Why Do We Want Ceasefires?

A 7th-Century Roman-Arab Conflict Shows the Power of Enduring Peace Treaties Over Temporary Truces

Why do we want a ceasefire?

This question is in the news as a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, but the question is actually ancient. It reminds me, a historian of ancient Rome, of the 7th-century emperor Justinian II, and of some very old but still relevant concerns about whether ceasefires are worth pursuing.

Romans and others in the ancient world distinguished between a peace treaty and a truce, what we now call a ceasefire. Truces paused fighting, often for a specified period of time and sometimes following concessions by one …

by Edward Watts | November 29, 2023

A Playwright’s ‘Wait … What?’ Approach to Difficult History

Mining Shock and Disbelief to Connect Audiences With the Past, Present, and One Another

by Michelle Kholos Brooks | November 13, 2023

I’m often identified as someone who writes “issues” plays, but I’m less high-minded about my subject matter than I should probably admit. Generally, I don’t decide to write a play …

Environmental Activist and Hip-Hop Artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (Xochimilco)

Kendrick Lamar Would Appreciate My Grandmother’s Chilaquiles

November 3, 2023

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (Xochimilco), or X, is an advocate, activist, and hip-hop artist. Recently named one of Time magazine’s Next 100, X been an activist since the age of 6. Before …

On Being’s Krista Tippett

The Word ‘Civil’ Remains So Fraught

November 3, 2023

Krista Tippett is a Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, a National Humanities Medalist, and a New York Times-bestselling author. After studying theology at Yale Divinity School, she launched the weekly public radio …

L.A. LGBT Center’s Phillip Picardi

I Let Passion Rule My Life

November 3, 2023

Phillip Picardi is the chief marketing and communications officer at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. His previous work in media includes digital editorial director at Teen Vogue, founder of them, …

The Foundation for a Shared Tomorrow Is Built on Hard Truths

Panelists for ‘How Does Confronting Our History Build a Better Future?’ Help Us Imagine How to Pave a Hospitable Path Forward

by Talib Jabbar | October 31, 2023

Confronting America’s history is like fixing or maintaining an old home: acknowledging the parts that are in disrepair, and those that are rotten to the core. This is the metaphor …

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