by John Whitehead — The new year of 2026 has brought a dramatic escalation in the conflict between the United States and Venezuela. The US military attacked Venezuela  on January 3, capturing the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife. This US military intervention comes after months of growing American pressure on Venezuela. The US military has greatly increased its presence in the region around Venezuela and has imposed a blockade  on the passage of sanctioned oi

by John Whitehead — A group of activists known as a Meta Peace Team  (MPT) traveled to the West Bank this autumn. These activists are committed to “creating a nonviolent alternative to militarism.” During their West Bank work, the MPT collaborated with the Palestinian-led International Solidarity Movement  (ISM).   The MPT and ISM’s joint mission includes “participating in Palestinian-led demonstrations, creatively disrupting activity by the Israeli occupation forces, [and] a

by John Whitehead —   Nuclear war is the greatest catastrophe that could befall life on this planet. Nuclear war would mean death on an unparalleled scale and the likely end of human civilization.  Today, in 2025, the danger of nuclear war is greater than it has been in decades. We are living through a period of nuclear danger comparable to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 or the extreme Cold War tensions of the 1980s.  We see the danger of nuclear war in the ongoing war in U

by John Whitehead — A group of activists known as a Meta Peace Team (MPT) traveled to the West Bank this autumn. These activists are committed to “creating a nonviolent alternative to militarism.” During their West Bank work, the MPT is collaborating with the Palestinian-led International Solidarity Movement (ISM).   The MPT and ISM’s joint mission includes “participating in Palestinian-led demonstrations, creatively disrupting activity by the Israeli occupation forces, [an

by John Whitehead — While we can hope the Gaza ceasefire agreement brings an end to the war there, Israeli injustices and acts of violence against Palestinians are far from over. Gaza has understandably received the most attention recently, but abuses against Palestinians are also being perpetrated in the West Bank. Along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, the West Bank has been under varying degrees of Israeli control since 1967. Some parts of the West Bank are ruled by the Pales

by John Whitehead — The recent summit meetings between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and between Trump...

by John Whitehead — Cover photo of Zapotec women from the D.P. Fry photo collection — Consistent Life Ethic activism requires paying...

by John Whitehead — A new eruption of violence has been shaking the Middle East this week, as Israel has begun bombing Iran, and Iran has...

by John Whitehead — The US Congress is currently considering a budget bill that, despite being dubbed “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” will do...

by John Whitehead — Although the Ukraine-Russia war and the Gaza war have dominated the news, other countries have been suffering violent...

by John Whitehead — The violence in the Middle East sparked on October 7, 2023, has now continued for a year and shows little sign of...

by John Whitehead — Although the war between Ukraine and Russia has dominated the news, other countries have been suffering through their...

by John Whitehead — Russian President Vladimir Putin may be interested in pursuing a cease-fire in the Ukraine war, Reuters reported in...

by John Whitehead — More than seven months after the October 7 terrorist attacks, the Israeli war in Gaza grinds on, with no clear end in...

by John Whitehead — Among the threats to human life, nuclear weapons and climate change pose dangers that set them apart from many...

by John Whitehead — The International Court of Justice made a significant ruling on the Gaza war earlier this year. The ruling was in...

by John Whitehead — The Russian invasion of Ukraine has now entered its third year. The war currently seems to be a stalemate. However,...

by John Whitehead — The Gaza War has taken a terrible human toll within Israel and Palestine while also threatening to escalate into a...

by John Whitehead — Although the Ukraine-Russia war and the Gaza war have dominated the news, other countries have been suffering violent...

by John Whitehead — I have periodically written about violent conflicts that are generally overlooked in the United States. In 2023, I...