Peace is Power

Janessa Gans Wilder - Peacebuilder & Founder - Euphrates Institute · saspod.com

Peace Is Power is a podcast for people who believe peace is not weakness or passivity — but one of the most powerful forces alive. Hosted by Janessa Gans Wilder — former CIA officer, peacebuilder, and founder of Euphrates Institute — the show features conversations with diplomats, artists, activists, veterans, spiritual leaders, and grassroots organizers working to build peace in a divided world. Each episode asks a simple but urgent question: what does it look like to become a peacebuilder right where you are? Peace Is Power is an initiative of Euphrates Institute, which has trained peace leaders from more than 60 countries. If war affects us all, peace must be built by all of us.

7 episodes

15d ago latest

fortnightly cadence

English language

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Episodes 8

Moms Demand Action: How Ordinary Women Built America's Largest Gun Violence Prevention Movement
yesterday · 46:20
Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and author of Fired Up, joins Janessa Gans Wilder to explore how ordinary people can create extraordinary change through grassroots organizing, courage, and community. Reflecting on the origins of Moms Demand Action after the Sandy Hook school shooting, Shannon shares how a single Facebook post evolved into one of the largest volunteer-led movements in the United States, driven by women who refused to accept gun violence as inevitable. The conversation examines the nature of power, contrasting domination and force with collective action, resilience,
Can Music Bring Peace? The Healing Power of Harmony with Maestro Karim Wasfi
15d ago · 54:34
Today on Peace is Power , Janessa Gans Wilder speaks with renowned Iraqi cellist, composer, and conductor Karim Wasfi about the role of music, culture, and human connection in the midst of violence and division. Drawing from his experiences performing in Baghdad after car bombings and working in communities affected by war, Maestro Karim Wasfi describes music as a force that can reclaim humanity, restore dignity, and reconnect people to themselves and one another. Throughout the conversation, Wasfi reflects on the deeper meaning of peace, arguing that it is not passive or weak, but one of the
If Peace Works, Why Isn't Everyone Talking About It? Why Peacebuilders Need To Amp Their Communication Skills with Dr. Scilla Elworthy
29d ago · 43:38
In this episode of Peace is Power, Janessa Gans Wilder speaks with Dr. Scilla Elworthy about what it really takes to build peace in a world that continues to invest heavily in war. A three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and founder of both Oxford Research Group and Peace Direct, Dr. Elworthy reflects on decades of work alongside peacebuilders, military leaders, and women confronting violence on the front lines. Their conversation explores why war remains so heavily funded while peacebuilding is chronically under-resourced, and why Dr. Elworthy believes women’s leadership, communication, and co
A Sacred Awakening into Sacred Activism with Sami Awad
1mo ago · 1:11:51
In this episode of Peace is Power, host Janessa Gans Wilder speaks with Sami Awad, a Palestinian nonviolence practitioner, founder of Holy Land Trust, and co-director of Nonviolence International, about resistance, consciousness, and the spiritual foundations of peacebuilding. Sami describes the daily realities Palestinians face under occupation, including checkpoints, settler violence, and growing hopelessness. He reflects on the profound influence of his grandmother, who chose forgiveness and peacemaking after losing her husband and home during the Nakba. Together, Janessa and Sami explore h
Insights of War, Peace, and Power with Ambassador John D. Negroponte
1mo ago · 1:06:18
Today, on Peace is Power, Janessa Gans Wilder sits down with John D. Negroponte, a veteran diplomat whose career spans more than four decades in the U.S. Foreign Service. Drawing on his experience as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and to the United Nations, Negroponte shares his perspective on how global power, conflict, and diplomacy have evolved over time. Their conversation looks at the contrast between traditional ideas of power—often tied to military strength—and the more subtle, lasting influence of relationships, institutions, and civil society. Together, they explore the role of international
What Bomb Can Touch the Human Spirit? Discussing War, Peace, and Nonviolence with Ari Honarvar
2mo ago · 59:07
In this episode of Peace is Power , Janessa Gans Wilder speaks with Ari Honarvar, an Iranian-American writer, artist, and founder of Rumi With a View. Ari reflects on growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, where women’s freedoms were stripped away, and fear became part of daily life. After witnessing repression and violence firsthand, her parents made the heartbreaking decision to send her alone to the United States at age 14 for her safety. The conversation explores exile, identity, trauma, and the emotional dislocation of leaving one’s homeland and family beh
Peace is Possible: Lessons From an 8,000 Mile Journey with Satish Kumar
2mo ago · 49:39
In this episode of Peace is Power, Janessa Gans Wilder speaks with Satish Kumar, a lifelong peace activist, former Jain monk, and environmental thinker. Satish shares powerful personal stories from his 8,000-mile peace pilgrimage, including his decision to travel without money as an act of radical trust. Drawing on the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave, he reflects on the idea that true power lies not in force or weapons, but in love, nonviolence, and human connection. The conversation moves fluidly between global issues and personal responsibility, touching on political division, c
Peace is Power - Trailer
4mo ago · 1:58
Peace Is Power is a podcast hosted by former CIA officer and peacebuilder Janessa Gans Wilder. After serving 21 months in Iraq during the war, Janessa began asking a different question: What if real power is not force, domination, or control, but connection, courage, and the protection of life? Through intimate conversations with diplomats, artists, activists, veterans, and spiritual leaders, Peace Is Power explores how peace can transform our inner lives, our relationships, and the world we share. https://peaceispower.org https://euphrates.org

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Episodes 8

Moms Demand Action: How Ordinary Women Built America's Largest Gun Violence Prevention Movement

Can Music Bring Peace? The Healing Power of Harmony with Maestro Karim Wasfi

If Peace Works, Why Isn't Everyone Talking About It? Why Peacebuilders Need To Amp Their Communication Skills with Dr. Scilla Elworthy

A Sacred Awakening into Sacred Activism with Sami Awad

Insights of War, Peace, and Power with Ambassador John D. Negroponte

What Bomb Can Touch the Human Spirit? Discussing War, Peace, and Nonviolence with Ari Honarvar

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Episodes 8

Moms Demand Action: How Ordinary Women Built America's Largest Gun Violence Prevention Movement

Can Music Bring Peace? The Healing Power of Harmony with Maestro Karim Wasfi

If Peace Works, Why Isn't Everyone Talking About It? Why Peacebuilders Need To Amp Their Communication Skills with Dr. Scilla Elworthy

A Sacred Awakening into Sacred Activism with Sami Awad

Insights of War, Peace, and Power with Ambassador John D. Negroponte

What Bomb Can Touch the Human Spirit? Discussing War, Peace, and Nonviolence with Ari Honarvar

Peace is Possible: Lessons From an 8,000 Mile Journey with Satish Kumar

Peace is Power - Trailer