Peace Is Here with Avis Kalfsbeek

Ep 50 Wolff Peace - David Hume & Wangari Maathai: What's a Tree Worth to a Skeptic?

Can philosophy plant a forest? This episode pairs Scottish skeptic David Hume with Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai to explore reason, action, and environmental peace.

Can we question the stories governments tell—and plant better ones ourselves? David Hume challenged the myth of the social contract and Kenyan activist Wangari Maathai’s reforestation movement helped grow peace from the ground up.

Together, they invite us to rethink power, legitimacy, and how we tend the world we inherit.

In this episode:

• Hume’s critique of inherited government and imagined consent
• Maathai’s Green Belt Movement and environmental peacebuilding
• Two reflection questions for political thought and daily practice

  Visit aviskalfsbeek.com to learn more about the podcast, books, and upcoming episodes in the Wolff Peace series.

 Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez.

 Bandcamp | Spotify

 Robert Paul Wolff’s Political Man and Social Man on Amazon

Ep 49 Wolff Peace - John Locke & Vandana Shiva: What If Property Rights Destroyed the Planet?

What happens when Western property theory meets Indigenous eco-wisdom? This Wolff Peace episode pairs John Locke with Vandana Shiva in a radical rethink of ownership, land, and peace.

In this episode of the Wolff Peace series, host Avis Kalfsbeek contrasts the legacy of John Locke—whose ideas about liberty and property helped justify land enclosures and colonial expansion—with the work of Vandana Shiva, a scientist and activist who defends seeds, soil, and the commons.

Through the lens of Robert Paul Wolff’s Political Man and Social Man, we trace the roots of modern liberalism and its uneasy relationship with power and place. What might Locke and Shiva teach us about freedom, consent, and the responsibilities of being human?

In this episode:

• A look at Locke’s essay The Origins and Purposes of Political Societies
• Vandana Shiva’s challenge to seed patents and resource privatization
• Two questions to spark reflection in your world

 Visit aviskalfsbeek.com to learn more about the podcast, books, and upcoming episodes in the Wolff Peace series.

 Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez.

 Bandcamp | Spotify

 Robert Paul Wolff’s Political Man and Social Man on Amazon

Ep 48 Wolff Peace - V.I. Lenin & Leo Tolstoy

Wolff Peace – V. I. Lenin & Leo Tolstoy

Two Russians. Two revolutions. Two visions of peace.

In this episode of the Wolff Peace series, host Avis Kalfsbeek explores a striking contrast between two towering Russian figures: Vladimir Lenin, revolutionary and architect of the Soviet state, and Leo Tolstoy, novelist turned pacifist who rejected all violence in the name of love and spiritual truth.

Through the lens of Robert Paul Wolff’s Political Man and Social Man, we examine Lenin’s call for the destruction of the capitalist state—and Tolstoy’s call for the moral regeneration of the human spirit. One saw peace through revolution. The other saw revolution through peace.

In this episode:

• A look at Lenin’s The State and Revolution
• Tolstoy’s philosophy of Christian nonviolence
• Two reflection questions for your inner and outer worlds

Visit aviskalfsbeek.com to learn more about the podcast, books, and upcoming episodes in the Wolff Peace series.

Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Robert Paul Wolff’s book Political Man and Social Man on Amazon (I am not an affiliate)

Ep 47 Wolff Peace - Max Weber and Abdul Ghaffar Khan

Wolff Peace – Max Weber & Abdul Ghaffar Khan

Power, legitimacy, and the courage of nonviolence.

In this episode of the Wolff Peace series, host Avis Kalfsbeek explores political philosopher Max Weber’s stark definition of the modern state as the “monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force,” and pairs it with the bold life of Abdul Ghaffar Khan—the Muslim pacifist known as the “Frontier Gandhi.”

While Weber wrestled with the ethics of power and governance, Khan led a movement of over 100,000 nonviolent Pashtun activists against British colonialism, grounded in faith, discipline, and love. Together, these thinkers raise urgent questions: Can peace be built without force? And what kind of power heals rather than harms?

This episode includes:

• A look at Max Weber’s Politics as a Vocation
• A portrait of Abdul Ghaffar Khan and the Khudai Khidmatgar movement
• Two reflection questions to apply the episode to real life

Visit aviskalfsbeek.com to learn more about the podcast, books, and upcoming episodes in the Wolff Peace series.

Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Robert Paul Wolff’s book Political Man and Social Man on Amazon (I am not an affiliate) 

Ep 46 Wolff Peace - John Austin & Audre Lorde

Wolff Peace – John Austin & Audre Lorde

Power, obedience, and the poetry of resistance.

In this episode of the Wolff Peace series, host Avis Kalfsbeek explores the tension between legal authority and moral justice through the lens of 19th-century legal theorist John Austin and radical poet and activist Audre Lorde.

