Pedro the Water Dog Saves the Planet Peace Podcast

Mark Twain – How I Edited an Agricultural Newspaper plus The Next Peacelands Mark Twain's “How I Edited an Agricultural Newspaper” brings a touch of mischief to today's episode of Kitty Reads Literature for Peace. Kitty offers a short, good-natured excerpt that captures Twain's humor and his fondness for human overconfidence, all delivered in her warm, steady voice. Each day's reading continues to serve as Kitty's gentle warm-up for CTRL–AI–DISARM, the upcoming Peace Is Here series exploring truth, power, and the systems shaping our shared future. The episode closes with The Next Peacelands, where Avis Kalfsbeek reads a real-time list of global warzones and major arms suppliers—an honest grounding in the world as it is, and an invitation to practice peace with intention. Get the books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Contact Avis to say hello or let her know how to say “Peace is Here” in your language: Contact Me Here The Next Peacelands source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and the Stockholm Internation Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database [as updated on Wikipedia. Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow Peace is Here podcast series Coming Soon!: CTRL-AI-DISARM

Kitty Reads Lit for Peace: Thomas Wolfe – On Leprechauns plus The Next Peacelands Kitty O'Compost reads a short, whimsical passage from Thomas Wolfe—a writer known for his sweeping, emotional prose and his lifelong effort to capture the bigness of ordinary American life. As always, this daily reading serves as Kitty's warm-up for CTRL–AI–DISARM, the upcoming Peace Is Here series exploring truth, power, and the deep systems shaping our shared future. At the end of the episode, we continue with The Next Peacelands, where Avis Kalfsbeek reads a real-time list of global warzones and major arms suppliers—an honest acknowledgement of the world we live in, and an invitation to practice peace with purpose. Get the books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Contact Avis to say hello or let her know how to say “Peace is Here” in your language: Contact Me Here The Next Peacelands source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and the Stockholm Internation Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database [as updated on Wikipedia. Peace is Here podcast series Coming Soon!: CTRL-AI-DISARM

Kitty Reads Lit for Peace: Turgenev – The Unhappy Girl + The Next Peacelands Welcome back to Kitty Reads Literature for Peace, a quiet act of daily storytelling in a noisy world. In this episode, Kitty O'Compost reads the opening of The Unhappy Girl by Ivan Turgenev—one of Russia's great humanist writers, known for his emotional clarity, quiet observation, and the compassion he brought to ordinary lives. With her warm delivery, Kitty brings out the stillness in Turgenev's prose, allowing listeners to feel the gentler currents beneath his storytelling. These short readings continue to serve as her daily warm-up for CTRL–AI–DISARM, an upcoming Peace Is Here series on truth, power, and the systems shaping our shared future. At the end of the episode, we continue with The Next Peacelands, where Avis Kalfsbeek reads a real-time list of global warzones and arms suppliers—an honest grounding in the world as it is, and an invitation to practice peace with intention. Get the books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Contact Avis to say hello or let her know how to say “Peace is Here” in your language: Contact Me Here The Next Peacelands source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and the Stockholm Internation Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database [as updated on Wikipedia. Peace is Here podcast series Coming Soon!: CTRL-AI-DISARM

Kitty Reads Lit for Peace: Dickens – The Old Curiosity Shop plus The Next Peacelands Welcome back to Kitty Reads Literature for Peace, a quiet act of daily storytelling in a noisy world. In this episode, Kitty O'Compost reads the opening of The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens—a writer who turned social conscience into art and believed deeply in the redemptive power of attention. With her warm lilt, Kitty slows Dickens down just enough for us to hear the tenderness at the heart of his writing: the oddities, the wanderers, and the small mercies that hold a broken world together. These short readings are her daily warm-up for CTRL–AI–DISARM, the upcoming Peace Is Here series about truth, power, and the technologies shaping our future. At the end of the episode, we continue with The Next Peacelands, where Avis Kalfsbeek reads a real-time list of global warzones and arms suppliers. This segment grounds the work in honesty and invites listeners into a wider, quieter practice of peace. Get the books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Contact Avis to say hello or let her know how to say “Peace is Here” in your language: Contact Me Here The Next Peacelands source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and the Stockholm Internation Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database [as updated on Wikipedia. Peace is Here podcast series Coming Soon!: CTRL-AI-DISARM

