From Exposure to Collective Courage with Jessica Roland - Walk Talk Listen (Episode 230)

In this episode of Walk Talk Listen, I speak with Jessica Roland, Senior Specialist for Inclusive Peace at the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, where she advances the leadership of women, youth, and marginalized groups through advocacy, training, and mediation work, and serves as Co-Chair of the Gender Working Group of the Multi-Faith Advisory Council to the UN. Growing up in a small town in North Carolina, Jessica’s worldview was shaped by limited exposure until one opportunity to travel abroad opened a completely different path toward international peacebuilding. Her journey is a powerful reminder of how exposure shapes understanding, and how it can transform the way we engage with the world. We explore how younger generations are shifting away from institutional religion toward lived values, seeking authenticity, inclusion, and meaningful engagement. Jessica reflects on her work across women, peace, and security, and the importance of inclusive leadership in peace processes, while also naming the growing challenge of polarization and the loss of real dialogue. What stands out is her reframing of courage, not as something individual, but as something collective. Through partnership, empathy, and self-awareness, she reminds us that building peace depends not only on what we do, but on who we choose to become. Listener Engagement:

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• Learn more about Jessica via her LinkedIn and Instagram. Also check out her organization's related website, link here. Her company also has Facebook.
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