Podcast appearances and mentions of andrew gorman

So. Let's see how it ends, shall we?TRANSCRIPT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Zv8mBg2S0qxh6bj703L5NB7nR4Lh5NHn6-kgaUcjis/edit?usp=sharingJanuary Jacobs was played by Rhys Lawton. Noah Morley was played by Sarah Griffin. Mark Clayton was played by Andrew Gorman. Mr Clayton was played by David Ault. Alex Crane was played by Eli Labat-Angstadt. Rory Nos was played by Evan Gwen Davies. Addi Reay-Armstrong was played by Delilah Tahiri. Alice Kean was played by LM Clohessy. Artemis Flynn was played by Liz Dokukina. Elain Carter was played by Paige Adams. This episode was written and produced by C. L. Hendry and sound designed by Cai Gwilym Pritchard. Theme by Mick Zijdel.Follow us @EthicsTownPod for updates.Content Warnings:Mentioned medical malpracticeAnxietyChild death mentionedDivorceAttempted murderUnrealityExhumation mentionSuicidal ideationVisit our website: https://ethicstown.weebly.com/Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/ethicstown

In Ethics' hospital, another new, risky (and let's be honest, shady) medical procedure is commencing. TRANSCRIPT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JjVjLZbQBh6K7FJWJ_dzOU5k5xvHLRIqJjes3Rp9JvE/edit?usp=sharingMr Clayton was played by David Ault. Carmilla was played by Ollie Bannerman. Noah Morley was played by Sarah Griffin. Mark Clayton was played by Andrew Gorman. This episode was written and produced by C. L. Hendry and sound designed by Cai Gwilym Pritchard. Theme by Mick Zijdel.Follow us @EthicsTownPod for updates.Content Warnings:Medical malpracticeCancerChild death mentionedSurgeryMiscommunication BetrayalVisit our website: https://ethicstown.weebly.com/Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/ethicstown

Noah tries to talk some sense into Ian. Or, at least, talk some sense. Or maybe just talk.TRANSCRIPT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Qi1liyaXg_eaz4Ca0BJ52U2QOpZsvQat3ixJTFkMkA/edit?usp=sharingMark Clayton was played by Andrew Gorman. Ian Jacobs was played by Rhys Lawton. Noah Morley was played by Sarah Griffin. This episode was written and produced by C. L. Hendry and sound designed by Cai Gwilym Pritchard. Theme by Mick Zijdel.Follow us @EthicsTownPod for updates.Content Warnings:UnrealityImprisonmentDepressionSevere anxiety/anxiety attacksMentioned child deathMentioned medical malpracticeVisit our website: https://ethicstown.weebly.com/Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/ethicstown

Civic engagement in the U.S. has been on the decline for many decades. Citizens are participating in public affairs too infrequently, too unequally, and in too few venues to develop and sustain a robust democracy. What's more, effective engagement is being seriously hampered by a partisan divide between people that seems to be growing. Our podcast this month takes a look at how these divisions are affecting our relationships, and what we can possibly do about it. There are groups currently working to facilitate interactions between people despite their political disparity. The non-profit Braver Angels, formed after the 2016 presidential election, has been convening meetups both online and in person, nationally and in states across the country, with the express intent of providing a venue for open and respectful dialogue across the political divide. Might we be able to forge a path toward productive and constructive conversations, even friendships, with the help of Braver Angels' programs? This is a question Cal Stevens, our guest today, has been exploring. We invite you to to find out more about Braver Angel's Red/Blue Workshops and how you can participate in Braver Angels' work in your community to deepen connections, find commonalities, and reduce disparities.  RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo (Gina's Congregation UUSLO) United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo (Jason's Congregation UCC) Trinity Presbyterian Church - Cal Stevens' Congregation Braver Angels “A Tale of Two Karens” - YES! Magazine “Can We Make An Alien Nation Familiar Again?” - YES! Magazine “Healing A Divided Nation Begins Face to Face” - YES! Magazine- Winter 2020 Living Room Conversations Braver Angels: Reuniting America (Video) Braver Angels: Seeking to Depolarize America - CBS News Register for April 16 Workshop in San Luis Obsipo The Righteous Mind - by Jonathan Haidt (Influenced guest Cal Stevens) Love Your Enemies - by Arthur Brooks (Influenced guest Cal Stevens) Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing - by Katharine Hayhoe   MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST Cal Stevens is a southern California native who, after some years in Colorado, Arizona, and northern California (Roseville), settled in 2014 on the Central Coast. He has taught business at Cal Poly (Human Resources, Organizational Behavior, Management) and has had prior careers in Christian ministry and as an Organizational Development practitioner/consultant with Intel, Corp. He and Nancy enjoy the fact that all three of their kids, and their three grandkids, live in SLO County. Cal and Nancy enjoy their church, travel, camping, film, theatre, opera, classical music, reading, family, and friends. Cal is also active on a city government advisory board, the Chamber of Commerce, has served on non-profit boards (including Leadership SLO), and currently takes consulting gigs in strategic and organizational design. Right now, he is in training with Braver Angels to be a moderator and a local Alliance Co-Chair. Reach out to Cal with questions or comments at cal.stevens1@gmail.com   SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization.   CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere… hatred and bitterness can never cure the disease of fear, only love can do that.”  These words, written by Martin Luther King, beckon us to a search for truth and meaning in the quest for racial justice and human rights everywhere. Two of our guests today, Ken Hill and Gina Whitaker, spent three weeks traveling the U.S. Civil Rights Trail this past October through Mississippi and Alabama. Everywhere they went, everyone they met and all the stories they heard added pieces of the puzzle that eventually formed a picture of our single garment of destiny, and highlighted our network of mutuality. What they learned was that we are all connected, and that Martin Luther King had it right…only love can overcome hate.  The Deep South. A place neither Ken Hill nor Gina Whitaker ever thought they would visit, was the scene. People like Terry Chestnut, our third guest today, filled in many missing pieces of the puzzle with his deep love for Selma, Alabama–his hometown–and all the people and all the places in Selma where major battles of the American Civil Rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's took place and are recorded in history. Terry will share his story today, and we are certain that his perspective will move our listeners. So, welcome to the People of Faith for Justice 26th podcast and to our guests, Gina, Ken and Terry.       RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo (UUSLO) United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo (UCC) MLK People of Faith for Justice Service - 1/15/23 (Video) Living Legacy Project - Civil Rights Pilgrimages to the South  Selma Interpretive Center - US Civil Rights Trail Edmund Pettus Bridge Selma, Alabama Hancock's BBQ - Selma, AL Live Oak Cemetery - Selma, AL National Voting Rights Museum - Selma, AL Selma Voting Rights Memorial Park St. James Hotel -  originally The Gee House Hotel - Selma, AL Benjamin Sterling Turner - AL's first Black Congressional Representative Brown Chapel AME Church - Selma, AL Dallas County Voters League - Selma, AL “Courageous Eight” Rev. James Reeb (Video) Jimmie Lee Jackson (Video) March Selma to Montgomery - 50th Anniversary (Video) Tabernacle Baptist Church - Selma, AL Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth Rev. C.T. Vivian Rev. James Bevel Rev. James Lawson  J.L. Chestnut, Jr. - Black Author, Attorney and Civil Rights Activist; Terry Chestnut's father Black in Selma: The Uncommon Life of J.L. Chestnut, Jr. (Book)     MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Gina Whitaker is a board member of People of Faith for Justice and a member of the Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo. Social justice concerns in 1960 brought her to the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara as a teenager, and she's never looked back. A social justice activist for 64 years, Gina went on a pilgrimage to the Deep South in October, 2022 with her husband, Ken. Her experiences there transformed her, and brought her attention to the fact that though life in the Deep South is better than it was during the 50's and 60's, the job is not yet finished. Gina continues her work for racial justice, immigration justice and voting rights in between spending time with her two granddaughters, Jimi, 2 1/2, and Rubi, 7 months. She lives in Arroyo Grande with her husband, Ken Hill, and their cat, Sufi.  Ken Hill is Gina Whitaker's husband and resident of the Central Coast for the last three decades. Ken is now retired from a long engineering career in electronics, computers and software in Southern California and on the Central Coast. He has rooted himself in relationship to family, community and the quest of grounding our communities in love and grace; without these, all else is for naught. At the heart of that community are his wife, stepsons, grandchildren, sister, brother in-law and extended family bonded in blood relation and shared purpose. Ken is a passionate member of Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo, participates in People of Faith for Justice (PFJ) through the Central Coast Center for Ecological Civilization and can be found at many events around the Central Coast trying to transform us all into a beloved community. Terry Chestnut was born and raised in Selma, Alabama, the 4th of six children, to J.L. Chestnut, Jr. and mother Vivian Chestnut. J.L. was the first Black attorney in Selma, and was also Dr. Martin Luther King's attorney, of which Terry is very proud!  Terry graduated from Dillard University in New Orleans with a double major in Mass Communication/Criminal justice, and a minor in Music. Terry has a great love for Selma Alabama, and has spent the last three and a half  years working as a tour guide for groups from all over the world who visit Selma, Alabama to learn about the 1960's American civil rights and voting rights movement. With Terry as their guide, however, they learn much more than facts, and experience Terry's great love for his hometown and the people in it.  In addition to the many tours he conducts year round, Terry finds time to host a daily radio show, The Cool Jazz Cafe, as well as organize all the entertainment at the historic St. James Hotel in downtown Selma. He is available to speak nationwide.   SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman  