Kitty Reads Lit for Peace: Voltaire – Zadig, or Fate plus The Next Peacelands Welcome back to Kitty Reads Literature for Peace, a quiet act of daily storytelling in a noisy world. In this episode, Kitty O'Compost reads from the opening of Zadig, or Fate by Voltaire—one of the sharpest pens of the Enlightenment and a long-standing troublemaker for anyone allergic to truth or reason. With her small town lilt, Kitty slows Voltaire down just enough for us to hear the wisdom beneath the wit. These brief readings are her daily warm-up for a larger assignment: CTRL–AI–DISARM, an upcoming Peace Is Here series on truth, power, and the systems shaping our future. At the end of the episode, we return to The Next Peacelands, where Avis Kalfsbeek reads a real-time list of global warzones and arms suppliers. It is grounding, sobering, and quietly insistent—an invitation to stay awake, to stay human, and to stay committed to peace. Get the books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Contact Avis to say hello or let her know how to say “Peace is Here” in your language: Contact Me Here The Next Peacelands source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and the Stockholm Internation Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database [as updated on Wikipedia. Peace is Here podcast series Coming Soon!: CTRL-AI-DISARM

Kitty Reads Lit for Peace: Flaubert – Madame Bovary plus The Next Peacelands Welcome back to Kitty Reads Literature for Peace, a quiet act of daily storytelling in a noisy world. In this episode, Kitty O'Compost reads the opening lines of Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert—a classic of French realism, where longing, observation, and melancholy all take root in the smallest of details. With her trademark twang and tenderness, Kitty draws out the stillness inside Flaubert's language—reminding us that literature doesn't have to shout to be powerful. These short readings are her warm-up for a much bigger report: CTRL–AI–DISARM, an upcoming series on truth, power, and peace in a transforming world. At the end of the episode, we pause for The Next Peacelands, where Avis Kalfsbeek reads a real-time list of global warzones and arms suppliers, grounding us in truth and calling us—gently but firmly—toward peace. Get the books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Contact Avis to say hello or let her know how to say “Peace is Here” in your language: Contact Me Here The Next Peacelands source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and the Stockholm Internation Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database as updated on Wikipedia. Peace is Here podcast series Coming Soon!: CTRL-AI-DISARM

Kitty Reads Lit for Peace: Emerson – Compensation plus The Next Peacelands Welcome to the first episode of Kitty Reads Literature for Peace, a peaceful new experiment in daily storytelling. In this episode, Kitty O'Compost reads an excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson's classic essay Compensation—a foundational piece of transcendentalist wisdom. With humor, reverence, and a little twang, Kitty reflects on what it means to trust yourself to listen for the divine in nature, and to believe that every loss carries within it the seed of balance. Kitty is preparing her reporting voice for CTRL–AI–DISARM, the upcoming audio series on truth, power, and peace in a rapidly shifting world. These short daily episodes are her warm-up—dusting off old books, practicing out loud, and reclaiming literature as a form of resistance. At the end of the episode, we ground ourselves in the truth of the world around us with a segment called The Next Peacelands. Avis Kalfsbeek reads a list of real warzones, arms suppliers, with words for peace. Get the books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Contact Avis to say hello or let her know how to say “Peace is Here” in your language: Contact Me Here https://us8.list-manage.com/contact-form?u=82bbb5a1424db416114055532&form_id=c2c98c09e84a7880e5699d37f0685155 The Next Peacelands source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and the Stockholm Internation Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfers Database [as updated on Wikipedia. Peace is Here podcast series Coming Soon!: CTRL-AI-DISARM

Welcome back, peace scholars and story lovers. In this short but meaningful interlude, I (Avis) introduce a special new arc of episodes featuring none other than our offbeat, ever-curious peace reporter, Kitty O'Compost.   Kitty's getting ready for something big: a bold new podcast series called CTRL–AI–Disarm, launching in early 2026. But before she jumps into dismantling digital weapons and reporting from the frontlines of peace futures, she's brushing up on her storytelling chops—with literature.   In this transition episode, I reflect on the surprising discovery of the I Ching in a tiny trailer bookstore in Yak, Montana, and share a moment of synchronicity that's been guiding this next chapter. These upcoming Kitty Reads Lit episodes will be short, soulful, and just a little odd—in true Kitty fashion. She's reading to practice her voice, deepen her insight, and invite us all to slow down.   Each reading will close with a roll call of global conflicts in a segment we call The Next Peacelands, a reminder that our peaceful futures must be grounded in present-day truth.   This is a warmhearted moment of shift—bridging the reflective tone of The Architects of Enough with the fierce tenderness of the peace warrior work ahead. Get the Books: aviskalfsbeek.com Music is The Red Kite by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

