Let's Talk Peace

This week we are joined by who is telling us about , a global campaign and platform designed to inform and support Lebanese people around the world to actively participate in Lebanon’s elections.

The organization stresses that fundamental change in Lebanon is only possible when citizens become actively involved in and aware of the political process, and this is why Sawti’s mission is to facilitate active citizenship and informed voting in the country.

Jonathan is on the Board of Directors of .lebanon and he is a member of Sawti. He is based in New York where he works full-time at a communications consultancy and he recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Huntsman Program with degrees in International Studies and Business.

🔹Available anywhere you listen + link in bio

with political analyst and policy consultant, Azzam Tomeh

Catch the full episode here👇🏼

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3N075hz2PNrtwVnolRYGag?si=ow_P1_BXSI63sJJESMB1oA

Or wherever you listen

Rotana Tarabzouni is a Saudi Arabian, LA bases singer-songwriter and artist. In this episode, Rotana opens up about her journey to becoming her most authentic self and tells us about her experiences with religion, spirituality, and the sensual.

We have all heard that peace comes "from within". Less often we are told that this very same "peace from within", must include our physical aspect of being: your physical body and all of the sensations you feel, they are also a part of the totality that is you.
Spiritual and Religious traditions are often know to demonize, reject, and suppress the physical and the sexual, deeming it profane, unholy, and unclean.

Can this classic split between the spiritual/sacred and the physical/profane find reconciliation?

Rotana's recommendations:

Pleasure Activism: the Politics of Feeling Good - Adrienne Maree Brown:

https://books.google.com.lb/books/about/Pleasure_Activism.html?id=wlJUDwAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y

Uses of the Erotic: the Erotic as Power- Audre Lord
http://www.peacewithpurpose.org/uploads/8/2/1/6/8216786/audre_lorde_cool-beans.pdf

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ihjq5uoHR9Nop5ocpdAFN?si=ewyPKBYnRMKZMXOjDHtC4A

This week, Vittoria Malgioglio () tells us all about her project, the Hague X Beirut.

The Hague X Beirut is a initiative supporting Beirut based Artists and activists. The initiative takes a unique approach to creating change with its focus on "Artivism"; activism through Art.

Vittoria was born in Milan, Italy and studied European languages and literature. She has lived in China, Germany, and in Austria and is currently based in The Hague, The Netherlands, where she obtained her BA in International Studies, with a special focus on the Middle East.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2VUyFjjWu4IgKtL5aEwjAb?si=JzZfxCQkQ3W6jtHKVq5n-g

Ep. 13: Unfortunately, I will not be introducing this week's guest. He has chosen to go anonymous for the purpose of preserving his personal well being. In this episode, our guest tells us what it's like to be homosexual and living in Lebanon. The LGBTQ Communities in the Middle East face a special kind of pain. Less than 10% of populations in most Middle Eastern countries believe that homosexuality is acceptable and in many places, it is criminalized.

I invite you to listen to this human experience, regardless of what you believe. Perhaps you will get something out of this conversation, as I know I have.

Fostering understanding and communication is central to the goal of the Let's Talk Peace Podcast. It is through intentional and purposeful communication that we feel connected to one another. Empathy is a core value of ours and we dream of seeing it become mainstream. This platform is a safe space dedicated to sharing the full spectrum of human perspectives and experiences. We are telling our stories, holding space for one another, and healing together.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/227SYL2bZ9qDaPU3pe6Cjl?si=YVpF3KuhT3mydBaeq6mYgg

This one's a little bit different than our usual episodes. In this weeks episode, we will be exploring the tiny Kingdom nestled in the Himalayas known as Bhutan. Pema, an environmentalist, tells us about what life is like there, explains the country's unique tourism policy, and shares her ideals and understandings of peace. Ready to learn about one of the most interesting places on the planet?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/065OlqBSQKt4VBgbb3Apmx?si=Eo8blpMuQN2qCVjVw76rAQ

This episode unpacks the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Antonios Tashejian is a Lebanese-Armenian graduate of Middle Eastern Studies and Comparative Politics at the University of Exeter. He specializes in the Levant, Anatolia and South Caucasus regions. In his free time he enjoys studying foreign languages and writing for his blog: thinkingchameleon.com
Join us as we talk history, share our personal experiences, and discuss the strange and mysterious phenomenon known to humans as 'identity'. Territorial conflict is nothing new to the Southern Caucasus region; it has been common since the drawing of fresh state borders after World War I. Nagorno-Karabakh is a contested territory that has been a major fault line for conflict since the formation of the states involved after the collapse of the Russian Empire. It is located in what is internationally recognized as Azerbaijan but is de-facto independent and is home to an ethnic Armenian majority.
On September 27 2020, friction between Armenia and Azerbaijan once again escalated into full blown war.
🔹Available anywhere you listen

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6tYrSAArPM8tymTpPlOiUu?si=6LpEOyILSBiTfXcpFixj1w

This episode is all about the upcoming US elections and features the insights and experiences of Ameer Alsamman, a supporter of the Democratic party.

Ameer is a political consultant based in Washington DC.
He pursued his BA in International Affairs and Political Science at the Lebanese American University before moving to the United Kingdom to complete a Masters degree in International Law at SOAS, University of London. He has worked for the United Nations, where he helped them launch a campaign promoting the Sustainable Development Goals in the Middle East. He also worked at the British Consulate in Syria, where he taught Syrians of all ages language, speaking, and debate skills.
Ameer’s main research interests are in peace-building, transitional justice, the laws of outer space, and the effects of conspiracy theories on societies. His passion for politics and justice began when he was growing up in a post-9/11 America, and further manifested when he moved to Syria just before the civil war began there.

