Peace Talks Radio

Restorative Justice programs often bring offenders, victims, family members and other stakeholders in the society together to work through what happened, to identify the harm done and together to work out appropriate punishment and possible restitution. There have been examples of restorative justice style practices throughout history. As you’ll hear from some of our guests, many cite the talking circle model practiced by First Nation and Native American Communities as an inspiration for today’s restorative justice programs. Maybe the most well-known application of restorative justice practices in recent history has been the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission assembled in the mid- 1990’s in the aftermath of the abolition of apartheid. Although there were critics of the commission – which granted amnesty to about 1 in 10 offenders who went through the process, generally the TRC was thought of as successful in promoting honesty and healing in the country. But parts of the restorative justice practices have drawn criticism. Some say it trivializes crime, doesn’t reduce recidivism, and doesn’t do as much to restore and repair as it claims. Even those working in the field of Restorative Justice admit that it’s a work in progress, but as an addendum to what they see as a largely flawed criminal justice system, the practitioners of restorative justice are confident that it’s a model worth exploring. We explore two programs on today’s show, one that works with youth in Oakland, CA and one that for some years has been employed in Taos County in New Mexico.

Engaging, inspiring and informational clips from episodes featured on Peace Talks Radio, the series on peacemaking and nonviolent conflict resolution, between 2002 and 2012. Among the voices you'll hear: Jimmy Carter, Jody Williams, Arun Gandhi, Daniel Goleman, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Marshall Rosenberg, Byron Katie and more...on ways to reduce conflict in our own lives and around the world.

SEEKING PEACE ON EARTH: A PEACE TALKS RADIO SPECIAL (2012). It's our annual compendium of compelling moments from shows of the past year. You'll hear: Young women from opposing sides in the Middle East conflict come together to work for peace. A former West Point grad and Army captain puts the 'warrior ethos' to use in his post-service peace work. A Republican and a Democrat agree on what to do to improve our political discourse. A West Oakland neighborhood coming together over an effort to bring better food to its residents. A former Afghan ambassador talking about essentials of diplomacy. Practical and heart-felt ideas about finding peace around death and dying. The story of how the famous peace symbol was created How to become a Peace Ambassador. ... and more.

Two Harvard scholars with recent books are featured in this edition of Peace Talks Radio. Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, says we seem to be living in one of the most peaceful eras in human history, despite the level of violence still at play in the world. He talks about his research. Then Donna Hicks talks about her book Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Conflict Resolution. She spells out 10 essentials for showing each other dignity and the 10 most common pitfalls. Two engaging interviews. Paul Ingles hosts.

On this special election season edition of Peace Talks Radio, an assessment of the degree of the problem, and some ideas on how to address it, from a number people. We’ll hear from current Democratic congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio, former long-term Republican congresswoman Connie Morella from Maryland – both of whom actually agree on several things they think will help. We’ll also talk with two media analysts - Western Washington University's Michael Karlberg and Hakim Bellamy of the Media Literacy Project, who’ll comment on the media’s role in heightening incivility in political discourse. And we’ll hear from a woman who’s launched an online project she thinks may help things a bit, by taking a kitchen table around the country. Paul Ingles hosts