90. Human Dignity: The Bedrock of Cultures of Peace // Brett Scharffs
In this episode, I interview Professor Brett Scharffs, the director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU. His extensive bio is found here. He joins the show fresh from speaking at the UN Human Rights Council — where he was invited to evaluate a landmark unanimous resolution on building cultures of peace. His central argument is that human dignity is the bedrock beneath all of it — the universal concept that makes human rights, religious freedom, and peaceful pluralism possible across wildly different cultures and ideologies. Brett is one of the most thoughtful guests we've ever had on the show, and I loved learning from him.
Transcript for this episode.
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Timestamps:
00:00 — Introduction: The UN resolution on cultures of peace and how Brett got involved
03:30 — How Brett's work in religious freedom led him to human dignity as a universal bridge-building concept
05:40 — Defining peacemaking — Brett's perspective alongside definitions from previous guests
07:49 — The UN Human Rights Council resolution on cultures of peace explained
10:31 — The Punta del Este Declaration, Eleanor Roosevelt, and how human dignity made the UDHR possible
23:33 — AI through the lens of human dignity: dignity-enhancing vs. dignity-degrading uses of technology
29:52 — The components of a culture of peace: virtues of the head, heart, and hand
42:01 — What kills cultures of peace — and the leaders who don't want it
53:37 — Why secular institutions overlook religious actors in peacemaking (and why that's a mistake)
1:04:11 — Brett's closing thoughts: none of us are powerless, and where his hope comes from
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