Podcasts about World Beyond War

Ralph welcomes political consultant and pollster, Celinda Lake, to outline a ten-point Progressive Contract for America that she and Ralph believe – if adopted by Democratic candidates— will ensure they landslide the Republicans in the midterms. Then, Ben Cohen stops by to fill us in on his “Free Ben & Jerry!” campaign to take back the brand from the conglomerate that no longer retains the social justice values of their original company. Plus, Marine Corp veteran, Matthew Hoh, tells us about the provocative speech he made on Veterans Day entitled “Armistice Day and the Empire.”Celinda Lake is a political strategist and president of Lake Research Partners. She and her firm are known for cutting-edge research on issues including the economy, health care, the environment and education, and have worked for a number of institutions including the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Governor's Association, AFL-CIO, SEIU, CWA, Sierra Club, NARAL, Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood, VoteVets Action Fund, and the Kaiser Family Foundation. Her international work has included work in Liberia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus Ukraine, South Africa, and Central America.I think [a Compact for America] is a really, really, really important idea, and it's absolutely essential to winning…And it should include concrete economic proposals. And it is noticeable that the two people who won governorships in 2025—Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill—both had contracts with their voters.Celinda LakeDemocrats need to lay out ten concrete proposals and run on them. We have the critique of what's going on. We understand what's happening in real people's lives. The third leg of the stool is offering our alternative—and a concrete alternative that people can pass on to their friends and family, that people can hold us accountable for. And the last of the ten proposals in the contract needs to be something about campaign finance reform. We have to get corporate money out of politics, or our system will continue to be rigged against us and rotting from the middle.Celinda LakeBen Cohen is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and longtime anti-war activist. He is a co-founder of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry's and a prominent supporter of progressive causes. He is co-founder of Up In Arms, a public education and advocacy campaign pushing for a common-sense approach to military budgeting.What's happened is that the company recently got owned by the Magnum Corporation, and the Magnum Corporation has disbanded that independent board of directors. I mean, it's kind of a crazy, stupid move because it's under that independent board (which has legal authority over the social mission and the quality of the product and the use of the trademark) it's under that independent board that the company has grown and done so well. But they've gotten rid of the independent board.Ben CohenWhen Ben & Jerry's was in the midst of trying to fend off this acquisition, there were some new laws that were passed in Vermont that allowed a consideration of the benefit of the community with regard to a potential sale. And after the sale happened, B Corporation started. And I've talked with the founder of B Corp, and he was saying that one of the inspirations for starting B Corporations was what happened to Ben & Jerry's. So B Corporations are a different legal structure for corporations which requires them to take into account the social benefit to the community and legally makes it easier to resist these efforts to have the company taken over.Ben CohenMatthew Hoh is a disabled Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War and former Afghan War State Department Officer. In 2009, after being appointed to the Foreign Service, Hoh resigned his post in Afghanistan over the Obama administration's escalation of the Afghan War. He is now an analyst and commentator on foreign and military policy issues as a senior fellow with the Eisenhower Media Network. He serves on the advisory boards of many peace organizations, including Veterans for Peace and World Beyond War, and is an associate member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.The United States recognized Armistice Day as a holiday until after the Second World War. And then in the height of the Cold War in the early 1950s, this idea of a holiday dedicated to peace, a holiday dedicated to the abrogation of warfare, a holiday that exposed just how false the motives for war are—oh that was incredibly troublesome. That was very problematic for the American empire (again, at the height of the Cold War). So there was this campaign to rename Armistice Day to Veterans Day. And this way, it became not a remembrance of the horrors of war, of what war entailed, of who profited from war. But rather a celebration of American veterans, that they have won freedoms, they have protected us from overseas enemies—and utilizing veterans, then, as a tool to crush dissent, to silence opposition.Matthew HohClick here to sign up to get a copy of Matthew Hoh's "Armistice Day and the Empire”News 6/19/26* Our top stories this week are about major local progressive victories. Here in Washington, DC Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George – endorsed by a broad coalition of groups including the Metro DC DSA, the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club and many more – has triumphed in the Mayoral primary. Lewis George trounced her centrist opponent, Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who was backed both by major local corporate interests, such as the realtor lobby and even the Washington Parking Association, but also Democratic Party power brokers, including two former DNC Chairs. Lewis George, hailed as DC's answer to Zohran Mamdani, won over 50% of the vote in the first round, meaning that while this is DC's first mayoral election under ranked-choice voting, this race will not trigger this mechanism. McDuffie, for his part, won around 36% of the vote, coming ahead of Lewis George only in Ward 3, the wealthiest in the District. While votes remain to be counted, McDuffie has conceded.* Another DSA-backed candidate is poised to win a seat on the DC council. In Ward 1, Aparna Raj appears to have come up just short of 50% but while this means the race will go to a second round of ranked-choice reallocation, given that Raj is more than 25 points ahead of her nearest opponent, her victory is all but guaranteed. This is based upon data from the DC Board of Elections. Raj's impending victory, paired with that of Janeese Lewis George and others like Oye Owolewa demonstrates that the DC DSA is an electoral force to be reckoned with.* In more progressive electoral news, Semafor reports Bernie Sanders has endorsed former Congresswoman Cori Bush in her “comeback” bid for her old seat. Bush, a nurse and Black Lives Matter activist, was a member of the “Squad” in the House before she was defeated by a primary challenge from the right, backed in large part by AIPAC money. With the Republican redistricting in her home state of Missouri, this seat is now the sole remaining safe Democratic seat in the Show-Me State. In a statement, Bush said she was “honored to be endorsed” by Sanders, whom she called a “true leader in our movement to guarantee healthcare, housing, and childcare for all.”* Another much-publicized Bernie endorsement was announced this week: that of Tennessee state Rep. Justin J. Pearson. Pearson was originally running as a primary challenger against longtime incumbent Congressman Steve Cohen in Tennessee's 9th congressional district, but since the state Republicans redrew the districts Cohen has decided to retire, leaving the Democratic nomination to Pearson for the taking. While this district has been drawn in such a way to make it difficult for a Democrat to win, Pearson argues that “You've got a number of disaffected Republican voters, you've got a number of distraught MAGA voters, and you've got fired-up Democrats, which is a perfect recipe for success for us…Because our tent is big enough for everybody who is feeling that this status quo was rigged and broken against working-class folk, and want to see a future that is more just,” per the Intercept.* Elsewhere in the South, the race in Florida's 20th congressional district is descending into chaos. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the powerful centrist Democratic congresswoman who was drawn out of her traditional seat by the recent Republican-led redistricting is now officially running in this district, a move that “disappointed” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried, according to the Miami Herald. Fried further stated that Wasserman Schultz “[refused] to engage in meaningful dialogue about her decision.” Elijah Manley, the progressive candidate in this race, had harsher words for DWS. In a quote reported by Florida Politics, Manley stated “I'm not surprised that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is carpetbagging to FL-20, a black opportunity district, abandoning her own district and constituents…She is no different than the Republicans that are eviscerating black representation across the South. She is everything that's wrong with the broken unpopular Democratic establishment…I look forward to retiring her from public office permanently.”* Facing down the barrel of this decision, several of the Black candidates running in the 20th convened to discuss a plan to consolidate in order to ensure the district would continue to be represented by a Black member of Congress, as it has been for the past 34 years. However, CBS reports that plan has “fallen apart” as the filing deadline passed with none of the major Black candidates bowing out. This report includes statements from Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who, the piece notes, resigned from this very seat in disgrace earlier this year amid a congressional ethics investigation, saying she is “excited to campaign in the district I have represented for the last 5 years.” Dale Holness, the former Mayor of Broward County, said, “It has to be about policies that produce prosperity for the people.” Elijah Manley, said “I think it's going to come down to who works the hardest, and I think I'm going to work the hardest.” To this end, Manley has recently racked up major progressive endorsements in Florida, including Armando Grundy-Gomes, President of the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida, the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida, through President Matthew Grocholske, and Black Voters Matter lead Florida organizer Jamil Davis. According to the most recent polling, Manley lags behind Wasserman Schultz 21% to 39% in initial ballot testing, but blitzes into the lead 36% to 27% after voters receive candidate biographical information, per Florida Politics.* Another major political story from Florida is the comeback bid of former Congressman Alan Grayson. Grayson, who won a House seat in 2008, lost it in the Tea Party wave of 2010, won another seat, ran unsuccessfully for Senate, and then sought a comeback in 2018 is running in Florida's 7th congressional district, AOL reports. Grayson, known during his time in Congress for his “combative style and frequent clashes with Republicans,” is seeking to unseat scandal-plagued incumbent Republican Congressman Cory Mills. As this piece notes, Mills has “faced allegations ranging from sextortion claims made by a former girlfriend to accusations that he embellished aspects of his military record,” as well as what appears to be clear instances of corruption, such as driving government contracts to entities he owned. However, before these two have any chance of facing off against one another, both will have to get through his own party's primary.* Looking to Latin America, the outgoing President of Colombia Gustavo Petro, has published a fascinating op-ed in the Washington Post. In this piece, President Petro emphasizes how his government – considered one of the most opposed to American intervention in the region – has cooperated with the United States on shared objectives including stopping the “deadly flow of drug trafficking and transnational criminal violence.” Throughout the op-ed, Petro goes to great lengths to talk up Trump and how they have collaborated on mutual goals, even ending the piece by writing that “with continued U.S.-Colombia partnership, we can truly make the Americas great again.” This apparent about face from Petro, culminating in an obsequious appeal to Trump's favor, has led many to speculate about Petro's motivations here, including fear for his own safety, possible persecution within the American legal system or intervention in Colombia if his designated successor Ivan Cepeda ultimately wins the Colombian runoff presidential election this month. Whether or not this stratagem will work remains to be seen, but with Trump, flattery can get you everywhere.* In neighboring Peru, votes continue to be counted in the razor's edge race between Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez. The votes for the election, held on June 7th, are almost completely counted now – the tally stands at 99.38% – and at the moment Fujimori leads by around 39,000 votes. However, around 140,000 votes have been formally challenged, with 60% of those coming from Fujimori strongholds like Lima as well as Peruvians abroad. This from Reuters. Peru's political system has been wracked by instability, with the country going through nine presidents in the last ten years. Another painstakingly close election is unlikely to restore stability no matter who comes out on top.* Finally, we turn to the Middle East, where it seems the numerous parties involved in the latest round of peace talks may have finally reached a deal. According to Al Jazeera, in addition to the US-Iran agreement, rooted in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which includes financial concessions to the Islamic Republic, Israel and Hezbollah are pursuing a ceasefire in Lebanon. However, Israel's notoriously loose interpretation of ceasefire agreements jeopardizes both this deal and MOU. Journalist and expert Rania Khalek states simply that “From Iran's perspective, continued Israeli strikes would be a violation of that understanding.” Vice President JD Vance, who has been intimately involved in these negotiations, expressed a sharp warning to Israel not to jeopardize the deal and risk alienating Trump, their “only ally” left. Trump for his part is already hedging, saying “If it works out, I'm going to take the credit…If it doesn't work out, I'm blaming JD,” per CNN. A report in the Hill indicates that Republican Senators would largely oppose the deal if it were submitted for their approval, but given the increasing concentration of foreign policy powers in the executive branch, it is unlikely the Senate will even be consulted.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