  A Letter to My Children – A Plea to Not Eat Animals Written and read by Avis Kalfsbeek This short, heartfelt episode was recorded in the car on the way to ecstatic dance in Sacramento. It's a letter to my children, and maybe yours too, about why I stopped eating animals, and why I hope they will consider doing the same. In it, I share my own journey toward a plant-based life, the films and books that opened my eyes, and the quiet but persistent question that lives in my bones: what kind of world do we want to co-create, and how much harm will we allow? Along the way, I reference: The film Earthlings (narrated by Joaquin Phoenix) The research for my book Mono Mutante Temple Grandin's work and the limits of so-called humane slaughter A passage from Kitchen Literacy by Ann Vileisis with an Upton Sinclair quote. This is not a lecture. It's a love letter. And it ends with a simple invitation: start small. Try a few days without meat. Then see where it leads you. Peace and love, Mom / Avis Find the Books: AvisKalfsbeek.com Reading: Kitchen Literacy by Ann Vileisis Music: "The Red Kite" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Lanza del Vasto: The Silent Revolution The Path of Radical Simplicity concludes the series. In this final episode, we honor Lanza del Vasto—poet, pilgrim, and founder of the Community of the Ark. As a disciple of Gandhi, he brought nonviolence to the West not as an idea but as a life. We explore how his radical simplicity, voluntary poverty, and service-centered communities created a living model of peace for generations to come. Find the Books AvisKalfsbeek.com Music: “Dalai Llama Riding a Bike” by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

The Dalai Lama: The Simple Path of Compassion The Path of Radical Simplicity concludes the series. In this next-to-last episode of the series, we honor The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. We explore how his radical simplicity—rooted in a monk's austerity and his message of compassion—has made him a global force for peace and a living testament to the power of inner freedom. Find the Books: AvisKalfsbeek.com Watch the Film: A lovely experience is watching him with Desmond Tutu in the film "Mission Joy: Finding Happiness in Troubled Times." Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Marie Kondo: The Joy of Letting Go The Path of Radical Simplicity continues. In this episode, we honor Marie Kondo, the tidying consultant who proved that true simplicity is about keeping only what sparks joy. We explore the KonMari Method and how letting go of possessions frees us from emotional clutter. AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Saint Francis of Assisi: The Vow of Absolute Poverty The Path of Radical Simplicity continues. In this episode, we meet Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of simplicity, poverty, and animals, who renounced a fortune to achieve spiritual freedom. We explore how his radical choice to own nothing allowed him to serve everyone. AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: The Little Flowers of Saint Francis Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Epictetus: The Freedom of Few Wants The Path of Radical Simplicity continues. In this episode, we meet Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher who proved that the greatest source of suffering is attachment to things outside our control. We explore his concept of the Dichotomy of Control and how radical simplicity of mind leads to true, unshakeable freedom. AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: The Enchiridion by Epictetus Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Henry David Thoreau: The Economy of the Spirit The Path of Radical Simplicity: In this episode, we meet Henry David Thoreau, the American philosopher who lived deliberately in a self-built cabin by Walden Pond. We explore his famous experiment, his resistance to complexity, and his belief that the true cost of a thing is the amount of life you must exchange for it. AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Walden by Henry David Thoreau Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Celia Pym: Mending as Listening In this episode, we meet textile artist Celia Pym, who is best known for her visible mending—repairing garments in ways that honor their wear. We explore the power of slowing down, the meaning of listening through craft, and what it means to mend without hiding the damage. AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: On Mending by Celia Pym Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Gary Snyder: Poetry of the Wild Creative Vision and Mindful Craft continues. In this episode, we honor Gary Snyder—poet, ecologist, Buddhist practitioner—whose work calls us back into conversation with land. We reflect on speaking from place, on grounded wildness, and on how poetry can be humble care. Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: The Practice of the Wild by Gary Snyder Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Anni Albers: Threads of Quiet Resolve Creative Vision and Mindful Craft continues. In this episode, we honor Anni Albers, whose life in weaving taught us fidelity to material, restraint in design, and depth in simplicity. We reflect on letting what we hold teach us, rather than fashioning what we wish. Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: On Weaving by Anni Albers Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

