Spirit In Action

Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good, by Chuck Collins, is an excellent and persuasive look at wealth inequality by a man who gave away his inherited wealth when he was 26, and finds common ground and allies across the income spectrum. Chuck is a senior scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies. Original Air Date: 10/30/2016

NSR's event, Broadcasting From The Heartland, was graced by speeches by Mike McCabe of BlueJeansNation.com and Matthew Rothschild of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, enhanced by the music of Peter Leidy, and they collectively light the way forward for a country that serves the commonwealth. Featured music: A Nation In Blue Jeans

There's a lot,of questions, disgust & even despair about our elections, especially in this year's presidential contest. History teacher and recent congressional candidate Myron Buchholz can put the experience in context of 200+ years of democracy in the US. Why the electoral college, who could vote, how can people be prevented from voting, and do our votes count, historically and currently - these are some of the questions. There's power, and even relief, in knowing the history, and in finding our way into our best future. Myron mentions the PoliticalCompass.org website and test, which you may wish to check out.

Paula Palmer is leading an effort to tackle one part of America's dismal past with respect to Native Americans. Through a project called Toward Right Relationship with America's Native Peoples, she is engaging Quakers and the wider world in a kind of Truth & Reconciliation work. One step is an eyes-wide-open look at the well-meaning attrocities done by the Indian Boarding Schools and the groups, like Quakers, who led the effort. Paula works with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition and served previously as director of Global Response. Read her article in Friends Journal Original Air Date: 09/25/2016

George Lakey really packs a punch with his book, Viking Economics: How the Scandinavians Got It Right - And How We Can Too. Exploring the history and power of the "Nordic Model" for economic development and truly democratic government, George lights a way forward to a much better USA, in schools, health, foreign policy, and more. George was co-founder and director of Training for Change for 15 years and has received numerous awards for his peace, non-violence, and social justice work. Original Air Date: 09/18/2016

Peter Leidy does his work of building inclusion predominantly in the area of disabilities, and with considerable creativity, often writing new songs or crafting new lyrics for existing tunes to tell a story or convey a lesson. Whether the topic is disabilities or social justice, or politics or a sense of home, Peter brings tremendous wit and deep passion to the teachable moment. Featured Music: Wisconsin Was Made for You and Me - from Love & Money A Nation in Blue Jeans - unreleased (see the video) Everybody Has a Gift - from Peter Leidy Sampler Wreck of the Brothers Fitzgerald - unreleased Scars & Gripes Forever - from Leaving On a State Plane Original Air Date: 09/11/2016

A clear-eyed, informative, powerful look at the reality of Zionism on-the-ground in the Middle East by Eve Spangler, associate professor of Sociology at Boston College. In Understanding Israel/Palestine - Race, Nation, and Human Rights in the Conflict she uses facts and experience to call us to the best framework for true peace in the Middle East. Original Air Date: 08/30/2015

Judith Plaskow and Carol P. Christ helped to found the study of women & religion, starting in Yale University. They've written & co-edited several ground-breaking books of feminist theology together, but their upcoming book is Goddess and God in the World: Conversations in Embodied Theology. Looking at the big questions with unflinching honesty, Judith & Carol seek and clarify a vision to a better world. Carol guides the Goddess Pilgrimmage to Crete with the Ariadne Institute. Judith Plaskow and Carol P. Christ led the presence of women in religious scholarship, starting in Yale University.They've written & co-edited several seminal books of ferminist theology together, but their upcoming book is Goddess and God in the World: Conversations in Embodied Theology. Looking at the big questions with unflinching honesty, Judith & Carol seek clarily of vision to a better world. Carol guides the Goddess Pilgrimmage to Crete with the Ariadne Institute.

Most Americans would be at least leery of moving to Liberia, West Africa, from a comfortable home in the Midwest USA, especially with 4 teenagers in tow, but not everyone is as faithful to God's call as are Mark & Peggy Halvorsen. Following a leading to adoption of a Liberian child, and the death of that child due to health conditions in Liberia, Peggy & Mark founded TeamworkAfrica.org, undertaking well-digging, school building, and many more projects, now to be augmented by the full-time presence of the Halvorsens to care for our African neighbors' spiritual, physically, & social needs. Mark will be leaving his roughly 30-year work with WWIB-West Wisconsin Christian Radio, and Peggy will be drawing on her education degree, and the learning of 11 mission trips to the country.

