Author.
Activist.
Peacemaker.

Diana Oestreich Author Activist Peacemaker

Waging Peace : committing acts of courage by instigating Justice, Joy and Storytelling

Diana’s story of waging peace

Diana Oestreich, a combat medic in the Army National Guard, enlisted like both her parents before her. But when she was commanded to run over an Iraqi child to keep her convoy rolling and keep her battle buddies safe, she was confronted with a choice she never thought she'd have to make.

Torn between God's call to love her enemy and her country's command to be willing to kill, Diana chose to wage peace in a place of war. For the remainder of her tour of duty, Diana sought to be a peacemaker--leading to an unlikely and beautiful friendship with an Iraqi family.

A beautiful and gut-wrenching memoir, Waging Peace exposes the false divide between loving our country and living out our faith's call to love our enemies--whether we perceive our enemy as the neighbor with an opposing political viewpoint, the clerk wearing a head-covering, or the refugee from a war-torn country. By showing that us-versus-them is a false choice, this book will inspire each of us to choose love over fear.

Bright yellow podcast cover featuring an illustration of a woman with curly hair wearing a blue jacket, reaching upward with her index finger, with text 'The WAGING DEBATE with Diana of Estreich' in large white letters and a pink heart containing 'ORIGINAL PODCAST' in white.

The Waging Peace Podcast with Diana Oestreich

A podcast that hosts hopeful conversations with peacemakers and world-changers about making our communities more just, more equal, and more connected—and how you can get involved and make a difference.

Imagine turning a sword into a plough?

A collection of hand tools arranged on a wooden surface, including a hammer with a wooden handle, a trowel, a putty knife, a small chisel, and a firearm slide, with four metal heart-shaped rings placed among the tools.

Donate a gun, get a garden tool!

transforming guns into garden tools, art, & jewelry.

A group of five smiling people posing together in an indoor setting, with two women and three men. The woman in the front has curly hair, and the man in the middle has a gray beard and glasses. The man on the right has short gray hair and a beard. The background shows a wall with various decorations and a doorway.

blacksmithing demonstrations

Where have we been Waging peace?

Diana’s Speaking Engagements

Diana is known for telling a larger than life story, her ability to speak hard truths in a whimsical way, while giving clear action steps to showing up and loving your neighbor.