Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison, by Nell Bernstein, takes an unflinching look at the travesty we call juvenile prison. She has an unequivocal solution - get rid of them. With some 20 years of knowing the system and by telling the stories of the victims of it, Nell explores the history, reform, trends, and consequences of the "reformatories" which do the exact opposite of their supposed purpose.

Business can sometimes seem mostly exploitation and evil (though counter-examples abound, both current and historical). But how does one do good through business, instead of just doing well? Robert Pierson is an engineer who has seen small business from the inside, thoroughly. After years of diverse job positions, and rising to become a systems engineer, the spiritual side of that work led Rob to get a Master of Ministry degree from Earlham School of Religion. He wrote an article called Do Quakers Mean Business?, confronting stereotypes of business, examining the history of business as a tool for doing good, and exploring possibilities of harnessing this power today.

Improvisational humor is an awesome tool used by The Theater of Public Policy (t2p2.net) to find new ways forward in public discourse. Co-founded by Tane Danger & Brandon Boat in 2011, they've tackled a surprisingly wide variety of issues with their creative and disarming approach, including farm policy, robotics, clean water, and religion. Back on Feb 15th they performed for the Love Your Planet Comedy Night sponsored by Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. Check out the Full Evening or a variety of clips from that night.

The effective struggle to protect us against the destruction and desecration of the Earth draws on the powers of both mind and heart, and little can capture our hearts and open us to realities like a powerful song. We draw on the music and messages of Sarah Pirtle, David Rovics, Brian Bethke, Sara Thomsen, & Bryce Black to shine a light exposing the wrongs of fracking, mining for frac sands and copper, piping tar sands, and more.

Kevin Slick has Pennsylvanian roots, New York growth, and a Coloradan canopy. Sure, since he was 5, that music was where he was going, Kevin has been inspired by folks like Pete Seeger and the Beatles to find the soul of music. He has performed solo and with bands like Steel Pennies, Neo Pseudo, and The Amen Trio, and he's done many musical genres, including instrumental film scores, AND he wrote a song called Dancing Naked in God's Navel. There is much here to marvel at and glory in and move to.

Pete Seeger once said, "If you want to hear some of the best songs out there today...listen to Sarah Pirtle," an author and musician with deep roots which feed the abundant branches and fruits of her work for peace, wholeness, and care for the planet.

Ben Grosscup serves as director of People's Music Network. Ben initiated the PMN Song of the Month, a project to integrate inspiring new songs of freedom and struggle in today’s progressive movements. Based in Western Massachusetts, Ben can also be found singing at gatherings where people are fighting for immigrant rights and ecological justice, and resisting military violence. Twice a year, musicians and activists carrying on the tradition of music for social change gather for workshops and song-sharing at PMN Gatherings.

Stephen Lee Rich is a musician with a joke (or a comedian with a song), a yodeler, and a leading figure in the work of Musicians United to Protect Bristol Bay. Based in Madison, WI, and performing & recording frequently with Sandy Andina, Stephen is both serious and humorous and caffeine-fueled.

Mary Amel is a facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) through FNVW/AVP Minnesota. AVP happens in 6 prisons in Minnesota and a few dozen states around the USA, and widely internationally. Mary has participated in several international AVP trainings, including in Nepal, Guatemala, and Nigeria, offering transformative, experiential, workshops which equip participants with new ways of dealing with violence and the threat of violence.

Featured Music:
Have You Been to Jail for Justice? - Anne Feeney

Libby Roderick is a world-healing singer/songwriter, best known for her song How Could Anyone. Firmly rooted in Alaska and inspired by Native Alaskan ways of thinking, Libby combines deep concern for the Earth and its creatures with beautiful music and lyrics, to inspire and equip listeners toward a better world.