3. Peace Reimagined

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, one man declared the use of weapons to defend his nation as morally wrong. He faces years in prison for his views. He’s a pacifist, and believes that war is not justified under any means - a view Matthew Syed’s own grandfather held in the Second World War.

In this final episode of Chasing Peace, a special three-part mini series of Sideways, Matthew Syed scrutinises the arguments of people who are radically committed to non-violent solutions to conflict.

Persuading fellow young Palestinians that there’s a peaceful solution to the Israel-Gaza conflict is a daily, monumental challenge for Palestinian peacebuilder Wasim Almasri. Within his community, it's almost transgressive to consistently advocate a non-violent way forward - and he can understand why. He discusses a pioneering project he trialled that used AI to enable anonymous digital dialogues to help both sides find common ground.

Matthew contemplates whether there’s any possibility of clinging on to the idea of peace - when it feels like the most impossible option.

With Ukrainian conscientious objector and Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, Yurii Sheliazhenko; Rachel Julian, Professor of Peace Studies at Leeds Beckett University; third-generation Palestinian refugee and Director of Programmes of the Alliance for Middle East Peace, Wasim Almasri; and Lisa Schirch, Professor of the Practice of Technology and Peacebuilding at the University of Notre Dame.

Presenter: Matthew Syed Producer: Vishva Samani Editor: Hannah Marshall Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson Theme music by Ioana Selaru A Novel production for BBC Radio 4