🔹Available everywhere you listen

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vt1sxQQRrcHRYX7RpKXtU?si=ZCYO67yUTIGJXS-FcNY6MA

Join us in discussing the movement, nation building, and our ideals for a better tomorrow.
This week's guest is Hammed Kayode Alabi () , a Nigerian Social Entrepreneur, author, SDG Youth Champion, and educator. Hammed has 12 years of experience in active citizenship and volunteering and is currently earning a Masters in African and International Development at the University of Edinburgh through the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship.
Hammed has done and is doing many interesting things, and among those interesting things he has served as a Fellow-in-Residence and Regional Manager with the organization , where he led its core programs in more than 30 Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He is also the Founding Executive Director for the Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative which supports students in underserved communities in Nigeria.
Besides this, he has a blog, he's written a book, and he's the Vice President of the Graciella Foundation for the Girl child.

🔹Available wherever you listen

https://open.spotify.com/episode/22fxMX8DnUFxGtwvC2VQLm?si=olyXf3G5R_OKXacNMy2PfA

In this episode, Nathir () and discuss the complexity of the situation in Syria, prospects of social change, and share personal experiences.

Nathir Haimoun is the Research Coordinator and Data Analyst at ECO Canada. He was a statistical assistant at Statistics Canada and a Graduate Teaching Instructor at the University of Lethbridge, where he earned a masters degree in economics. His research interests include labor and development economics, political economy, and the economies of the MENA region. Nathir was born and raised in Damascus and before moving to Canada, he earned his bachelors degree at the Lebanese American University on a MEPI Leaders of Tomorrow scholarship.
🔹Available anywhere you listen

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7j26wbUexspOSNW1ChKxlC?si=wpCWbVwlTR-jra4aUu3JCw&utm_source=copy-link

This episode features the insights and experiences of Cecelia Marshall, an American Artist based in Hamburg, Germany. Cecelia works with migrants and refugees (primarily youth) in theatre and in providing creative performance art as a mechanism for expression, empowerment, and community building.

She graduated with both a journalism and international studies degree from the University of Arizona and moved to Cambodia in 2013 where she worked as a reporter for three years before beginning her masters degree in Migration and Intercultural Relations.
During her masters, she specialized in Applied Theatre with youth refugees and she has given talks on the subject at various conferences around Europe. Her passion for theatre has taken her around the world, where she has worked with various groups in film, the performing arts, and in directing productions in schools and theatre groups. She is also currently working on a long-term documentary film called, “Kids of Jenin Camp” which follows the lives of 10 kids growing up in a Palestinian refugee camp.

🔹Available anywhere you listen🔹
👇🏼https://open.spotify.com/episode/2imexuLVeY7KGIS0S7njeZ?si=kagd7eX0Rua0ylSbglKO6A&utm_source=copy-link

In this episode, Lebanese human rights activist and Universal Peace Council ambassador Hanadi Jawhari tells us about her work in Beirut and shares her ideals and hopes for a peaceful future.

Link 👇🏼
https://open.spotify.com/episode/752wVnyeiFv4TCjpNFZiMF?si=T0CWF9kwQAWLjUNWr4wL-A&utm_source=copy-link

Ep. 5: in this discussion, Nor and Amanda talk about culture, Arab identity, and peace.
Nor El Islam Messedad is a 25 year old first year PhD student researching the impact of environmental taxation on green growth. Much of his work revolves around sustainable policy, especially in the MENA region. Besides academia, Nor is a business advisor and is working with PwC.

After some technical inconveniences, Episode 5 is live at last!

Ep. 4 features the insights and experiences of Irfaan Mangera, the Youth Activism program manager at the Kathadra Foundation, a South African organization dedicated to non-racialism. Between 1948 and 1994, South Africa functioned under a system that institutionalized racial discrimination and segregation. This system is known as Apartheid, and despite its abolition, the societal division it reinforced is still very real.
Catch the convo here 👇🏼

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1LHOT0Dp1bbhs9pu0vE74K?si=bIozuoB4R9CpRRTHM43TYw

Ep. 3: Coaching, Confidence, and Ireland after the Troubles, with Caroline Sarah Johnston

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5f4CqWavZqsOPdwASbvxXS?si=5lxEFR9eR8OImwdwWSu5pA

Ep. 3 features Belfast native Caroline Sarah Johnston, founder of Caroline Sarah Ventures , a Washington D.C.-based social enterprise that provides business development, consulting, and coaching services primarily to women. She has a background in international business and management and is a certified coach, having worked with various organizations including the United Nations , the Worldbank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and various Chambers of Commerce.
Besides discussing her business and career, Caroline shares her experience growing up in Northern Ireland during the period of sectarian conflict known as the Troubles (1968-1998).

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5f4CqWavZqsOPdwASbvxXS?si=5lxEFR9eR8OImwdwWSu5pA

Ep. 2: InState, Social Mobility and Self-Development with Zain Hussain

Ep. 2: Amanda catches up with polymath youth activist Zain Hussain, who among many things is the co-founder of inState- a social mobility organization that operates across universities in the UK.
👇
https://open.spotify.com/episode/66EJcwuPOwgQiZwnASELln?si=hbFV0xaFQcqMafy5YIEjCQ

Ep. 1- Youth Against Corruption (YAC), Activism and Social Change
with Serena Ibrahim

Find it here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1lX6fMqMjsUQiLmIcz5V0a