Global climate change is on all our minds these days…or is it? Should it be? How can we ignore it? We live our lives, trying to maintain the status quo, but our status quo is leading to suffering and destruction. There is nothing that is in our lives that is not touched today by global climate change. The homes we build and live in, our transportation, the weather we experience every day, the clothes we wear, the trash we discard, the fuel that powers our heat, lights and automobiles, the food we choose to eat, how our cities, towns and buildings are designed…there is nothing that isn't touched by the state of our planet today. Humans are changing the climate, and how we cope with these changes says a tremendous amount about our relationship to life on planet Earth. But wait! There are possibilities, and there are solutions! They start with us, and the changes that come from hope, not fear. Join our guests today as they help us discover how to set a joyful path toward climate health.   RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo (UUSLO) United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo (UCC) St. Benedict's Episcopal Church (Los Osos) Solve Climate Change Now by Don Maruska Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference SLO Climate Coalition Resilient SLO Resilient Central Coast ECOSLO Interfaith Power and Light UU Ministry for Earth Citizens' Climate Lobby Living in the Time of Dying (film) This is What We Did Third Act 350   MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Deb Pritchard is a native Californian who loves to snorkel, and has done so all around the world. Her favorite snorkeling was on the island of Palawan, in the Philippines, where she spent 10 years, first as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and then as a management consultant, founding and growing NGOs and private businesses. She helped start the Special Olympics there as well as the Palawan ICT Association, working on many community projects with the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club. Deb began her career in sales at Shell Chemical and was the first woman promoted to management with a B.S. in Chemistry and Psychology. She married and raised two daughters, returning to school for a teaching degree in Special Education and Educational Therapy. Deb has had a variety of careers: Corporate Sales and Marketing Director, Special Education teacher, and International Management Consultant with a specialty in organizational development.  She has returned to California's Central Coast and focuses on intergenerational work addressing climate change and women's empowerment. Her passion is the environment, and she attended the UN summit, COP27 in Egypt in November, 2022. Deb is in the process of publishing her memoir, Vipers and Geckos: Defining Friend, Foe, and Truth in the Peace Corps. Don Maruska engages people around the world to take climate action and have fun doing it. He enjoys grassroots actions. These include developing strategies with businesses and community organizations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and restore our balance with nature. Don has also created videos, study guides, and support resources in use by faith-based groups from multiple denominations. He sees an important role for people from faith and justice communities to demonstrate stewardship for creation and the practices of sacrificial giving to reorder our lives for a healthy climate and a world that works for all. These values and experiences inspired Don to write Solve Climate Change Now: Do What You Love for a Healthy Planet. Earlier in his career, Don founded and was CEO of three Silicon Valley companies, earning a national Innovator Award. Now, he's a Master Certified Coach helping others succeed. Don is also the author of How Great Decisions Get Made and co-author of Take Charge of Your Talent. He earned his BA magna cum laude in government from Harvard University and an MBA and JD from Stanford University. Audiences appreciate Don's inspiring keynotes and productive workshops delivered both in person and online.   SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization.   CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

None of us ever thinks that they, or anyone they know, will ever end up in jail or prison. But if life throws you a curveball and you find yourself,  a family member, or friend incarcerated, wouldn't it be good to know all that awaits you behind those prison walls? During his 17 ½ years in prison, Emanuel Bell hit a lot of bumps in the road. It took him 14 years to understand how to successfully do prison time and stay out of trouble. Emanuel attended a creative writing class at Solano Prison, and learned how to successfully write a book; the result is the newly published How to Serve Prison Time Successfully–the title of this podcast–and it's a real inside look at prison life. In it, Emanuel details how to be equipped with all the essential knowledge and tools needed to successfully do jail or prison time. This book teaches the proper way to live “cell life,” helping you to become a compatible, cool “celly” no matter who shares your cell. Emanuel opens readers' eyes to the inevitable situations faced in jail or prison, and offers tools to deal with anger, depression, and stress. He equips those serving prison time to properly handle the situation, keep pushing forward and get through any sentence. Emanuel hopes to convey the same prison knowledge that an inmate gains after serving years. Readers will become educated about prison life, even if they have never served a day. Today, we'll speak with Emanuel to learn more about how he became an expert in prison life, how he survived it to be released after serving his time, and what he plans to do now that he's a free man.   RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo (UUSLO) United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo (UCC) The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander Solano Prison How to Do Prison Time Successfully by Emanuel Bell Restorative Partners American Psychological Association Search for “Anger Management”     MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST, Emanuel Bell  Emanuel Deon Bell was born in the Central Coast of California in Salinas on November 19, 1978. He was raised in Seaside California. While doing his 17 1/2 years in prison, he did his time at these general population prisons: Salinas Valley, Ironwood State Prison, Soledad Tracy Prison (aka Deuel Vocational Institution), Calipatria State Prison, Delano State Prison, and Solano State Prison. When the California prison system was sending inmates out of state due to prison overcrowding, Emanuel also did prison time at a Mississippi prison, an Oklahoma prison, and an Arizona prison. He is currently a cement truck driver in San Luis Obispo County. When he has extra time on he enjoys making rap music. You will be able to hear some of his music on YouTube soon!   SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

We hope you were able to listen to last month's conversation with Geoffrey Land, Social Studies teacher at Paso High, along with two of his current students who shared their process of becoming scholar activists, learning to speak out for justice and inclusion.  We are excited this month to have Beatriz Lopez as our guest! Beatriz was also a student of Geof Land while at Paso Robles High School. In 2018 she participated in a community forum in which Beatriz and eight other undocumented students at PRHS came from the shadows to share their stories openly. Following the forum, Mr. Land encouraged them to write a Viewpoint for the Tribune explaining why they had decided to come forward and speak out. We hope you will read that powerful, open and honest Viewpoint which is linked in our Show Notes.  Today, four years later, several of these young people have now graduated from college. We'll find out how Beatriz has fared since graduation and her courageous announcement of her Dreamer status; we'll discuss her experiences in college, her dreams for the future now that she has graduated, and how her immigration status and US policies around immigration continue to affect her and her family's lives. Join us for a conversation with Beatriz Lopez, a Paso Robles High School graduate who continues to Dream Big!   RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo (UUSLO) United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo (UCC) Paso Robles High School M.E.Ch.A. AVID Program These Paso High seniors are bound for college, if they're allowed to stay in the U.S. Viewpoint, Tribune, 4-25-2018 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) National Immigration Law Center (NILC) National Immigration Forum DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act)    MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST Beatriz López Isidro was born in Uruapan, Michoacán and raised in Paso Robles, CA. Beatriz is a proud daughter of immigrants whose parents come from San Juan Nuevo, Michoacán, México. She is a recent college graduate from UC Merced with a Bachelors of Science in Biological Science with an emphasis in Human Biology.  Throughout her time at UC Merced, she received constant support and mentorship from the Services for Undocumented Students. For the 2021-2022 school year, she was given the opportunity to collaborate with the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Office for Services for Undocumented Students to represent undergraduate undocumented students at UC Merced. Most recently, she was given the opportunity to participate as a CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholar through the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program and paired with Promesa Boyle Heights as a summer intern.  Beatriz emphasizes the importance of fighting for the “original dreamers” (dreamer's parents) and all the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States because DACA is not enough; there needs to be bipartisan Congressional immigration reform! SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Our guests today are Geoffrey Land, a Social Studies teacher at Paso Robles High School who has just been named the SLO County Teacher of the Year, and two of his students, Israel Perez and Ana Lopez, both seniors at Paso High. A teacher and his students? What could be more ordinary, right? Not so…what makes this podcast special is the fact that Geoffrey Land is no ordinary teacher, and Ana and Israel are no ordinary high school seniors. Mr. Land has been busy teaching justice-making and activism at Paso Robles High School, and Israel and Ana have both been applying his lessons to real life as they ready themselves for a world that needs much more justice and many more activists. Listen in as we find out how Geoff Land teaches students to stand up for justice, and how Ana and Israel have rallied for representation and inclusivity in an environment that has not always been supportive of these goals. RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo (UUSLO) United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo (UCC) Paso Robles High School New Times 8/25/22 “Paso school board passes symbolic resolution about gender specific titles” Border Ecology Project ECOSLO San Diego Office of Binational Affairs M.E.Ch.A. Coming Out Against Hate Paso Robles Daily News October 22, 2021 Baile Folklorico Baile Folklorico You Tube Ethnic Studies Elective at PRHS New Times April 15, 2021 AVID Program Paso Teacher Butts Heads with School Board…New Times September 8, 2022 See additional links to articles in Geof Land's bio below. MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Geoffrey Land Geoffrey Land has been teaching Social Studies at Paso Robles High School since 1998. He holds degrees from UC Santa Barbara (B.A.) and UC San Diego (Master's in Pacific International Affairs). He has lived and studied in Spain and Costa Rica. Land served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Caribbean (Grenada, 1984-86) and with San Diego's Office of Binational Affairs, which coordinated the city's relations with Mexico. Before becoming a teacher, he worked with nonprofit groups—Border Ecology Project and the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo (ECOSLO). While working at ECOSLO, Land spearheaded local efforts to protect the coast from offshore oil and gas development and the county's north coast from the proposed Hearst hotel and golf development at San Simeon Point. He also oversaw an environmental health project to educate local farmworkers about environmental and health risks associated with pesticides.   At PRHS, Land has led hundreds of students on field studies and backpacking trips, helping establish the Field Studies Collaborative. In 2005 he created and still teaches one of California's only Modern World History classes conducted entirely in Spanish for bilingual students. In 2010, he was part of an effort to defend the teaching of Kaffir Boy at SLO High School and penned a Tribune viewpoint on the subject (“Don't censor Kaffir Boy because it discomforts some”). In 2017, Land worked with students who had organized a school walkout to honor immigrants, encouraging them to put their reasons for the protest into a Viewpoint for the local paper (“Paso High protest aimed to support immigrants”) In 2018, Land helped organize a community forum in which nine undocumented students at PRHS shared their stories; he encouraged them to write a Viewpoint for the Tribune explaining why they decided to speak out. (“These Paso seniors are bound for college, if they're allowed to stay in the U.S.”) His Viewpoint on racial conflict and local news coverageappeared in the SLO Tribune in August, 2020. He developed and teaches the Honors Ethnic Studies course at Paso Robles High School. He was recently named 2022 Teacher of the Year for San Luis Obispo County.  Israel Perez Israel Pérez is a senior at Paso Robles High School. Last year, Israel spoke out publicly during the “Coming Out Against Hate” forum, held at Paso High, when students stood up courageously against homophobic hate. More than 300 people attended. Israel is a member of many campus clubs and an officer for three of them. He is Co-President of the Activists' Coalition for Tomorrow Club (ACT); the Events Coordinator for M.E.Ch.A.; and the Social Media Coordinator for the Black Student Union. He is also a member of these clubs: Conservative Club, Red Cross Club, Life Savers Club, Friday Night Live, Wilderness Club, Beach Beautification Club, and Equity Club member. Currently, Israel is applying for placement on the Paso Robles Youth Committee which advises the City Council on youth affairs. In college, Israel plans to major in International Relations and Environmental Law and hopes to become a staff member of the United Nations. Ana Lopez Ana López Isidro was born in Santa Barbara, CA and raised in Paso Robles, CA. Ana is a proud daughter of immigrants whose parents come from San Juan Nuevo, Michoacán, México. She is currently a senior at Paso Robles High School and Co-President of M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlan), a club that she's participated in since her freshman year. Ana helped organize numerous cultural events last year, most notably the first ever Baile, a Spanish language dance on campus. As a junior, Ana was also a member of PRHS' Ethnic Studies class. She is currently the Carmesi Editor of PRHS' Crimson News Magazine and President of the high school's AVID program. Since her junior year she has been a member of the Diversity & Policy Committee with three other students and Paso Robles Joint Unified School District staff. Ana identifies as a student, a community member, and an activist. Ana believes in the importance of striving for equity among everyone in our society, creating healing & safe environments, and working for inclusiveness and representation within our schools. SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal.  People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman  