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People in the US live paycheck to paycheck while the Trump administration demands billions more to escalate the arms race in space with a missile defense (offense) shield modeled after Israel's Iron Dome. Marcy Winograd interviews Bruce Gagnon, founder of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, on why the Dome is a disaster in waiting. Alice Slater, board member of World Beyond War, follows with a call to ban the bomb and sign on to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

This week on Talk World Radio we speak with John Reuwer, just freed after having been kidnapped at sea by the Israeli military. John Reuwer is Treasurer and a Member of the Board of Directors of World BEYOND War. He is a retired emergency physician whose practice convinced him of a crying need for alternatives to violence for resolving tough conflicts. This led him to the informal study and teaching of nonviolence for the last 35 years, with peace team field experience in Haiti, Colombia, Central America, Palestine/Israel, and several US inner cities. He worked in South Sudan with the Nonviolent Peaceforce, one of the few organizations practicing professional unarmed civilian peacekeeping. He also serves on the Committee to Abolish Nuclear Weapons with Physicians for Social Responsibility educating the public and politicians about the threat from nuclear weapons, which he sees as the ultimate expression of the insanity of modern warfare, so blatantly displayed in the current war in Ukraine. John has been a facilitator for World BEYOND War's online courses “War Abolition 201” and “Leaving World War II Behind.”

Daniel Che is a pacifist who left his home in Kyiv to live in Portugal and build Peaceful World, an online peace education project illuminated by Walt Whitman, Lev Tolstoy, the Woodstock Generation and Jainism. He joins World BEYOND War's Marc Eliot Stein for a wide-ranging conversation about counterculture, anekantavada, karma and ahimsa - and also US/Israel's war with Iran, military sadism, anger, revolution and evolution.

This week on Talk World Radio, we're talking about Iran, the world, and the problem of war. Our guest Matthew Hoh is a disabled Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War and former Afghan War State Department Officer. In 2009, after being appointed to the Foreign Service, Hoh resigned his post in Afghanistan over the Obama administration's escalation of the Afghan War. He is now an analyst and commentator on foreign and military policy issues as a senior fellow with the Eisenhower Media Network. He serves on the advisory boards of many peace organizations, including Veterans For Peace and World BEYOND War, and is an associate member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.

Dr. Sahar Khan joins the World BEYOND War podcast to talk about the US/Israel/Iran war, the No Bases movement, the status of US bases in the Persian gulf, whether political think tanks are good or evil, the view from South Asia, and the work of geopolitical experts in times of global crisis.

This week on rabble radio, we're sharing a clip from the latest episode of the Courage My Friends, featuring Kara Anderson (Mining Injustice Solidarity Network) and Rachel Small (World Beyond War) on Canada's defence spending and the connections between militarism and mining.  The full episode can be found here. Listen to the entire series of Courage My Friends on Needs No Introduction.  About our guests Kara Anderson is an organizer with the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network, as well as a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto working on food justice.  Rachel Small works as the Canada Organizer for World BEYOND War, a global grassroots organisation and network working to abolish war and the military industrial complex, is a founding member of the Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition, and coordinates the Arms Embargo Now Campaign. She has done grassroots organizing within local and international social/environmental justice movements for nearly two decades, with a special focus on working in solidarity with communities harmed by Canadian extractive industry projects. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and now: subscribe to rabble on Patreon to hear exclusive bonus episodes of rabble radio.

