Explore every episode of the podcast Smallest Truths

What does authentic, long-lasting peace look like when greater powers are imposing so-called peace agreements? In this third episode of "Smallest Truths," Lynn Zovighian wraps up an intense conversation with Nadine Maenza, global advocate for freedom of belief and former Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Together, they expose how imposed agreements risk being unauthentic and short-lived, and how communities can reclaim ownership through collaboration and resilience. They show how the smallest truths hold power to account — and why authentic peace must come from those who live it.

This third conversation leaves us with a pressing question: If accountability begins with the smallest truths, how can they be amplified into the building blocks of enduring peace?

How can atrocity survivors and their allies cut through Washington D.C.’s short-term political cycles to be heard? Zovighian Public Office (ZPO) founder Lynn Zovighian and former Chair of USCIRF Nadine Maenza unpack the clash between survivor truths, U.S. diplomacy, and the lobbying of perpetrators — asking why justice in diplomacy and law remains so dangerously slow.

They expose the two-way road between survivors and Washington: a system wired for speed and political wins, where atrocity truths risk being undervalued – or worse, ignored – and where civil society must compete with perpetrators’ powerful lobbying machines to make evidence count.

This second of three conversations continues the series with a critical question: When the crimes and perpetrators are so clear, why does justice in diplomacy and international law remain so dangerously slow?

What does it mean to “do no harm” when telling the truths of survivors? In this inaugural episode of “Smallest Truths,” Zovighian Public Office (ZPO) founder Lynn Zovighian speaks with Nadine Maenza, former Chair of USCIRF, about serving communities facing religious freedom violations and risks.

Together, they explore the fragile balance between advocacy and safety: when silence protects communities, and when silence hurts them. They discuss the power of independence in humanitarian diplomacy, the ethics of survivor trust, and how the smallest truths can shift power from perpetrators to survivors.