Segment 1: Vladimir Putin, Revealed.
Many would argue that Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, is moving the country away from democracy and back toward authoritarian rule. Putin has supported the Al-Assad regime in Syria, despite evidence of mass human rights violations. He has also supported Iran by blocking UN Security Council resolutions aimed at crippling Iran's nuclear program.
Our guest on this edition of The Doug Noll Show, Jennifer Ciotta, explains what makes Vladimir Putin tick. Jennifer is the author of I, Putin, which won Honorable Mentions at the New York Book Festival & Hollywood Book Festival, 2012. She was a Peace Corps volunteer in the former Soviet republic of Estonia for two years and holds a Master’s degree in creative writing and Russian studies from the Gallatin School at New York University.
Jennifer’s interest in Russia started in 2000 when she graduated from college and went into the Peace Corp in Estonia. After the tragic Kursk explosion in August of 2000 and Russia’s decision not to accept rescue offers from neighboring countries, Jennifer wanted to find out why Putin reacted the way he did.
Segment 2: The Kursk: A Defining Moment.
In Jennifer’s book, I, Putin, we find out that Putin is a Judo black belt. Judo shaped him tremendously as an individual and he is mentally, physically and spiritually tough. The Kursk explosion was Putin’s first defining moment, as he had only been in power for three months and the event transpired before the Moscow Theater Siege in 2002 and the Chechen Hostage tragedy in 2004. When the explosion happened we saw him take control of the media and reveal his strength as a leader. Jennifer tells us that to really understand Russia we need to know that they view democracy differently than we view democracy. They want a strong, authoritarian leader and Putin is that person.
Segment 3: Putin’s Image.
Jennifer believes Pussy Riot, the Russian feminist punk rock band from Moscow, made a very disrespectful demonstration choice but the 2-year sentence to a penal colony was severe and extreme. Russia still doesn’t have “free speech” in the same sense that we have it in the United States. This is a society that values control and order over more liberal civil rights. It’s Putin’s Russia. He does not care what the West thinks about him, but he does care about his image in Russia.
Syrian ties to Russia and the Soviet Union go back a long time. Jennifer says Russia has a deep vested interest in Syria for five reasons: lucrative arms sales, deep-water ports for naval influence, fears of Syrian destabilization, Russian’s natural resource interest, and Putin’s view of sovereignty (each country has authority over itself).
Segment 4: Putin’s Real Motivation: Oil and Money.
The current foreign policy in Russia is basically “do what you want, don’t bother us and we won’t bother you.” Putin’s definition of sovereignty might be old school but what really motivates him is oil and money. When Putin started in 2000, oil was $27 a barrel, today it is $94 a barrel. If that price drops, the economic and political situation will not be a pretty for Putin.
To listen to the complete interview:
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Segment 1: Education for a Peace-Full Culture.
On this edition of The Doug Noll Show our guest is Jacqueline Haessly, founder of Peacemaking Associates and author of Peacemaking: Family Activities for Justice and Peace, Vols. 1 and 2. Within her peacemaking practice Jacqueline educations and empowers people of all ages to value, image, and act to preserve a culture of peace in all arenas of human endeavor. She has a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies from The Union Institute and University and offers presentations and workshops on Peacemaking for Families; Imaging Peace; Transformational Leadership; Weaving a Culture of Peace; Franciscan Values and the Art of Peacemaking.
Jacqueline’s peacemaking journey began in 1971, at the height of the Vietnam War, when she was involved with an anti-war peace education committee through the Quaker Friends. She quickly realized she not only wanted to be anti-war, but also wanted to promote a peaceful culture.
Segment 2: Peace, Defined.
Jacqueline believes that peace begins with the fundamental relationships between people. She educates people on how to foster better relationships, especially with children. She says the secret is to start by creating an affirming and cooperative and respectful environment.
Jacqueline defines peace as a presence: a peaceful relationship with ourselves, with each other, across nations and regions, with all of creation and a higher power.
Segment 3: Competition.
So how do we help kids navigate a world where competition is everything? Jacqueline is consistently impressed with the number of school kids making a real effort to reduce violence. She finds children are often the ones taking a leadership role in creating safe havens for their classmates and communities.
Doug points out that we need to balance the desire to live with the value of peace against the need to protect ourselves from exploitation. In tai chi they teach you: the softer you are, the stronger you are, the more vulnerable you are, the more powerful you are.
Segment 4: The Critical Thinking Link.
Within the last few decades we have stopped investing in critical thinking education in our schools, so we have an entire generation who use ideology in place of critical thinking. Kids need to be taught how to have discernment and weigh out different options before making decisions.
To listen to the complete interview: