Think Peace Podcast: Where Peace Crosses the Mind Think Peace Podcast

When discussing justice, many think that there is a one size fits all approach. In reality, justice has many different interpretations that are applicable to a wealth of different contexts and scenarios. It is important to have justice processes that are designed holistically and take into account the knowledge of other cultures and most importantly the diversity of the human experience.

On this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, our host Colette Rausch sits down with Think Peace Learning and Support Hub Director of Truth-Telling and global transitional justice expert Eduardo Gonzalez to explain how his experiences growing up in Peru during a time of civil strife laid the foundation for his interest in transitional justice, how the field has evolved from its early iterations to become more inclusive of different viewpoints, and how the notions of trauma, healing, and human rights have informed his approach to transitional justice and peacebuilding.

In thinking about social hierarchies, one may not be aware of the psychology behind power dynamics and the direct effect they have on perpetuating group-based hierarchies and inequalities.

Join us for the first episode of Season 3 of the Think Peace Podcast as host Colette Rausch and UC Berkeley Professor Dr. Sa-kiera Hudson discuss theories of social dominance and identity, the role of empathy, and schadenfreude within intergroup conflict as well as how these all coalesce to create and perpetuate systems of harm.

When it comes to violent aggression, you may wonder what it is that can cause someone to commit horrific acts of violence? Is it just plain evil? Genetics? Adverse life experiences? Is it  faulty brain chemistry? In this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch sits down with Dr. Sumaiya Sheikh to discuss the neuroscience of violent aggression, what can trigger people to become radicalized and then commit violent acts, and what possibilities there may be to prevent violent acts before they happen.

Going down the road of reconciliation is a daunting path that not many people can take. This road may test you in ways you couldn't imagine but when the end result leads to tangible and sustainable change, you realize that the journey is worth it. In this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, host Colette Rausch sits down with reconciliation expert, Director of the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation and Think Peace Learning and Support Hub Convener Antti Pentikainen to discuss his journey into reconciliation, his experiences working in different contexts, and what have been the most effective methods in working towards reconciliation.

Creating social change requires a strong cause to rally people behind and strength in numbers which includes bringing together different groups, even groups who normally would not work together. In this episode of the Think Peace Podcast, Host Colette Rausch sits down with Dr. Hema Preya Selvanathan to discuss how different groups rally together behind a cause, the role of allyship, and the beauty that comes from working together for social change.

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.