Austin’s theory of legal positivism defines law as the command of a sovereign backed by force—regardless of whether it is just. His focus on structure and obedience set the stage for modern legal systems but left little space for resistance or morality.

Enter Audre Lorde. With poetry, protest, and fearless truth-telling, she challenged not only unjust laws but the cultural norms that sustain them. Lorde rejected the separation of power from morality and insisted that real peace begins with liberation—for those silenced by race, gender, class, and sexuality.

 This episode includes:

• A concise introduction to John Austin’s legal philosophy
• Audre Lorde’s challenge to systemic oppression and her vision of peace rooted in truth
• Two peace questions to guide reflection in both public and personal life

Visit aviskalfsbeek.com to learn more about the podcast, books, and upcoming episodes in the Wolff Peace series.

Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Robert Paul Wolff’s book Political Man and Social Man on Amazon (I am not an affiliate) 

Ep 45 Wolff Peace - Richard Hooker & Dorothy Day

Wolff Peace – Richard Hooker & Dorothy Day

A new series on political philosophy, power, and the pursuit of peace.

In this opening episode of the Wolff Peace series, host Avis Kalfsbeek introduces the legacy of political philosopher Robert Paul Wolff and his influential book Political Man and Social Man. Each episode in this special series pairs a classic thinker from Wolff’s anthology with a modern or historical peacemaker, exploring how ideas about law, authority, and society shape the world we live in—and the peace we hope to build.

We begin with Richard Hooker, a 16th-century Anglican theologian who argued that true political authority must be rooted in reason, consent, and the shared moral order of the community. His vision of peace arises not from force, but from lawful agreement shaped by collective participation.

To balance and expand Hooker’s view, Avis pairs him with Dorothy Day—co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and a living embodiment of radical hospitality. Day didn’t argue for peace in the abstract—she fed, housed, and cared for those most in need, demonstrating that love in action is the foundation of community and resistance.

This episode includes:

• An introduction to the Wolff Peace series and its mission
• A short profile of Richard Hooker’s theory of law and reason
• A peace pairing with Dorothy Day and her radical ethic of hospitality
• Two reflection questions to take with you into your own life

Visit aviskalfsbeek.com to learn more about the podcast, books, and upcoming episodes in the Wolff Peace series.

Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Robert Paul Wolff’s book Political Man and Social Man on Amazon (I am not an affiliate) 

The Birth of the Khalsa by Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh (Introduction excerpt)

In this episode of Peace Is Here, host Avis Kalfsbeek reflects on The Birth of the Khalsa by Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh—a groundbreaking work that reimagines Sikh identity through a feminist, peace-centered lens. Drawing from her own journey through compassionate Kundalini yoga and a growing curiosity about women’s roles in spiritual traditions, Avis explores how Singh’s writing invites us to see the divine as nurturing, liberating, and powerfully maternal.

You’ll hear a narrated reading of a portion of the book’s Introduction and a reflection on why the spiritual wisdom of the Khalsa—often told through masculine frames—may hold transformative potential for peacebuilding today. We also learn about Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, whose poetic scholarship opens doors to a more inclusive spiritual imagination.

(I am not an affiliate for these products.)

The Birth of the Khalsa: A Feminist Re-Memory of Sikh Identity

The Name of My Beloved: Verses of the Sikh Gurus 

Sikh Archive Podcast: The Feminine Sikh Principle with Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh            https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sikharchive/id1533329730?i=1000510464593

Youtube: Sikh Feminism, What do we know? https://youtu.be/_x3h9z4h8Ek?si=D-93gzp-gzsOkpGP

Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Get the Books/Join the community: AvisKalfsbeek.com or https://linktr.ee/aviskalfsbeek

Henry Stephen Salt's A Plea for Vegetarianism - Chapter 10 Social Reform and Am I a Vegan (the best and worst pepperoni pizza of my life)

Avis Kalfsbeek discusses falling off the vegan wagon with a pepperoni pizza and finishes reading Henry Stephen Salt’s A Plea for Vegetarianism – Chapter 10  Vegetarianism and Social Reform. In this chapter, Henry is bold as usual. He states that vegetarianism can’t save the nation without a societal redistribution of wealth, but that doesn’t make it any less important.  “In the first place, I think we shall do wisely in not claiming too much. The unhappy condition of the lower classes is brought about by many complex causes, which can scarcely be remedied by any single reform. The evil lies in the inequality of the laws which regulate the distribution of wealth, rather than in any actual dearth of means of subsistence. It may therefore be fairly questioned whether, to gain a final and permanent relief, it would not be necessary to go beyond individual food-thrift, and to place the whole system of the production of wealth on a really equitable basis.  On the other hand, we must not fail to claim for our system the immense importance to which it is justly entitled. Though Vegetarianism may not be the only reform that is needed, it is none the less true that no other reform, without it, can be really and permanently successful.” Henry Steven Salt

