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Peacewarts: Dept. of Living Roots - The Time It Takes (Class 7) We explore Slowness as a foundational strategy for peace. By contrasting the 500-year cycle of topsoil creation with the frantic pace of modern markets, we discuss how "Ecological Time" prevents extractive panic. We highlight the Iroquois Seventh Generation Principle as a masterclass in deliberate deceleration and long-term security. Homework: Look up the"Great Law of the Haudenosaunee" and find one other example of how they prioritized the long-term health of the community over short-term gain. Write down one questionabout any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about a time you made a "fast" decision that caused harm, and a "slow" decision that created peace. What was the difference in your physical feeling during those two moments? Learning Topics: Ecological Time vs. Market Time (The 500-year topsoil rule); The Seventh Generation Principle of the Haudenosaunee; "Extractive Panic" as a driver of conflict; The psychology of speed and the amygdala’s role in escalation; Deceleration as a restoration of empathy. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough 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: Living Roots 101 - Repair as Resistance (Class 6) We examine the act of repair as a strategic tool of nonviolent resistance. From the 1953 legal battle against the Phoebus Cartel to the logistical sabotage of Gandhi’s spinning wheel and Cuba’s ingenious "Rikimbili" inventors, this class teaches how maintenance reduces the global pressure for extraction. Homework Look up"The Phoebus Cartel" and read about the 1953 court case that finally challenged their practices. Write down one questionabout any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about an object you own that has been repaired. Does it feel more valuable to you than something brand new? Why or why not? Learning Topics: The 1953 US District Court ruling against the Phoebus Cartel; Gandhi’s Khadi movement: Reclaiming the textile supply chain; Cuba’s ANIR: The National Association of Innovators and Rationalizers; The "Rikimbili" and adaptive repair during the Special Period; Maintenance vs. Extraction Pressure. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough 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: Living Roots 101 - The Victory Garden Myth (Class 5) We reframe the "Victory Garden" as a blueprint for community independence rather than a tool of war. We look at the staggering 40% production levels of 1943 and the Russian Dacha system—where 3% of the land produces over 80% of the vegetables. We discuss how nutritional sovereignty is a fundamental requirement for a peaceful society and a direct form of disarmament. Homework: Look up the"Russian Dacha movement" and find one statistic on how much food these small plots produce compared to industrial farms. Write down one question you have about home gardens or any topic in this episode. If you don’t have a question, just write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about what "Victory" looks like in your own neighborhood. If your street was 40 percent independent from the grocery store, how would your sense of security change? Learning Topics: The 1943 Victory Garden Production Stats; The Russian Dacha System: Small-scale resilience; The 2020 Pandemic Seed Surge (Burpee and Johnny’s Seeds); Supply Chain Disconnection as a Form of Disarmament; Nutritional Independence vs. Traditional National Security. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough 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: Living Roots 101 - Hunger as a Weapon (Class 4) We examine the brutal history of manufactured famine as a tactical instrument of war. From the Holodomor to the "soft power" of the 1960s Food for Peace program, this class teaches scholars how to recognize when hunger is being used as a logistical weapon of control and why local agricultural sovereignty is a vital peace strategy. Homework: Look up "The Holodomor" and read the "Causes" section to understand how government policy, not weather, created the famine. Write down one question about any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about the concept of "Calorie Leverage." How does it feel to realize that your own food security might be tied to a global logistical "valve"? Learning Topics: The Holodomor (Logistical Famine); Scorched Earth Tactics vs. Soil Health; Food for Peace (PL 480) and Calorie Leverage; Modern Supply Chain Blockades; Agricultural Sovereignty as a Peace Strategy Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough 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: Living Roots 101 - The Scarcity Script (Class 3) Episode Summary: We explore how the concept of "shortage" is used as a psychological and political tool to justify war. This class examines the history of the Enclosure Acts, the chemical dependency of modern agriculture, and the "Food as a Weapon" strategy to reveal how scarcity is often a manufactured