AI, Human Dignity, and Nonviolence: Theologian Marie Dennis on Pope Leo XIV's First Encyclical

AI, Human Dignity, and Nonviolence: Theologian Marie Dennis on Pope Leo XIV's First Encyclical

Artificial intelligence is transforming our world, raising profound questions about technology, ethics, and what it means to be human. In this episode of Nonviolence Radio, we’re joined by theologian Marie Dennis—co-director of Pax Christi International's Catholic Institute for Nonviolence and a founder of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative—to explore Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas. Beginning with the Pope's reflections on artificial intelligence, the conversation expands into a thoughtful exploration of human dignity, Catholic social teaching, the Church's growing embrace of nonviolence, and the challenge of resisting systems of domination in an age of rapidly advancing technology. Marie also reflects on the significance of Pope Leo's call to move beyond just war theory, the work of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, and why cultivating a richer understanding of our shared humanity may be one of the most important tasks of our time.

There's Enough for Everyone: Robin Greenfield on a Year of Living on 100% Foraged Food—and Rediscovering Our Connection to the Earth.

What does it mean to live simply in a culture built on excess? In this episode of Nonviolence Radio, Stephanie Van Hook and Michael Nagler speak with environmental activist Robin Greenfield, whose latest experiment is to forage 100% of his food and medicine while traveling the country to help people rediscover their relationship with the Earth. Together they explore simplicity as a practice of nonviolence, the illusion of separateness, and how reconnecting with nature, community, and ourselves can become a profound act of resistance. As Greenfield reflects, "Connection is at the root of the solution to all of our problems, and disconnection is at the core of our societal woes." Drawing on influences including Gandhi, Peace Pilgrim, Thich Nhat Hanh, Marshall Rosenberg, and Robin Wall Kimmerer, Greenfield shares how a life of voluntary simplicity has become not one of sacrifice, but of greater freedom, joy, and connection.

Taking Risks for Animals: Zoe Rosenberg on direct action, open rescue, and the criminalization of compassion

In this episode of Nonviolence Radio, we speak with animal rights activist Zoe Rosenberg about nonviolent direct action, open rescue, and the personal costs of standing up for animals. A recent graduate of UC Berkeley, where she designed her own major in social movement strategy, Zoe brings both practical experience and thoughtful analysis to the challenges facing today's animal rights movement. She shares her experience rescuing chickens from Perdue's Petaluma Poultry facilities, the legal consequences that followed—including a felony conviction, house arrest, and time in solitary confinement—and why those experiences only deepened her commitment to nonviolence. The conversation explores the history of repression in the animal rights movement, the ongoing campaign to rescue beagles from Ridglan Farms, and the power of principled action to expose hidden suffering and inspire change. Zoe offers a compelling vision of what it means to extend our circle of care to all living beings and to build movements capable of transforming both hearts and institutions.

"What do you need for repair?" A Conversation with Jonathan Bradley

On this episode of Nonviolence Radio, we continue our exploration of restorative justice with Jonathan Bradley, co-executive director of SEEDS Community Resolution Center. Drawing from years of experience in schools and communities, Bradley reflects on restorative justice not simply as a set of techniques, but as a practice that challenges the assumptions of punitive culture and invites people into accountability, repair, and human connection. The conversation explores what it means to move beyond retribution, why restorative practices require participation and practice rather than rigid formulas, and how communities can rediscover their own capacity to address harm. We also reflect on the broader cultural roots of punishment, the importance of restoring our confidence in human beings, and the role of nonviolence in transforming conflict. In the Nonviolence Report, Michael highlights recent movements and actions from around the world, including protests defending democracy, solidarity flotillas for Gaza, and a remarkable nonviolent campaign that led to the rescue of 1,500 beagles from a breeding and research facility in Wisconsin. Together, the stories point toward the growing power of organized nonviolent action and the importance of uplifting alternatives to violence in public life.

Restorative Justice as Relationship: A Conversation with Dominic Barter

In this conversation, restorative justice practitioner Dominic Barter reflects on more than three decades of work at the intersection of community, justice, and nonviolence. Beginning with his early experiences in Rio de Janeiro, he describes how communities already hold a “dialogical” capacity to respond to harm—one rooted in listening, relationship, and shared needs. From grassroots work in favelas to collaborations with courts, prisons, and governments, Barter traces how restorative justice has evolved across contexts while resisting reduction to a fixed method or technique. Instead, he emphasizes that this work must emerge from within each community’s own culture and lived experience. At a time of deep polarization, the conversation explores how conflict itself can become a source of transformation rather than division. Barter invites us to move beyond retribution and toward rebuilding the relational foundations that make community—and a more humane vision of justice—possible.