Rev. Dr. Caroline Addington Hall, Rector of St. Benedict's Episcopal Church in Los Osos, has been recognized this year by the office of Congressional Representative Salud Carbajal as an outstanding Women of the Year Award recipient. Caro has been our friend, colleague and partner in working for positive change in our Central Coast communities for decades. Rev. Hall has been described as tireless, fearless, and an incredible communicator. She is a published author, an advocate for the unhoused, for the LGBTQA+ community, for the environment, for social justice, for children, and for our furry and feathered friends. Caro doesn't just talk; she DOES!  One might ask: “How does she do all of this, and keep on going?” Jason and Gina are proud to share our conversation with Caro. We'll explore how her unwavering faith and dedication to justice has been a well of strength and sustenance that keeps her focused and energized for the work she does. Join us in our conversation with Rev. Caroline Hall (Caro) today! RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo (UUSLO) United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo (UCC) St. Benedict's Episcopal Church (St. Ben's: A Place for All People) A Thorn in the Flesh: How Gay Sexuality is Changing the Episcopal Church Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA San Luis Obispo) Integrity USA Los Osos Cares GALA Pride and Diversity Center (San Luis Obispo) Homeless Services Oversight Council (San Luis Obispo) 2022 Women of the Year Award Winners (24th Congressional District) National Estuary Program ECOSLO Estero Bay Womanade   MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall, affectionately known as “Caro” is a tireless advocate for the homeless, for the LGBTQ+ community, for the environment, for social justice, for children, and for our furry and feathered friends. She believes that being part of the solution is required for all of us to make our community, country, and world a better place for everyone. Reverend Hall was a founding director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for SLO, founding organizer of Los Osos Cares, founding member of Central Coast Clergy and Laity for Justice, president of People of Faith for Justice, former member of SLO County Homeless Service Oversight Council, and current member of Los Osos Advisory Councils Unhoused Residents committee. She organizes the Los Osos winter warming center and still finds time to volunteer with the National Estuary Program, Sierra Club, and ECOSLO. SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization.   CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

