Jo Vallentine was the first Australian Green Party Senator. She brought principled action to Australia's federal Senate, earning her the scorn of many "business as usual" politicians, as she served as advocate and voice in Australia's Parliament for a number of progressive issues for 8 years

Michael Neely lives in Canberra, the federal capital city of Australia. His family hosted me as I traveled with a Quaker group called the Friendly FolkDancers and Michael agreed, on the spur of the moment to share the music that speaks of his soul and talk about his life as an Australian, Catholic-raised, now attending Quaker meeting.

Michael attended an Australian Catholic primary school, moving to public/government schools as of 7th grade. His mother grew up in Italy, his father is Australian born and raised, and both Michael and his family have been sorting out their spiritual paths as they've grown.

Sami Rasouli is an Iraqi-born American citizen who returned to Iraq in the aftermath of the US war there, in order to try to help rebuild Iraq. Inspired by the example of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), he has helped organize the Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT).

Sami left Iraq in 1976, eventually settling in the Twin Cities and opening Sinbads, a Middle Eastern restaurant. When visiting Iraq following his mother's death, he was struck by his duty to help rebuild the devestated nation. Inspired by Tom Fox and the other CPT members, Sami organized the Muslim Peacemaker Teams. One of their first actions was to organize a group of Shi'a Muslims to help clean up Faluja, a Sunni stronghold.

I interviewed Sami on March 7, 2006, during his visit to Eau Claire.

Martha Nieman and Brenda Gagnon are nurse midwives in Eau Claire with a few decades of experience between them. They share of the spiritual nature of their work and how it flows from and is rooted in their spiritual lives.

Martha and Brenda both draw on deep spiritual lives. Martha was raised as a daughter of a preacher, eventually becoming an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church, though she has now become a Quaker and transferred her membership to Eau Claire Friends Meeting.. Brenda grew up in the United Church of Christ, conververted to Catholicism as a young adult, attended United Theological Seminary in the Twin Cities, and is currently a part of Unity Christ Center in Eau Claire.

Jane Wolf in the proprieter of Silver Feather, a shop that sells Native American jewelry, music, crafts and products in downtown Eau Claire. Jane was raised Lutheran, was married as a Catholic, becoming involved with Native American and other Earth-based spirituality after her divorce. She currently attends Unity Christ Center in Eau Claire.

Jane meets some of her needs for spiritual connection as part of a Flute Circle, and with a Drum Circle which meets Tuesdays at 7-8 pm at Unity Christ Center in Eau Claire.

Sharon Jensen-Olson was raised Catholic, ran away from home definitively at the age of 14, and has not found a spiritual home that seems to fit for her yet. She loves singing along with the radio, with pop and country topping her list of musical favorites. And besides that, she is Mark Helpsmeet's little sister, by 2 years!

Aaron Ellringer's journey to living consciously, responsibly and healthily on this planet has included a number of years working with Sunyata Food Co-op before its closing, and as a major force in the creation of Just Local Food, a worker's collective bringing local and healthy food to Eau Claire.

Traci Ohlman grew up ELCA Lutheran, but in a somewhat conservative congregation. Very active until in her 20's, she came to a major upset in her life, leading her to search on, including some years as a Unitarian and currently interested in Buddhism, but not firmly rooted anywhere.

Nancy O'Neill is a life-long American Baptist and a lover of music, including decades of bringing music to Eau Claire's First Baptist Church. Daughter of an American Baptist minister, she has grown from conservative beginnings to embrace more of the world and to embrace its people more widely.

Bill Wiese has served as a kind of representative of 6 Eau Claire area churches to UW-Eau Claire in a program known as "The Ministry". Bill, a life-long Methodist, provides a portal to the community for the students and enriches their lives by doing things like teaching free yoga sessions and sharing from his more than a decade under a Native American teacher.