Peace Is Here with Avis Kalfsbeek

Peacewarts: Chronicled Courage 101 - Peace Erasure & Jeannette Rankin (Class 1) We transition into the archives to study history as a lineage of persistence. This class defines "Erasure" as a political tool and examines the Jeannette Rankin Brigade (1968) and JFK’s "Strategy of Peace" as case studies in recovered memory and the "Great Refusal." Homework: Look upthe Jeannette Rankin Brigade or the 1963 American University Speech and find one detail that isn't typically taught in a standard history class. Write down one questionabout any of this episode's topics. If you don't have a question, write "no question." Optional: Think of a time you were told something was "inevitable." Looking back, was it actually inevitable, or was there a path of refusal you didn't see at the time? Learning Topics: The Mission of the Hall of Records; Erasure vs. Realism: How curated memory shapes our expectations of conflict; The Jeannette Rankin Brigade (1968): A 50-year bridge of anti-war activism; The Great Refusal: Rankin’s votes in 1917 and 1941 as principled alternatives to the military-industrial complex; The Burial of Traditional Womanhood: The radical shift in 1968 activism. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Javier Peke Rodriguez and Peacewarts Moves to Weekly In this transition episode, Avis shares a heartfelt appreciation for the music that sets the tone for our study of peace and announces an intentional shift in the rhythm of the Peacewarts curriculum. The Music of the Lab Avis shares a bit about Javier "Peke" Rodriguez, the acclaimed Spanish composer and pianist whose atmospheric and therapeutic soundscapes provide the backdrop of the Peace is Here episodes.  A New Pacing: Peacewarts is moving to weekly. After a month of daily episodes, the material of Peacewarts 101 is calling for more breathing room. To allow scholars more time to soak up the concepts and to allow Avis time for new writing projects—including the completion of Bullet Poof (Book 7 in the Pedro series) and continued work on The Peace Experiments book series—Peacewarts is moving to a weekly Monday release schedule. This new pace means our curriculum will now extend through September 2027, giving us a longer, more sustainable horizon for our study. The Roadmap Ahead For new scholars joining us, the weekly pace makes catching up more attainable. You can find Peacewarts orientation in Episode 198 and the fictional festival in Episode 199. Universal Understars: We mapped the invisible infrastructure of a world without war. Living Roots: We explored peace as something biological and rooted in the soil. Chronicled Courage (Starting Monday): We begin recovering the nearly erased stories of refusal—moments when war was cued up, but someone chose differently. Future Departments: Resonant Charms: Language without coercion. Social Chemistry: The biology of de-escalation. Morphological Peace: Redesigning broken systems. Ethical Defense: Navigating propaganda without cynicism. Kinetic Peace: Empathy in motion. The Peace Stick Avis reflects on the Tao and the nature of opposites. If peace and its opposite are on either side of the same stick, our goal is to float that stick to a part of the river where the "opposite" of peace is merely a frustrated day—kicking a stone down the road—rather than the violence of war. Get the Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/

Peacewarts: Living Roots 101 - Subsistence as Dignity (Class 14) We conclude our journey in the Department of Living Roots by reframing subsistence not as a state of poverty, but as the highest form of dignity and freedom. We explore how dependency has been used as a weapon through the get big or get out era and the cultural construction of peasant shame. By examining the resilience of Cuba’s organopónicos and the concept of time sovereignty, we establish that food autonomy is the ultimate form of disarmament, removing the primary levers of coercion and violence from society. Homework: Look back at your notes from the last 14 classes. Whichliving root felt the most important to your own sense of security? Write down one question about any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write "no question." The Final Project: Identify one skill you have learned this semester—whether it’s mending, seed-saving, or just learning a neighbor’s name—and teach it to someone else this week. Learning Topics: Subsistence as Dignity; The Harvest Table; Dependency as a Weapon; The Earl Butz Era; Cultural Stigmas of Traditional Farming; The Devaluation of the Hand; The Cuban Special Period (organopónicos); Time Sovereignty; Precarity Panic; The Law of Return. ZERO, The Every Person’s Field Guide to a World Without Weapons:AvisKalfsbeek.com/zero Join the Community / Get the Books:AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie”https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Dept. of Living Roots - The Lie of Independence (Class 13) We deconstruct the myth of self-sufficiency. Through the "Cowboy Myth," the global standards of the ICAO, the industrial success of Mondragon, and the history of the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1996), we learn why structural interdependence is more durable than isolation. Homework: Look up the Mondragon Corporation’s list of products or the Haudenosaunee clans to see how they distribute roles. Write down one question about any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional: Journal for five minutes. If you were a "Marlboro Man" in your own life, what would be the first thing to break if you got sick? Who would you have to call?   