Moral Courage with Diane Foley, mother of executed journalist James Foley

This episode features Diane Foley, mother of journalist James Foley, who was kidnapped and killed by ISIS. Diane recounts her son's abduction in Syria in 2012 and his tragic murder in 2014 through a video circulated online. Despite the horror of her experience, Diane found the moral courage to meet Alexander Cote, one of her son's captors, after he pleaded guilty to all charges. She emphasizes how this encounter was driven by her desire to honor Jim’s legacy and share his humanity, explaining that their conversations revealed a nuanced understanding of remorse and justification tied to complex issues of war.

Diane discusses her motivations behind founding the Foley Foundation, which aims to help victims of kidnapping and inspire moral courage in others. The conversation highlights the essential role of listening, empathy, and recognizing shared humanity, especially in a polarized world where moral courage seems to be in decline. Diane reflects on the emotional challenges of grief and the pursuit of understanding even in the face of profound loss. Through her experiences, she argues that moral courage, in its purest form, is about uniting and understanding one another, even when we drastically disagree.