From CIA Exposé to Global Peace Maker with John Marks

The Mind Takeaway Podcast

In this episode of The Mind Takeaway Podcast, we sit down with John Marks, a renowned peacebuilder, social entrepreneur, and former US diplomat. With a decades-long career, John shares his transformative journey from exposing abuses within the CIA to becoming a global peacemaker. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of scaling a non-profit organisation, Search for Common Ground, from a small team to 600 staff across 35 countries and the vital role of collaboration and adaptability in conflict resolution.

We delve into the complexities of social entrepreneurship, exploring the hurdles of securing long-term funding and the internal bureaucratic challenges growing organisations face. John provides insights into his unique conflict resolution approach, emphasising media engagement and societal-level impact, and shares lessons from his extensive experience mentoring emerging social entrepreneurs.

The conversation also touches on the impact of stress and burnout in the non-profit sector, with John offering a unique perspective on managing these challenges through the principles of Aikido. We also explore his work in media production, including creating impactful programming such as "Under the Same Sun," a film promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

This conversation highlights the power of optimism, collaboration, and the continuous search for common ground in a world often marked by division and conflict.

00:00 John Marks' life work has been all about transforming how countries deal with conflict

03:43 You went from zero to 600 staff in what, 35 countries

08:40 There are lots of challenging and challenges in social entrepreneurship

13:21 Why did John write another book?

24:25 You produced a film about Israel and Palestine

30:43 There was cooperation between the CIA and the Soviet Union on terrorism

41:15 Every conflict can be an opportunity to learn from and grow from

42:29 There does tend to be a lot of burnout in the social activist area

47:34 I think what worked for you is flexible collaborating, not rigid planning

52:13 It's difficult in social entrepreneurship to fail even once