Sri Lanka has been blessed by many decades of healing work under the leadership of A.T. Ariyaratne and his son, Dr. Vinya S. Ariyaratne. The organization they have led, Sarvodaya, is the largest non-governmental organization in Sri Lanka, having worked with people in 15,000 villages, combining mind, heart and spirit for the peace, health, and well-being of all citizens.
Phil Circle, now in Wisconsin's Chippewa Valley, spent most of 2 decades in Chicago. Trained in classical, influenced in jazz directions by a visit to New Orleans when he was 7, and walking in Eric Clapton's guitar-steps, Phil combines rich and diverse influences as a singer/songwriter.
David Massengill paints a griping and moving picture of the USA through his music - of race, immigrants, adoption, and much more. Instead of speechifying about politics, David brings change by involving listeners in real stories that move our hearts, all the more powerful because of his Tennessee vernacular and accent.
All the songs in this program are written & performed by David Massengill::
Number 1 In America
My Name Joe
On the Road to Fairfax County
Great American Dream
BONUS EXCERPT SONG: Rider on an Orphan Train
Rahbi Crawford does amazing music with a unique focus, stimulating the energy & health of our chakras and the system they are part of. With crystal bowls, wood flutes, wooden frogs and more, Rahbi follows an intuitive muse on a mystical, musical, journey. From Catholic, to born-again Christian, to chakra adept, Rahbi shows us new possibilities.
It's almost trite to say that we can transform the world through education of our children, but Mara Sapon-Shevin does it for real. In her book Widening the Circle: The Power of Inclusive Classrooms, Mara lays it all out, including the real-life evidence of how we can foster a better world for all in how we teach our kids. Be ready to find new vistas in thought beyond the traditional paradigm(s).
Some books authored/co-authored by Mara Sapon-Shevin:
Educational Courage: Resisting the Ambush of Public Education
Widening the Circle: The Power of Inclusive Classrooms
Because We Can Change the World: A Practical Guide to Building Cooperative, Inclusive Classroom Communities
Playing Favorites: Gifted Education and the Disruption of Community
Jacob George did 3 tours of duty in Afghanistan, and it changed him completely, including the healing process in the aftermath leading to his involvement with Vets for Peace. With tools like this banjo and bicycle, Jacob takes us inside a Soldier's Heart, the title of his CD, to be released on 5/1/2013.
Jennifer Kavanagh is an author, organizer, and spiritual activist. She's worked on and written about diverse topics including micro-credit finance, simplicity, and her recent book, The World is our Cloister: A Guide to the Modern Religious Life. Based in England, her work on the struggling East Side of London and in developing nations around the globe, has tied her spiritual center in transformation of the world.
Simplicity (Made Easy)
Journey Home
New Light
Call of the Bell Bird
The Failure of Success
Richard Bruxvoort Colligan is a passionate singer/songwriter with a difference - his degree from United Theological Seminary in the Twin Cities. Whether making acoustic music on his own, singing with his wife as River's Voice, creating liturgical music, or writing on his blog called 'World Stretching', you'll find a kind, deep heart & mind poured out through beautiful melodies. He's also a founder of the Progressive Christian Artists Network.
Sandy Bishop & Rhea Miller were the 2012 Lopez Spirit Award winners for many of their works, including very notably their work with the Lopez Community Land Trust which nurtures the island in myriad ways, like producing net-zero-energy housing developments and the Seed Library. Rhea hosts a home church, drawing on, and continuing beyond, her training in Episcopal seminary. They will be married in September under Washington State's newly approved marriage equality law.
Reese Erlich is an award winning journalist and author, and a frequent visitor to the Middle East over the past 10+ years. We start with a talk he gave at FNVW about Libya & Syria and the Arab Spring, and continue on to an visit with Reese addressing his goals in seeking out truth, starting from his organizing against Vietnam. Reese is the author of a number of books including Conversations With Terrorists, Dateline Havana, Target Iraq, & The Iran Agenda.