Quaker

Matt Southworth was a wrestler in high school, fought as a U.S. Army intelligence analyst in Iraq after graduation, and now conducts legislative battles for peace on Capitol Hill.

Comparing how our Federal Income Tax is spent versus how we want it to be spent can be a deep spiritual lesson. Published as a "Matter of Faith" clergy column in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram on September 13, 2008.

This is an excerpt from Pendle Hill Pamphlet 389: From West Point to Quakerism, by Mike Heller, narrated by Mark Helpsmeet, with music by Mathilda Navias.

Mediation is an art of practical peacemaking. Jennifer Beer, is co-author of the 4th edition of the The Mediator's Handbook, a skilled mediator and teacher of mediation, including teaching negotiation at Wharton. She has a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology.

Daniel Hunter vs The Casinos is a case of David vs Goliath, only more impressive. Daniel co-led that battle retold in Strategy & Soul: A Campaigner's Tale of Fighting Billionaires, Corrupt Officials, and Philadelphia Casinos. Ingenious, creative, & steadfastly principled, this is a tale of inspiration and adventure, and there's an immense amount of info about community organizing that is absorbed effortlessly!

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.

George Lakey was a founder of A Quaker Action Group, Movement for a New Society and recently left Training for Change to do more direct action with Earth Quaker Action Team. With the experience & stories of 50 years of peace, justice and environmental activism, George is a treasure trove of inspiration.

Peterson Toscano, using wit, humor & theater, illuminates non-conforming gender roles in the Bible, reclaiming existence for a variety of folks ignored & silenced by the mainstream. With his winning humor and incisive vision, Peterson found acceptance for his revolutionary insights when presenting at the joint 2012 conference of the Society of Biblical Literature/American Academy of Religion. His newest theater production is Jesus Had 2 Daddies.

Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta's book, Refusing to be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation delves deep into sides of the conflict that most US media never approach, and does it through the words of Palestinian & Israeli workers for peace, plus a few people outside of the Middle East. There's both more reality and hope in this work than we've been led to expect.

Paul Gilk co-edited the book, A Whole Which Is Greater: Why the Wisconsin Uprising Failed, looking at the range of societal values, politics, & spiritual issues which have determined Wisconsin's course, including the failure to prevent Gov. Scott Walker's radical shift in the state. Paul lives without electricity, close to the earth, & is the author of at least 6 books, all typed on his manual typewriter.