Learning Topics: The "Cowboy Myth" and its ecological/social impact; Logistical Entanglement: The ICAO flight standards; Mondragon (1956): Cooperative industrial interdependence; Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace (c. 1142); Resilience vs. Isolation: Lessons from Sarajevo. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Dept. of Living Roots - Barter & Sharing (Class 12) We explore how local economies built on barter, time banking, and gift systems provide security during financial instability. This class examines the Argentine economic collapse, the global TimeBank movement, and how local currencies like BerkShares insulate communities from global shocks. Homework: Look up the work of Edgar Cahn or research the Hureai Kippu system in Japan to see how different cultures value labor. Write down one question about any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional: Journal for five minutes. If all the money in your bank account vanished tomorrow, what skills or items do you have that you could trade for a week's worth of food? Learning Topics: The 2001 Argentine Barter Clubs (nodos); Hureai Kippu and Time Banking in Japan and the UK; Edgar Cahn and the TimeBank Mahoning County case study; The Potlatch as wealth redistribution; Local currencies and the BerkShares model. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Dept. of Living Roots - Planned Obsolescence & the Logic of War (Class 11) We examine how the "throwaway culture" of modern economics conditions us to accept human expendability. This class explores the link between the Rana Plaza disaster and precarious labor, the role of e-waste in Agbogbloshie, and how military "use-it-or-lose-it" logic mirrors consumer waste. Homework: Look up the term"Planned Obsolescence" and find one product in your house that you believe was intentionally designed to fail or be unrepairable. Write down one question about any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional: Journal for five minutes about the word "Disposable." List three things you consider disposable. Now, try to trace where they go when you "dispose" of them. Does that change your view of them? Learning Topics: The transition from stewardship to consumption; The Rana Plaza Collapse: The human cost of fast fashion; E-waste in Agbogbloshie, Ghana, as a driver of regional instability; "Use-it-or-lose-it" military budget cycles; The cultural normalization of "collateral damage." Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Ep 224 Peacewarts: Dept. of Living Roots - The Security of Knowing Your Neighbors (Class 10) We examine why social cohesion is a logistical requirement for peace. This class explores how loneliness drives radicalization, how the "Social Front" of the Danish Resistance saved thousands, and how the West African Ebola response proved that trust is more effective than force during a crisis. Learning Topics: Social Isolation as a Predictor of Radicalization; The 1943 Rescue of the Danish Jews: Neighborhood-level coordination; Community-Led health responses in West Africa; Trust-based security models in Scandinavia; Restorative Justice and Māori Influence Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Living Roots 101 - Local Food Networks as Anti-Propaganda (Class 9) We explore how centralized food systems act as an "invisible leash" that makes populations vulnerable to war-time propaganda. By examining the 1941 Great Famine of Greece and the Black Panther Free Breakfast Program, we discuss how local food autonomy serves as a decentralized defense system and a psychological break from state dependency. Learning Topics: Food Centralization as a tool of control; The 1941 Great Famine of Greece: Urban vs. Rural resilience; The Black Panther Free Breakfast Program and Hoover’s response; The 1963 Russian Wheat Deal and the fragility of imports; Food literacy as a "vaccine against propaganda;” The shift from Rationing to Sharing in CSA models. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Living Roots 101 - Water Rights & Watersheds (Class 8) We explore the "Functional Peace" of the Indus Waters Treaty. Despite three wars, India and Pakistan have maintained this water agreement for over 60 years. This class examines how shared water management creates a "biological floor" that can survive even the most intense political hostilities, and asks: if we can cooperate to share water, why can't we cooperate to share the world? Homework: Look up the specific terms of the"Indus Waters Treaty (1960)" or research the watershed you currently live in. Write down one questionabout any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes. If you had to share your primary water source with someone you didn't trust, what rules would you want in place to make sure you both survived? Learning Topics: The Definition of the Indus Waters Treaty (1960); Functional Peace: Cooperation amidst conflict; Upstream Extraction vs. Downstream Debt; Aquifer Depletion and the "Scarcity Script;” Local Hydrological Autonomy as a defense against siege. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Dept. of Living Roots - The Time It Takes (Class 7) We explore Slowness as a foundational strategy for peace. By contrasting the 500-year cycle of topsoil creation with the frantic pace of modern markets, we discuss how "Ecological Time" prevents extractive panic. We highlight the Iroquois Seventh Generation Principle as a masterclass in deliberate deceleration and long-term security. Homework: Look up the"Great Law of the Haudenosaunee" and find one other example of how they prioritized the long-term health of the community over short-term gain. Write down one questionabout any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about a time you made a "fast" decision that caused harm, and a "slow" decision that created peace. What was the difference in your physical feeling during those two moments? Learning Topics: Ecological Time vs. Market Time (The 500-year topsoil rule); The Seventh Generation Principle of the Haudenosaunee; "Extractive Panic" as a driver of conflict; The psychology of speed and the amygdala’s role in escalation; Deceleration as a restoration of empathy. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Living Roots 101 - Repair as Resistance (Class 6) We examine the act of repair as a strategic tool of nonviolent resistance. From the 1953 legal battle against the Phoebus Cartel to the logistical sabotage of Gandhi’s spinning wheel and Cuba’s ingenious "Rikimbili" inventors, this class teaches how maintenance reduces the global pressure for extraction. Homework Look up"The Phoebus Cartel" and read about the 1953 court case that finally challenged their practices. Write down one questionabout any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about an object you own that has been repaired. Does it feel more valuable to you than something brand new? Why or why not? Learning Topics: The 1953 US District Court ruling against the Phoebus Cartel; Gandhi’s Khadi movement: Reclaiming the textile supply chain; Cuba’s ANIR: The National Association of Innovators and Rationalizers; The "Rikimbili" and adaptive repair during the Special Period; Maintenance vs. Extraction Pressure. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW  

Peacewarts: Living Roots 101 - The Victory Garden Myth (Class 5) We reframe the "Victory Garden" as a blueprint for community independence rather than a tool of war. We look at the staggering 40% production levels of 1943 and the Russian Dacha system—where 3% of the land produces over 80% of the vegetables. We discuss how nutritional sovereignty is a fundamental requirement for a peaceful society and a direct form of disarmament. Homework: Look up the"Russian Dacha movement" and find one statistic on how much food these small plots produce compared to industrial farms. Write down one question you have about home gardens or any topic in this episode. If you don’t have a question, just write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about what "Victory" looks like in your own neighborhood. If your street was 40 percent independent from the grocery store, how would your sense of security change? Learning Topics: The 1943 Victory Garden Production Stats; The Russian Dacha System: Small-scale resilience; The 2020 Pandemic Seed Surge (Burpee and Johnny’s Seeds); Supply Chain Disconnection as a Form of Disarmament; Nutritional Independence vs. Traditional National Security. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Living Roots 101 - Hunger as a Weapon (Class 4) We examine the brutal history of manufactured famine as a tactical instrument of war. From the Holodomor to the "soft power" of the 1960s Food for Peace program, this class teaches scholars how to recognize when hunger is being used as a logistical weapon of control and why local agricultural sovereignty is a vital peace strategy. Homework: Look up "The Holodomor" and read the "Causes" section to understand how government policy, not weather, created the famine. Write down one question about any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about the concept of "Calorie Leverage." How does it feel to realize that your own food security might be tied to a global logistical "valve"? Learning Topics: The Holodomor (Logistical Famine); Scorched Earth Tactics vs. Soil Health; Food for Peace (PL 480) and Calorie Leverage; Modern Supply Chain Blockades; Agricultural Sovereignty as a Peace Strategy Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Living Roots 101 - The Scarcity Script (Class 3) Episode Summary: We explore how the concept of "shortage" is used as a psychological and political tool to justify war. This class examines the history of the Enclosure Acts, the chemical dependency of modern agriculture, and the "Food as a Weapon" strategy to reveal how scarcity is often a manufactured policy rather than a biological reality. Homework: Look up "The Enclosure Acts" and read a summary of how they changed the "Common Land" system in England. Write down one question about any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about a "shortage" you see in the news today (gas, food, or water). Is it a biological shortage of the earth, or a logistical shortage of the "fence"? Learning Topics: The Scarcity Script vs. Biological Abundance; The Enclosure Acts and the End of the Commons; Haber-Bosch: The Fertilizer-Weapon Link; Strategic Food Reserves and Political Leverage; The Yield Gap and Distribution Waste Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts:  Living Roots 101 - Seed Sovereignty (Class 2) We move from the soil to the seed. This class explores why the right to save and exchange seeds is a foundational act of a peaceful society. We examine the transition from "Common" to "Commodity," the hidden costs of the 1960s Green Revolution, and the heroic sacrifice of the Vavilov Institute scientists who guarded the world's genetic heritage during the Siege of Leningrad. Homework: Look up "Vandana Shiva" and read one paragraph about her work with Navdanya and seed freedom. Write down one question you have after this episode or your research. If no question comes to mind, write "no question." Optional:Journal for five minutes about the difference between an "heirloom" seed and a "patented" seed. Learning Topics: Seed Sovereignty vs. Patent Extraction; Open-Pollinated vs. Hybrid Systems; The Green Revolution's Dependency Loop; The Vavilov Martyrs (Stchukin and Ivanov); Seed Saving as an Act of Disarmament Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Living Roots 101 - Orientation & Soil as a Peace Treaty (Class 1) We descend into the Greenhouse to introduce the Law of Return. This class focuses on the historical cause-and-effect chain between soil health and social stability, examining Mesopotamian salinization, the American Dust Bowl, colonial monocultures, and modern fertilizer dependency.  