There are too many guns in the United States of America! Four hundred million firearms are owned by civilians in America–400 million–more guns than the US population. Nationally, there are more than 45,000 deaths caused by guns every year; that's nearly 125 Americans per day killed by firearms. As of this year, guns are now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1-19.  As horrifying as these statistics are, they are only a small part of the story. The real stories are told by the victims, their families, friends, teachers and all who loved them. The loss, trauma, pain, fear, and anger just keep multiplying. Legislation that would actually make a difference in gun violence and gun deaths seems elusive.  In 2022 alone, there have already been nearly 300 mass shootings–at parties, protests, rallies, in the streets, in homes, motels, malls, stores and in school rooms–even at a 4th of July parade–almost no place feels safe anymore. Our guest today, Michelle Garner of Moms Demand Action, is here to share her story and her commitment to changing the forces of gun violence in the United States. We welcome her perspective and her dedication to face head on one of the greatest tragedies of our time.    RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo Everytown for Gun Safety Everytown Research Moms Demand Action Mom's Demand Action CA - FB Page Students Demand Action The Week June 17, 2022 (Vol. 22 Issue 1083) - 7 articles about gun violence Gun Sense Action Network Summer Series SB 918 CA - Portantino (Improving CA's Concealed Carry License System) Advance Peace Program (CA: Richmond, Stockton,Sacramento, Fresno, Oakland,and NYC) Cure Violence Program (Based in Chicago; programs in 25 cities and 8 countries) The End of Policing by Alex Vitale Alex Vitale “Rethinking Safety in the Wake of Uvalde” - June 1 (“Code Switch” Podcast) Gun Laws | Giffords Brady Campaign March For Our Lives  Be Smart for Kids (SMART Gun Storage)  California Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Program - CalVIP   MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST Michelle Garner is a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a grassroots movement that started in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting and now has over 8 million volunteers across all 50 states.  Michelle started out as the leader for the local group here in SLO County, and now serves as the California State Training Lead, and a leader on the National Training Team. In this role, she works to train new volunteers across the nation in the fight to prevent gun violence in all its forms. Michelle is a college instructor, is married to an elementary school teacher, and is the mom to twin, ten-year-old boys. As such, she is very passionate about making our schools and all places in our country safer for all.  SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal.  People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Our guests today are three friends from the Central Coast of CA who share a mission: to make the Earth a better place for all their descendants. Earth Day, Earth Month, Earth Year–why not an Earth Eternity? We know that nothing lasts for eternity; one day, scientists say, our Sun will fail us and leave everything in darkness and cold, long after life on planet Earth no longer exists. But what about now? How do we celebrate our Earth's longevity, long after a day in April, a month in Spring or a year from now? Spend the next hour with our guests June Cochran, Kelly Fisher and Grace Gautereaux while we vision together an Earth Eternity healed of the many mistakes we made while generations embraced the notion that Earth's resources were boundless, that our greed was “good” and that our abuses would never be noticed. RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo College Corps Fellowship - Cal Poly (Get $10K for your educational expenses in exchange for a 450 hour internship with a local non-profit working for the environment. Apply now! June 30 deadline.) SLO Climate Coalition Resilient SLO SLO Climate Coalition Micro Community Collaborative Civic Spark-Americorps City of San Luis Obispo (SLO) Sustainability Dept Surfriders Central Coast Red Cross Central CA Silent Spring by Rachel Carson ECOSLO GridAlternatives U.N. Sustainable Development Goals Tri County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN) Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer BlocPower   MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS June Cochran, a native Californian, earned her undergraduate degree at U.C. Berkeley, where she learned how to protest injustices, and her Master's degree at Occidental in Urban Studies. June then became a reporter, a high school teacher, a college instructor and an Instructional Specialist, training teachers for Stockton Unified School District. Possessing a deep desire to educate herself and others on resiliency and equity issues, she started and advised a high school club titled E.N.U.F. (Earth Needs Us Fast); organized a Green Shalom action group at a synagogue; produced a number of informative video programs for the media; and became an integral contributor in key groups engaged in a positive movement toward a solution-based future.  As coordinator of the San Luis Obispo Climate Coalition, her mission is to increase awareness of the advantages of decarbonization in order to strengthen our energy profile and our local economy, give residents the power to put their talents to work, and prepare our isolated area for unexpected events. In 2018, June received the SLO Climate Coalition's “Climate Champion Award,” of which she is quite proud. In all of June's work for change, her emphasis is on raising public awareness, organizing educational events, and networking. She volunteers as a national responder for the American Red Cross and has helped install solar through Grid Alternatives, including two all-female installations.  June and her husband, Fred Fink, live in Shell Beach, CA. They do this work primarily for her daughter and son, who both work in the field of public health; a daughter-in-law who is a high school counselor; a son-in-law who is an engineer; and four grandsons—two in California and two in New York—and for all their descendants, as well as for all future individuals and families. June is committed to creating a vibrant, just, and sustainable world for ALL people for generations to come. Kelly Fisher serves as the program director and co-founder of the San Luis Obispo Climate Coalition's Micro-Community Collaborative. Their Resilient SLO Challenge program is designed to promote equity, resilience, and climate protection regionally. Kelly also serves as a highly qualified expert with the United States Army Senior Education Program, where she assisted in the development of the Women, Peace and Security curriculum. Kelly serves as a Deputy Congressional Director for the United States' Women's Caucus at United Nations, a Board member of the American Red Cross Pacific Coast Chapter and a member of the Coalition for Women's Appointments.  Before devoting her full-time support to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Brigadier General Fisher retired from 40 years of US military service. Her most recent duty assignments include Land Component Commander of California Army National Guard with concurrent duty as Deputy Commandant - Reserve Affairs United States Army War College. General Fisher also served as the special assistant to the Chief of National Guard Bureau, and a member of the Department of Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the Wisconsin National Guard's Sexual Harassment, Assault, Response and Prevention Program.  Grace Gautereaux serves as the Outreach Specialist of the San Luis Obispo Climate Coalition's Micro-Community Collaborative. She promotes the Resilient SLO Challenge to local households to encourage individual and collective action around resilience, sustainability, and equity. She works with local agencies to advertise financial and other support opportunities to users and coordinates with financial stakeholders to create compelling, locally-oriented incentives to participate in the challenge. In addition, Grace has worked with partner agencies to develop a Fellowship opportunity that will bolster Resilient SLO mobilization initiatives on the ground in San Luis Obispo communities. Grace also works as a “CivicSpark Fellow” for the Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN) where she helps to develop policy, workforce preparedness, and homeowner education around building electrification and energy efficiency initiatives on the Central Coast. Grace graduated from Willamette University with a BA in Politics concentrated in international renewable energy policy and economics.    SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Our guests today are three women from the Central Coast of CA who share their Ukrainian heritage and the pain, fear and anger they are experiencing during the current, ongoing Russian invasion of their country of origin. Our interview was remarkable. You will hear strong emotions expressed; some of the stories and concerns will be troubling. There is death, famine, war and struggle in Ukraine's history. But there is beauty, art, joy, resolve and strength as well.   RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo Irina Malkmus (Permanent Makeup Artistry site) Irina Malkmus (Fine Art site) Irina Malkmus (Santa Ynez Valley Star) Modern-Day Xenophobia (by Oksana Yakushko) Scientific Pollyannaism (by Oksana Yakushko)  American Psychological Association “Living with the War” (3/4/22 Santa Barbara Independent by Oksana Yakushko) “Stand With Ukraine” (2/25/22 Santa Barbara Independent by Oksana Yakushko) “Russian War Against Ukraine Gets Worse”  (3/13/22 by Oksana Yakushko) “Terror in Ukraine” (2/27/22 Santa Barbara Independent by Oksana Yakushko) The Horror of War… (4/4/22 Santa Barbara Independent by Oksana Yakushko) The Ukraine Crisis… (CNN: Fareed Zakaria) First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Santa Barbara Ukrainian National Anthem (YouTube-2/28/22 NY Met Orchestra and Chorus) “Prayer for Ukraine” (YouTube-2-27-22 Ukrainian Chorus Dumka New York) https://novaukraine.org/ (Reliable org for Donations) https://gofund.me/3b6fc1b8 (Irina's family fundraiser) https://www.facebook.com/irina.malkmus.7 (Irina's FB page) MIRAMA09@gmail.com (Irina's PayPal-how she sends $$ to Ukraine) https://www.ukrweekly.com/uwwp/the-price-of-truth-the-story-behind-agnieszka-hollands-mr-jones/ (About the Film, Mr. Jones, available on Hulu) https://education.holodomor.ca/about-the-holodomor/ (Story of the Holodomor) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El5aPt91jeo (Stop the War in Ukraine Rally)   MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Annie Doryk-Cappelli was born in Canada and raised in both Canada and South Florida. She moved to California in the early 1990's and continued her pursuit of painting, illustration, figurative sculpture and documentary filmmaking after attending art school in Toronto, Canada.  You can see her work at https://www.anniecappelli.com/ Annie has deep Ukrainian heritage. Both her parents spoke and wrote Ukrainian, and her father played accordion in a Ukrainian polka band. The family spoke Ukrainian at home until her parents moved permanently to the USA. Upon returning to Canada for college, Annie lived in a Ukrainian dormitory that proved to be quite fun. With the support of a Ukrainian community she met in San Diego, Annie continued her art education studying editing, graphic design and animation. Wherever Annie went, she took both her culture and her passion for art with her; after traveling extensively in North America, she eventually settled on the Central Coast of California. Since it was difficult to find Ukrainian friends here, Annie put in additional effort at home to practice Ukrainian customs and prepare traditional foods, teaching her son about their heritage. In addition to practicing her wide range of artistic talents, Annie began studying marine algae in 2010 and became a commercial kelp harvester in 2012. She now sells a line of commercial seaweed products.  Since the war began in Ukraine, Annie has reached out to new friends she has met in the Ukrainian community in Santa Barbara. She continues to utilize her artistic skills to create posters, banners and items to sell at fundraising efforts in the Santa Barbara and Pismo Beach areas. Annie's hope and inspiration are revived by her new Ukrainian friends with their poignant stories, resilience, humor and grace as they comfort one another at this difficult time.   Oksana Yakushko grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine, and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1990s. She is a licensed psychologist, psychoanalyst, psychology professor, and scholar in Santa Barbara, CA. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, and in 2021, Oksana received the Women in Leadership award from the APA. Her scholarship and clinical work have focused on issues of social justice, including immigration, xenophobia, human trafficking, gender violence, and eugenics, the latter a discredited “science” that justifies prejudice. Oksana is the author of two books and numerous scholarly articles and book chapters. She has consulted and presented with such organizations as the U.S. Memorial Holocaust Museum (Smithsonian Institution), the United Nations, Opera Santa Barbara, and many other groups. Because most of her family members and numerous friends reside in Ukraine and are facing both the currently ongoing, horrific Russian aggression, as well as the challenges of becoming war refugees, she has focused her clinical, scholarly and activist work most recently on aiding Ukraine and fighting the war.   Irina Malkmus came to the United States from Kharkiv, Ukraine in 2005, not knowing one word of English or even how to drive a car. Nearly 15 years later, she is extremely proud to have a career as both a permanent-makeup artist and a fine artist in Solvang, CA. Although her dream from childhood had been to attend art school, Irina began her college education studying to become a nurse. After three years working in a hospital neonatal ward, she then attended the Ukraine National University of Internal Affairs where she earned a degree in social psychology, graduating in 2005. During what free time Irina had while studying, she never gave up her passion for fine art. While still in graduate school, Irina met a woman who was a pioneer in the permanent makeup industry. She taught Irina about cosmetic tattooing, which was a new industry at the time. It was a form of art that Irina had not anticipated practicing. In 2005, Irina met her now ex-husband in Ukraine. They moved to Lompoc and married in 2006. They began traveling and surfing all over the world, eventually returning to California and settling in Orcutt, where they remained for three years and started a family. In 2009, her twin girls were born, and in 2014, her son was born, but Irina always found a window for her passion—art. She started taking art classes at Allan Hancock College and Santa Barbara City College. Eventually, the family settled in Solvang. Irina now practices the art of permanent makeup artistry in the Santa Ynez Valley. She is the first and only permanent makeup artist in Solvang. Irina also maintains her passion for fine art, showing her work in Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley galleries and teaching art at Solvang School. She also makes jewelry. Her plans include starting painting and art classes for children and adults, with a goal of building an art community in Solvang. “I chose a career as a permanent makeup artist because of my passion for helping people improve their self-confidence, bringing their inner beauty to the surface through the medium of makeup,” says Irina. “I now am the artist I always wanted to be, I just changed canvases.”    SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Our guests this month are Jamie Woolf and Ila Moncrief, both active volunteers with the GALA Pride and Diversity Center in San Luis Obispo and, in Ila's case, the LGBTQ+ Center for Campus Life at Cal Poly. Ila serves on the GALA Board, and Jamie leads Tranz Central Coast, an organization supporting transgender and other gender-diverse individuals in SLO County. Through their work with the GALA Pride and Diversity Center of San Luis Obispo, Tranz Central Coast, and the LGBTQ+ Center for Campus Life at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, they have been leaders in the struggle for LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion. Today, they share their insights, concerns and victories. We welcome Ila and Jamie to our microphone this month.   RELEVANT LINKS PFJ GALA Pride and Diversity Center - San Luis Obispo LGBTQ+ Center for Campus Life - Cal Poly Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo Combating Anti-Trans Legislation (Webinar on Vimeo)  Anti-transgender legislation- Texas and other states Here's All the Anti-Trans Legislation That Moved Forward This Week  Transgender Training Institute SLO Pride Skippers' Brew Coffee Shop, San Luis Obispo (local discounts for monthly supporters of GALA) SLO Provisions, San Luis Obispo (local discounts) SLO Botanical Garden, San Luis Obispo (local discounts) SLO Public House (local discounts) Central Coast Comedy Theater (local discounts)   MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Ila Moncrief Ila is a queer, non-binary Cal Poly student with LGBTQ+ Center for Campus Life. Since fall 2020, they have been working with their campus center in collaboration with GALA. Chairing the 2021 Central Coast Pride committee was the highlight of their experience with GALA. Since then, community engagement, education, and visibility have become the focus of their work. They incorporate LGBTQ+ issues into their studies as a Political Science major and minor in City and Regional Planning at Cal Poly. Their enduring love for cities inspires their advocacy for equitable access to resources and urban space. Jamie Woolf Jamie Woolf is a retired journalist who spent 32 years writing for the Salt Lake Tribune in Salt Lake City, Utah. Most of that time she covered environmental issues. She received a Knight International Press Fellowship in 1998 and spent six months teaching journalism in Ecuador. She was also a visiting lecturer at Princeton University in 2001. Since moving to SLO some 13 years ago, she has been president of the Unitarian Universalists SLO Board of Trustees, chair of SLO City's Bicycle Advisory Committee, a state park docent at the Pismo Beach Monarch Grove, and a volunteer teacher of English as a second language. She is currently chair of Tranz Central Coast, a group that supports transgender and other gender-diverse people in San Luis Obispo County. She has a son who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Our guests this month are Noha Kolkailah and Morgan Boyd, both volunteers with a brand new non-profit called SLO4HOME. Morgan and Noha are two of at least 100 other volunteers who have begun a long journey to create an organization and a plan to welcome and help settle several Afghan families in SLO County communities. The United States government made a promise to Afghan men and women who assisted us during our 20 year mission in their country. Now it's time to honor our word, and through their involvement with SLO4HOME, Noha and Morgan are helping us do that very thing. We hope our listeners will be excited to learn about SLO4HOME, and perhaps be motivated to lend a hand in this community-wide journey to welcome our new neighbors. RELEVANT LINKS PFJ Islamophobia SLO Diversity Coalition (Website and Episode 1/25/22 recording) Mosque of Nasreen (San Luis Obispo) Church World Service (Faith Based Resettlement Agency) SLO4HOME Cal Poly Farmer Experiential Education and Development Training Program (FEED) MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Noha Kolkailah Noha Kolkailah was born in Cairo Egypt and raised in California. After starting a summer school for children in Hawaii at age sixteen, her love for children moved her in the direction of becoming a teacher. She attained a bachelor's in Biochemistry, her teaching credentials, and a master's in Educational Leadership and Administration from Cal Poly State University. In 2015, Noha took on the role of Vice Principal at Mission College Prep Catholic High School and founded the Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts shortly thereafter. With a group of diverse thinkers and a common language of core human values, the Peace Academy fosters an enriching culture and climate for children with a focus on self-awareness, global citizenship, social justice, and environmental stewardship.  On behalf of SLO's Muslim community, Noha was awarded the David Conn Diversity Advancement award by the Jewish Community Center. She received this award for leading the efforts put forth towards intercultural exchange with the 2017 “Meet Your Muslim Neighbor” event attended by 800 people. Noha also served on SLO Coastal School District's Common Ground Task Force. In 2020, Noha was one of the six women honored by Congressman Salud Carbajal as a Congressional Woman of the Year after which she took part in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force to  develop a set of recommendations for a more welcoming SLO community. Currently, Noha works for Santa Maria Bonita's 21 schools as a Culture and Climate Coordinator, a new and innovative capacity to fulfill for the district. Morgan Q. Boyd Mr. Boyd is a native of the Central Coast where he grew up working on his family's sustainable farm in Arroyo Grande. He is a Cal Poly graduate with a master's degree in Public Policy where his primary research focused on the causality of Veteran unemployment and underemployment. During his tenure at Cal Poly as a Program Manager and Instructor, Mr. Boyd was responsible for the development of Cal Poly's Farmer Experiential Education and Development Training Program (FEED), which focused on training Veterans in sustainable agricultural practices.  During his 12-year military career he obtained the rank of Captain, served as Platoon Leader, Company Commander and Regimental Assistant Intelligence Officer. He was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan serving as a Cavalry Trooper conducting reconnaissance operations.  Mr. Boyd has served in the County's Health Agency as the Administrative Services Officer of the County Jail Medical Clinic and most recently as a Program Manager for Adult Drug Court program and as a unit supervisor Drug & Alcohol Services' drug testing program. Mr. Boyd currently serves his community as the San Luis Obispo County Veteran Services Officer and has been involved in the evacuation of Afghan refugees since the fall of Afghanistan last summer. SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Our guest this month, Dr. Stephen Lloyd-Moffett, is a Professor of Comparative Religion at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. We are excited to hear his views on certain trends in faith and religion: the shrinkage or growth of various faith denominations and traditions; the significance of the rise of the “nones,” especially among Gen Z and Millennials; and the connection between faith traditions and social justice movements. After some discussion in our last episode about the relevance of religion in today's society, we decided to expand on some of these issues. We went straight to an expert, and we are so grateful that Professor Lloyd-Moffett is with us today! RELEVANT LINKS People of Faith for Justice Understanding the Nones Mainline Protestants Are Still Declining, But That's Not Good News for Evangelicals “Spiritual, but not religious” Repairers in the Breach Rev. William Barber (American Protestant minister and social activist) The Lavra (Housing cooperative in San Luis Obispo County, California) Monastic Republic of Mt. Athos Orthodox Christianity Comparative Religion Classical Secularism Charismatic Christianity The Book of Joy      MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST PROFESSOR STEPHEN LLOYD MOFFETT Dr. Stephen Lloyd-Moffett is a professor of Comparative Religion at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, occasional columnist for the Tribune, and advocate for religious dialogue. An internationally-known scholar of Religious Studies, Professor Lloyd-Moffett has published academic works on ancient monasticism, modern Greek Christianity, the religious life of Cesar Chavez, communal living, and the spirituality of wine. Over the past two decades, he has given over 500 public talks to local groups to help further our understanding of religion. Professor Lloyd-Moffett is the past recipient of the Cal Poly College of Liberal Arts teaching award and the “Top 20 Under 40” award from the San Luis Obispo Tribune. With his partner, Steve co-founded The Lavra, a gathering spot and intentional sustainable living community outside Arroyo Grande, CA   SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal.  People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Join us after our Thanksgiving month break to get to know some of the folks who serve on the People of Faith for Justice Board of Directors! Maggie Fertschneider and Rich Kurrasch join us today to share their faith journeys, challenges in justice work, and how  justice work can be deepened within a faith perspective. We ponder the questions of which justice issues are most imperative, and whether faith communities will continue to be relevant to today's society. RELEVANT LINKS People of Faith for Justice United Methodist Church Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) United Church of Christ Congregational Cornel West (American philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual) UMC of Atascadero John Wesley (English cleric, theologian, and evangelist, who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism) Understanding the Nones Mainline Protestants Are Still Declining, But That's Not Good News for Evangelicals “Spiritual, but not religious” Climate Change Black Lives Matter R.A.C.E. Matters Repairers in the Breach Rev. William Barber (American Protestant minister and social activist) Institute for Ecological Civilization Allies for Immigration Justice MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Rev. Dr. Rich Kurrasch While a native of South Dakota, Rev. Dr. Richard Kurrasch traces his roots more to Los Angeles and what some call the “religion of California” in the 1950s and 1960s. That landscape apparently nurtured a more substantial faith as well. What emerged in the Nebraska Panhandle where he and his wife, Ann Marie, met became what would be a constant in their lives for fifty years: his parishioners. That journey would include pastorates in California and the Upper Midwest, with an unexpected detour to Maui. For many years he served Congregational churches, though in recent years he has found his ecclesiastical home with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Rich earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Riverside, a Master of Divinity degree from Bethany Theological Seminary (the graduate School of Religion of the Church of the Brethren), and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the School of Theology at Claremont, California. Beyond the local church, Richard had the unique privilege to serve as Moderator of the International Congregational Fellowship which included a quadrennial meeting in Seoul, South Korea. Other theological interests include explorations in desert and wilderness spirituality and the intersection between religion and the arts, particularly in contemporary American novels. He enjoys writing and hopes to publish a memoir in the coming year. Since retiring on the Central Coast, Rich has served on the Board of Directors of People of Faith for Justice where he is especially interested in addressing the looming climate crisis with the insights of Process Theology. Maggie Ferschneider  Maggie was born on July 30, 1931; she is known as a “cradle” Methodist, as Maggie's parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were all Methodists.   Maggie's first memories were of attending Sunday School and later, becoming part of the Methodist Youth Fellowship. There, Maggie began to see that working for justice and social action were a part of her faith. Amos' words in the Bible, "Do you know what I want? I want justice–rivers of it. I want  fairness–rivers of it. That's what I want. That's all I want,” became powerful to Maggie. Jesus' words, "Love one another and treat others as you want them to treat you," became the most important words in the Bible to Maggie. Maggie says, “If you feel everyone has a right to Universal Health Care, then you need to advocate for that. That means educating your faith community as well as working with Congress.”  All of her life, Maggie has been given the opportunity to develop and be the leader of many committees and agencies within the Methodist Cal-Pacific and worldwide General Conferences. This allowed her to work with other Christian denominations as well as with other faiths. Maggie is especially grateful for those who mentored her and opened up opportunities for her to be a disciple of Christ and to work for justice her whole life long.    SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

