After years of studying war-torn communities, anthropologist Maggie Paxson had had enough. She wanted to see what she could learn about a place that specialized in peace. A family connection to Le Chambon and its World War II rescue operation b

BONUS: 'The Plague' and the plateau

Apr 14th, 2020 25m 58s

Albert Camus spent part of World War II living just two miles from Le Chambon, the tiny French village at the heart of a remarkable nonviolent resistance and rescue operation. Drawing inspiration from what he saw, Camus went on to write “The Pl

BONUS: The only way out of Libya is by sea

Mar 5th, 2020 23m 8s

As governments fail to meet basic humanitarian requirements, rescue organizations have had to take life-saving action on the frontlines of the European migrant crisis. In this special bonus episode of “City of Refuge,” we hear from Sea-Watch sp

Part 10: The key is never to turn away

Dec 17th, 2019 40m 2s

Armies may have ultimately defeated Hitler, but nonviolent rescuers, like those in Le Chambon, were often the only people to effectively resist the Nazi’s genocidal agenda. What lessons can we carry forward today?For show credits, a list of so

Part 9: I cannot accept such an award

Dec 10th, 2019 41m 45s

After the war, the Trocmés wrote and spoke about the rescue operation in Le Chambon often, yet the tale eluded widespread attention for decades. This is the story of the story — how the plateau’s nonviolent resistance came to be recognized and

Part 8: Why didn’t you destroy us?

Dec 3rd, 2019 40m 12s

As the war came to an end, André Trocmé took on the unpopular task of ministering to German POW soldiers and engaging in reconciliation efforts to prevent further death and destruction. Through this process he came to find out why the Nazis did

Part 7: These coming tests will tell us who we are

Nov 26th, 2019 36m 11s

As Germany began to lose the war, France’s armed resistance movement swelled in ranks, threatening not just the Nazis but also the nonviolent spirit of Le Chambon and the refugee haven the area had become. Facing pressure from all sides, André

Part 6: That’s it, I’m under arrest!

Nov 19th, 2019 27m 23s

For the first couple years of the war, Le Chambon was able to protect itself and the refugees it was sheltering from roundups and other reprisals. But in 1943, the dangerous work of resisting Nazism finally caught up with the people on the plat

Part 5: Are you hiding any Jews?

Nov 12th, 2019 35m 50s

As Le Chambon’s refugee population increased, so too did unsettling visits to the community by Vichy police. Meanwhile, raids and roundups were becoming a growing threat throughout unoccupied France. All this meant that escape to Switzerland be

Part 4: She loved me enough to let me go

Nov 5th, 2019 36m 9s

Who were the refugees that came be sheltered in Le Chambon and its surrounding communities, and how did they get there? Hear from a few of the people who managed to escape persecution and imprisonment to arrive in a real life city of refuge.Fo

Part 3: We could not be brainwashed

Oct 29th, 2019 39m 51s

Magda and André Trocmé immersed themselves in struggles against militarism and fascism throughout the 1930’s, but chance brought them to the village of Le Chambon — a place steeped in its own history of resistance. There, they launched a progre

Part 2: A fight against the traditional

Oct 22nd, 2019 30m 28s

Born into wealthy families, Magda and André Trocmé weren’t raised to resist authority. Events both personal and historical caused them to cast off their privilege and choose unconventional life paths, ultimately leading them to their crucial ro

Part 1: We will do our best to hide them

Oct 15th, 2019 31m 25s

Refugees are fleeing, hate groups are rising, the far-right is winning elections around the world. Those who want to do something about it are going to need a model for resistance. And there may be none better than the story of a small French c

Trailer

TRAILER: City of Refuge

Oct 8th, 2019 3m 19s

A 10-part podcast series from Waging Nonviolence that explores a little-known World War II rescue story, showing what happens when ordinary people refuse to ignore the horrors that surround them. New episodes every Tuesday starting October 15.

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