Dismantling the Divide

Quinnipiac University
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Do you worry about politics being unhinged and unsalvageable? Does the state of the world worry you? Do you ever feel hopeless about what you — a lone person — could possibly do to make things better? “Dismantling the Divide” is a podcast exploring these questions and others, with a simple goal: to build a more peaceful world. The show is built around the 2024 World Summit of Nobel Laureates for Peace, which took place in Monterrey, Mexico. The multi-day event brought together Nobel Laureates, businesspeople, economists, academics, scientists, researchers, politicians, activists, and importantly, young people. Each episode is framed around a key aspect of human civilization: peace, narratives, art & music, war, and justice, with a bonus episode focusing on actionable next steps. Gandhi said it best: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” We start there, but we also recognize that each person sees the world differently and imagines a different world of tomorrow. The goal is not to promote one idea over the other, but to encourage listeners to value diverse opinions, because this diversity is the foundation of a healthy, prosperous, and peaceful society. The podcast is produced and hosted by award-winning journalist and professor David DesRoches, in partnership with the Albert Schweitzer Institute and the Quinnipiac University Podcast Studio.

  1. The Power of Peace

    EPISODE 1

    The Power of Peace

    What does war sound like? What about peace, what does it sound like? What kind of world do you want to hear? In our first episode, we explore this idea of peace and what it means to individuals and to society. Is peace a thing we can achieve, a feeling, an activity, or something else entirely? Through conversations with Sean Duffy, executive director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Quinnipiac University, and others from the 2024 World Peace Summit of Nobel Laureates in Monterrey, Mexico. It was a week-long event that included a Youth Summit for college students from around the world. There were close to a thousand students from 60 countries there, all exploring how to build a peaceful world. Featured in this episode: Sean Duffy, Albert Schweitzer Institute  Tawakkol Karman, journalist and Nobel Peace Laureate  Leymah Gbowee, activist and Nobel Peace Laureate  Bob Schlehuber, Peacebuilding Connections  Barack Obama, president of the United States of America  Sen. John Kennedy  Hilary Clinton, former Secretary of State  JB Pritzker, governor of Illinois  Donald Trump, president of the U.S.A.  Erika Franklin Fowler, Wesleyan Media Project  Credits: War intro: Israel Hamas War LIVE: Israeli Strike on Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza Strip Ignites Deadly Fire (Firstpost) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZDV2amtYd4⁠⁠   Sounds of fighting continue near Israel-Gaza border amid blackouts (NBC News) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pas-v8IXrf4⁠⁠   Dramatic Footage Shows Gaza Under Attack And Missiles Targeting Israel (insider news) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQQ8X97EYu0⁠⁠   You're On The Ukrainian Frontline | Ukraine War | Bakhmut Battle Ambience (Ambient Escapade) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS9Q-EMa7sg⁠⁠  Dramatic battle video shows Ukrainian raid on Russian trenches near Bakhmut (NBC News)  ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLc4bttp18g⁠⁠   Trench warfare. First Person Shooter. 🇺🇦 Azov Brigade storm Russian trenches. Serebryansky Forest (United 24) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXU17tOxY2c⁠⁠  20 Days in Mariupol (full documentary) | Academy Award® Winner | FRONTLINE + ⁠⁠‪@AssociatedPress‬⁠⁠ (Frontlien) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvAyykRvPBo⁠⁠   Surrounded by the Russians. 🇺🇦Paratroopers & United24 Journalists under 🇷🇺Assault. Kayfariki & BSDG(UNited24( ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJFPJ64aR Other sounds and audio elements: River sound: https://freesound.org/people/ilmari_freesound/sounds/585313/   Hippos playing; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9Mfe3H45_E   FOX News interview with Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA_kEsz-SMY  Erika Franklin Fowler, Wesleyan Media Project video; CBS Sunday Morning: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=553288197435916  The podcast is a co-production with the Quinnipiac University Podcast Studio and the Albert Schweitzer Institute.

