Show Notes – LYNC RADIO: Healing Trauma, Building Peace, and Embracing Diversity

🎙️ Episode Summary:

In this episode of LYNC RADIO, host Jessica Eturralde explores three powerful stories of faith in action:

✅ Trauma healing in Ukraine – equipping Sunday school teachers to support children affected by war.

✅ A call for peace from Doha – Dr. Janna Scott on the role of faith in peacemaking at the Doha Interfaith Conference.

✅ Dealing with diversity differently – Dr. Dennis Hoover’s insights on Covenantal Pluralism at Gordon College’s Franz Lecture Series.

🔹 Segment 1: Trauma Healing in Ukraine

LYNC’s Trauma Healing Program is making a difference for Ukrainian children and families affected by war.
Project Manager Oksana Vlasnova traveled from Germany to launch LYNC’s first trauma-care training for Sunday school teachers.
Led by licensed therapists, the program provides psychological support and will culminate in official "Children and War" certificates this September.
Educators are learning new methods to help children process trauma—ensuring long-term healing beyond the classroom.

🔹 Segment 2: A Call for Peace from Doha

The Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue Conference explored the role of religions in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. The second annual Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue conference took place last month in Doha, Qatar.

On February 18-20 the event, titled "From Religious Freedom to Religious Responsibility: Peacemaking in a Destabilized World," was held under the patronage of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and in collaboration with the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network (MFNN).

Dr. Janna Scott, CEO of the American Center for Religious Freedom, spoke on faith’s role in leadership and reconciliation.
She laid out eight core principles for sustainable peace and emphasized cross-religious collaboration as key to stability.
Dr. Scott urged government leaders, grassroots communities, and faith leaders to legislate, practice, and preach peace.

🔹 Segment 3: Dealing with Diversity Differently

At Gordon College’s Franz Lecture Series, Dr. Dennis Hoover introduced the concept of Covenantal Pluralism.

The Franz Lecture Series run by the Center for Faith & Inquiry, at Gordon College, was established in 1992 and named after historian David Franz. The annual lecture features a keynote speaker and this year, LYNC Senior Fellow Dr. Dennis Hoover, who is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Global Engagement delivered this year’s special lesson on March 4th.

His talk, "Dealing with Diversity Differently: A Case for Covenantal Pluralism," tackled an increasingly pressing global challenge: navigating deep religious diversity.

Dr. Hoover introduced covenantal pluralism—which emphasizes religious freedom, cross-cultural religious literacy, and character virtues like humility and reciprocity as essential to fostering mutual respect and cooperation.

This engagement model promotes religious freedom, character development, and cross-cultural religious literacy.
Dr. Hoover explained why “covenantal” is crucial—it represents a lasting commitment to cooperation across differences.
Using global data, he showed that successful pluralism is possible, citing Senegal, Albania, and Gambia as examples.
His key message: Loving one’s neighbor, even across deep theological divides, strengthens social cohesion and religious freedom.

📢 Links & Resources:

🔗 Watch Dr. Dennis Hoover’s full lecture on Gordon College’s YouTube channel.

🔗 Read Dr. Janna Scott’s blog on faith & peacemaking: https://lyncommunity.org/blog/the-spiritual-call-to-action-faith-leadership-and-the-pursuit-of-peace/

💡 Final Thought:

Faith should not just inspire—it should move us toward action. Join LYNC in building bridges, fostering peace, and healing communities.

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LYNC interviews our Trauma Healing Project Manager in Ukraine, Faith-Based Peacemaking from Doha, and Rethinking Diversity with Dr. Dennis Hoover