George Nakashima: Wood & Soul Creative Vision and Mindful Craft continues. In this episode, we honor George Nakashima—architect, craftsman, and wood whisperer—who listened to trees and let design grow from them rather than impose upon them. We explore his philosophy, his time in internment, and his vision of Altars for Peace. Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworker's Reflections Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Virginia Woolf: A Room and a Voice Creative Vision and Mindful Craft continues. This episode looks at the life and work of Virginia Woolf, whose writing and essays transformed how we understand time, consciousness, and creative independence. We reflect on her insistence that women need money and space in order to write—and how that applies to all of us trying to think clearly in today's noisy world. Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Leonard Cohen: Song, Silence, and Shadow Creative Vision and Mindful Craft continues. We explore the life of Leonard Cohen—a poet, singer, and spiritual seeker—whose artistry emerged from stillness and whose words embraced brokenness. This episode reflects on his monastic years and how silence can become a keeper. Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Leonard Cohen: A Remarkable Life by Anthony Reynolds Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Frida Kahlo: The Art of Keeping Pain Creative Vision and Mindful Craft: Frida Kahlo didn't minimize or mask her pain. She turned it into art—and by doing so, left a legacy of radical honesty and emotional survival. In this episode, we reflect on the unflinching beauty of her life and work, and what it means to keep our hardest stories with care. Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Frida Kahlo: The Paintings by Hayden Herrera Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Albert Einstein: Thought in Motion Creative Vision and Mindful Craft: In this episode, we meet Albert Einstein—the physicist whose ideas reshaped the cosmos, and whose life showed ways to simplify without loss. We lean into his habits of clarity and how we might adopt simplicity today. Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Jane Addams: The Wisdom of the Neighborhood The Social & Systemic "Enough." We honor Jane Addams, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of Hull House. She demonstrated that building peace and dismantling inequality is a local act—one block, one home, and one person at a time. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Twenty Years at Hull-House (1910) by Jane Addams Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Bill Cunningham: The Eye on the Street The Social & Systemic "Enough" continues. In this episode, we honor Bill Cunningham, whose lifelong devotion to street fashion gave dignity to everyday dressing. We reflect on how noticing detail, preserving integrity, and staying rooted in curiosity can be quiet acts of peace and resistance to commercial influence. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Bill Cunningham: On the Street (Five Decades of Iconic Photography) Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Bea Johnson: Waste Not, Want More The Social & Systemic "Enough" continues. In this episode, we meet Bea Johnson—mother, minimalist, and pioneer of the zero waste lifestyle. We explore her 5R philosophy, the in-home challenges, and how refusing can become a spiritual act that challenges consumer systems. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

