Peacemindedly
Season 1
by Sara Jamshidi
Johnson, and Sullivan, along with a group of activists, scientists, and educators at International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) received Noble Peace prize in 2017. Dr. Johnson, executive director of the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy and founding president of the ICAN, and Dr. Kathleen Sullivan, co-founder of Hibakusha Stories and educator for social responsibilities and nuclear disarmament will talk with Sara Jamshidi about nonviolent (educational) activism on nuclear disarmament.
Show Note: Three wise moms wanted to communicate 3 things to their teenage daughters: a world beyond social media’s fabricated reality, the sense of anonymity that the media has created, and the anxiety of FOMO; Fear of Missing Out. Aisha Jumaan, Connie Cooper Shepherd, and Natalie Thompson wrote Three Wise Moms: Our lessons, Your Life. They, indirectly, talk with Sara Jamshidi about how they taught their daughters to take step to convey the message of peace for themselves and others.
Aneelah Afzali is the Executive Director of the American Muslim Empowerment Network, AMEN, in Washington State, USA. Rev. Terry Kyllo is the Executive Director of Paths to Understanding: Bridging Bias and Building Unity. Afzali and Kyllo have held numerous talks and workshops together to address Islamophobia while offering solution of peace, understanding and overcoming biases. Afzali and Kyllo talk with Sara Jamshidi about “Faith over Fear” initiative and “Neighbors in Faith.”
Show Note: Michelle Garred is the Principle at Ripple, an organization focused on Peace Research and Consulting. Michelle is a peace practitioner, researcher, strategist, and author of Making Peace with Faith: The Challenges of Religion and Peacebuilding. Michelle has worked with numerous non-profit organizations in more than 30 countries, particularly those who have been affected by war, to equip them with conflict-resolution strategies. She will talk with Sara Jamshidi about peace-building procedures in various environments.
Julia Bacha is an award-winning filmmaker, media strategist and the Creative Director of Just Vision, a non-profit that highlights the power of Palestinians and Israelis working to end the occupation. Bacha’s documentaries focus on non-violent resistance and outspokenness against big powers. She will talk with Sara Jamshidi about her body of work including her latest documentary with working title of “Untitled Free Speech Project” to be out soon for preview.
Show Note: Jordan Denari Duffner is a young scholar of Muslim-Christian relations, interreligious dialogue and Islamophobia. She is the author of Finding Jesus Among Muslims: How Loving Islam Makes Me a Better Catholic and a PhD student in Theological and Religious Studies at Georgetown University. Duffner will talk with Sara Jamshidi about her scholarly activism, which aspires to bridge the gap between Muslims and Christians.
Coleman Barks and Omid Safi are two giants in Sufi teaching, study and research. They promote the key tenets of Sufism, namely fully embracing God’s divine presence and perpetual introspection. A poet himself, Barks is considered to have successfully introduced Persian poet and Sufi prophet Rumi to Westerners. Safi is a professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University, serving as its director of the Islamic Studies Center. He is an acclaimed author himself and enthusiastic teacher of Rumi and Sufism. Coleman and Safi tell Sara Jamshidi how Rumi has reshaped our understanding of Islam and Sufism in the West.
Show Note: Lara Sanderson is a yogi healer. Before dedicating her time to studying yoga full time, Lara worked in the private sector, for non-profit organizations and politics. She graduated summa cum laude in politics from Seattle University, and was named “Kennedy Scholar” for her outstanding academic work. Lara talks to Sara Jamshidi about her motivations to change direction and become a yoga enthusiast, meditator and inner-truth seeker.
Show Notes: Barjis Chohan is an entrepreneur, modest fashion designer and founder of award-winning London-based design company Barjis Lodon. She believes in quality and craftsmanship for all and this is embodied in every collection she creates. She will talk to Sara Jamshidi on how she strives to bring people together through fashion.
Safi and Eman Kaskas describe themselves as equals in marriage and life. Safi translated the Qur’an into English using more than 3,000 references from the Bible. When the task became painstakingly difficult, Eman – who is also COO of American Strategic Health Management in Jeddah – encouraged her husband to put an end to the research and get it published. The couple will talk to Sara Jamshidi about their journey of translating the Qur’an using a unique approach.