This month, Jason and I reached out to speak with three of the co-founders of Women's March SLO. These three women--Dawn Addis, Andrea Chmelick, and Jen Ford--are movers and shakers in our midst, dedicated to advancing the status of women and girls, speaking truth to power and weaving a legacy of justice and democracy in action! Dawn Addis reminds us of the importance of continuing to make change when she says, “From representation, to the wage gap, to childcare, to reproductive rights and the #MeToo movement, there is no shortage of ways we must continue to make change.” Whatever can be accomplished, will be accomplished by our guests! Join us to find out how! RELEVANT LINKS Women's March SLO City of Morro Bay SLO County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Shatter PAC - https://shatterpac.com Rock Harbor Marketing Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund Dawn Addis - https://dawnaddis.org #MeToo Movement Kingian Principles of Nonviolence MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Andrea Chmelik is an activist, writer, speaker and communications professional. She grew up in communist Czechoslovakia, a country that no longer exists. Bearing witness to changing regimes, and both the rise and crumbling of democracy, she is passionate about social justice and community engagement. Andrea's work is focused on empowering, supporting and advancing women through policy, education and direct action. She is a Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Women's March SLO, Chair of the SLO County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and a Principal Officer at Shatter PAC. As a communications professional and social media strategist, she leverages the power of positive messaging to amplify diverse voices and encourage peaceful action. She is an ardent cat lover, eternal optimist, and considers coffee essential. Contact Andrea at andrea.chmelikova@gmail.com Jen Ford is the CEO of Rock Harbor Marketing (a female-majority owned company), Co-Founder of Women's March San Luis Obispo, and was recently appointed to the Morro Bay City Council. She has participated in the community in various ways, from PTA to serving on the Morro Bay Planning Commission. Jen enjoys troubleshooting, planning, bringing people together, and lending a hand when there's a need. Watching scary movies and hiking local trails with friends and family are a few of her favorite ways to unwind. Contact Jen at jenpaccoast@gmail.com Dawn Addis is Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Women's March San Luis Obispo. She is also a Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund Board Member, founder of Shatter PAC, a new Central Coast initiative focused on electing women, and a Morro Bay City Councilmember. She has been a 24th District Congressional Woman of the Year and State of the Union guest. In 2020 she was a candidate for State Assembly District 35 and earned the most votes of any candidate from her party ever. Ms Addis has served the community in a variety of ways from youth soccer coach to Finance Advisory Committee appointee. Dawn Addis has a deep passion for community building, change-making, and chocolate. Say hello to her at dawn@dawnaddis.org   SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