José Andrés: Building the Longer Table The Social & Systemic "Enough" continues! Chef and humanitarian José Andrés has redefined how we feed people in crisis. But at the heart of his mission is something simple: building longer tables, not higher walls. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: We Fed an Island by José Andrés Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Toni Cade Bambara: Story as Resistance The Social & Systemic "Enough" continues! In this episode, we honor Toni Cade Bambara, whose writing, activism, and teaching insisted that stories matter. We reflect on her commitment to language as a tool of justice, and on what it means for us to speak when silence feels safer. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Deep Sightings & Rescue Missions: Fiction, Essays & Conversations by Toni Cade Bambara Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Arundhati Roy: Voice Against Silence The Social & Systemic "Enough" continues! In this episode, we explore how Arundhati Roy has used literature and activism to speak truths often ignored. We reflect on how her small acts of witness challenge power, and how we might find our own voice of moral alignment. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: My Seditious Heart by Arundhati Roy Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Eleanor Roosevelt: Quiet Power, Public Heart Theme 3: The Social & Systemic "Enough" continues! In this episode, we explore how Eleanor Roosevelt expanded the role of public service through consistent advocacy, principled presence, and moral imagination. We consider how she kept her convictions alive and used her influence for universal dignity. Get the book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: This Is My Story by Eleanor Roosevelt Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Sojourner Truth: Walking Toward Freedom Theme 3: The Social & Systemic "Enough" continues! Sojourner Truth (born Isabella Baumfree) escaped slavery, recovered her child through the courts, and became a traveling preacher and abolitionist who challenged both racism and sexism. This episode looks at the power of her conviction and the importance of leaving no one behind. Get the book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Narrative of Sojourner Truth (1850) Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Maya Angelou: A Life That Didn't Need Much Theme 3: The Social & Systemic "Enough" begins! In this episode, we honor Maya Angelou, whose writing practice, poetic clarity, and pared-down rituals remind us that beauty doesn't come from abundance—it comes from presence. We explore the quiet power of a woman who kept what mattered and let the rest go. Get the book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Charles Darwin: The Sandwalk Thinker This episode concludes our theme: Stewards of the Earth. We honor Charles Darwin, whose life of patient observation and scientific humility offers lessons far beyond biology. We reflect on how his walks, notebooks, and quiet persistence helped reframe humanity's place in the world. Get the Book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Resource: Darwin: A Life in Science by John Gribbin & Michael White Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Yvon Chouinard: Climbing Light In this episode, we honor Yvon Chouinard—climber, craftsman, environmental innovator, and founder of Patagonia—who asked the question: how light can a life be? We trace his path from forging pitons to founding Patagonia and explore how choosing durability, repair, and purpose can reshape how we live, continuing our theme: Stewards of the Earth. Get the Book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard (Book) and here is a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79e7fvfrMJ0 Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Greta Thunberg: The Voice of Tomorrow In this episode, we meet Greta Thunberg—young climate activist, moral clarion, and living challenge to complacency. We explore her school strikes, her public voice, and how urgency and care can coexist, continuing our theme: Stewards of the Earth. Get the Book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Wendell Berry: Cultivator of Place In this episode, we honor Wendell Berry, whose life combines farming, writing, and moral witness rooted in local land. We reflect on how staying close, resisting abstraction, and caring for our home ground may be radical acts of peace, continuing our theme: Stewards of the Earth. Get the book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Jane Goodall: Witness Among the Wild In this episode, we explore how Jane Goodall's decades among chimpanzees turned quiet witnessing into global advocacy. We reflect on how she honored individuality in all beings and challenged us to see deeper than the veil of species. This episode concludes our theme: Stewards of the Earth. Get the book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Rachel Carson: Voice of the Silent Spring In this episode, we honor Rachel Carson—the marine biologist turned environmental prophet—whose cautionary voice saved countless lives and ecosystems. We reflect on how she listened to nature's silence and urged us to do the same, carrying on our theme: Stewards of the Earth. Get the book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Vandana Shiva: The Freedom of the Seed In this episode, we meet Vandana Shiva—physicist, ecofeminist, and food sovereignty champion. We explore her journey from studying quantum theory to leading a global movement for Seed Freedom and Earth Democracy, carrying on our theme: Stewards of the Earth. Get Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Further Reading: Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability and Peace by Vandana Shiva Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

John Muir: The Forest Is the Door In this episode, we explore the life and legacy of John Muir—writer, wanderer, and early environmental advocate. We reflect on his long walks, the trees he loved, and the complicated truths of his era, as we launch our new theme: Stewards of the Earth. Get the book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32540 Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Mary Tuthill Lindheim: Credo in Clay In this episode Avis Kalfsbeek honors Mary Tuthill Lindheim, whose ceramics, sculpture, and activism manifested a life lived by creed. We explore how her moral compass intertwined with material, land, and service. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here:AvisKalfsbeek.com Mary Tuthill Lindheim Recommended References:  Crocker Art Museum: https://www.crockerart.org/blog/post/mary-tuthill-lindheim-kindred-responses-to-life Mary Tuthill Lindheim: Art and Inspiration: https://abbywasserman.net/book-mary-tuthill-lindheim#:~:text=Publication%20details:,purchase%20from%20Publisher And see her Credo below. Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow   Mary Tuthil Lindheim's Credo: To greet each day as a gift. To find richness in a simple way of living. To be inventive, self-reliant, curious, searching. To find ways to do the most with the least. To never make money the goal. To share what I have with those who have less. To value ideals. To always try to live up to them and never count the cost of standing up for convictions. To value the friendship of shared commitments. To be in awe of the incredible intricacies and order of the universe… the rhythms of the sun and the moon and the seasons, the blossoming earth, the waters and the mountains and deserts and stars, the marvel of a human body or the architecture of a flower. To find the divine in the profoundness of the cosmos and in the struggles and joys of the human heart. To be responsible for my part to preserve our planet—the earth, the plants, the animals, air, water. To fight for the rights of people to be free of terror… To take part in this responsibility even when I feel afraid, or inadequate or in jeopardy. To feel richness in each stage of life and to always search for beauty. To feel the flow of music in every creative act. To never be afraid of emotion, to use it richly, responsibly and creatively. To value above all the love that is shared in its fullness. To treasure memories of shared love and respect and to never be afraid if there is pain as well as joy in reliving them.

