can it even be resolved? In this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, our host Colette Rausch sits down with Dr. Boaz Hameiri, Senior Lecturer at Tel Aviv University, to discuss intergroup relations, the psychology behind polarization and the complex issues of victimhood and victimization.

Integrative medicine includes a broad range of approaches to support health and wellness. It includes best evidence practices, such as acupuncture and principles from Chinese medicine, to enhance conventional medical care. In this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch sits down with author and acupuncturist Alaine Duncan, who has worked with many people who have been affected by traumatic stress, to discuss the field of integrative medicine, what drew her to this work and the impact that a holistic approach to healing can have on individuals and society.

The importance of compassion and empathy are often under appreciated when it comes to studying conflict due to the focus often being solely on the root causes of conflict. However, human beings have the capacity to be compassionate and empathetic. So what causes some people to be in tune with these positive emotions and what causes some people to ignore these emotions? In a special George Mason University Carter School Peace Week episode of the Think Peace Podcast, our host Colette Rausch sits down with Carter School Professor and head of the Transforming the Mind for Peace Lab, Dr. Daniel Rothbart, to discuss emotional intelligence, the neuroplasticity of the brain, and the role that moral cognition plays in the field of peacebuilding.