Former diplomat Karen Volker shares a blueprint for peace in a divided world
BY California Stories Staff – Giselle Fernandez
PUBLISHED 5:00 AM PT Jun. 29, 2026
Karen Volker’s journey to becoming a global peacebuilder is the focus of this episode of “California Stories with Giselle Fernandez.”
The California native and former diplomat has spent decades working in some of the world’s most challenging conflict zones, from Honduras and Iraq to the Middle East and beyond.
As the first woman to lead the United Religions Initiative, Volker now works with communities in more than 100 countries to use dialogue, faith, and cooperation as tools to prevent violence. She explains that bringing people with different backgrounds together creates new ways to solve problems and rebuild trust.
“When people work together across faiths or across differences, they can tackle problems that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to attack,” she said.
Throughout the conversation, Volker shares examples of how peace can be built through individual transformation and community action.
She describes a moment in Honduras when a social worker stopped a cycle of violence in his own family after recognizing his instinct to respond with harm and choosing instead to show compassion.
She also highlights cooperation circles around the world, including efforts among Palestinians, Israelis, and communities affected by disasters, where relationships across faiths have helped people respond to trauma and conflict. Her approach is rooted in the belief that violence is not an unstoppable force, but a behavior that can be interrupted.
“We don’t have to go into a society and make wholesale change,” she said. “It’s one individual at a time.”
Volker also discusses how her work applies to the United States, where she warns that divisive rhetoric and dehumanizing language can create conditions where violence becomes easier to justify. She argues that everyday people, faith leaders and community members all have a role in challenging hate and creating a culture of dignity and respect.
Despite witnessing war, extremism and deep divisions, Volker remains committed to hope, saying that peace requires action rather than resignation.
“If we don’t, if we give up, then we’re basically allowing it to happen,” she said. “And that’s not who I am.”