Violence is often regarded as an unavoidable fact of life.
The truth however is far more hopeful: violence is a disease that can be cured.
Using a bold new approach,
Epidemiologist and violence prevention specialist Dr. Gary Slutkin is reclassifying violence as a a disease:
One that enters the brain and infects people, communities, and countries via the same process as other epidemics.
Gary makes a compelling research-backed case that when:
These are not just tragedies,
but disease outbreaks that can (and must) be interrupted and contained.
As a leading epidemiologist, Dr. Slutkin led teams to end epidemics of cholera and tuberculosis, then HIV/ AIDS in Africa and Asia with the World Health Organization.
Upon returning to the US, he began to discover the invisible science of violence—and how to contain it using the very same epidemic control methods.
Today, we will dive deep into the insights he’s gained over the years,
a time-tested roadmap for recovery,
And the playbook that has been used to dramatically reduce or eliminate violence in many of the most dangerous neighborhoods throughout the US and Latin America.
It’s a playbook that has also been successfully adapted to curtail political violence, election violence, and gender-based violence in countries around the world.
Whether it’s domestic violence, mass shootings, state tyranny, or war
Gary argues that these are all syndromes of the exact same disease,
And that they all require the same interventions.
More importantly, he reminds us that we already have the tools to protect ourselves,
heal our communities,
and end violence in our lifetime.
It is now up to us to use them.
For more on Dr. Slutkin, his powerful new book: The End of Violence: Eliminating the World’s Most Dangerous Epidemic, as well as other resources and offerings. Please visit: garyslutkin.com
Enjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Did you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:
Thanks for listening!