Cheryl Strayed: A Pack Called Grief In this episode, we reflect on the life and writings of Cheryl Strayed—memoirist, advice-giver, and seeker of emotional truth. Her walk along the Pacific Crest Trail, made famous in Wild, became a public reckoning with private loss. We explore what it means to carry grief with honesty, to return to our truest self, and to walk toward peace—even with a heavy pack. Get the new book Peace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Fred Rogers: The Gentle Neighbor In this episode, we meet Fred Rogers—minister, musician, public television pioneer—who used quiet words, ritual, and consistency to honor the inner lives of children. We explore how kindness in speech, consistency in care, and everyday integrity can be radical acts of peace. Get the new bookPeace Stuff: Enough (Kickstarter) Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers Music: "Dalai Llama Riding a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Tom of Holland: Threads of Repair In this episode, we honor Tom of Holland (Tom van Deijnen)—textile artist, mender, and teacher of visible repair. We explore his journey from fiber craft to founding the Visible Mending Programme, his philosophy of repair, and how we might rethink the story in our worn things. Get the book Peace Stuff: Enough: https://aviskalfsbeek.com/kickstarter  Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com  @TomofHolland Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Agnes Martin: Quiet Grids of Spirit In this episode, we honor Agnes Martin—a painter of silence, repetition, and inward vision. We explore her life, artistic philosophy, spiritual leanings, and how empty space can be full of meaning. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Agnes Martin: Writings Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Fumio Sasaki: Minimalism in Practice In this episode, we explore Fumio Sasaki's journey toward minimalism: how he pared possessions, redefined identity, and reclaimed space. We reflect on letting lightness become not absence, but invitation. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Ikkyu Sojun: Wild Mind, Clear Heart This episode explores the bold life of Ikkyu Sojun, the 15th-century Zen monk who defied convention and insisted that spiritual clarity could not be faked. From temple reform to sake-soaked poems, Ikkyu lived with piercing honesty and unforgettable style. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here:AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: Crow with No Mouth translated by Stephen Berg Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Satish Kumar: Pilgrim of Peace and Soil Satish Kumar walked across continents without money to bear witness against nuclear arms. In this episode, we trace how that pilgrimage shaped a life devoted to ecology, justice, and spiritual humility. His journey reminds us that trust and simplicity may be the deepest form of richness. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: No Destination: An Autobiography of a Pilgrim by Satish Kumar Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Mahatma Gandhi: Ashes, Talisman, and the Poorest Face In this episode, we explore Gandhi's choice to scatter his ashes rather than preserve them, and his guiding Talisman—a moral test rooted in care for the poorest. We prepare to turn toward new frontiers, carrying Gandhi's test forward into new discussions of commons, power, and humility. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com More on Gandhi's Talisman: Read Gandhi's Talisman text: MKGandhi.org Recommended reading:The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Gandhi Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Thich Nhat Hanh: Breaths of Peace In this episode, we celebrate the life of Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay)—Zen monk, poet, peace activist, and pioneer of Engaged Buddhism. We reflect on how mindfulness and action can be the same gesture, how every step can carry peace, and how breath can anchor us when the world is loud. Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com Recommended Reading: The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=uszJs37sTFyPbXK4AeQvow

Peace Pilgrim: The Walker with No Belongings In this episode, we kick off The Architects of Enough series with the Peace Pilgrim (Mildred Lisette Norman), a woman who gave up everything she owned to walk over 25,000 miles for peace. We reflect on the Inner Path to Enough: what it means to walk without material burden, speak without anger, and live without excess. Includes a powerful reflection prompt and a small pop-in from Pedro the Water Dog! Find the Books, Podcast & Kickstarter: Everything you need to follow the Peace Stuff: Enough journey is here: AvisKalfsbeek.com More on Peace Pilgrim: Find the free booklet Steps Toward Inner Peace and more about her life:https://www.peacepilgrim.org/fopp-quickstart Music: "Dalai Llama Rides a Bike" by Javier "Peke" Rodriguez Bandcamp:https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW?si=oI0QIypvT3uulj0XxTKcWg