Dan Terry did things that are unbelievable in many Western eyes - being welcomed among diverse peoples of Afghanistan, including some among the Taliban. After a life of aid, friendship, and living on the edge in the region, Dan was killed in 2010, and his story and stories are captured in Making Friends Among the Taliban: A Peacemaker's Journey in Afghanistan, written by Jonathan P. Larson.
Laura Melvin retired after 10 years as a Florida circuit court judge, and the spirit of one of the young girls whose death came through Laura's courtroom required her to write Public Secrets & Justice: A Journal of a Circuit Court Judge. Laura stayed on the bench as long as she could and left when the pain & contradictions were no longer tolerable. What is the role of an open-hearted, conscientious, judge in the American court system? Laura shares her experiences & insights.
Judy Wicks is author of Good Morning, Beautiful Business: The Unexpected Journey of an Activist Entrepreneur and Local-Economy Pioneer and was owner of the White Dog Cafe in Philly for almost 30 years, pioneering business that was engaged, transformational, community-building, fun, and successful. On the cutting edge of local food, organic, humane, politically-involved, food & business.
Jeremy Gragert tackles the climate/environment crisis at home by working on the ways we travel, including his activism with the Chippewa Valley Transit Alliance, Eau Claire Climate Action Now, and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin (WisconsinBikeFed.org). Whether on a bus, a bike, or in the cooperative household in which he lives, Jeremy lives consciously, making a difference.
Music Featured:
Pushbike Song - Mungo Jerry
Global Warming - Niyorah Olivacce
David Wilcox is a musician, a poet, and a spiritual seeker. As he says, "Music is sacred ground and it shouldn't be reduced to that kind of simplified demographic target-marketing." This is music aimed at the heights & depths, no skimming the surface, so be ready for a ride! Along the way, David lived in Hanger Hall, founded by Howard Hanger.
K. M Rukshan (Ruki) Fernando is chair of Rights Now, a collective of human rights defenders in Sri Lanka, monitoring & documenting human rights violations of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. Ruki received the Justice & Peace Award from the Bishop Tji Hak Soon Foundation in Korea in 2009, and he works as a columnist on firsthand human rights, justice and peace issues for online citizen journals, newspapers & religious publications. And much more....
Patrice Haan has been part of the leadership of the Bay Area Folk Harp Society, producing music with an instrument wonderfully compatible with her voice & lyrics. She has 2 CDs on her own, and another 2 as part of the duet Leftover Dreams. Whether she's singing the water-infused songs of her own pen, sharing healing in hospitals with Healing Muses or performing the jazz/torch song music of Leftover Dreams, there's loads of heart & Spirit to bask in.
David Roth is great! Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary) said, and we agree, "David has reached our hearts. With voices like his still singing, there's a certainty that the candle will remain lit, the hope reasserted and the dream still sung...". His music is tender, classic, insightful, personal, and sometimes funny.
Susan Silberstein is author of Kitchen Chemotherapy and a number of other books & publications, and she is the founder & educational director of the Center for Advancement in Cancer Education (beatcancer.org). With a young husband who died of cancer, Susan has dedicated 3+ decades to gathering information and educating about the causes of cancer, and the power individuals have to provide for their own health, including notably diet and other behavioral factors.
Joanne Rand melds elements of folk/rock/country/classical and more in her songs, all of them infused with a root-deep connection to nature, peace, and roving ways. A lover of trees, whales, peace, and her Georgia-based family, she uses her music to connect all.