This month we had the special treat of speaking with local activist, Ruth Ann Angus, of Morro Bay, CA. Ruth Ann wears so many different hats within her work as a social justice activist, it was hard to know where to start with our interview. We decided to build our interview as Ruth Ann has built her own agenda for justice—with faith as her cornerstone, nonviolence as her inspiration and tenacity as her constant companion. RELEVANT LINKS The Nonviolent Cities Project - www.paceebene.org This site has blogs, podcasts, videos and training programs for individuals and groups desiring to embrace nonviolent living and/or organize social justice actions. Central Coast of California Nonviolent Cities and other nonviolent development information  - www.yeswecanpeacebuilders.org This site has blogs, videos, newsletters (SATYA) and training programs on how to develop and run a Nonviolent Cities Project, training and curriculum from the Human Rights Organization (www.humanrights.org and www.youthforhumanrights.org.), Talk Around the Table Discussion Groups, and six and 12 week nonviolent training workshops. Spiritual nonviolence training and information - www.beatitudescenter.org This site is headed by international peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee John Dear and offers online Zoom workshops and lectures on living a Christian Nonviolent life. Many prominent peace activists are guests on these programs. Beatitudes Center also offers four-day in-person Retreats/Workshops in April, May, September, and October at the Inn at Morro Bay.  The Morro Bay National Estuary Program -  www.mbnep.org Scroll to the bottom of the page at this site and click on Videos and view the award-winning short documentary film Of Marshes and Morros to learn about the grassroots movement that brought Morro Bay into the National Estuary Program of the Environmental Protection Agency.  Learn more about Ruth Ann Angus and her writing and photography - www.ruthannangus.com UN International Day of Peace Estero Bay Alliance for Care MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST Ruth Ann is the Director of the peace and nonviolence organization, Yes We Can Peacebuilders, in Morro Bay, CA and Administrative Consultant to Fr. John Dear, Executive Director of The Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus.  Ruth Ann has lived in Morro Bay for 35 years and coordinates the Pace e Bene Nonviolent Cities Project there with city officials, police, civic organizations, humanitarian organizations, and members of the community.  She is a longtime journalist, freelance writer and photographer who is published in many national, regional, and local newspapers, magazines, and online publications.  Ruth Ann is a 26-year board member of the Morro Bay National Estuary Program and sits on the special Education and Public Outreach Committee with that organization. She is a past board member of the local Audubon Society, and both a past board member and current consultant to People of Faith for Justice of San Luis Obispo, California.  Ruth Ann has a degree in marketing/merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and a business certificate from Pepperdine University. Ruth Ann became active in the California Democratic Party during the 1970's and belonged to a grassroots political organization that worked to get progressive democrats elected. She wrote columns for local Democrat publications. She served in the 1976 presidential campaign for Governor Jerry Brown of California and was awarded an appointment as Special Assistant to the Governor on his 1978 state gubernatorial staff. She has worked in the Fashion industry in Los Angeles doing public relations writing and photography, and was a publicity writer and photographer during the 1960s-70s in the folk music industry in New York City. Ruth Ann spent 13 years at Union Bank of California in management and retired early as a Systems Analyst.  Ruth Ann was an activist during the 1960s and 70s participating in anti-war and civil rights protest marches and demonstrations in the northeastern and southern states. SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

In March we heard from Dara Stepanek about the Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts. She described it as a place where children and teens could “learn by being.” We decided it would be fun to revisit this special place to find out how their summer program, Seeds of Peace, had gone. We are pleased to have one of their summer teachers, Sandra Sarrouf, and two parents, Lata and Grace, and their children, Ivy, Lily and Hugo, all of whom have been supporters of Peace Academy from its beginning. We'll hear what special summer projects they enjoyed during Seeds of Peace, and how the values and approaches to learning at Peace Academy are unique in children's education.    RELEVANT LINKS Peace Academy Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (University) Botanical Gardens San Luis Obispo Re/Collecting Project (http://reco.calpoly.edu) Central Coast Covid-19 Snapshots (http://centralcoastsnapshots.online) ASPIRE Center (https://aspire.calpoly.edu) Cultural Creations - Creating Environments of Belonging (https://cultural-creations.com) MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Lata Murti and daughters, Ivy and Lily Lata Murti, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Brandman University and a former teacher and curriculum developer for Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts, San Luis Obispo. She is also a writer and community activist in North Santa Barbara County. When she is not teaching, writing, or volunteering, she enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her two children—Ivy, age 13, grade 8, and Lily, age 10, grade 5. Together, Ivy and Lily have completed three summer Peace Academy programs, which appeal to Lily's enthusiasm for outdoor exploration, Ivy's interest in mentoring younger children, and their shared eagerness to try new foods and recipes from around the world.    Grace Yeh and son, Hugo Rippens Hugo Rippens is a 5th grader at an English-Spanish bilingual school, Pacheco Elementary. He enjoys reading and creating art and music. He is the youngest of three siblings. This summer was Hugo's first time participating in Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts.  Grace Yeh is lucky to be Hugo's mother. She is also Professor of Ethnic Studies at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. At Cal Poly, Dr. Yeh teaches Asian American and Comparative Ethnic Studies courses. She has engaged students and community members in public humanities projects, including a Japanese American oral history project, a Filipino American oral history project, the Re/Collecting Project (http://reco.calpoly.edu), and the Central Coast Covid-19 Snapshots (http://centralcoastsnapshots.online). She helped to found two research collaboratives at Cal Poly, the Public Humanities Collaborative and the ASPIRE Center (https://aspire.calpoly.edu).   Sandra Sarrouf - Peace Academy Teacher Sandra Sarrouf is a cultural consultant, educator and producer committed to building environments of belonging. She received her MA in Cultural Sustainability and BA in Environmental Studies and Political Science with a minor in Global Peace and Security. She offers 20 years of experience in community education and outreach, multicultural programming, and traditional arts.  Working at the intersection of culture, art and justice, she recently founded Cultural Creations to support organizations who want to build inclusion, equity and belonging into their framework. As a Middle Eastern woman who immigrated to the U.S. at a young age, she works to build bridges across differences, cultivating a deeper understanding of the varied ways we participate in culture. Her radiant joy and deep cultural pride are most evident in the vibrancy she brings working as a workshop facilitator, educator and traditional dance artist.   Sandra especially loves her summer work with the Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts engaging children to open their minds about the incredible diversity in our communities and world through movement, art, story and dialogue!    SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