John Reuwer is Treasurer and a Member of the Board of Directors of World BEYOND War. He is a retired emergency physician whose practice convinced him of a crying need for alternatives to violence for resolving tough conflicts. This led him to the informal study and teaching of nonviolence for the last 35 years, with peace team field experience in Haiti, Colombia, Central America, Palestine/Israel, and several US inner cities. He worked in South Sudan with the Nonviolent Peaceforce, one of the few organizations practicing professional unarmed civilian peacekeeping. He also serves on the Committee to Abolish Nuclear Weapons with Physicians for Social Responsibility educating the public and politicians about the threat from nuclear weapons, which he sees as the ultimate expression of the insanity of modern warfare, so blatantly displayed in the current war in Ukraine. John has been a facilitator for World BEYOND War's online courses “War Abolition 201” and “Leaving World War II Behind.”

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a war of aggression against Iran including attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Iran. Analysts say that the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran are neither preemptive nor lawful and represent a further erosion of the international legal order. In the face of the US and Israeli attacks, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is being called upon to unequivocally condemn the aggression and take active measures to achieve a diplomatic solution. We speak with Rachel Small, Canada organizer for World Beyond War.

In the latest episode of the Courage My Friends series, we welcome organizer with the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network Kara Anderson and welcome back Canada organizer for World Beyond War and coordinator of the Arms Embargo Now Campaign, Rachel Small. We discuss Canada's radical turn toward militarism and its ramping up of defence spending, the many and deep connections between militarism and mining in the mining capital of the world and solidarity organizing against the march to war.  Reflecting on Canada's increased defence spending, Small says: " Canadian military spending had already doubled from $20 billion to over $40 billion over the past decade … And then last June, Carney gave it an extra $9 billion overnight and then committed to doubling it again over the next decade. So … the number that's kind of being floated around is that the new defence spending would amount to $150 billion per year in the next decade … It's vastly more than the federal government spends on all health and social transfers to all the provinces and territories combined. It's an enormous flow of funding that's pretty unprecedented in Canada since at least World War II. This is an enormous gift to Trump. It's Canada literally doing precisely what Trump demanded Canada do." On the link between militarism and mining, Anderson says: "The playbook for mining is the ways in which colonization itself has perpetuated itself … What is the premise for going into other countries? It's to get resources. And how do you do that? You do that through violence. Like the OG colonial ways. But I think that just reinforces why it's so important to shut things down, like mining … mining is so central to a lot of the violence, the militarization that we see in the world today… You go in, you use violence to take the land, .. and then you use that to make weapons. And then these weapons, again end up in opposite parts of the world, blowing things up … these weapons also end up back in the same communities from which they were mined and they're used to further suppress these communities. " About today's guests:  Kara Anderson is an organizer with the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network, as well as a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto working on food justice.  Rachel Small works as the Canada Organizer for World BEYOND War, a global grassroots organisation and network working to abolish war and the military industrial complex, is a founding member of the Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition, and coordinates the Arms Embargo Now Campaign. She has done grassroots organizing within local and international social/environmental justice movements for nearly two decades, with a special focus on working in solidarity with communities harmed by Canadian extractive industry projects. Transcript of this episode can be accessed at georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute.  Image: Kara Anderson, Rachel Small / Used with permission. Music: Ang Kahora. Lynne, Bjorn. Rights Purchased.  Intro Voices: Ashley Booth (Podcast Announcer); Bob Luker (Tommy)  Courage My Friends podcast organizing committee: Chandra Budhu, Ashley Booth, Resh Budhu.  Produced by: Resh Budhu, Tommy Douglas Institute and Breanne Doyle, rabble.ca.  Host: Resh Budhu.

In recent weeks protests have roiled Iran, initially led by merchants complaining about inflation and other economic problems. Average citizens who have long sought reforms have joined the protests., which has resulted in at least 5000 deaths. Iranian leaders blame the violence on the US and Israel, who have long sought regime change. The US is threatening the use of military force to support the protestors. David Swanson of World Beyond War provides an analysis of the situation, including the need to oppose outside military intervention while supporting the right of Iranians to protest for needed changes.

Gabriel Aguirre of World Beyond War joins.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

World Beyond War activist Gabrielle Aguirre discusses the plight of Venezuela after the invasion, as well as Chavismo. He asks for international activism in support of the cause.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

Thank you Marg KJ, Gayla Kunis, Laura

This week on Talk World Radio, we are talking about U.S. threats and acts of war against Venezuela. Speaking with us from Venezuela is Gabriel Aguirre, Latin America Organizer for World BEYOND War, where I also work. Gabriel is from Venezuela, but is often in Colombia. He has long been an activist and advocate for peace, social justice, international solidarity, and human rights. World BEYOND War is working to pass local resolutions and host a webinar on January 7 and deliver this petition to the U.S. Congress on January 14 — as well as to hold a global day of actions against war on Venezuela on January 17. You can help share useful information on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.

World BEYOND War hosted an Africa Peace Conference in November 2025 with representatives from many countries. Sellah King'oro joins our podcast to talk about emerging peace movements all over the continent, the philosophy of Ubuntu, Africa's legacy of neo-colonialism and corrupt leadership and her own experiences as a community peacebuilder in Kenya.

His week that was - Kevin HealyFred Fuentes and the situation in VenezuelaAlan Clayton at Rising Tide in Newcastle and work with World Beyond WarDr Helen McCue and women of PalestinePart 2 of John Lander's 3 week visit to China

World Beyond War Canada organizer Rachel Small's home was recently raided by Police - at 6 a.m., while the entire family was asleep. They seized all of her electronic devices, including those of her children. At the very same time, Police were also raiding the homes of some of her fellow activists, and preparing those press releases.Their alleged crime? Peacefully protesting outside of what organizers had defiantly labelled, a "War Crimes Summit" - a gathering of Canada's weapons manufacturers, politicians and military brass. They'd gathered to help carve out more fortunes from the $89 billion in military spending coming their way.The guest list was also a who's who of Canada's arms trade with the Zionist occupation, companies who had been featured heavily in World Beyond War's most recent report (co-authored by the Palestinian Youth Movement) on the 'loopholes' these companies use to hide their participation in the genocide.Rachel describes what it was like waking up to officers in her house; how she prepared for this inevitability; how she explained it all to her children, and what supports she's had since the arrest. Hear how activists are building up the very thing Police seek to tear down, community. This isn't the first Blueprints guest to speak highly of the Toronto Legal Support Fund and the good people who have helped create a network of arrestees, lawyers and others to lean on while going through the often complicated and drawn out legal processes these charges lead to.What they don't often lead to is convictions. Rachel reminds us that despite the well over 150 charges laid against Palestinian solidarity activists, in the Toronto area alone, there has been only one conviction. Despite the injustice of the raids, and the increased criminalization of protestors, Rachel seems undaunted. Completely resolved in her mission. And we fully support her.Hosted by: Jessa McLeanCall to Action: DONATE TO TORONTO COMMUNITY LEGAL FUNDRelated Episodes: Arming Israel: Canada's Continued Role, (July 2025) Haneen from PYM and Rachel share a scathing new report. Supports Amid State Suppression, members of the Toronto Legal Support Committee, discuss oppressive tactics being used by Police and their impact on individuals and the larger movement.More Resources: The Maple: Canada's Arms-to-Israel Scandal ExplainedREPORT: Exposing the US LOOPHOLE: HOW CANADIAN F-35 PARTS AND EXPLOSIVES REACH ISRAELBe sure to subscribe to our SUBSTACK for more...