    33 min
  2. The Power of Narrative

    EPISODE 2

    The Power of Narrative

    This episode is about stories and how they shape our identities in ways that give us strength but also sometimes keep us divided. We discuss the concept of nations and borders, and how this social organizing framework has created a concept of “the other." You’re supposed to be over there because you’re different. "I’m here, you’re there." This focus on difference leads to competing narratives -- each side has a story, some going back thousands of years, and if those stories clash, that’s how you get war. Ukraine. Gaza. Lebanon. Sudan. Iran.   And the Bible is a story – it's a narrative that over a billion people use to justify their actions, whether they're noble actions, like helping the poor, or cruel actions, like imprisoning immigrants. All societies, all cultures, all people, all individuals, we all have stories – and those stories almost literally define who we are.   People featured in this episode: Artist Carrie Mae Weems  Singer/songwriter Natalia Lafourcade (singer/guitarist)  Sean Duffy, Albert Schweitzer Institute  Anita Revilla, Cal State LA  Renee Scott, Quinnipiac University student  Cecilia Rodríguez Milanés, University of Central Florida,   Eddie Izzard  Paul Wolpe, Emory university  Janat Butt, Quinnipiac University student  Nana Yaa Yaboa, podcaster  Johnny Thompson, former Oxford Philosophy professor   Bob Schlehuber, Peacebuilding Connections  Robin Williams, from Dead Poet’s Society  Ian McKellen reading Kurt Vonnegut  Credits: War Sounds Intro: Israel Hamas War LIVE: Israeli Strike on Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza Strip Ignites Deadly Fire (Firstpost) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZDV2amtYd4   Sounds of fighting continue near Israel-Gaza border amid blackouts (NBC News) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pas-v8IXrf4   Dramatic Footage Shows Gaza Under Attack And Missiles Targeting Israel (insider news) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQQ8X97EYu0   You're On The Ukrainian Frontline | Ukraine War | Bakhmut Battle Ambience (Ambient Escapade) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS9Q-EMa7sg  Dramatic battle video shows Ukrainian raid on Russian trenches near Bakhmut (NBC News)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLc4bttp18g   Trench warfare. First Person Shooter. 🇺🇦 Azov Brigade storm Russian trenches. Serebryansky Forest (United 24) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXU17tOxY2c  20 Days in Mariupol (full documentary) | Academy Award® Winner | FRONTLINE + ‪@AssociatedPress‬ (Frontlien) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvAyykRvPBo   Surrounded by the Russians. 🇺🇦Paratroopers & United24 Journalists under 🇷🇺Assault. Kayfariki & BSDG(UNited24( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJFPJ64aR Other Sounds and audio clips: Natalia music.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSuznrqoXbA&t=8s Artist Conversation with Carrie Mae Weems   Dr. Anita Tijerina Revilla UNLV Creates 2017 Lecture on Spirit Murder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btQ6Bt0o2HU    Cecilia Rodriguez Milanes reads Fronteras. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jk9KNl8zZc    philosophyminis account: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKCn4brg6yO/?hl=en      Nana Yaa Yeboaa Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS7R9dKrvw0   Kurt Vonnegut’s Wonderful Letter on Practice to students by Ian McKellen; Irish Poetry by Candlelight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNE4TC2disU Dead Poets Society (1989) - What will your verse be? Alessandra Carrillo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wey8nauEyA4 The podcast is a co-production of the Quinnipiac University Podcast Studio and the Albert Schweitzer Institute.

    41 min
  3. The Power of Art

    EPISODE 3

    The Power of Art

    There is power in art -- even silly art. Consider artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat  or Andy Warhol, or the sale last year of a banana duct-taped to a wall for over $6 million. It’s ridiculous, of course, but if money is power, and that banana sold for a lot of money, then doesn’t that mean that banana, on that wall, had a lot of power?  Today, we’re talking about art, and its power to create peace. Art in the form of music carries a lot of power in the modern world. Think about We Are the World, which raised over $60 million for famine relief in Africa, or, the Concert for Bangladesh headed by George Harrison, or Sun City, which took aim at Apartheid in South Africa.  Or consider the creation of Min-On in Japan over 50 years ago. In the 1980s, the organization traveled to 11 countries along the Silk Road, learning about the various folk music and dances, and then they created a concert that included all these different styles. They also got China and Russia to perform together on stage in 1985, when the countries were on different sides of the Cold War. We also talk about art therapy and its power to heal deep wounds. Featured in this episode: George W. Bush, president of the United States of America Devnul YouTuber   Julia Furlan, NPR Life Kit  Tania Israel, psychologist Dugri: Sameh 'Saz' Zakout and Uriya Rosenman Min-on Concert Association  Sean Duffy, Albert Schweitzer Institute  Anat Biletski, Quinnipiac University  Bob Schleuber, Peacebuilding Connections  Adelina Garrity, University of the Incarnate Word student  Martha Ann Kirk, Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word Zach Borden, Quinnipiac University student Dr. Ira Helfand, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Nobel Laureate) Credits: War intro: Israel Hamas War LIVE: Israeli Strike on Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza Strip Ignites Deadly Fire (Firstpost) ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZDV2amtYd4⁠   Sounds of fighting continue near Israel-Gaza border amid blackouts (NBC News) ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pas-v8IXrf4⁠   Dramatic Footage Shows Gaza Under Attack And Missiles Targeting Israel (insider news) ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQQ8X97EYu0⁠   You're On The Ukrainian Frontline | Ukraine War | Bakhmut Battle Ambience (Ambient Escapade) ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS9Q-EMa7sg⁠  Dramatic battle video shows Ukrainian raid on Russian trenches near Bakhmut (NBC News)  ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLc4bttp18g⁠   Trench warfare. First Person Shooter. 🇺🇦 Azov Brigade storm Russian trenches. Serebryansky Forest (United 24) ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXU17tOxY2c⁠  20 Days in Mariupol (full documentary) | Academy Award® Winner | FRONTLINE + ⁠‪@AssociatedPress‬⁠ (Frontlien) ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvAyykRvPBo⁠   Surrounded by the Russians. 🇺🇦Paratroopers & United24 Journalists under 🇷🇺Assault. Kayfariki & BSDG(UNited24( ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJFPJ64aR Other sounds and audio clips: Let's Talk Straight; DUGRI. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuUxnfL9I_Y Want to listen better? Turn down your thoughts and tune in to others. NPR Life Kit. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/974786825 Min-On Concert Association. https://www.min-on.org/who-we-are/ Ode to Joy: Audio source: MusicRevolution. Adobe Stock Asset ID: #533230563  Dugri - Working to Bring Israelis and Palestinians Together in Dialogue; ⁠Creative Community For Peace⁠. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljRS2HsZUcs  The Story of Quizno's; Devnul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGMDRjQC4jo State of the Union Address 2003. Politics 101. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcKXcVCUoG0