The topic of racial justice and the quest for it has been reignited by Americans with a fervor that has not been seen for decades. Black Americans have borne the brunt of racial injustices consistently throughout our country's history; now they are calling all of us to a new awareness of the continuing tragedy. The murder of George Floyd and so many more Black women and men by law enforcement was only made more startling when pinned against the backdrop of this past year's struggle with COVID-19. R.A.C.E. Matters was conceived as a way to center Black voices in a small, very white community on the Central Coast of California. Today we'll speak to Courtney Haile, founder of R.A.C.E. Matters, and J.P., member of Black Lives Matter Community Action-San Luis Obispo, to learn how the tide is being turned and how we can all help to realize liberation and belonging for everyone. RELEVANT LINKS   RACEMattersSLO.org   Black Lives Matter Community Action-San Luis Obispo FB Page  The Shooting of Michael Brown Killing of Philando Castile BELONGING (2021) Renoda Campbell Photography (2020 BELONGING Photographer) Eric Deshawn Lerma, Photographer (2021 BELONGING Photographer) Stories Matter BELONGING Event (2021) Bang the Drum Brewery Washington Football Team Name Change   Paso's People Action Equal Justice Initiative, Bryan Stevenson Patrisse Cullors (Black Lives Matter co-founder) Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw Intersectionality Stories Matter (2020 Belonging Event) Anti-Racism Daily (podcast with Nicole Cardoza) Tianna Arata Arrest “Teaching Hard History” (podcast)  James Baldwin Frederick Douglass W.E.B. DuBois Ida B. Wells Fred Hampton Eldridge Cleaver Fannie Lou Hamer Assata Shakur Booker T. Washington “1619 Project” New York Times Podcast A Raisin in the Sun (play 1959, film, 2008) Lorraine Hansberry “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?” MLK Speech August,1967 Madam C.J. Walker NAACP-SLO Reconstruction: America After the Civil War - PBS Series Critical Race Theory GUEST INFO Courtney Haile In 2016 Courtney Haile co-founded R.A.C.E. Matters, a grassroots organization that amplifies matters of racial justice and centers Black voices. Now their Executive Director, she has been a driving force for R.A.C.E. Matters' creative endeavors, cultural programs and special events. Courtney spearheads the visionary “Belonging” art series; and has produced two original short documentary films including Restrictions Apply, about San Luis Obispo's history of housing discrimination. Lately, Courtney most enjoys collaborating with community partners to create bold, beautiful, and engaging experiences. Courtney graduated from Leadership SLO Class 26, serves on the Board of Directors of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, and, in 2021, was one of six women chosen by Salud Carbajal as Congressional Women of the Year. Courtney lives in San Luis Obispo. You can reach out to her through www.racemattersslo.org Josh Powell (aka JP) Josh Powell--known to all as J.P.--uses the pronouns he/him/his. J.P. came to the Central Coast from Schenectady, New York in 2019 in pursuit of a career in theater. When the summer of 2020 started with the murder of George Floyd and many other black folks across the country, J.P. found himself doing the work of activism and organizing. J.P. has spoken to hundreds of people about the importance of protecting and defending Black people. He has organized many events, both with Black Lives Matter Community Action-SLO (BLMCA-SLO) and independently, where he's fed, clothed, and entertained the community. He is a public speaker, an essayist, and most recently has become a father. He dedicates his life to the liberation of Black people by teaching people young and old, and doing so with a smile and compassion for every human. Black Lives Matter. You can reach J.P. at joshpowell2997@gmail.com SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal.  People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Bees are essential to our web of life. Jason and I are pleased to welcome Jody Tellier from Central Coast Beekeepers' Alliance of SLO, and Christopher Carlberg of Hallelujah Honey in Wasco to our table today to talk about bees, bee culture, bee rescuing and so many other facets of the bee communities with whom we share our planet. What is it like to “keep” bees? What is bee rescuing? Have you ever imagined life on earth without bees, and what would that look like? Why is it important for humans to do everything we can to help bees thrive? We'll hear the answers to these questions and more in this episode. RELEVANT LINKS   Central Coast Beekeepers' Alliance SLO Bee Rescue Foundation Cal Poly Bee Club Paso Robles Honey/Bee Festival (October 23, 2021 from 10am-5pm) Ag Adventure – Mid State Fair Pollinator Week (June 21-27, 2021) City Farm SLO Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conversation   MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS Christopher Carlberg was born in New Mexico and raised in Orange County, CA. He now lives in Shafter, CA. Christopher earned a degree in Environmental Science from Cal Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside. He keeps bees throughout the state, including in both Kern and SLO Counties, as well as manages his family-run honey business, Hallelujah Honey, based in Wasco.  Christopher has been a professional, full-time beekeeper for eight years, but his passion for beekeeping and the welfare of bees began much earlier than that. He has advanced experience with swarm and hive removals in Southern and Central Valley California. You can reach Christopher at 714 904-2930 or thankthelordforhoney@yahoo.com Jodi Tellier is the president of the Central Coast Beekeeper Alliance of SLO (CCBA). Originally from Northern CA, Jody moved to the Central Coast to attend Cal Poly, where she earned a degree in Animal Science and participated in the student-run annual Bee Project. Jody is a bee advocate and Bee Festival and Honey Festival mentor. The grassroots Central Coast Beekeepers Alliance of SLO includes beekeepers from all over the Central Coast! Club members are all volunteers who help each other and educate everyone that will listen about bees! You can reach Jody at (805) 440-6987 or goldenoakqueen@gmail.org SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Each Memorial Day, our thoughts turn to all the men and women who have died serving our country in the military, both during peacetime and during war. It is a time when individually and as families and as a nation we reflect on the nature of war and the significance of military service, and to help in our reflection, we welcome Geronimo Whitaker and Peter Lucier to our program. Our guests are veterans of two very different wars fought in very different times, one as an Army foot soldier in Vietnam and the other as a Marine in Afghanistan, but each has known the violence, the loneliness, and the lasting effects of war, and in that sense, they also share a common bond. We offer our special appreciation to Garett Reppenhagen, Executive Director of Veterans for Peace, and Pat Alviso, Executive Director of Military Families Speak Out, for their assistance in arranging for our guests on this podcast. RELEVANT LINKS Washington Post series on "The Afghanistan Papers" Peter Lucier, a veteran and a Catholic, wrestles with the lies of war and his faith. Peter Lucier, writing on "Not Your Messiah" Peter Lucier reflects, "As a soldier I was loved for my sins. Now I must repent for them." Veterans for Peace Military Families Speak Out About Face - Veterans Against the War Note: The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War by Craig Whitlock is expected on Aug. 31, 2021.   GUEST INFO Geronimo Whitaker Geronimo was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1949 into a career military family. His father, James A. Whitaker, was in the US Army Air Force and served as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. Growing up on military bases all around the world gave Geronimo a perspective of equality among people. When he enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War, he was continuing a long tradition among his family members of service in the military. During his Army enlistment, he served as an Infantry Squad leader/Non-Commissioned officer in the 1st Cavalry Division, Airmobile, Republic of Vietnam, 1971.  Today, Geronimo describes himself as an artist, writer, and storyteller, especially of traditional African and Afro-American folk tales, as well as a drummer, guitarist, song writer and singer. He is familiar with theater as both an actor and a director, and has been a playwright, novelist and military journalist, as well as a martial artist, a Licensed Physical Therapist and an instructor in the Healing Arts. Geronimo is a Nationally Certified “B Level” AYSO Youth Soccer Coach, an entrepreneur and a world traveler.  Geronimo lives in Edmonds, Washington with his wife, surrounded by grandchildren and family. His three sons and newest grandbaby live in the Bay area of CA, and in Brooklyn NY.   Peter Lucier Born in St. Louis, raised in Dallas, Peter moved back to St. Louis in 2004. In 2008 he graduated from Saint Louis University High School, a Jesuit school in the city of St. Louis. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2008. From 2009-2011 he served in a Fleet Anti-Terrorism and Security Team (FAST) platoon, deploying to Guantanamo Bay, Spain, and Bahrain. From 2011-2013 he was a scout with 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Camp Pendleton, deploying to Afghanistan in 2011. He was honorably discharged from active duty as a corporal in 2013. Peter attended Montana State University where he graduated with an undergraduate degree in political science in 2018. His writing career began in 2015 when he joined a group of former junior enlisted writers who contributed to Tom Rick's Best Defense blog. His writing has since appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, America Magazine, US Catholic, and many more publications. He primarily writes about military and veteran issues, especially faith and military service.  His 2017 piece, “Not Your Messiah,” examines how veterans fulfill a dual messianic role in American civil religion – sacrificial lambs and high priests of civic holidays. His 2019 piece for America Magazine looked at the Catholic ritual of penance as a mechanism for healing the wounds of war. He has also written for the Washington Post on how to respond to the lies of war, as a Catholic, and in response to the Afghanistan Papers.  Lucier currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri where he continues to write, and is a law student at St. Louis University.   SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Water is life. It cleanses us, sustains our bodies, and connects all living beings and the planet. Our bodies are 70% water and 70% of our planet home is covered with water. Every faith tradition has some sort of sacred water ceremony. Water grows our food and keeps our grazing animals alive. In this episode, we explore all that water means to Earth with filmmaker Brittany App in a joyful conversation honoring Earth Day.    RELEVANT LINKS   Where There Once Was Water (Brittany's Film) Semester at Sea (Multi-Country Study Abroad) Water Aid International SLO Film Festival Global Fresh Water Summit Biodynamic Agriculture Regenerative Agriculture Brock Dolman - Occidental Arts and Ecology Home Soil (Star Trek Next Generation Episode) Bring Back the Beaver SLO Beaver Brigade       MORE ON BRITTANY APP Brittany App is a professional photographer with two decades of experience and two circumnavigations of the globe under her belt. As a first-time director and producer, Brittany debuted her film, Where There Once Was Water, at the 2021 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. Her film was met with many accolades! Brittany's passion is water and water access. She's a story-teller, a voice artist, and a self-proclaimed shepherdess-in-training. She lives off the grid in the remote Carrizo Plain, CA - with her Great Pyrenees dog, Luna, seven ducks, and a rag-tag wooly crew of sheep and alpacas. More on Brittany's Film - http://www.WhereThereOnceWasWater.com/ Brittany App's Photography - https://www.AppsPhotography.com/ SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

Gina and Jason sit down this week with Paula Hulet and Cornel N. Morton, Ph.D.  Paula and Cornel have been working together to create a book group dealing with racism.  They share their experiences with their book group and how it has been gratifying and enlightening for everyone involved.  Racism is, and has been, a very important issue to walk through.  However with recent events like the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor many are waking up to the racism that has been there the whole time.   RELEVANT LINKS   White Fragility by Robin Diangelo Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Eric Dyson Caste by Isabel Wilkerson How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi Diversity Coalition of SLO County R.A.C.E. Matters SLO County 1st United Methodist Church -San Luis Obispo New Times    THANK YOU TO REV. PAULA HULET AND CORNEL N. MORTON, PHD Paula Hulet is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. Now retired from full time ministry, she previously served congregations in Capistrano Beach, West Los Angeles, and Morro Bay and is presently assisting with worship, adult education and visitation for San Luis Obispo UMC. She joined full time ministry after a 30 year career in Real Estate Finance, primarily focusing on residential construction throughout Southern California. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare from University of Illinois and a Masters in Divinity from Claremont School of Theology. A former board member of People of Faith for Justice focusing on food insecurity and ending the death penalty, she helped to organize Hunger Walks for the San Luis Obispo Food Bank. Currently she is the associate director of Yes, We Can Peacebuilders of Morro Bay. Peacebuilders is dedicated to the education of individuals and communities to make nonviolent living a part of their everyday lives through book studies, discussion groups, and newsletters. Peacebuilders is currently working on a series of podcasts in conjunction with Pace e Bene and Campaign Nonviolence on how to achieve nonviolent community status and to set up International Peace Day celebrations. In her spare time, Paula likes to read, walk the dogs, kayak on the estuary and make mosaics. Cornel N. Morton, Ph.D. is Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Vice President for Student Affairs, Emeritus. Dr. Morton currently serves as President of the Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County. He serves as a consultant to public and private organizations in areas including diversity awareness, student success, inclusivity, strategic planning, team building and conflict mediation. His community service includes membership on the French Hospital Community Board, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Committee, and Life Long Learners of the Central Coast Advisory Board. Cornel and his wife, Regena, live in San Luis Obispo. SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

New Life K9s is a local nonprofit with benefits for all. They provide trained service dogs to veterans and first responders living with PTSD free of charge. The service dogs help their humans navigate the challenges of living with PTSD. The dogs are trained by inmates in California prisons, and offer them unconditional love, acceptance, and an opportunity to give back to the community. The recidivism rate of inmates who train service dogs for New Life K9s is 0%. (The California average is above 50%.) New Life K9s benefits everyone involved in the program, as well as the wider community.  RELEVANT LINKS   New Life K9s   Thousand Hills Pet Resort   Son Care Foundation, Inc.   GUEST INFO Jack Gould is the Founder and President of Son Care Foundation, Inc. Nonprofit, New Life K9s, and Alpha Academy since 1994. He is a graduate of California State University At Sacramento where he received a BA in Public Administration. He also graduated from the California Highway Patrol Academy. Jack worked for the California Highway Patrol and Sheriff's Department for 14 years. He was also the President and CEO of International Life Support Emergency Services for 18 years. Jack, his wife Karen and their beloved canine Hercules live in San Luis Obispo New Life K9s is a non-profit established to provide Service Dogs to Veterans and First Responders with PTSD. They are located on Buckley Rd. Dillon Jamison is the Director of Administration for Son Care Foundation, the nonprofit that operates the New Life K9s program. He started working for Son Care part time while attending college and immediately discovered his passion for helping save lives through the human-canine bond. Dillon has been with the organization for almost 6 years, and helps with fundraising, marketing, development, and administrative tasks.  Dillon was a proud volunteer puppy parent for one of the service dogs in training, Josie, who is now serving an Army Veteran. He is originally from the midwest, but lives in San Luis Obispo now with his partner and two pups, Kylie and Riley.  SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