Gabriel Aguirre, World BEYOND War's Latin America organizer, joins us to talk about alarming attacks on Venezuela, lies that are often repeated about Latin America, and hopeful signs of rising unity and activism throughout the region

Despite the purported ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli airstrikes continue to kill Palestinians. Canada has long downplayed its role in arming Israel, claiming it only issues a limited number of export permits and that those permits have now been suspended. But this week, a new report was released that exposes a massive ongoing flow of Canadian explosives and F-35 parts to Israel via the United States. We speak with Rachel Small, Canada lead for World Beyond War, a member of the Arms Embargo Now Coalition.

David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator of RootsAction.org. Swanson's books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War  War adversely impacts all living things on the planet. W. Bush lied to Congress, the UN, Americans and the world to fabricate flimsy bogus evidence to illegally invade Iraq. Many legal scholars consider Bush and Cheney to be war criminals. Corporate media were complicit in the war propaganda machine. The UN General Assembly should adopt Uniting for Peace to override a US or Russian veto in the Security Council.   The Monroe Doctrine is a unilateral declaration by the US to control South America, keep Europeans out and spawn gunboat diplomacy that does not have the force of law. The destruction of fishing boats in the Caribbean is an illegal act that borders on war crimes.

Catholic just war theory is a moral framework for evaluating warfare that dates back to St. Augustine but has its roots in older, pre-Christian ethical systems. Though the theory has been widely embraced not just by Catholic theorists but also by policymakers, it's also been widely criticized. Some Christian pacifists, pointing to Jesus' teachings on nonviolence and the early church's radical rejection of war, argue that the very idea that a war could be just constitutes a betrayal of gospel values. Yet others argue that absolute nonviolence is an impossible ideal, and means putting the vulnerable at the mercy of unjust aggressors. Critics of radical pacifism point to multiple instances of wars waged to stop unjust aggressors, invaders, and assaults against human life and dignity.  It's a topic with multiple intersecting moral questions. Is just war theory a sophistical attempt to defend the indefensible, or a viable framework? Should victims of oppression and violence be held to absolute standards of nonviolence, or are they justified in defending themselves? Is pacifism an impossible ideal, or something we can really work for?  On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to author and activist David Swanson about just war theory, where it comes from, how it is applied, and whether it is ever possible for a war to be just.  Swanson is executive director of World BEYOND War, and campaign coordinator of RootsAction.org. His books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War. He has been awarded the Real Nobel Peace Prize, an alternative award, supported by the Lay Down Your Arms Association, and inspired by the belief that the Nobel Committee has strayed from Alfred Nobel's original vision. He's the recipient of the 2018 Peace Prize from the U.S. Peace Memorial Foundation, and has been involved in multiple peace organizations. You can read some of Swanson's work, and learn more about this topic, in these links.  "Just War Theory," by Alexander Moseley War Is A Lie, by David Swanson When the World Outlawed War, by David Swanson "We need to reclaim the legacy of Christian nonviolence,"  by Nicholas Hayes-Mota "What does the church teach about self-defense?" by Jacob Kohlhaas "Record arms spending defies Pope Francis' final warnings," by Kevin Clarke "The Mennonite Catholic who puts pacifism in action," a U.S. Catholic interview Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries USA, a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers who live and work with the most vulnerable among us. To learn more, visit claretians.org.

As the threat of nuclear war continues to increase, President Trump says he plans to start testing nuclear weapons. He is also escalating his threats to Venezuela, sending a large naval force there as he kills people in boats that he claims are part of the drug trade. David Swanson of World Beyond War discusses various peace issues with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

This week on Talk World Radio we're talking with Guy Feugap who is Africa Organizer for World BEYOND War. He is a secondary school teacher, writer, and peace activist, based in Cameroon. He has long worked to educate youths for peace and non-violence. His work has put young girls in particular at the heart of crisis resolution and awareness raising on several issues in their communities. He joined WILPF (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom) in 2014 and founded the Cameroon Chapter of World BEYOND War in 2020. The upcoming Imagine Africa Beyond War conference is here https://worldbeyondwar.org/africa2025

After answering a call for general surgeons, Dr. Monica Chaudhuri, an Ontario doctor and activist, recently returned from Gaza. Dr. Chaudhuri shares what it was like working alongside the brave Palestinian healthcare workers, how cruel the Zionist entity can be, and reflects on what its been like returning to Canada while the genocide continues.Dr. Chaudhuri also talks about the sense of duty many Canadian healthcare workers feel, being the only international professionals, and thus eyewitnesses, allowed into occupied Gaza. A duty that extends beyond her role as a doctor, and into her community where she organizes with Health Workers Alliance for Palestine, Simcoe County 4 Palestine, and the Sustain Campaign Network. Hosted by: Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou QuinteroCalls to Action:Learn more about Palestinian Prisoners and the fight to free themJoin the Arms Embargo Now MovementRelated Episodes: Name it. Stop it. Sanction It. Alex Neve, Dr. Dorotea Gucciardo, and Dr. Ben Thompson from United Against Genocide on their work to pressure Canadian politicians. Arming Israel: Canada's Continued Role Haneen from the Palestinian Youth Movement and Rachel from World Beyond War share their scathing report.More Resources: The Killing, Detention and Torture of Healthcare Workers in Gaza - Healthcare Workers WatchThe Breach: Canadian doctors are being tapped for evidence in war crimes case against IsraelThe Independent: Gaza doctor who became face of medical struggle remains in Israeli detentionAll of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: PatreonFollow us on Instagram or on Bluesky

In this episode of Nonviolence Radio, hosts Stephanie Van Hook and Michael Nagler speak with Kathy Kelly, board president of World Beyond War, about the urgent need to move beyond militarism and the false promises of security through violence. Sparked by a recent speech from U.S. official Pete Hegseth glorifying lethality and dismissing pacifism, the conversation dives into the deeper truths about human nature, real security, and the power of nonviolent action. Kathy, a lifelong peace activist, contrasts militarism's destructiveness with the courage and coordination of nonviolent efforts like the Global Sumud Flotilla, and Michael joins with insights from science and history affirming our innate capacity for cooperation.Transcript available at NonviolenceRadio.Org

World BEYOND War's annual peace conference #NoWar2025 explores the essential intersection between abolition and antiwar movements. Tabitha Lean joins us from Adelaide to talk about resisting the carceral state and building borderless spaces, and tells us about he panel of global indigenous activists she'll be leading at next month's #NoWar2025 conference - join us!

