Matt Watroba has been deeply immersed in folk music since 9th grade, including hosting the Folks Like Us show on WDET in Detroit and Folk Alley on WKSU at Kent State University, for a combined 26 years or so. With more than 3 decades performing, Matt is a master of the folk music genre, both as a performer and as a leader of group singing.
Ed Nieves is coordinator of the Mendicino Environmental Center (MEC) in Ukiah, CA, a place and an organization which has been at the center of cutting edge change to improve the world, starting locally. Saving the Redwoods, banning pesticides & herbicides, legalizing medical marijuana, protecting free speech - there's a locus of community healing issuing from Mendocino County, MEC, and station KMEC-LP.
Doug MacKenzie has a long pedigree - as a jet engine mechanic and as a folk musician. Currently in collaboration with Sue West as Rural Roots Music, they are churning out music at an incredible rate. Because of his brother, Guy MacKenzie, Doug got used to having folks like Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Dave Van Ronk, and others around the house. After a hiatus of a couple decades, Doug is back doing full-time folk music.
There are ways to help individuals and organizations to overcome the impediments to adoption of alternative energy sources, and it's the work of RENEW Wisconsin to help get folks in Wisconsin past these problems, into the future. Drawing on the inspirations and experiences of other states and nations, RENEW Wisconsin's executive director, Tyler Huebner helps map a course to a decentralized, non-polluting, inexpensive energy system.
Tyler Huebner was the keynote speaker at the Affordable Solar Power Conference held in Eau Claire, WI, last year.
Mike McCabe, founder of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign creates a blueprint forward, out of our widespread disillusionment which is based on parallel situations over our history. The result is his book, Blue Jeans in High Places: The Coming Makeover of American Politics. Mike speaks powerfully of a proven way forward for the common citizen.
You can get the book at all the usual places, but also from the publisher, LittleCreekPress.com. See a number of powerful agents of change, like Mike McCabe, annually at the Fighting Bob Fest.
James O'Dea's latest book is The Conscious Activist: Where Activism Meets Mysticism, and he stands as an expert with a foot solidly in each camp. In addition to his 10 years as director of Amnesty International's Washington office, James has been President of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and CEO of the Seva Foundation. He is also lead faculty for the Shift Network's Peace Ambassador Training.
Evalyn Parry mixes music, spoken word, with writing, directing and performing theater. With beautiful vocals, wide-ranging thoughts and creativity, and lots of engaging attitude, Evalyn makes magic, including her musical theater production, Spin, concerning the early feminist movement & biking.
Instead of just handling emergencies downstream, Up The River Endeavors creatively seeks to fix the causes of our problems. Peter Alsop's newest album, River of Life is full of songs growing out of Peter's connections with Mal Jones and Up The River Endeavors.
All the songs in this program are written & performed by Peter Alsop's and all are on his River of Life CD:
River of Life
Just Capital
Me and You
Hollaback
Let's Not Do This Anymore
Steve Carlson doesn't really think that PleasantVille is all that pleasant and he associates Christmas with A Hell of a Time, so this is a world view with some spice in it. With country roots and under a folk canopy, Steve makes beautiful music filled with lots of social commentary.
Elza Maalouf’s new book Emerge! The Rise of Functional Democracy and the Future of the Middle East explores the possibilities for peace and prosperity in the Middle East from a different direction - the process of human & cultural emergence. Spiral Dynamics was one of the tools which helped South Africa transition successfully, and Elza has dedicated years, using this tool, with the Build Palestine Initiative.