    36 min
  4. The Woes of War

    EPISODE 4

    The Woes of War

    "We are closer to nuclear war than we have ever been, and we're not acting that way. We're ignoring this problem to a very dangerous degree. " - Dr. Ira Helfand, Nobel laureate. The new nuclear arms race is expected to be much worse than the Cold War race that ended in the 1980s. This time around, there are three players: Russia, the U.S., and China. This is complicated by the fact that the last remaining agreement to keep nuclear weapons in check expires in February, 2026. That means there will be no limits on nuclear expansion. However, as scary as the threat of nuclear war is, as a thought – the reality of real, actual war, happening all over the globe? Well, that’s not a hypothetical. There are real people dying, horrible, violent, and preventable, deaths... because of war.  Wars are just as common now as they have ever been. In fact – as far as the U.S. is concerned – American troops have been involved in some form of military intervention abroad, nonstop, since World War 2.   In our 249-year history as a nation, we have been involved in nearly 400 military interventions around the world. Historians estimate that we have only experienced about 15 or 20 years of total peace during the last two and a half centuries.   Of course, war is not a uniquely American phenomenon. Nearly two billion human beings have been killed because of war since the dawn of civilization, either directly through violence, or indirectly through infection or starvation.  Over the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for less than three centuries. That’s just 8 percent of recorded history.  And war is big business. Credits: War intro: Israel Hamas War LIVE: Israeli Strike on Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza Strip Ignites Deadly Fire (Firstpost) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZDV2amtYd4⁠⁠   Sounds of fighting continue near Israel-Gaza border amid blackouts (NBC News) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pas-v8IXrf4⁠⁠   Dramatic Footage Shows Gaza Under Attack And Missiles Targeting Israel (insider news) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQQ8X97EYu0⁠⁠   You're On The Ukrainian Frontline | Ukraine War | Bakhmut Battle Ambience (Ambient Escapade) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS9Q-EMa7sg⁠⁠  Dramatic battle video shows Ukrainian raid on Russian trenches near Bakhmut (NBC News)  ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLc4bttp18g⁠⁠   Trench warfare. First Person Shooter. 🇺🇦 Azov Brigade storm Russian trenches. Serebryansky Forest (United 24) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXU17tOxY2c⁠⁠  20 Days in Mariupol (full documentary) | Academy Award® Winner | FRONTLINE + ⁠⁠‪@AssociatedPress‬⁠⁠ (Frontlien) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvAyykRvPBo⁠⁠   Surrounded by the Russians. 🇺🇦Paratroopers & United24 Journalists under 🇷🇺Assault. Kayfariki & BSDG(UNited24( ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJFPJ64aR⁠ Other sounds and audio clips: 2024 Doomsday Clock Announcement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p67zvLaUFs David Hoffman, Washington Post: Putin, Xi, and Nukes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbQd8yGubzE 2024 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates Dwight Eisenhower's "military industrial complex" speech; The National Archives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg-jvHynP9Y Making a Killing: The Business of War Profiteering; The Intercepted podcast. https://theintercept.com/2021/10/27/intercepted-andrew-cockburn-war-profiteering/ Is human evolution over? Prof. Steve Jones, Gresham College. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/human-evolution-over The US Hand in Costa Rica; Under the Shadow episode 11. https://therealnews.com/the-us-hand-in-costa-rica-under-the-shadow-episode-11 ChatGPT response to the prompt: "Is there a similar psychological effect that one might experience in regular, day-to-day life, that is analogous to how one might feel living in a society that has been demilitarized?”  At least 9 dead after pagers explode across Lebanon; ABC News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf-78ziMAvM