policy rather than a biological reality. Homework: Look up "The Enclosure Acts" and read a summary of how they changed the "Common Land" system in England. Write down one question about any of this episode’s topics. If you don’t have a question, write “no question.” Optional:Journal for five minutes about a "shortage" you see in the news today (gas, food, or water). Is it a biological shortage of the earth, or a logistical shortage of the "fence"? Learning Topics: The Scarcity Script vs. Biological Abundance; The Enclosure Acts and the End of the Commons; Haber-Bosch: The Fertilizer-Weapon Link; Strategic Food Reserves and Political Leverage; The Yield Gap and Distribution Waste Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough 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:  Living Roots 101 - Seed Sovereignty (Class 2) We move from the soil to the seed. This class explores why the right to save and exchange seeds is a foundational act of a peaceful society. We examine the transition from "Common" to "Commodity," the hidden costs of the 1960s Green Revolution, and the heroic sacrifice of the Vavilov Institute scientists who guarded the world's genetic heritage during the Siege of Leningrad. Homework: Look up "Vandana Shiva" and read one paragraph about her work with Navdanya and seed freedom. Write down one question you have after this episode or your research. If no question comes to mind, write "no question." Optional:Journal for five minutes about the difference between an "heirloom" seed and a "patented" seed. Learning Topics: Seed Sovereignty vs. Patent Extraction; Open-Pollinated vs. Hybrid Systems; The Green Revolution's Dependency Loop; The Vavilov Martyrs (Stchukin and Ivanov); Seed Saving as an Act of Disarmament Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough 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: Living Roots 101 - Orientation & Soil as a Peace Treaty (Class 1) We descend into the Greenhouse to introduce the Law of Return. This class focuses on the historical cause-and-effect chain between soil health and social stability, examining Mesopotamian salinization, the American Dust Bowl, colonial monocultures, and modern fertilizer dependency.  Homework: Interrupt your routine – wait, maybe this has non become your routine… Look up the "Dust Bowl" and  "Human Displacement." Write down one question you have about how food scarcity impacts local peace, or anything about this episode. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." Optional: Journal for five minutes about where your calories come from. Do they come from a local "Law of Return" system, or an extractive "Monoculture" system? Learning Topics: The Law of Return (Anti-Extraction) Mesopotamian Salinization & Systemic Collapse The Dust Bowl as a Displacement Driver Colonial Monocultures vs. Soil Health Synthetic Fertilizer Dependency Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough 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

In this episode, Avis pauses the Peacewarts series to explore a long tradition of walks for peace. Across history, people have chosen to walk slowly and publicly as a form of nonviolent witness, reclaiming roads and landscapes through presence rather than force. From Gandhi’s Salt March and Vinoba Bhave’s land gift walks to Peace Pilgrim, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, and monastic peace walkers, this episode traces how walking has been used to make injustice visible and invite participation without violence. The episode closes by situating today’s walk for peace within this wider historical lineage, reminding us that walking remains one of humanity’s most durable tools for peace — slow, visible, and human. Get the book Peace Stuff Enough: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com/peace-stuff-enough Join the Community / Get the Books: www.AvisKalfsbeek.com Podcast Music: Javier Peke Rodriguez “Dalai Lama Riding a Bike” https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Peacewarts: Universal Understars 101 - Peace as Infrastructure (Class 14) In this final lesson of the Understars series, we explore why peace is a stable infrastructure while war is a fragile system requiring constant upkeep. We summarize the "Understars Perspective" and dive deeper into JFK’s 1963 "Strategy of Peace" speech as a blueprint for human-made solutions. We define our role as Peace Scholars as we prepare to bring the High View down to the ground. Homework: Interrupt your routine by looking at your passport or ID card. Imagine it doesn't just list a country, but says "Citizen of the Understars." How does that change your responsibility to the person standing next to you? Write down one final question for this department. If no question comes to mind, write "no question." Optional:Look up at the night sky tonight. Tell the stars, "Hey Understars, let's keep an eye on peace. How about it?" Learning Topics: Peace as infrastructure vs. war as a fragile system Summary of the Understars Perspective JFK’s 1963 "Strategy of Peace" Speech (American