Peace Is Here with Avis Kalfsbeek
 

Peace Is Here with Avis Kalfsbeek

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Peace Is Here explores the deep architecture of a life unweaponed with a light-hearted touch and a scholar’s heart. Join Avis Kalfsbeek, writer of feisty fiction, for a daily curriculum of peace. We explore historic treaties, nature’s quiet wisdom, and the creative art-vision required for #TheGreatDisarmament. From deep-dive series on peace heroes to fiction stories and personal riffs, we look beneath the surface to see the peace that is already here.

Episodes

Ep 208 Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Map is Not the Territory (Class 9)

Sunday Jan 25, 2026

Sunday Jan 25, 2026

Peacewarts: Dept. of Universal Understars - The Map is Not the Territory (Class 9)

We explore the semantic trap of mistaking abstract political maps for the actual reality of the Earth. We define "Provincialism Masquerading as Principle" through the lens of the American Civil War and contrast it with the Aboriginal Australian Songlines—a living, melodic way of mapping the territory through relationship rather than ownership.

Homework:

  1. Interrupt your routine to look up an"Earth at Night" satellite photo of a border area (like North and South Korea or the US-Mexico border) and see how the "Map" disappears in the dark.
  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 a time you judged someone based on "where they were from" (their map) rather than "who they were" (their territory).

Learning Topics:

  • The Map is Not the Territory (Korzybski).
  • The Semantic Gap and Cognitive Bias.
  • The American Civil War: Sectionalism as Provincialism.
  • Aboriginal Songlines: Navigation through song and relationship.
  • AIATSIS Songlines Project: Protecting ancient indigenous knowledge.

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Ep 207 Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Violence of Straight Lines (Class 8)

Saturday Jan 24, 2026

Saturday Jan 24, 2026

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Violence of Straight Lines (Class 8)

We begin our second week by deconstructing the "violence" of colonial map-making. We examine how the straight lines of the Berlin Conference (1884) and the Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916) ignored the natural reality of the ground. Most importantly, we discuss how these rigid historical lines are mirrored in our own personal biases and why shifting our perspective is the first step toward systemic peace.

Homework:

  1. Interrupt your routine to look at a map of the world and find three borders that are perfectly straight lines. Research which colonial power drew them.
  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 a "line" you have drawn in your own life—a grudge or a boundary. Did you draw it for need, or did you draw it out of greed or control?

Learning topics: Colonial Cartography, The Berlin Conference (1884), Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916), Abstract Violence, Personal Bias, Perspective as Peace.

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Ep 206 Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - Species-Level Loyalty (Class 7)

Friday Jan 23, 2026

Friday Jan 23, 2026

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - Species-Level Loyalty (Class 7)

We explore the concept of Species-Level Loyalty and the shift from "National Resident" to "Planetary Citizen." We examine the 1975 Apollo–Soyuz Test Project as the first historical rehearsal of a borderless human crew, proving that shared survival can override national rivalry.

Homework:

  1. Interrupt your routineto look up the "Earth Flag" (the one with the interlocking rings) and read about why it was designed.
  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 word "Us." Who is included in your "Us" today, and could that circle be wider?

Learning topics: Species-Level Loyalty, Planetary Citizenship, Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (1975), Shared Life-Support Systems, Global Identity, Universal Ethics.

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Ep 205 Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Overview Effect (Class 6)

Thursday Jan 22, 2026

Thursday Jan 22, 2026

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Overview Effect (Class 6)

We examine the Overview Effect not just as an experience, but as hard geopolitical data. By looking at the consistent testimony of astronauts from various nations, we see how the "High View" naturally dissolves nationalistic identity. We also revisit JFK’s 1963 "Strategy of Peace" as an early political application of this planetary consciousness.

Homework:

  1. Interrupt your routine to look up "Astronaut quotes on the Overview Effect" and find the one that resonates most with you.
  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 what would happen to our local conflicts if every world leader was required to spend 24 hours in orbit before taking office.

Learning topics: The Overview Effect, Astronaut Testimony, JFK’s American University Speech, Cognitive Reframing, Planetary Consciousness, Species Identity.

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Ep 204 Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - Atmospheric Sovereignty (Class 5)

Wednesday Jan 21, 2026

Wednesday Jan 21, 2026

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - Atmospheric Sovereignty (Class 5)

We examine the biological reality of the atmosphere and how it renders traditional concepts of national sovereignty obsolete during a crisis. We dive into the history of the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty and how the discovery of radioactive fallout in the global food chain forced a shift toward planetary cooperation.

Homework:

  1. Interrupt your routineto look up a map of the Global Jet Stream and watch how the air moves across continents.
  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 realization that you are currently breathing molecules that were over another continent just a few days ago.

Learning topics: Atmospheric Sovereignty, Global Commons, 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty, Linus Pauling, Radioactive Fallout, Environmental Interdependence.

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Ep 203 Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Earth as a Closed System (Class 4)

Tuesday Jan 20, 2026

Tuesday Jan 20, 2026

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.

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Ep 202 Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Pale Blue Dot (Class 3)

Monday Jan 19, 2026

Monday Jan 19, 2026

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

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Ep 201 Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Blue Marble (Class 2)

Sunday Jan 18, 2026

Sunday Jan 18, 2026

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.

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Ep 200 Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - The Humility of the High View (Class 1)

Saturday Jan 17, 2026

Saturday Jan 17, 2026

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.

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Epp 199 Peacewarts Orientation: The Peacewarts Foundations Festival

Friday Jan 16, 2026

Friday Jan 16, 2026

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.

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