Previous Shows

"Empire and the Bomb"—Nuclear specialist Joseph Gerson on U.S. use of nuclear weapons for world dominate. Here.

"A Force that Gives Us Meaning?"—War journalist Chris Hedges about the lure of war and how it affects us. Here.

"Religon and Diplomacy"—Interview with Douglas Johnston and his quiet efforts to prevent wars and violence. Here.

"Imagine Reality"—AFSC clerk of board of directors Paul Lacey relates ML King's insights on the interconnectedness of our dealings. Here.

"Courage and Commitment"—Interview with former Air Force pilot turned Fransiscan peace activist Fr. Louis Vitale about his transformation and what it takes to work for peace. Here.

"Occupation, Morality and Peace"—Interview with Israeli soldier Dan Tsahor and why he refuses to serve in the Occupied Territories. Here.

Empire and the Bomb

U.S. commitment to nuclear dominance has a long history that Joseph Gerson, our guest today, says is not only counter- productive to peace, but actually endangers us through weapons proliferation. He writes about that history and the need for abolition of all nuclear weapons in his new book titled "Empire and the Bomb: How the U.S. Uses Nuclear Weapons to Dominate the World." (29min) More.

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Dr. Joseph Gerson is the Director of the Peace and Economic Securities Program at the American Friends Service Committee in New England. He received his Ph.D. in Politics and International Security Studies. Among his books is "The Sun Never Sets: Confronting the Network of Foreign U.S. Military Bases."

A Force that Gives Us Meaning?

In a provocative message, journalist Chris Hedges deepens our understanding about how people respond to war. It's a warning from experience. "War, a force that gives us meaning," he titled is best known book. (47min) More.

Hedges spoke to AFSC's Annual Public Gathering in 2004.

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Chris Hedges received a Masters of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School. He was propelled to become a war correspondent out of a sense of justice. He worked for the New York Times, the Dallas Morning News, Christian Science Monitor, and National Public Radio. He first covered the war in El Salvador staying there for five years and then moved to Nicaragua.

He went to the Middle East and took a sabbatical to study Arabic. Chris Hedges also covered the civil wars in the Sudan, Algeria, and Yemen. During the Persian Gulf War he spent time with Kurdish fighters in the north of Iraq and later was captured by the Iraqi Republican Guard in the south when he was with the Shiite rebels.

In 1995, Chris Hedges was in Sarajevo and Kosovo during the hostilities in the Balkans. He does not describe himself as a pacifist. He admits he's drawn to war and calls it an addiction. His books are clear about war as a disease that in war time infects and destroys individuals and societies.

Religion and Diplomacy

Dr. Douglas Johnston is founder of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy. His work in Pakistan, Sudan and Iran is a powerful example of how to bridge religion and politics in preventing and resolving conflicts, both local and global. (53min) More.

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Deepening our understanding, and appreciating the religious motivation of the other, combined with religious reconciliation, can serve as vehicles for peacemaking. Dr. Johnston says that if you start out with a religious segue, you can talk about everything, from human rights to nuclear weapons, and prevent great suffering. Yet, this path has been neglected in U.S. foreign policy, which tends to focus on the symptoms, and not the causes.

An addition from KAMV's own interview with Douglas Johnston is that when he advocates for the position of a religion attaché in the government, as you will hear in the second half of the program, KAMV asked him about the possible danger of religious extremism entering our own government and politics. In his answer, Dr. Johnston pointed out that he is not suggesting a religious attaché, but a religion attaché. In other words, someone or a group of people who would consult policy makers on how religion influences a given conflict situation. The example of the war on Iraq shows the importance of considering the role of religion.

Learn more about Dr. Johnston's work and view pictures of religion and diplomacy in action at the web site of Speaking of Faith, www.speakingoffaith.org.

Imagine Reality

Guided by the wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr., Paul Lacey, clerk of the Board of Directors of the American Friends Service Committee, takes our imagination from
Dr. King’s days to the network of our lives today. (16min) (Audio courtesy of the National Cathedral.)

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A former Air Force pilot, Friar Louis Vitale became a Franciscan who dedicated his life to the advancement of social justice and peace. He is not just a theorist but puts his body on the line. (29min) More.

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Dan Tsahor is one of the increasing numbers of Israeli conscripted soldiers who refuse to serve in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. They believe occupation does not make Israel more secure. (25min) More.

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