University) Reclaiming global citizenship Transitioning from theory to daily practice 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 Tools of Peace: A Survey (Class 13) We shift our focus from philosophy to the practical "infrastructure" of peace. We survey the various tools—from shared scientific endeavors to verification treaties—that allow humanity to maintain the High View. We look back at what we have named The Great Disarmament (1963) to see how tools like the Partial Test Ban Treaty protected our shared biology. We conclude with the understanding that peace is an inevitable destination that requires constant maintenance. Homework: Interrupt your routineto look up the "Global Peace Index." Find one "Tool" or metric they use to measure how peaceful a country is. Write down one questionyou have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." Optional:Journal about your own "Personal Toolkit." When you feel a conflict rising, what is the first "tool" you reach for? (Is it a deep breath? A question? Taking a walk?) Until our final lesson in this department, keep your eyes on the Understars. Class dismissed. Learning topics: Peace Infrastructure, Verification Treaties, Shared Science, The Global Peace Index, 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty, The Great Disarmament. 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 1967 Outer Space Treaty (Class 12) We examine the 1967 Outer Space Treaty as the "Magna Carta" of planetary peace, detailing its core articles and historical origins between the US, UK, and USSR. We also address the modern "scramble" for orbital space by private corporations and why the treaty must evolve to protect the night sky from satellite clutter and the digital colonization of the AI era. Homework: Interrupt your routineto look up a video of a "Starlink Satellite Train" or maybe you have seen one livepassing over the night sky. Notice how it changes your feeling of the "Understars." Write down one questionyou have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." Optional:Journal about the "New Scramble." Whether it’s AI or satellites, how do we protect a "Common" when people are trying to move faster than the law? Learning topics: 1967 Outer Space Treaty (Articles I, II, & IV), The Province of All Mankind, Non-Appropriation, Orbital Debris and Satellites, The Scramble for AI/Data, Species-Level Restraint. 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 - JFK’s American University Speech (Class 11) We conduct a critical analysis of JFK’s 1963 "Strategy of Peace." While acknowledging its power in humanizing the Cold War "enemy" and breaking the Red Scare spell, we challenge Kennedy’s dismissal of "universal peace" as a fantasy. We explore why Peacewarts embraces the aspirational goal of absolute peace over mere mutual tolerance. Homework: Interrupt your routine to read the full text of the American University Speech. Find the "fantasies and fanatics" quote and sit with it. Write down one question you have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." Optional:Journal about a "fantasy" you have for the world that others might call unrealistic. Why is that dream actually the most logical thing to want? Learning topics: JFK's American University Speech, Practical vs. Universal Peace, The Strategy of Peace, Breaking the Red Scare, Humanizing the Other, The Role of the Peace Scholar. 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: Dept. of Universal Understars - Watersheds vs. Nation-States (Class 10) We explore the concept of Bioregionalism and why natural topography—specifically watersheds—is a more logical and peaceful way to organize human society than abstract nation-states. We examine John Wesley Powell’s failed 1890 proposal and look at modern proponents of watershed-based boundaries who seek to align political logic with ecological reality. Homework: Interrupt your routine to find out the name of the watershed you currently live in. Write down one question you have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." Optional: Journal about how your relationship with your "neighboring town" might change if you realized you both relied on the exact same underground aquifer. Learning topics: Watersheds, Bioregionalism, John Wesley Powell, Topography vs. Cartography, Modern Water-Sharing Movements, Ecological Sovereignty. 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: 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: 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. Write down one questionyou have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." 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. 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 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: 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. Write down one question you have after this episode or doing homework #1. If no question comes to mind, write: "no question." 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. 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