George Lakey passes on the inspirations that led him to a life of activism & social change, among them Bayard Rustin & Lucrecia Mott. George has more than 50 years experience with on-the-ground activism & activism education, including the establishment of TrainingForChange.org, his WagingNonviolence.org blog, and many books including How We Win and Viking Economics.

Past/current religious/spiritual influences:
Charismatic Christian, Quaker

There are climate advocates everywhere including in sports, the circus, and in mermaid drag. Peterson Toscano of Citizens Climate Radio talks with Lew Blaustein of Green Sports Blog, Brewers pitcher Brent Sutter of Strike Out Waste, Eliana Dunlap of the Circus Action Network, Angel Collinson of ProtectOurWinters.org, and Elizabeth Doud performs in The Mermaid Tear Factory.

Full Notes:

Joe Iadanza is an exceptional Common Man from Long Island, who, in addition to his music tinged with Harry Chapin and Bruce Springsteen flavors, has a serious spirituality and healing avocation, which you can access through his LivingRoomStudio.org site, for his meditation, yoga, podcast, & spiritual direction gifts. Joe performs solo, as part of Joe Iadanza & His Beautiful Band, and in a duo with Carolann Solebello.

Exploration of how spiritually-root service can transform the paths of young volunteers. There's riches in the experience with the Peace Corps, Americorps & VISTA, Teach for America, & many more, but today we visit with several folks with QVS (Quaker Voluntary Service). QVS provides a year of service, living at the intersection of transformational spirituality and activism.

Special guest, Joy Ladin, joins Liam Hooper and Peterson Toscano for a moving and insightful exploration of the Book of Jonah. Joy Ladin holds the Gottesman Chair in English at Yeshiva University, and, in 2007, became the first (and still only) openly transgender employee of an Orthodox Jewish institution. 

Lew Blaustien, editor of Green Sports Blog, is very concerned about climate change.  A sports nut since childhood, Lew began a career in sportscasting, and eventually settled into the marketing side of professional sports. There was nothing in his background to suggest he would turn into a passionate climate advocate. The 911 attacks on New York City in 2001 though changed everything for him. You will hear about how that traumatic event set him on a new career path. 

Kori Riesenweber has an angelic voice & a love for harmonies that has been lived out in many ways: in the bluegrass band of her extended families, in the intricate arrangements of her time as part of Beacon James (on Facebook and on Bandcamp), and currently with Girl Band. She also performs solo, and sings constantly with her newborn son.

Pamela Boyce-Simms does so much & is active at so many different levels that there is just too much to talk about. In addition to her work with Evolutionary Cultural Design, her engagement with The Transition Movement, her 37 years of Buddhist practice, and 13 years of Quaker practice, Pamela is engaged with the African Diaspora Plant Medicine Project, intending to root, empower, & build resilience at the fundamental level of food & medicine.

John McCutcheon is classic & cutting-edge folk music. An amazing singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, he has now produced 40 albums, performed with all kinds of musical greats, like Pete Seeger, Tom Chapin, Tom Paxton, and Carrie Newcomer. He's witty, deep, creative, prolific, and he's in person for this interview on July 4th, 2019, at Grinnell College as part of the FGC Gathering.

Jim Kessler has taught biology for 34 years in Iowa, in the course of which he found a leading to restore the native habitats on a plot of 29 acres that he and his wife bought, including some 15 acres of Tall Grass Prairie, now held by the Bur Oak Land Trust. Jim Kessler is passionate about the type of environment we can, and need, to restore, and has been carrying the good news of an Earth reborn widely, including working Quaker Earthcare Witness to get the word out.

Past/current religious/spiritual influences:
Quaker 

Resources include the Prairie Resource Center of Iowa DNR, the Tallgrass Prairie Center of UNI, and many more.