In this episode we welcome, climate justice and Indigenous rights organizer from Stellat'en First Nation and senior advisor at the David Suzuki Foundation, Janelle Lapointe; member services and movement building manager with Climate Action Network Canada, Lauren Latour and Canada organizer for World Beyond War, Rachel Small. We discuss the Draw the Line National Day of Action taking place across Canada on September 20, the reasons for this historic cross-movement coalition and the urgency of drawing the line now in this moment of converging and overwhelming crises, for people, for peace and for the planet. Speaking to origins of Draw the Line, Latour says: “After years and years and years of communities from across progressive spaces saying, we need to learn how to work together in community. We need to learn how to build coalition. It just felt like this was the perfect opportunity for that.” On the critical need for a coalition, Lapointe says: “We're all waking up to the root cause of the crises, which is imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, and those systems were intentional and systemic and focus on division. And so I think we need to be just as intentional, strategic with our unity. And I think that's what this mobilization is all about.”  Reflecting on why we need  to Draw the Line now, Small says: “You can't quadruple Canada's military budget without stealing those billions of dollars from everything else and from everyone else … We have to refuse … and instead say, no. Actually Carney, you're gonna need to choose a side … because we are drawing the line.” For more information on the National Day of Action, please visit Draw the Line About today's guests:  Janelle Lapointe is a climate justice and Indigenous rights organizer from Stellat'en First Nation. She is currently a senior advisor at the David Suzuki Foundation and a guest on Treaty 13 territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Huron-Wendat peoples, as well as the Mississaugas of the Credit. She leans on her lived experience growing up on her small reserve in Northern British Columbia to ensure that intersectionality is at the forefront of environmental narratives, to build power and help others see their stake in fighting back against the status quo. Lauren Latour works as member services and movement building manager for Climate Action Network Canada, the farthest-reaching network of organizations taking action on climate and energy issues in the land currently called Canada. Currently based on unceded Anishinaabe Algonquin land in Ottawa, Lauren draws on over a decade of experience in progressive spaces as she works to support the climate movement from behind - emphasizing efficacy, and forefronting a justice-based approach. Rachel Small works as the Canada organizer for World BEYOND War, a global grassroots organisation and network working to abolish war and the military industrial complex, is a founding member of the Jews Say No to Genocide Coalition, and coordinates the Arms Embargo Now campaign. She has done grassroots organizing within local and international social/environmental justice movements for nearly two decades, with a special focus on working in solidarity with communities harmed by Canadian extractive industry projects.                                Transcript of this episode can be accessed at georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute.  Image: Janelle Lapointe, Lauren Latour, Rachel Small / Used with permission. Music: Ang Kahora. Lynne, Bjorn. Rights Purchased.  Intro Voices: Ashley Booth (Podcast Announcer); Bob Luker (Tommy)  Courage My Friends podcast organizing committee: Chandra Budhu, Ashley Booth, Resh Budhu.  Produced by: Resh Budhu, Tommy Douglas Institute and Breanne Doyle, rabble.ca.  Host: Resh Budhu. 

This week on Talk World Radio we are talking about abolition -- of all things in need of it. Our guest, Ray Acheson is an organizer, activist, and writer. They are Director of Reaching Critical Will, the disarmament program of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). They served from 2008–2024 on the steering group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. Ray Acheson is the author of Banning the Bomb, Smashing the Patriarchy and of Abolishing State Violence: A World Beyond Bombs, Borders, and Cages. Ray Acheson will be speaking at the online annual conference of World BEYOND War on October 24-26 which will explore various abolition movements. See: https://worldbeyondwar.org/nowar2025

The F35 is back at the Canadian National Exhibition and its airshow - so are the peace activists.For years peace activists, environmentalists, refugee advocates and even pet lovers have been protesting the annual four-day airshow that includes war planes over an urban centre, Toronto. However, there is a new sense of urgency this year, as well as new tools. A recent report revealed the extent of Canada's role in manufacturing components for the F35, the very plane delivering genocide from the skies over Gaza.Three organizers, who are also part of the larger anti-war movement, talk about the shifts the campaign has taken over the years, the challenges they're overcomming and the coalition building that makes it all possible. Guests:Maya Bastian, artist, conflict journalist, filmmaker (AirShow),Sharmeen Khan, World Beyond War, and.Rama, Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) Montreal.Hosted by: Jessa McLeanCall to Action: Contact and Call on Your City Councillor to Demilitarize the AirShowRelated Episodes: Rabble Rants (Sept 2023) Stop the Air ShowDisrupting Canada's Arms Trade (May 2024), with World Beyond WarReturn and Liberation (Oct. 2022), with the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM)More Resources: CBC: Canada's F35 ReviewToronto Air Show Triggers The Trauma Of War | HuffPost PoliticsReport - Arms Embargo NowDemilitarize the Toronto Air Show - World BEYOND War All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: PatreonFollow us on Instagram or on Bluesky

This week on Talk World Radio, we're talking about working to stop weapons shipments, in particular to Israel, and in particular from Canada. Our guest, Rachel Small, is the Canada Organizer for World BEYOND War, where I am the Executive Director. See also: https://armsembargonow.ca/report https://worldbeyondwar.org/canada

The work behind the Arms Embargo Now Report revealed that there are unionized workplaces in Canada that are making weapons destined for Israel. World Beyond War organizer called this information, along with a recent letter from Unifor's President "an opportunity" for positive action.Activists from Labour for Palestine are going into this week's UNIFOR convention in Vancouver with this top of mind. They are working on a campaign to have any goods or services coming from, or going to Israel, declared 'hot cargo'.They know the majority of Canadians, and thus UNIFOR members, are against the genocide, but that doesn't mean there aren't going to be obstacles in their way. In a political climate defined by fear and heightened nationalism, it has been a challenge getting workers to prioritize Palestine. Hear what work is being done to pave the way for more Internationalism not just inside UNIFOR, but within all Labour institutions.Guests:Pamela Arancibia, CUPE member, Labour for Palestine GTAShaheen Lotun, UNIFOR local 2025 President, Labour for PalestineHosted by: Jessa McLeanCall to Action: Tell the CLC to Declare Israeli Goods 'Hot Cargo'Related Episodes: Answering the Call (Jan 2024) with Anna Lippman of Labour for Palestine Nationalism and the Working Class (Mar 2023) with Chris FairweatherMore Resources: Unifor letter to Prime Minister Carney Re: Urgent Canadian intervention to end the genocide in Palestine | UniforHot cargo agreements 101: a practical legal overview - Rights NavigatorCJPME: Canadian Labour Congress Endorses sanctions on IsraelReport - Arms Embargo NowPeople's Voice: Internationalism, identity politics and anti-apartheid organizingRabble: Paramedic fired for pro-Palestinian speech fights for reinstatementThe Maple: Israeli Products Should Have No Place In CanadaAll of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: PatreonFollow us on Instagram or on

Representatives for the Arms Embargo Now campaign have released a scathing report that shows Canada has been actively arming Israel as recently as July 2025.Haneen from the Palestinian Youth Movement and Rachel from World Beyond War, share details included in the report, including what kind of weapons we're sending, where they're going exactly and the routes these shipments are taking.They also provide an inside look into their methodology, their motivations and what they'd like to see happen as a result - namely a "political crisis" for the Canadian government.With this information, the activists behind the report will be helping to mobilize folks, including (hopefully) elements in Labour that have close connections to these weapons.Hosted by: Jessa McLeanCall to Action: REGISTER FOR URGENT MOVEMENT MEETINGRelated Episodes: Disrupting Canada's Arms Trade, with Rachel from World Beyond WarReturn and Liberation, a discussion with the Palestinian Youth Movement from October 2022. Vote Palestine! Organizers behind this campaign explain their approach to the 2024 Canadian Federal Election.More Resources: The Maple: What Mélanie Joly Said And Didn't Say About Israel Arms ExportsLearn more about Arms Embargo NowTimes of Israel: Canada to Halt Arms Exports (March 2024)CBC: Joly Stand on Non Binding MotionREAD the Report - Arms Embargo NowAll of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: PatreonFollow us on Instagram or on

This week on Talk World Radio we're talking with Kathy Kelly, President of World BEYOND War, about a new book and an upcoming online book club, and about the latest developments in Gaza and what to do about it. The book is called Our Journey from Afghanistan: A Story of Survival and Hope. See book club: https://worldbeyondwar.org/book-club-our-journey-from-afghanistan-a-story-of-survival-and-hope/?clear_id=true See information on Unarmed Civilian Defense: https://worldbeyondwar.org/UCD

Roger Waters and Ralph Nader speak at World Beyond War's 2025 War Abolisher Awards joined by Bob Fantina, David Swanson, Ed Horgan and Hanieh Jodat speaking about Francesca Albanese

"In this episode of CODEPINK Radio, host Marcy Winograd and Medea Benjamin discuss efforts on Capitol Hill to stop further US military involvement in Iran and expose the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as a dangerous front for the Israeli military. David Swanson, executive director of World Beyond War, and Ann Wright, board member of CODEPINK, share their participation in European protests to shut down Ramstein Air Base and denounce NATO as a warfare alliance raiding public treasuries. In the second half of the podcast, we hear segments from Danny Haiphong's Left Lens podcast featuring Mohammad Marandi, professor at the University of Tehran, and Ali Abunimah, executive director of the Electronic Intifada."

