Peace Is Here with Avis Kalfsbeek

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Earth as a Closed System (Class 4)

We move from the philosophy of the "High View" into the engineering of Spaceship Earth. We explore Buckminster Fuller’s concept of the planet as a closed system where "there is no away." We also examine the 1963 document Pacem in Terris as a moral blueprint for a single human family sharing a limited life-support system.

Homework:

1. Interrupt your routineto look up the term "Closed Ecological System" and read about how resources are recycled on the International Space Station.
2. Write down one questionyou have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question."
3. Optional:Journal about the phrase "There is no away." How does that change the way you think about a conflict on the other side of the world?

Learning topics: Buckminster Fuller, Spaceship Earth, Closed Systems, 1963 Pacem in Terris, Resource Management, Global Ethics.

Resources & Links:

• Follow the podcast as we launch into the first semester of this new peace school.
• Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com
• Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Pale Blue Dot (Class 3)

We travel six billion kilometers away to examine the Pale Blue Dot—the most distant photograph ever taken of our home. We explore Carl Sagan’s philosophy on "human conceits" and how this extreme perspective serves as a tool for dismantling nationalistic ego. We also look at the massive cultural impact of the Cosmos series, which reached 500 million people with a shared vision of our place in the universe.

Homework:

1. Interrupt your routine to look upCarl Sagan’s "Pale Blue Dot" speech and read the first three paragraphs.
2. Write down one question about any of this episode's topics. If you don't have a question, write "no question."
3. Optional:Journal about how it feels to realize that every "enemy" in history lived and died on the same single pixel of light.

Learning Topics:

• Carl Sagan and theCosmos series
• ThePale Blue Dot (Voyager 1)
• Human conceits vs. cosmic perspective
• Global viewership and shared stories
• Planetary stewardship

Resources & Links:

• Follow the podcast as we launch into the first semester of this new peace school.
• Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com
• Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Blue Marble (Class 2)

We define and explore the Overview Effect—the cognitive shift that occurs when viewing Earth from space—and the historical impact of the Blue Marble photograph. We also examine the 1963 Hotline Agreement as a structural tool designed to maintain high-level clarity and prevent accidental global conflict.

Homework:

1. Interrupt your routine to look up the "Blue Marble" photo and look at it for sixty seconds, noticing the lack of borders.
2. Write down one question you have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question."
3. Optional: Journal about the idea of the atmosphere as a "thin coat of varnish." How does that change your feeling of safety?

Learning topics: The Blue Marble (Apollo 17), The Overview Effect, Frank White, 1963 Hotline Agreement, Planetary Vulnerability, Systems Thinking.

Resources & Links:

• Follow the podcast as we launch into the first semester of this new peace school.
• Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com
• Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Humility of the High View (Class 1)

Episode Summary: We launch our first formal class of the semester by entering the Tower. We establish the vision of the "High View" and the "Stars-eye view" before examining the work of Jonathan Schell and Linus Pauling. We explore why the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty was a scientific necessity and introduce our shared commitment to the "Homework Pact."

Homework:

1. Interrupt your routine to look up one thing about Linus Pauling’s 1958 petition to the UN.
2. Write down one question you have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question."
3. Optional: Journal about the space between what we are told is "necessary" and what we actually want for our children.

Learning topics: Jonathan Schell, Linus Pauling, 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty, The Overview Effect, Stars-eye View, Scientific Activism.

Resources & Links:

• Follow the podcast as we launch into the first semester of this new peace school.
• Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com
• Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “I am late, madame Curie” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Orientation – The Peacewarts Foundations Festival

Today, we step onto the quad for the Peacewarts Foundations Festival. This is our "soft entry" into the curriculum—a day for breathing, gathering, and setting the cultural tone of the school. We move away from the high-speed "scrolling world" to embrace the "Deep Look," establishing the scholarly tools and ethical frameworks (like the CRAAP test) required for the work ahead. We also meet our first faculty members, who remind us that we are the ancestors of a world currently being planted.

Learning Topics:

• The Deep Look: Transitioning from digital consumption to scholarly evidence.
• The CRAAP Test: A five-part protocol for evaluating information (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose).
• Research Infrastructure: Utilizing academic libraries, university presses, and databases like JSTOR and Google Scholar.
• Social Stability vs. "Being Nice": Understanding how conviction and dignity create durable societal compounds.
• Ethical Defense:Reclaiming the heart as a shield and refusing to adopt the tactics of the adversary.
• Protopian Planting: Shifting our perspective toward the year 2126.

