Ursula Ruedenberg became Affiliate Network Manager of Pacifica at a critical time, when we were on the edge of loosing Pacifica's voice and witness. Though we're not out of the woods yet, Ursula has followed this path and done this work in faithfulness to the great tradition of peace, truth, and community which is central to Pacifica, and she is a sign of hope and inspiration for the power and future of community radio.
Peace On The Airwaves: Pacifica Radio
Ursula Ruedenberg is Affiliate Network Manager of Pacifica, doing the great work of bringing together the energies and voices of grassroots activists all over the country. Founded by peace activists, with 5 anchor stations and hundreds of affiliates, Pacifica has played a pivotal role in forming the radio and news landscape of the USA, and Ursula has played her own pivotal role over the last decade and a half.
Training for Change - George Lakey
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.
What You Put Down Now
Niyonu Spann is the leader of Tribe1, a Philadelphia group singing for peace and unity. Niyonu is used to wrestling with the deep things, walking carefully through the tender places, and bravely going to the scary territory where the fainter hearts just faint. In addition to her moving, soulful, questioning music, Niyonu leads workshops called Beyond Diversity 101. And more. Find Tribe1's music on Bandcamp.
The Original Liberation Theology Story - YESHU
In Yeshu: A Novel for the Openhearted, Charles David Kleymeyer re-sees and re-tells a well-known, sometimes culture-limited story, but this time with eyes and tongue influenced by decades of experience in Latin America.
There At Kent State - Terry (Magpie) Leonino's Song of the Soul
Terry Leonino & Greg Artzner are Magpie with 37 years of singing songs of peace, civil rights & connection with the planet. Terry was a freshman at Kent State on May 4, 1970 when 4 of her fellow students were shot down, so she has a long history in the thick of powerful events.
Steadfast Nonviolence on the West Bank - Iyad Burnat
Iyad Burnat is a full-time non-violent activist against the Israeli occupation in Bel'in, in the West Bank. Jailed numerous times, dedicated to the creative act of non-violence, Iyad has 4 children and is currently speaking for 3 months in the USA, sharing first-hand experience of activism. His village has had some success in facing down the expropriation of their land, including at the Israeli High Court.
A Land Twice Promised - Noa Baum, Storyteller/Peacemaker
Noa Baum is an Israeli-born woman now living in the USA who has found her avocation in telling stories, who came to my attention through her one-woman story-telling show called A Land Twice Promised, about the personal stories of people vying for or sharing the land variously called Israel or Palestine. Stories can change hearts and find a way forward in places where argument is powerless or counterproductive, so Noa's very personal sharing may light for us a more peaceful way forward in a very troubled world.
Listening Below the Noise: The Transformative Power of Silence - Anne LeClaire
Anne LeClaire is an author whose 20 years of twice-monthly days of silence taught her the potential for rest, healing and growth of the practice. She shares the lessons of the experiment-turned-way-of-life in Listening Below the Noise". She leads workshops and retreats on silence, creativity and authenticity, like the program she'll lead on March 23-24 at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
A Peace of My Mind - Fostering a Larger Public Conversation
John Noltner is photographer and author of a new book, A Peace of my Mind: Exploring the meaning of peace, one story at a time, a captivating inquiry into how common folks - and some not-so-common folks - think about peace. It attempts to bring diverse, sincere, voices into a big tent, to do the work of listening for possibilities.