This week on Talk World Radio we are talking about peace activism and Gaza, and the recent global march to Gaza. Our Guest, Cymry Gomery, is a community organizer and activist who founded Montréal for a World BEYOND War in November 2021, after attending the inspiring WBW NoWar101 training. This fledgling Canadian chapter came into being just on the cusp of the Russia-Ukraine war, Canadian government decision to purchase bombers and so much more—our members have had no shortage of actions in which to participate! Cymry is passionate about nature and the rights of nature, the environment, anti-speciesism, anti-racism and social justice. She cares deeply about the cause of peace because our ability to live in peace is the barometer by which we can judge the success of all human endeavor, and without peace it is impossible for humans or other species to flourish. Email Cymry at montreal@worldbeyondwar.org

A coalition of military veterans, religious, and humanitarian organizations is conducting a 40-day fast for Gaza, with more than 700 participants worldwide. The fast aims to raise awareness and demand peace for the people of Gaza, who are facing death tolls and famine. It calls for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza under UN auspices and to halt the US shipment of weapons to Israel. Kathy Kelly, Board President of World Beyond War, talks with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

On May 22, veterans and their allies launched a 40-day Fast for Gaza with two core demands: provide humanitarian supplies to Palestinians and stop sending weapons to the illegal state of Israel. A core group of over three dozen fasters are holding a daily vigil in front of the US mission to the United Nations in New York City. They are joined by more than 400 solidarity fasters. Clearing the FOG speaks with two of the fasters and organizers, Kathy Kelly, board president of World Beyond War, and Mike Ferner, former national director of Veterans for Peace, about the fast, their experiences with supporting those who are targeted by wars, and the importance of continuing to oppose the genocide of Palestinians. They encourage people to join the fast however they are able. Get more information and sign up at FOSNA.org/2025gazafast. And, visit PopularResistance.org.

This week on Talk World Radio we're talking about Palestine with Kathy Kelly who is board president of World BEYOND War. From 2022 to 2024, she co-coordinated the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal. Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, she has co-coordinated an international network to assist young Afghans forced to flee their country. She made over two dozen trips to Afghanistan from 2010 – 2019, living with young Afghan Peace Volunteers in a working-class neighborhood in Kabul. With Voices in the Wilderness companions, from 1996 – 2003, she traveled twenty-seven times to Iraq, defying the economic sanctions and remaining in Iraq throughout the Shock and Awe bombing and the initial weeks of the invasion. She joined subsequent delegations to the West Bank's Jenin Camp in 2002 during and after Israeli attacks, to Lebanon during the 2006 summer war between Israel and Hezbollah and to Gaza, in 2009, during Operation Cast Lead and following the 2013 Operation Pillar of Defense. Kathy has been an educator for most of her life, but she believes children of war and those who are victims of violence have been her most important teachers. We Were So Close: Life After Conscience and the Abraham Accords https://worldbeyondwar.org/we-were-so-close-life-after-conscience-and-the-abraham-accords

How do we even speak about genocide and apartheid in Gaza and Palestine? Words are not enough, and are too often a substitute for action. Three members of World BEYOND War's global community, Mohammed Abunahel, Maria Santelli and Marc Eliot Stein converge to share our frustration and agony and hear an update from Mohammed about his family which has been living under violent seige in Gaza for the past year and a half.

