We start off the 2025 Wrap Up with the song by Yusuf/Cat Stevens “Peace Train” which is a hopeful anthem from 1971 calling for global unity, understanding, and an end to conflict, using the metaphor of a communal journey where everyone boards a train towards peace, leaving hate behind for a better world where love and compassion prevail. Written during the Vietnam War era, it is a call for people to join together, get on the “Peace Train,” and move towards a blissful, unified existence, a message that remains relevant for global hope and relief efforts.
So here we are 54 years after the song was written, and Buddhist monks are on a cross-country ‘Walk for Peace” from Texas to Washington DC expressing the same sentiment of Peace Train. Their mission is to promote peace, loving kindness and compassion through quiet presence, mindfulness and simplicity. They are encouraging people to find inner peace, to create a more unified world. Their aim is to foster unity and inspire hope. The monks from the Huong Dao Vispassana Bhavana Center began their 2,300 mile walk on Oct. 26 from Fort Worth, Texas. Their dog Aloka, who started following them on a Peace Walk in India and has been with them ever since, is accompanying them. The group has been walking for more than 60 days and still have nearly two months remaining before reaching Washington, D.C. The goal of the journey is to encourage individuals and communities to cultivate peace within themselves as a step toward peace in the wider world. What do we all want in the coming year? We want peace, stability, and an end to the chaos that is engulfing our nation.
2025 was not an easy year, political tension shaped nearly every conversation—from climate and public health to food systems and education. Everything is political: the environment is political, health is political, and justice is political. There were many heroes and villains, as tensions were constantly on the rise and the chaos never stopped. People are numb, but millions have stood up to the violence and abuse of power. There were numerous No Kings rallies in all 50 states, individual citizens continue to stand up to ICE, and communities have banded together by using whistles and apps to help their immigrant neighbors stay out of harms way from masked Federal agents who rip them from their homes, jobs, and workplace without due process. A vast majority of clergy members are standing up and protecting their congregants and those seeking refuge. I give a big shout out to the Frogs, Chickens, Pandas and Unicorns who stood on the front lines to stop the unimaginable violence. Various organizations stood up and fought back via legal actions and education, particularly the ACLU, Earthjustice, Union of Concerned Scientists, Democracy Docket, Civ.works and so many more. There are many heroes who have come forward, and we all know who the villains are. If 2025 taught us anything, it’s this: policy without enforcement isn’t enough, local action matters, science and public awareness are finally aligning and hope isn’t passive—it must be practiced. In a divided year, community—both offline and through shared culture—became a quiet form of resistance. Heroes rose from unexpected places, and we all became a band of brothers and sisters, and the Monks marching for peace are giving us hope that maybe goodness will prevail in 2026. So as 2025 comes to a close lets all ride the peace train and continue to act and resist! Future generations depend on what we do in this moment. So it was my pleasure to have The Many Shades of Green team on the 2025 wrap show to talk about this chaotic year and what our hopes are for 2026. George Polisner, Charlotte Ghiorse https://www.houseofchoclet.com/, Rusti/Paula Wolintz, Malcolm Burman and Neil Richter gave us great info and opinions about 2025 and what we can expect in 2026.
For more information go to https://civ.works/ To help defend democracy please donate if you can to help lawyers defend our constitution by going to https://www.aclu.org/ https://www.brennancenter.org/
To help protect the environment visit and please donate to https://earthjustice.org Help save a forest by going to https://www.preservebuttonhook.org/
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A Special shout out to Neil Richter for all of his help and engineering wizardry in getting TMSOG up and running each week.