Rupert Isaacson, thanks to his journalist skills, his passion for justice, and his unstoppable heart-of-a-father, has opened up the lives of tens of thousands of autistic children to healing. His latest book is The Long Ride Home: The Extraordinary Journey of Healing that Changed a Child's Life, and it educates about the unprecedented successful work of HorseBoyWorld.com and KidsMustMove.com while taking us along on their adventure through shamanic healing in Namibia, Australia, and on the Navajo reservation. Combining investigative rigor with complete openness to alternative experiences, Rupert gives help & hope to autistic folks everywhere. Original Air Date: 08/14/2016

Shelley Tanenbaum & Judy Lumb share their experiences on the ground at the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) and previous COP gatherings, & then at the FWCC gathering in Pisac, Peru, which called all to implement Living Sustainably & Sustaining Life on Earth. What does that mean for you and me & how do we move nations & individuals in preserving the Earth? Both are active with Quaker Earthcare Witness, of which Shelley is General Secretary.

Roy Taylor III and RT3 Architects help people & organizations live more sustainably on the Earth, with the wide range of building & renovation & life-style ideas that reduce our impact in terms of materials, energy, water, & more. This is far more than alternative energy, this is the full-system outlook. Roy also helps get the info out via ChoosingGreen.com, and he is the clerk of Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW).

Tieraona Low Dog has lived Integrative Medicine, learning both practical & spiritual wisdom, including herbalism, from her Native American grandmothers, working as a massage therapist and midwife, and then becoming a Medical Doctor. With laser-focused intelligence and ocean-wide heart,Tieraona teaches healthful lives in simple, inspirational, and compelling ways. Tieraona is the author of several books including, Healthy At Home and Life is Your Best Medicine. Original Air Date: 08/16/2015

Ruah Swennerfelt has lots of experience in the Transition Town movement, locally, regionally, religiously, nationally, internationally, and has now written of much of it in Rising to the Challenge: The Transition Movement & People of Faith. Ruah helps us map the way forward to resilience of environment, energy, & lifestyle. Original Air Date: 07/17/2016

Anti-war activists and military folks are pre-disposed to see each other as "the enemy", but even mainstream or conservative folks can have a very difficult time truly welcoming home vets. Zachary Moon is very concerned about treating vets as real people, not political or theological pawns in some game. Relatively few Quakers serve in the military, even as chaplains, as Zachary does, and too few know how to really support our troops when they return home, so he has helped pioneer a way forward. Zachary is a life-long Quaker and author of Coming Home: Ministry That Matters with Veterans and Military Families. Original Air Date: 07/19/2015

We had a house party, sponsored by MoveOn.org to watch Michael Moore's lastest documentary, Where to Invade Next. About 20 people came together to be inspired by other countries that have found ways to make a better world, and we hear the reactions of Myron Buchholz, Patty Scott, Donna Berry, & Bill Jaskowiak. SEE BONUS EXCERPTS

Black Girls have double challenges in successfully navigating school, dealing with both racism & sexism. Monique W. Morris, author of Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools explores both the problems and the solutions. She is co-founder of the National Black Women's Justice Institute and author of 3 other books, including Too Beautiful for Words: A Novel.

Keefe Keeley, Executive Director of the Savanna Institute, explains their goal of exploring the potential of savanna-based systems to become ecologically sound, agriculturally productive, and economically viable alternatives to the corn-soybean rotation which currently dominates. Keefe has a masters in Agroforestry. Featured Music: Plum Creek Farmer - by Craig Siemsen

For decades there has been a political war about abortion where the only acceptable answers were pro-choice or pro-life. Aspen Baker, founder of Exhale & author of Pro-Voice: How to Keep Listening When The World Wants a Fight, has been advocating for empathic listening to women who've had abortions as a new path to peace in the abortion wars. Featured Music: Sit With Me - by Holly Near Original Air Date: 06/21/2015

Greenfire Farm is a vortex of environmental thought, research, and action, located near Athens, Ohio, and Dick Hogan is at the center of that energy. With penetrating ideas about how we need to think about our place in creation, there are equally transformative lifestyle methods being studied. Growing out of the Woolman Peace Institute, and spawning/interacting with the Pod Enterprise Network, the Squeaky Duck Farmstead, and many more organizations, Dick & Greenfire are fundamentally changing the world.