As a dual citizen of Iraq and the USA, resident for 20 years of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, Sami Rasouli brings a special perspective to his work with the Muslim Peacemaker Teams.
Sami spoke at Eau Claire area schools, including UW-EC, on March 31, 2008, and in a personal interview with Northern Spirit Radio.
This was part of a 2-month tour across the USA to bring on-the-ground news to the American people. The speech at UW-Eau Claire was sponsored by Staff and Faculty for Peace and Justice and the midwest tour was assisted by Mike Miles of Anathoth Community Farm.
Missionary doing holistic development in Rwanda? To a lot of folks almost any other destination might have seemed preferable to God's call for Debby & David Thomas to become missionaries in Rwanda just after the genocide of1994.
But they obeyed, and both have found profound work in the course of their 10 years there, Debby with a call to energy alternatives, sustainable agriculture and transformational development.
Debby & David Thomas are supported by Evangelical Friends Mission and are from Northwest Yearly Meeting.
Chris Pfeiffer is a singer/songwriter from Southern Texas who found his career as a songwriter for the country music market interrupted by a spiritual awakening to the universal presence and blessing of God.
John Ikerd was the keynote speaker for the 2008 Midwest Value Added Agriculture conference, held in Eau Claire. Agricultural economics is his field, and his work with with sustainable agriculture and the move toward localization of food. The conference is hosted annually by River Country Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc.
David Rovics is a singer/songwriter with a cause - actually many of them. His music takes him wherever there are listeners for his activist selection, with concern for peace, social justice and much, much more.
David Rovics is a perpetual activist energy machine with his music, calling attention to the problems that need addressing and recognizing the successes of those working for social justice. He tours extensively in the US and Europe, and occasionally to the Middle East and beyond.
All the songs in this Spirit In Action program are by David Rovics:
New Orleans
Halliburton Boardroom Massacre
St. Patrick Battalion
Waiting for the Fall
Jenin
Song for Cindy Sheehan
Battle of Blair Mountain
Scott Beck has been in a wide assortment of bands since high school, from folk to rock to blues and cycling back, now to acoustic guitar. Raised Catholic, disaffected from religion for many years, he's now found a spiritual home with enough heart and wide enough walls to include his beliefs in New Thought churches.
Claudia Schmidt has been producing music, poetry and theater for over 30 years. Folk and jazz are some of her musical styles, the Midwest is her home, but the world is her audience!
A visit with Steve Ryals, author of Drunk With Wonder: Awakening to the God Within, former speed freak and alcoholic, and activist with Challenge Day.
Music featured in this program:
How Could Anyone Ever Tell You - Peaceful Women