    40 min
  5. The Power of Justice

    EPISODE 5

    The Power of Justice

    "No justice, no peace,” is a phrase that historians say likely originated in New York City after a mob of white teenagers severely beat a group of black men in Howard Beach in 1986, which led to one man's death. Can peace and justice co-exist? It's a question that we explore in this episode, which also examines transitional and restorative justice practices, elements of justice that go back many millennia.  When a crime occurs in the West, we put people into two categories: the victim and the perpetrator. In reality, however, the perpetrator is also a victim of their own transgression. They hurt themselves when the hurt others, whether it's from guilt or shame, or actual deep-seated pain. At the center of a restorative justice system is humanizing the parties. Both victims and victimizers are human beings – they are more than the worst things they do, or the terrible things that happen to them. In other words, their identities are complex, and are not tied to a single incident.  Credits:  War intro: Israel Hamas War LIVE: Israeli Strike on Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza Strip Ignites Deadly Fire (Firstpost) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZDV2amtYd4⁠⁠   Sounds of fighting continue near Israel-Gaza border amid blackouts (NBC News) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pas-v8IXrf4⁠⁠   Dramatic Footage Shows Gaza Under Attack And Missiles Targeting Israel (insider news) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQQ8X97EYu0⁠⁠   You're On The Ukrainian Frontline | Ukraine War | Bakhmut Battle Ambience (Ambient Escapade) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS9Q-EMa7sg⁠⁠  Dramatic battle video shows Ukrainian raid on Russian trenches near Bakhmut (NBC News)  ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLc4bttp18g⁠⁠   Trench warfare. First Person Shooter. 🇺🇦 Azov Brigade storm Russian trenches. Serebryansky Forest (United 24) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXU17tOxY2c⁠⁠  20 Days in Mariupol (full documentary) | Academy Award® Winner | FRONTLINE + ⁠⁠‪@AssociatedPress‬⁠⁠ (Frontlien) ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvAyykRvPBo⁠⁠   Surrounded by the Russians. 🇺🇦Paratroopers & United24 Journalists under 🇷🇺Assault. Kayfariki & BSDG(UNited24( ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJFPJ64aR⁠ Other sounds and audio clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE3tEsvhsIY Overview of Indigenous Restorative Justice and Peacemaking Webinar  https://www.npr.org/2014/10/20/356964925/one-lawyers-fight-for-young-blacks-and-just-mercy Fresh Air interview with Brian Stevenson  https://www.npr.org/2013/11/12/244767643/reparations-may-not-mean-what-you-think-it-means Jermaine McCalpirn interview  ICTJ video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaxzXPXh-pM&t=3s   NBC News Epstein piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fKfrEmpvII  Nate the Lawyer on Epstein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxJIX59ed9Q  Kintsugi video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBUTQkaSSTY   The podcast is a co-production of the Quinnipiac University Podcast Studio and the Albert Schweitzer Institute, and is produced/hosted by David DesRoches, director of community programming.

    41 min
  6. Sean Duffy on Taking the Next Steps

    EPISODE 6

    Sean Duffy on Taking the Next Steps

    In our final episode of the series, Sean Duffy, executive director of the Albert Schweitzer Center at Quinnipiac University discusses how we can practically think about building a peaceful world. He's interviewed by show host and producer, David DesRoches, director of community programming at Quinnipiac. Additional audio and video: Asch Conformity Experiment; eqivideos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIh4MkcfJA Guillermo Del Toro says he fears 'natural stupidity' more than AI; Associated Press. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fWPDziauvE

    54 min
See All Season 1 (6)

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About

Do you worry about politics being unhinged and unsalvageable? Does the state of the world worry you? Do you ever feel hopeless about what you — a lone person — could possibly do to make things better? “Dismantling the Divide” is a podcast exploring these questions and others, with a simple goal: to build a more peaceful world. The show is built around the 2024 World Summit of Nobel Laureates for Peace, which took place in Monterrey, Mexico. The multi-day event brought together Nobel Laureates, businesspeople, economists, academics, scientists, researchers, politicians, activists, and importantly, young people. Each episode is framed around a key aspect of human civilization: peace, narratives, art & music, war, and justice, with a bonus episode focusing on actionable next steps. Gandhi said it best: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” We start there, but we also recognize that each person sees the world differently and imagines a different world of tomorrow. The goal is not to promote one idea over the other, but to encourage listeners to value diverse opinions, because this diversity is the foundation of a healthy, prosperous, and peaceful society. The podcast is produced and hosted by award-winning journalist and professor David DesRoches, in partnership with the Albert Schweitzer Institute and the Quinnipiac University Podcast Studio.

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