 

Digital book Henry Stephen Salt’s A Plea for Vegetarianism (there are others, easily searchable): https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/plea-for-vegetarianism.pdf

Earthing Ed’s book How to Argue With a Meat Eater (I am not an affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=how+to+argue+with+a+meat+eater&crid=DKR5MXWZSDOK&sprefix=how+to+argue+with+a+%2Caps%2C278&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_20

Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Get the Books/Join the community: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com or https://linktr.ee/aviskalfsbeek

Get the Audio Book https://www.audible.com/pd/B09M8Z8DFY/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-286720&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_286720_rh_us

Henry Stephen Salt's A Plea for Vegetarianism - Chapter 9 The Philosophy of Cannibalism (and the Carnivore)

Avis continues reading Henry Stephen Salt’s A Plea for Vegetarianism – Chapter 9 The Philosophy of Cannibilism (and the Carnivore)  “It is indisputable that there have been, and indeed are, savage tribes who deliberately prefer human flesh to other food ; and it should not escape our notice that these people, in defence of their dietetic peculiarities might use, and probably have used, arguments similar to those now-a-days brought forward by flesh-eaters in justification of their system of diet—'It has always been so;’ ‘it is the regular rule of our society ;’ ‘ our medical men approve of it ;’ ‘we are strong and healthy on this diet ;’ ‘it is evidently the law of Nature ;’ ‘it is much kinder to the victims than to leave them to die of a lingering old age ;’ ‘the world would be over-run with old and sick people if we did not ​eat them ;’ ‘it is absolutely necessary at times to take life ;’ ‘we must be practical, and not give way to humanitarian sentiment’—all these are fallacies which must surely have been employed by many a patriotic cannibal, as well as by the Englishmen who are determined to see no fault in their native beef…So, without wishing to weaken the just detestation in which cannibalism is at present held, I should like to inquire a little into the reasons on which this abhorrence is based, and to see if they do not lead us to wider and fuller conclusions than those hitherto reached by well-meaning anti-cannibalistic flesh-eaters.” Henry Steven Salt

Digital book Henry Stephen Salt’s A Plea for Vegetarianism (there are others, easily searchable): https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/plea-for-vegetarianism.pdf

Earthing Ed’s book How to Argue With a Meat Eater (I am not an affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=how+to+argue+with+a+meat+eater&crid=DKR5MXWZSDOK&sprefix=how+to+argue+with+a+%2Caps%2C278&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_20

Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Get the Books The Pedro the Water Dog Saves the Planet book series can be found at AvisKalfsbeek.com or at your favorite online bookseller.

Support the Peace and Planet messages by contributing to my Patreon for as little as $1 per month: www.Patreon.com/PedrotheWaterDog

Get the Audio Book https://www.audible.com/pd/B09M8Z8DFY/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-286720&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_286720_rh_us

(One More Year, Book 1 on Audio, other books coming soon on audio)

Henry Stephen Salt's A Plea for Vegetarianism - Chapter 8 Sport (killing animals for fun)

Avis continues reading Henry Stephen Salt’s A Plea for Vegetarianism – Chapter 8 Sport (killing animals for fun) “The essence of so-called sport " consists in the excitement derived from the pursuit and killing of animals. It seems that there are two warring instincts in men's minds—one, the brutal passion, which prompts them to pursue and slaughter innocent and helpless creatures, a passion which, unfortunately, has been so strengthened by centuries of habit, that in some persons it is engrafted like a second nature ; the other, the gentler, and surely not less natural feeling, which bids us pity, sympathise, and save. I believe that this latter instinct is des- tined eventually to triumph over the former, and the triumph would be the speedier, were it not that certain attendant circumstances com- bine to throw a fictitious charm over our national field-sports, and so prevent us from realising the great cruelty that underlies them.”  Henry Steven Salt

Digital book Henry Stephen Salt’s A Plea for Vegetarianism (there are others, easily searchable): https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/plea-for-vegetarianism.pdf

Earthing Ed’s book How to Argue With a Meat Eater (I am not an affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=how+to+argue+with+a+meat+eater&crid=DKR5MXWZSDOK&sprefix=how+to+argue+with+a+%2Caps%2C278&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_20

Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Get the Books The Pedro the Water Dog Saves the Planet book series can be found at AvisKalfsbeek.com or at your favorite online bookseller.

Support the Peace and Planet messages by contributing to my Patreon for as little as $1 per month: www.Patreon.com/PedrotheWaterDog

Get the Audio Book https://www.audible.com/pd/B09M8Z8DFY/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-286720&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_286720_rh_us

(One More Year, Book 1 on Audio, other books coming soon on audio)