Homework: Interrupt your routine – wait, maybe this has non become your routine… Look up the "Dust Bowl" and  "Human Displacement." Write down one question you have about how food scarcity impacts local peace, or anything about this episode. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." Optional: Journal for five minutes about where your calories come from. Do they come from a local "Law of Return" system, or an extractive "Monoculture" system? Learning Topics: The Law of Return (Anti-Extraction) Mesopotamian Salinization & Systemic Collapse The Dust Bowl as a Displacement Driver Colonial Monocultures vs. Soil Health Synthetic Fertilizer Dependency Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

In this episode, Avis pauses the Peacewarts series to explore a long tradition of walks for peace. Across history, people have chosen to walk slowly and publicly as a form of nonviolent witness, reclaiming roads and landscapes through presence rather than force. From Gandhi’s Salt March and Vinoba Bhave’s land gift walks to Peace Pilgrim, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, and monastic peace walkers, this episode traces how walking has been used to make injustice visible and invite participation without violence. The episode closes by situating today’s walk for peace within this wider historical lineage, reminding us that walking remains one of humanity’s most durable tools for peace — slow, visible, and human. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “Dalai Lama Riding a Bike” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - Peace as Infrastructure (Class 14) In this final lesson of the Understars series, we explore why peace is a stable infrastructure while war is a fragile system requiring constant upkeep. We summarize the "Understars Perspective" and dive deeper into JFK’s 1963 "Strategy of Peace" speech as a blueprint for human-made solutions. We define our role as Peace Scholars as we prepare to bring the High View down to the ground. Homework: Interrupt your routine by looking at your passport or ID card. Imagine it doesn't just list a country, but says "Citizen of the Understars." How does that change your responsibility to the person standing next to you? Write down one final question for this department. If no question comes to mind, write "no question." Optional:Look up at the night sky tonight. Tell the stars, "Hey Understars, let's keep an eye on peace. How about it?" Learning Topics: Peace as infrastructure vs. war as a fragile system Summary of the Understars Perspective JFK’s 1963 "Strategy of Peace" Speech (American University) Reclaiming global citizenship Transitioning from theory to daily practice Resources & Links: Follow the podcast as we launch into the first semester of this new peace school. Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Tools of Peace: A Survey (Class 13) We shift our focus from philosophy to the practical "infrastructure" of peace. We survey the various tools—from shared scientific endeavors to verification treaties—that allow humanity to maintain the High View. We look back at what we have named The Great Disarmament (1963) to see how tools like the Partial Test Ban Treaty protected our shared biology. We conclude with the understanding that peace is an inevitable destination that requires constant maintenance. Homework: Interrupt your routineto look up the "Global Peace Index." Find one "Tool" or metric they use to measure how peaceful a country is. Write down one questionyou have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." Optional:Journal about your own "Personal Toolkit." When you feel a conflict rising, what is the first "tool" you reach for? (Is it a deep breath? A question? Taking a walk?) Until our final lesson in this department, keep your eyes on the Understars. Class dismissed. Learning topics: Peace Infrastructure, Verification Treaties, Shared Science, The Global Peace Index, 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty, The Great Disarmament. Resources & Links: Follow the podcast as we launch into the first semester of this new peace school. Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The 1967 Outer Space Treaty (Class 12) We examine the 1967 Outer Space Treaty as the "Magna Carta" of planetary peace, detailing its core articles and historical origins between the US, UK, and USSR. We also address the modern "scramble" for orbital space by private corporations and why the treaty must evolve to protect the night sky from satellite clutter and the digital colonization of the AI era. Homework: Interrupt your routineto look up a video of a "Starlink Satellite Train" or maybe you have seen one livepassing over the night sky. Notice how it changes your feeling of the "Understars." Write down one questionyou have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." Optional:Journal about the "New Scramble." Whether it’s AI or satellites, how do we protect a "Common" when people are trying to move faster than the law? Learning topics: 1967 Outer Space Treaty (Articles I, II, & IV), The Province of All Mankind, Non-Appropriation, Orbital Debris and Satellites, The Scramble for AI/Data, Species-Level Restraint. Resources & Links: Follow the podcast as we launch into the first semester of this new peace school. Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW