Wiser World

In this episode, I sit down with Sanam Naraghi Anderlini — peace strategist, founder of the International Civil Society Action Network and one of the architects of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 — to talk about what it actually takes to build lasting peace. We cover the research behind women's inclusion in peace processes, how a scrappy international coalition got a landmark resolution passed at the UN Security Council, why women's unique approach to peacebuilding is a superpower rather than a liability, and what ordinary people can do right now when the architecture of international peace feels like it's crumbling.

You can find Sanam's podcast "If You Were In Charge" anywhere you get your podcasts.

For Wiser World:

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Today we explore the stories of five impactful peacemakers throughout the world: Bertha Von Suttner, Nelson Mandela, Eleanor Roosevelt, Óscar Arias, and Leymah Gbowee. Their stories are inspiring and very human, and I hope you enjoy learning about them as much as I did.

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What is the history of peacemaking? In this episode, we trace the origins of diplomacy and international law from the ancient world to the present day. Topics include the Treaty of Kadesh — the world's oldest peace treaty — the Great Law of Peace and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the birth of modern diplomacy at the Peace of Westphalia, the founding of the Red Cross, the Geneva Conventions, the League of Nations, the United Nations, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also explore what different traditions — Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Confucianism — have taught about peace throughout history.

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Most of us think peacemaking means keeping the peace — avoiding conflict, not ruffling feathers, smoothing things over. But what if that's actually not peacemaking?

In this episode, I sit down with Steven Collis — law professor, First Amendment scholar, and author of Habits of a Peacemaker — to dig into what productive dialogue actually looks like in real life. Not in a boardroom or a courtroom, but in your home, your family, your neighborhood.

We talk about why intellectual humility is the foundation of everything, how to reframe a conversation from a fight into a treasure hunt, why you probably don't need a strong opinion on most things, and what it actually means to listen — not just wait for your turn to talk.

This one is packed. I think you're going to love it.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] — Why keeping the peace isn't the same as making peace

[01:30] — Introducing Steven Collis and how he got interested in peacemaking

[03:37] — What is peacemaking, really? Steven reframes it as "productive discourse"

[06:32] — Intellectual humility: the most important habit of a peacemaker

[07:40] — How to hold humility and conviction at the same time

[11:27] — Do you actually need an opinion on everything? (Probably not.)

[12:41] — Reframing conversations as a treasure hunt for understanding

[14:44] — Live example: how to defuse a heated argument as a third party

[19:02] — Real learning vs. being fed: how peacemakers gather information

[22:06] — How to navigate media bias and find overlap across opposing sources

[25:35] — Why you should hunt for the best argument against your own position

[30:48] — Comment sections, bots, and why online arguing is mostly a waste of your life

[34:11] — What to do when someone comes at you hard — and how to reframe it

[35:04] — What happens when someone genuinely won't engage? Is there a point of no return?

[38:50] — The lost art of pausing before you respond

[42:35] — Active listening: why most of us are terrible at it and how to get better

[50:41] — Going into a conversation with an open mind — what that actually looks like

[52:20] — Is peacemaking being weaponized? When "don't stir things up" becomes avoidance

[55:31] — The difference between being a peacemaker and being a pushover

[1:04:45] — How to have productive dialogue with someone who has more power than you

[1:09:48] — Finding where the real disagreement actually lives

[1:13:00] — If you remember one thing: don't give up on becoming a peacemaker

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Five macro-level lessons I have learned from studying Iran's history.

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Today's guest, Sahar Delijani, is the author of Children of the Jacaranda Tree, an internationally acclaimed novel, translated into 32 languages and published in more than 75 countries. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Literary Hub, LARB, Jewish Currents, BOMB, McSweeney’s and elsewhere. Her second novel, For Every Person You Kill, is forthcoming in Spring 2027.

In this episode, Sahar shares her family’s story — including being born in Evin Prison — and reflects on Iranian identity, cultural resilience, and the role of joy, history, and women in today’s movement for freedom. We also discuss what solidarity can look like from the international community, and how stories and literature can help humanize a struggle that’s often reduced to geopolitics.

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This is Part 3 of 3 of the Iran 101 series: a foundational history of Iran for those who know little to nothing about it. This episode covers 1981 to early 2026.

Sources used in making this episode.

Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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This is Part 2 of 3 of the Iran 101 series: a foundational history of Iran for those who know little to nothing about it. This episode covers 1953 to 1980.

Sources used in making this episode.

Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, PDF timelines, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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This is Part 1 of 3 of the Iran 101 series: a foundational history of Iran for those who know little to nothing about Iranian history. This episode covers the 1800s to the 1953 coup.

For a FREE downloadable PDF outline of this episode, go to patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast. If you are not a Patreon member, you may have to sign in, but you do not have to pay for this one.

*Correction: When discussing the AIOC (Anglo Iranian Oil Company)'s revenue, I say 40 million dollars, but I what I meant is 40 million euros. 

Sources used in making this episode.

Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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This is a Cultural Preface to the Iran 101 series. It is not designed to be entirely comprehensive, as no culture or people are the same. The hope is to help listeners meet the Iranian people before they study their history.

Special thanks to Ershiya and Lana Firoozi for their help with this episode; their attention to detail and generosity cannot be overstated.

This episode is sponsored by Factor. Head to factormeals.com/WISERWORLD50OFF and use code WISERWORLD50OFF to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. Eat like a pro this month with Factor. New subscribers only, varies by plan. 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year while subscription is active.

Find additional resources, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and support the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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