Weekdays, Jim Phillips is a mild-mannered Chemistry prof at UW-EC, but after hours to transforms into a singer/songwriter, well-favored bass guitarist who has found a reborn calling to music after dramatic changes in his life.
Geoffrey Gates, MD, in addition to a life of professional healing work, book-ended his career with some off-the-beaten path world service. Though registered as a CO during the Vietnam War, he served as a member of IVS (International Voluntary Services) in a Vietnam war zone, 1970-71, and after his retirement served with the Peace Corps, Tanzania.
Timmon B. Wallis has spent his life building the tools of peace & getting rid of the weapons of war. In Disarming the Nuclear Argument: The Truth about Nuclear Weapons, Tim dispells the myths, clears the fog, & inspires for a better, safer, world. Tim's Ph.D. is in Peace Studies, and he's worked with Peace Brigades Intl, Peaceworkers UK, Nonviolent Peaceforce, and, most recently, with Peace & Disarmament for Quaker Peace & Social Witness in the UK.
David LaMotte is author of Worldchanging 101: Challenging the Myth of Powerlessness and White Flour, co-founder of PEG Partners, Abraham Jam, and Let's Be Neighbors, and recently led the Quaker Nobel Peace Prize Nominating Task Group. And he makes great music.
Laura Joy won the Songwriter Contest at the Great River Folk Fest 2017, and it's no mystery why. The young Phoenix-to-Chicago transplant has talent far beyond her actual miles. And what's more, "Laura Joy has been known to quell dark, angry bars full of ornery old Irishmen".
David LaMotte is rich in music, and bountiful in living out what he sings about. With 12 recordings, 3 books, founding credits for Abraham Jam and a Rotary World Peace Fellowship, there is so much to rhapsodize about. Situated in Black Mountain, North Carolina, David has voice, lyrics, & guitar to charm you deeper.
Stressful, challenging, daunting times call for special medicine. Al Gini, author of The Importance of Being Funny: Why We Need More Jokes in Our Lives, believes that humor is a vital ingredient in good emotional/mental health. Al is Professor of Business Ethics at the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University, and for decades was the "resident philosopher" on NPR's affiliate WBEZ in Chicago. He's written oodles of books, humor-tinted and very serious, including God Can Quote Me on That: Quotations on the Meaning of Life, The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler: An Anthology, among others.
Past/current religious/spiritual influences:
Catholic
What do people of color concerned about climate change and environmental impacts to their communities want white climate advocates to know? What roles do climate organizations with mostly white members play in environmental justice work? How do you define "the environment," and what is climate justice? Today we take on a big story. Bigger than any single extreme weather event, we explore the topics of environmental justice and climate justice.
Tash Terry is half of Indigie Femme, a confluence of two powerful, spiritually-rooted, women of native tribes of the global north and south. Tash is from the Dine/Navajo Nation, roots she draws on to express identity, love, connection, gratitude, & joy.
Art and music suffuse the work & play of Heidi Kalyani. Her musical collaborations are wide-ranging, including Turko-Balkan music with ORO! Orkestra, kirtan with Blue Lotus Trio and her Heart Wide Open Project, and Indonesian music as part of the Mindful Flower Gamelan. Heidi is Canadian, occupying a small town called Wolfville in Nova Scotia.