Ralph welcomes journalist Chris Hedges to talk about his new book "A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine." Then, Ralph speaks to David Swanson of World BEYOND War about what his organization is doing to resist this country's casual acceptance of being constantly at war. Finally, Ralph checks in with our resident constitutional scholar Bruce Fein.Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the host of The Chris Hedges Report, and he is a prolific author— his latest book is A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine.We not only blocked the effort by most countries on the globe to halt the genocide or at least censure Israel to the genocide, but of course have continued to sendbillions of dollars in weapons and to shut down critics within the United States… And that sends a very, very ominous message to the global south, especiallyas the climate breaks down, that these are the kind of draconian murderous measuresthat we will employ.Chris HedgesIt's a very, very ominous chapter in the history of historic Palestine. In some ways, far worse even than the 1948 Nakba (or “Catastrophe”) that saw massacres carried out against Palestinians in their villages and 750,000 Palestinians displaced. What we're watching now is probably the worst catastrophe to ever beset the Palestinian people.Chris HedgesIt's a bit like attacking somebody for writing about Auschwitz and not giving the SS guards enough play to voice their side. We're writing about a genocide and, frankly, there isn't a lot of nuance. There's a lot of context (which is in the book). But I expect either to be blanked out or attacked because lifting up the voices of Palestinians is something at this point within American society that is considered by the dominant media platforms and those within positions of power to be unacceptable.Chris HedgesIt eventually comes down to us, the American people. And it's not just the Middle East. It's a sprawling empire with hundreds of military bases, sapping the energy of our public budgets and of our ability to relate in an empathetic and humanitarian way to the rest of the world.Ralph NaderDavid Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, radio host and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator for RootsAction. His books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War.The biggest scandal of the past two days in the United States is not government officials secretly discussing plans for mass killing, for war making, but how they did it on a group chat. You can imagine if they were talking about blowing up buildings in the United States, at least the victims would get a little mention in there.David SwansonThe Democrats are the least popular they've been. They're way less popular than the Republicans because some of the Republicans' supporters actually support the horrendous behavior they're engaged in. Whereas Democrats want somebody to try anything, anything at all, and you're not getting it.David SwansonYou know how many cases across the world across the decades in every hospital and health center there are of PTSD or any sort of injury from war deprivation? Not a one. Not a single one, ever. People survive just fine. And people do their damnedest to stay out of it, even in the most warmongering nations in the world. People try their very hardest to stay out of war personally, because it does great damage.David SwansonBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.If there were really an attorney general who was independent, they would advise the President, “You can't make these threats. They are the equivalent of extortion.”Bruce FeinVigorous Public Interest Law DayApril 1, 2025 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm at Harvard Law School the Harvard Plaintiffs' Law Association is hosting Vigorous Public Interest Law Day with opening remarks by Ralph Nader. The program will feature highly relevant presentations and group discussions with some of the nation's most courageous public interest lawyers including Sam Levine, Bruce Fein, Robert Weissman, Joan Claybrook, and Pete Davis, to name a few. More information here.News 3/26/251. Starting off this week with some good news, Families for Safe Streets reports the Viriginia Assembly has passed HB2096, also known as the Stop Super Speeders bill. If enacted, this bill would allow would judges to “require drivers convicted of extreme speeding offenses to install Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology in their vehicles, automatically limiting their speed to the posted limit.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, established by Ralph Nader, speeding was responsible for 12,151 deaths in 2022 and is a contributing factor in the skyrocketing number of pedestrians killed by automobiles which hit a 40-year high in 2023, per NPR.2. In more troubling auto safety news AP reports NHTSA has ordered a new recall on nearly all Cybertrucks. This recall centers on an exterior panel that can “detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, [and] increasing the risk of a crash.” This panel, called a “cant rail assembly,” is attached with a glue that is vulnerable to “environmental embrittlement,” per NHTSA. This is the eighth recall of the vehicles since they hit the road just one year ago.3. At the same time, the Democratic-controlled Delaware state legislature has passed a bill to “award…Musk $56 billion, shield corporate executives from liability, and strip away voting power from shareholders,” reports the Lever. According to this report, written before the law passed, the bill would “set an extremely high bar for plaintiffs to obtain internal company documents, records, and communications — the core pieces of evidence needed to build a lawsuit against a company.” On the other hand, “Corporate executives and investors with a controlling stake in a firm would no longer be required to hold full shareholder votes on various transactions in which management has a direct conflict of interest.” As this piece notes, this bill was backed by a pressure campaign led by Musk and his lawyers that began with a Delaware Chancery Court ruling that jeopardized his $56 billion compensation package. In retaliation, Musk threatened to lead a mass exodus of corporations from the state. Instead of calling his bluff, the state legislature folded, likely beginning a race to the bottom among other corporate-friendly states that will strip anyone but the largest shareholders of any remaining influence on corporate decision making.4. Speaking of folding under pressure, Reuters reports Columbia University will “acquiesce” to the outrageous and unprecedented demands of the Trump administration. These include a new mask ban on campus, and placing the school's Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department – along with the Center for Palestine Studies –under academic receivership for at least five years. By caving to these demands, the University hopes the administration will unfreeze $400 million in NIH grants they threatened to withhold. Reuters quotes historian of education, Professor Jonathan Zimmerman, who decried this as “The government…using the money as a cudgel to micromanage a university,” and Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, who called the administration's demands “arguably the greatest incursion into academic freedom, freedom of speech and institutional autonomy that we've seen since the McCarthy era.”5. The authoritarianism creeping through higher education doesn't end there. Following the chilling disappearing of Mahmoud Khalil, the Trump administration has begun deploying the same tactic against more students for increasingly minor supposed offenses. First there was Georgetown post-doc student Badar Khan Suri, originally from India, who “had been living in Virginia for nearly three years when the police knocked on his door on the evening of 17 March and arrested him,” per the BBC. His crime? Being married to the daughter of a former advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, who in 2010 left the Gaza government and “started the House of Wisdom…to encourage peace and conflict resolution in Gaza.” A court has blocked Suri's deportation. Then there is Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts who was on her way home from an Iftar dinner when she was surrounded and physically restrained by plainclothes agents on the street, CNN reports. Video of this incident has been shared widely. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supposedly “determined” that Ozturk's alleged activities would have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” These activities? Co-writing a March 2024 op-ed in the school paper which stated “Credible accusations against Israel include accounts of deliberate starvation and indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinian civilians and plausible genocide.” The U.S. has long decried regimes that use secret police to suppress dissident speech. Now it seems it has become one.6. Yet the Trump administration is not only using deportations as a blunt object to punish pro-Palestine speech, it is also using it to go after labor rights activists. Seattle public radio station KUOW reports “Farmworker activist and union leader Alfredo Juarez Zeferino, known…as ‘Lelo,' was taken into custody by [ICE].” A farmworker and fellow activist Rosalinda Guillén is quoted saying “[Lelo] doesn't have a criminal record…they stopped him because of his leadership, because of his activism.” She added “I think that this is a political attack.” Simultaneously, the Washington Post reports “John Clark, a Trump-appointed Labor Department official, directed the agency's Bureau of International Labor Affairs…to end all of its grants.” These cuts are “expected to end 69 programs that have allocated more than $500 million to combat child labor, forced labor and human trafficking, and to enforce labor standards in more than 40 countries.”7. All of these moves by the Trump administration are despicable and largely unprecedented, but even they are not as brazen as the assault on the twin pillars of the American social welfare system: Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is bearing the brunt of the attacks at the moment. First, AP reported that Elon Musk's DOGE planned to cut up to 50% of the Social Security Administration staff. Then, the Washington Post reported that the administration planned to force millions of seniors to submit claims in person rather than via phone. Now the administration is announcing that they are shifting Social Security payments from paper checks to prepaid debit cards, per Axios. Nearly half a million seniors still receive their payments via physical checks. These massive disruptions in Social Security have roiled seniors across the nation, many of whom are Republican Trump supporters, and they are voicing their frustration to their Republican elected officials – who in turn are chafing at being cut out of the loop by Musk. NBC reports Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance subcommittee on Social Security, said “he had not been told ahead of time about DOGE's moves at the agency.” Senators Steve Daines and Bill Cassidy have echoed this sentiment. And, while Social Security takes center stage, Medicare is next in line. Drop Site is out with a new report on how Trump's nominee to oversee the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Dr. Oz – could shift millions of seniors from traditional Medicare to the insurer-controlled Medicare Advantage system. Medicare and Social Security have long been seen as the “third rail” of American politics, meaning politicians who try to tamper with those programs meet their political demise. This is the toughest test yet of whether that remains true.8. The impact of Oscar winning documentary No Other Land continues to reverberate, a testament to the power of its message. In Miami Beach, Mayor Steven Meiner issued a draft resolution calling for the city to terminate its lease agreement with O Cinema, located at Old City Hall, simply for screening the film. Deadline reports however that he was forced to back down. And just this week, co-director of the film Hamdan Ballal was reportedly “lynched” by Israeli settlers in his West Bank village, according to co-director Yuval Abraham, an anti-occupation Jewish Israeli journalist. The Guardian reports “the settlers beat him in front of his home and filmed the assault…he was held at an army base, blindfolded, for 24 hours and forced to sleep under a freezing air conditioner.” Another co-director, Basel Adra of Masafer Yatta, told the AP “We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us…This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment.” Stunningly, it took days for the Academy of Motion Pictures to issue a statement decrying the violence and even then, the statement was remarkably tepid with no mention of Palestine at all, only condemning “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints.”9. In some more positive news, Zohran Mamdani – the Democratic Socialist candidate for Mayor of New York City – has maxed out donations, per Gothamist. Mamdani says he has raised “more than $8 million with projected matching funds from about 18,000 donors citywide and has done so at a faster rate than any campaign in city history.” Having hit the public financing cap this early, Mamdani promised to not spend any more of the campaign raising money and instead plans to “build the single largest volunteer operation we've ever seen in the New York City's mayor's race.” Witnessing a politician asking supporters not to send more money is a truly one-of-a-kind moment. Recent polling shows Mamdani in second place, well behind disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo and well ahead of his other rivals, including incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, per CBS. However, Mamdani remains unknown to large numbers of New Yorkers, meaning his ceiling could be much higher. Plenty of time remains before the June mayoral election.10. Finally, in an extremely bizarre story, Columbia Professor Anthony Zenkus reports “Robert Ehrlich, millionaire founder of snack food giant Pirate's Booty…tried to take over the sleepy Long Island town of Sea Cliff.” Zenkus relays that Ehrlich waged a “last minute write-in campaign for mayor in which he only received 62 votes - then declared himself mayor anyway.” Though Ehrlich only received 5% of the vote, he “stormed the village hall with an entourage, declaring himself the duly-elected mayor, screaming that he was there to dissolve the entire town government and that he alone had the power to form a new government.” Ehrlich claimed the election was “rigged” and thus invalid, citing as evidence “One of my supporters voted three times. Another one voted four times…” which constitutes a confession to election fraud. Zenkus ends this story by noting that Ehrlich was “escorted out by police.” It's hard to make heads or tails of this story, but if nothing else it indicates that these petty robber barons are simply out of control – believing they can stage their own mini coup d'etats. And after all, why shouldn't they think so, when one of their ilk occupies perhaps the most powerful office in the history of the world. Bad omens all around.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Two Refuseniks from Tel Aviv talk candidly about Israeli society's reaction to their movement and the supports they've created to make it easier for more youth to refuse enlistment in the IDF.Tal Mitnik and Einat Gerlitz share their story, while also acknowledging despite all they've been through during their stints in military prison, it can't compare to the situation of Palestinian youth their age.Comparisons are made to Canadian settlers; both our states' being predicated on ethnic cleansing and colonial violence, and the struggle to decolonize spaces from within while understanding our role in maintaining that same colonial state.Their assessment of Israeli society at the moment, and the possibilities for peace are instructive, but difficult to hear. Hosted by: Jessa McLeanCall to Action: Call for an #ArmsEmbargoNowFollow the Refusenik Speaking Tour with Independent Jewish VoicesKeep talking about Palestine.Related Episodes: Support Systems Amid State Suppression a discussion with members of a legal support group in Toronto on the ways we can help each other navigate police state tactics. Disrupting Canada's Arms Trade is an interview with activist and organizer Rachel Small of World Beyond War.This episode has been added to our playlist, In Our Lifetime.All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: PatreonFollow us on Instagram or on BlueskyMore Resources: IJV Activist Anna Lippman's SubstackMesarvot (Organization Website)The Israeli teens imprisoned for their refusal to join the army (Galway Pulse)Refusenik speaking tour March 2025 – Independent Jewish Voices Canada