Resources & Links:

• Research Tools Mentioned:JSTOR, Google Scholar, CORE, Science.gov.
• Join the Curriculum: Follow the podcast as we prepare to climb the stairs to our first official class.
• Get the Books: AvisKalfsbeek.com
• Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Orientation – The Enrollment and The Grounds

Welcome to Orientation. In this official orientation episode, we transition from theory to practice as we enroll in a new way of thinking about global conflict. We revisit the "Great Spell" of 1963 and conduct a high-level tour of the eight departments that form the Peacewarts curriculum. We define the "Syllabus of the Soul," establishing a roadmap for our year-long study of structural peace and our shared "Homework Pact"—a daily commitment to questioning the status quo.

Learning Topics:

• Peace Education:Transitioning from passive observation to active enrollment.
• The Great Spell (1963):Understanding the McCloy-Zorin Accords as a starting point for a global curriculum.
• Interdisciplinary Peace:An overview of the eight departments (Universal Understars, Living Roots, Chronicled Courage, Resonant Charms, Morphological Peace, Ethical Defense, Social Chemistry, and Kinetic Peace).
• Structural Peace:Moving beyond "paused violence" toward the presence of active work.
• The Homework Pact:The logistical practice of the "Deep Look" and the well-placed question.

Resources & Links:

• Join the Curriculum: “Follow” the podcast as we launch into the first semester of this new peace school.
• Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com
• 2025 Peace Was Here podcast recap eBook (free) https://dl.bookfunnel.com/jc4lcqga9f
• Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

The Midnight Realization – A Personal Note About Peacewarts

What happens when the standard ways of talking about peace feel too heavy? In this personal note, Avis transitions from The Peace Experiments into a brand-new adventure for 2026: a peace school. After a bout of midnight insomnia, a new structural logic emerged: a way to study peace that is as rigorous as it is joyful. Welcome to Peacewarts.

Resources & Links:

• Join the Curriculum: “Follow” the podcast as we launch into the first semester of this new peace school.
• Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com
• 2025 Peace Was Here podcast recap eBook (free) https://dl.bookfunnel.com/jc4lcqga9f
• Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Experiment Zero - The Peace Experiments: The Pothole Broadcast

In Chapter Thirteen, Kitty delivers one last broadcast from Midway. Using Doris the Pothole as both witness and metaphor, she reflects on what the hearing revealed and what it failed to fix. Peace, she reminds us, is not a grand declaration but an act of maintenance: noticing cracks, refusing denial, and telling the truth before the damage spreads. With Marzipan’s approval echoing through the room, Kitty closes Experiment Zero not with certainty, but with resolve—and an open road still asking to be repaired.

Experiment Zero is the prequel to The Peace Experiments, a peace-forward series where a group of young people are brave enough to challenge conventional arguments against peace and disarmament.

Next here on Peace is Here: Peacewarts School (Understars 101)

Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com

Free 2025 Podcast Recap eBook: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com/2025

Music:  Alana Jordan (alanajordan) on Pixabay

Experiment Zero - The Peace Experiments: New Files, The Pothole and the Protocol

Chapter Twelve brings us back to Midway, where Kitty files the story that quietly changes everything. After the national hearing, a modest directive authorizes youth-led peace experiments—not because institutions believe in peace, but because they can no longer justify their fear of it. At her desk, with Marzipan keeping time, Kitty realizes her role has changed. She is no longer chasing the argument. She is witnessing what happens next.

Experiment Zero is the prequel to The Peace Experiments, a peace-forward series where a group of young people are brave enough to challenge conventional arguments against peace and disarmament.

Next here on Peace is Here: Peacewarts School (Understars 101)

Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com

Free 2025 Podcast Recap eBook: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com/2025

Music:  Alana Jordan (alanajordan) on Pixabay

Experiment Zero - The Peace Experiments: The Question from Osprey Point

The hearing resumes with more speeches, more caution, and less listening. While officials debate peace as an abstract risk, the youth delegation is sidelined—literally placed in overflow. When Garrett steps forward to ask a single, clear question, the room is forced to confront something it has carefully avoided: what happens if young people are allowed to test the assumptions adults keep defending.

This episode marks the turning point of Experiment Zero, where observation becomes interruption and silence finally breaks.

Experiment Zero is the prequel to The Peace Experiments, a peace-forward series where a group of young people are brave enough to challenge conventional arguments against peace and disarmament.

Next here on Peace is Here: Peacewarts School (Understars 101)

Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com

Free 2025 Podcast Recap eBook: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com/2025

Music:  Alana Jordan (alanajordan) on Pixabay