: Riviera Sun is the author of several social protest novels, The Dandelion Insurrection, Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars and the award-winning Ari Ara Series. as well as nine theatrical plays and a book of poetry. In 2020, her novel The Lost Heir was nominated for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Rivera cohosts Occupy Radio with David Sierra Lupe, and cofounded the nationwide nonviolent study and action group network, the Love-inAction Network and is the founding editor of the prize-winning Nonviolent News. After six years working as a professional playwright. Rivera Sun serves on the board of the Backbone Campaign and the advisory board of World BEYOND War

Unpacking the ceasefire and our feelings around it isn't easy, so who better to help us than Fatima Saleh and Anna Lippman? These two Palestinian Solidarity Activists have been at the front lines for a ceasefire for 15 months, a Free Palestine even longer. How are they feeling about seeing people return to the north of Gaza, or about Trump's comments about what's next for the region? Its a bit complicated.While we can feel joy and relief in the moment, both our guests are clear - we need to keep up the pressure on politicians, continue our education and create more disruptions.Guests:Fatima Saleh, Palestinian activist based in Edmonton, AB; and,Anna Lippman, organizer with Independent Jewish Voices and Labour for Palestine.CALLS TO ACTIONAnna's X thread of GoFundMe Pages for people in Gaza;Epicore Delivers Genocide; and,#ArmsEmbargoNow!Related Episodes: Answering the Call: Labour for Palestine w/Anna Lippman Disrupting Canada's Arms Trade w/World Beyond War's Rachel Small Canada's Colonial Imagination w/Tyler ShipleyAll of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support us: PatreonFollow us on InstagramMore Resources: The Maple: Trudeau Government Authorized $28.5 Million Of New Military Exports To Israel Since OctoberUN Office of High Commission: Israeli Forces Attack West BankEducation under attack in the Gaza Strip, as of 8 January 2024 - occupied Palestinian territory | ReliefWebAnna Lippman: Protesting Against Israel's Genocide of Palestinians Isn't Antisemitic - The Grind MagazineKeywords: Palestine, ceasefire, Canada, politics, activism, mental health #cdnpoli, #ArmsEmbargoNow

Let's take a fresh look at how peace movements are changing to keep up with fast-evolving cultural trends. Online communities provide one useful model of peaceful coexistence that people intuitively and immediately understand. World BEYOND War's technology director Marc Eliot Stein proposes a new approach to the pursuit of world peace inspired by the decentralized, peer-to-peer methods of emerging communities.

World Beyond War board president Kathy Kelly: UN Urged to Hold Israel Accountable for Monstrous Violations of International Law in GazaSouthern Poverty Law Center Interim Director Rachel Carroll Rivas: White Supremacist Hate Groups' Growing Threat as Trump Takes OfficeThird Act Upstate New York activist Michael Richardson: Climate Activists Protest Demands NY Gov. Hochul Sign ‘Make Polluters Pay' Bill Before Year EndsBob Nixon's Under-reported News Summary• Trump 2.0 chaos likely to extend to U.S. strategic defense planning• Private equity stands to profit from Trump's mass deportation plan• Whole Foods workers file to form a unionVisit our website at BTLonline.org for more information, in-depth interviews, related links, transcripts and subscribe to our BTL Weekly Summary and/or podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday at 12 noon ET, website updated Wednesdays after 4 p.m. ETProduced by Squeaky Wheel Productions: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus, Bob Nixon, Anna Manzo, Susan Bramhall, Jeff Yates and Mary Hunt. Theme music by Richard Hill and Mikata.

In this episode of CODEPINK Radio, host Marcy Winograd updates us on CODEPINK's latest campaignsagainst Trader Joe's and Netflix, then shares Bernie's arms embargo speech and a Useful Idiots podcastanalyzing the Presidential election. The second half of the program features Medea Benjamin, co-founder ofCODEPINK, and David Swanson, executive director of World Beyond War, the co-authors of NATO: What YouNeed to Know, a foundational text that unmasks the nuclear alliance as a global threat. Key Learn more: NATO: What You Need to Know: http://codepinkstore.com/products/pre-order-nato-what-you-need-to-knowSTOP the $20 Billion Arms Transfer to Israel: https://www.codepink.org/20billionBoycott Netflix: https://www.codepink.org/netflix2024Tell Trader Joe's to Stop Carrying Israeli Products: https://www.codepink.org/traderjoesUseful Idiots: Hosts Katie Halper and Aaron MatéPalestinian Analyst Breaks Down How Dems Lost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATO-gtRh_4s&t=328s

The 75th anniversary celebrating the creation of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, creates an opportunity for those in the war machine to double down their commitment to war and for peace advocates to amplify their calls for non-violence. David Swanson, co-founder and executive director of World BEYOND War and long-time peace advocate, joins host Robert Scheer on this episode of Scheer Intelligence. Swanson talks about his new book with Medea Benjamin, “NATO: What You Need To Know,” and how it analyzes what NATO means today as a worldwide enforcer of U.S. led military power, having grown from a 12-member organization to 32 members and “partnerships” with more than 40 non-member countries and international organizations. According to Swanson, NATO's original function as a defensive alliance against the Soviet Union has outlived the fall of the communist state and transformed the organization into a rapidly expanding extension of the U.S. war machine. “You don't have to ask informed historians or intelligent peace activists. The Secretary General of NATO says it; they now wage wars, not just in defense or what they call deterrence.” What was once envisioned as an adjunct to the United Nations addressing war and peace has now evolved, with NATO extending its reach far beyond the Atlantic to forge partnerships with Asian countries in a militarized response to China's rise. Swanson does not make light of what this will mean for the future: “It's the end of everything. It's the end of all life on earth. There's no small nuclear war. There's no tactical nuclear war, and yet this is where we're headed.”