The Peace Academy offers a unique approach to education that could be called “learning by being.” The Peace Academy aspires to create holistic real world experiences in an eco-friendly and robust learning environment with the most comprehensive standards in the sciences, the humanities, and the arts. Their programs are designed for students to strengthen individuality, seek their potential, and maximize their opportunity to learn and contribute. While building bridges of respect among each other and the environment, students will experience the richness of coexisting among people of diverse faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. They build community partnerships as they shape the lives of children.  RELEVANT LINKS   Peace Academy Religious misperceptions: Local Muslims work to educate the public about Islam (New Times Article about Meet Your Muslim Neighbor Event) Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (College) Botanical Gardens San Luis Obispo Diversity Coalition of SLO County Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School Native Plant Garden in Guadalupe Dune Center Summer Camp Lavra Community for Sustainable Living (Organization)     MORE ABOUT PEACE ACADEMY & DARA STEPANEK Peace Academy aspires to create holistic real world experiences in an eco-friendly and robust learning environment with the most comprehensive standards in the sciences, the humanities, and the arts. Their programs are designed for students to strengthen individuality, seek their potential, and maximize their opportunity to learn and contribute. While building bridges of respect among each other and the environment, students will experience the richness of coexisting among people of diverse faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. They believe that when children learn our fundamental similarities, an appreciation for our differences emerges. They model for the world how our differences make us stronger, how to build on each other's strengths, and how coexistence is the pathway to peace.   Dara Stepanek is an educator and community leader who graduated from Cal Poly with a Mathematics Major, Physics Minor, and Teaching Credential. She taught math at Central Coast New Tech High School for 6 years before becoming a co-owner and General Manager at Bliss, an organic and plant-based restaurant and marketplace in downtown SLO. She also works as an Integrative Nutrition Coach for individuals and groups seeking holistic approaches to optimal health & wellness. Her life's intention is to educate, activate, and lead people into lifestyles that align with a thriving self, community, & planet. Always looking for innovative ideas within the broad spectrum of educational possibilities, Dara is very excited to be a part of Peace Academy's team and vision. SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization. Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

In this episode I sit down for a chat with my good friend Canadian Forces Veteran, Andrew Gorman. We talk about his struggles and growth, and the challenges of running a peer support group. We also chat about my struggles over the last few months. This episode comes out on the day and time that Andrew and his wife, Courtney, will be welcoming their first child, a daughter, into the world!Fort McMurray Peer Support Group on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/ymmptsdpeersupportgroupPresented by Wayfound Mental Health Grouphttps://wayfound.ca/Sponsored by We Are Warriors Magazinehttps://wawmagazine.ca/Ambassador for Clear Float Spahttps://clearfloat.ca/Subscribe, Listen, and Share! #UpTalkSeason5 #OwnYourGrowth #MoreLoveLessJudgementFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/UpTalkPodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/uptalkpodcast/Twitter - https://twitter.com/UpTalkPodcastMHNRN - https://www.mentalhealthnewsradionetwork.com/our-shows/uptalkpodcast/Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/uptalk-podcast/id1076465971Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4rWG3ge2SwNYazgEGThxwzPodbean - https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/2gf8i-771b7/UpTalk-PodcastSpreaker - https://www.spreaker.com/show/uptalk-podcast

This week Gina and Jason are on the other side of the interview chair.  Jeff Manildi, producer of the People of Faith for Justice Podcast, steps out from behind the scenes to ask Gina and Jason some questions.  We learn in this episode more about Gina and Jason's prospective faith journeys and more about the history of People of Faith for Justice. RELEVANT LINKS   Unitarian Universalist Association Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (Book) United Methodist Restorative Partners Get on the Bus (A program that brings children and their caregivers from throughout the State of California to visit their mothers and fathers in prison.) Matthew 25:31-46, The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats Ban the Box New Life K9s William J. Barber II (American Protestant minister and political activist)   SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

In our second podcast, we speak with friends from RISE SLO. RISE—Respect Inspire Support Empower—envisions a world free from sexual and intimate partner violence. Join us as we speak with Christina Kaviani, Director of Education and Communications and Stacy Salame, Director of Development and Marketing and understand the difference they're making in our community. Hear why sexual assault and intimate partner violence affect the entire community and not just its immediate victims, how COVID-19 has impacted their work, and why the pandemic has led to an uptick in the number of intimate partner violence calls.   RELEVANT LINKS   RISE CDC Sexual Assault Stats   Stand Strong SLO (Non-Profit Organization) Transitions-Mental Health Association TMHA, SLO (Non-Profit Organization) Cal Poly Safer Men & Masculinities Restorative Partners GALA SLO The Center for Family Strengthening San Luis Coastal Adult School Terry Porter, A Call to Men Ted Bunch Jackson Katz Justin Baldoni (American Actor) Jane the Virgin (American TV Show) Barack Obama Mankind Project   GUEST INFO RISE believes that people have a basic human right to live free of intimate partner and sexual violence. Advocacy, education, prevention and public policy are the keys to social change. We encourage the community to take a stand and RISE with us to create a world free of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. As a nonprofit organization that serves both victims of intimate partner violence and sexual assault/abuse and their loved ones, RISE provides comprehensive programs, services and resources to the community. The tagline of RISE - Respect. Inspire. Support. Empower. - embodies the work of RISE. We believe that RESPECT is the cornerstone to ending violence and creating peace. We strive to INSPIRE the community to be active in the movement to end gender-based violence. We SUPPORT loved ones of those affected by sexual assault/abuse and intimate partner violence and we EMPOWER victims to heal from trauma and transform their lives. Hotline: 1-885-886-RISE (7473) SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

People of Faith for Justice's inaugural podcast is an insightful conversation with Sister Teresa Harpin, Executive Director and Vivien Devaney-Frice, In Custody & Re-Entry Programs Director, both on staff at Restorative Partners. We ask our guests to tell us just what restorative justice is, how it brings people together and how it can help heal people who have been victimized by our broken system of justice. Restorative justice, as opposed to our current system of punitive justice, focuses on healing, change and empowerment, not just punishment. Sister Teresa and Vivien are both dedicated to the ideas and practices of restorative justice, and have made a considerable difference in our local county jail, and with local law enforcement leaders. They will share today how and why they are called to this work, the creation of Restorative Partners, the difference Restorative Partners has made in our communities and how you can get involved.   RELEVANT LINKS Restorative Partners (Website for this episode's guests) What Are Restorative Practices? (Emerging Social Science) Get on the Bus (A program that brings children and their caregivers from throughout the State of California to visit their mothers and fathers in prison.) AB 109 Realignment in California (California Bill) RISE San Luis Obispo (Non-profit organization helping victims of domestic abuse) San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office Young Black activist's arrest during George Floyd protest in San Luis Obispo sparks a new movement (Article) Homeboy Industries (Non-profit organization in Los Angeles, California) The University of San Luis Obispo School of Law       MORE ON RESTORATIVE PARTNERS Restorative Partners provides services and programs for those in-custody and for those released from the San Luis County Juvenile Hall, Jail, Honor Farm and State Prisons. Our restorative justice approach focuses on mind, body and spiritual transformation, incorporates trauma informed care, addresses responsibility and accountability, and offers accompaniment through reentry mentorship. We also provide clean and sober living homes for men and for women as well as own and operate a home for women who are ready to reunite with their children and move forward with their lives. The goal in all of our transformative work is to reduce violence and lower recidivism by providing a continuum of care from incarceration through reincorporation to our community. Sister Theresa Harpin, Executive Director Vivien Devaney-Frice, In-Custody & Re-Entry Programs Director SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

In this episode, Andrew Gorman discusses the current position of the evolution of driverless vehicles, the regulatory framework and implications for insurers, and how the pandemic has impacted.

Welcome to the People of Faith for Justice podcast! People of Faith for Justice is an organization on the Central Coast of CA that began as a response to the Iraq War in 2001. Since then, we have been offering educational and community events to promote justice for all. Now, People of Faith for Justice is expanding our reach with this podcast. Gina Whitaker and Jason Sisk-Provencio will be your hosts. Gina has been a social justice activist for most of her life, and has lived on the Central Coast for 40 years. She is a proud member of the Unitarian Universalists San Luis Obispo. Jason is the pastor at the UCC Congregational Church of San Luis Obispo. He believes God is present to all people and to all of creation, and that God is looking for partners in building and revealing a new realm of peace and justice for all. He's lived on the Central Coast for 30 years looks forward to hearing your voice and perspective. As friends from a variety of faith traditions, People of Faith for Justice is committed to environmental and economic justice, human and civil rights, and peace through non-violence. Join us on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays as we journey toward the Beloved Community.  And until next time, remember, the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice! RELEVANT LINKS See more about People of Faith for Justice on our website.   SUPPORT PFJ We greatly appreciate your financial support so that we can continue to educate, advocate and pray for the things that matter to our organization.  Please consider donating through PayPal. People of Faith for Justice is a 501 (c )(3)  non-profit  organization.   CREDITS The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman

CTP practitioners will be familiar with the Court's power to join an Insurer to court proceedings when the Insurer denies indemnity to its Insured. In this episode, Andrew Gorman addresses a (prominent) listener's question regarding whether CTP insurers can deny indemnity in the Statutory Benefits arena of MAIA and how those indemnity disputes are resolved.

In addition to representing the gateway to an award of damages for non-economic loss, the 10% threshold has an expanded role under MAIA in both the Statutory Benefits Arena and in claims for Common Law Damages. In this episode, Andrew Gorman counts the ways.

Pending enactment of amending legislation currently before the NSW Parliament, injured drivers in no-fault accidents occurring after 1 December 2017 remain excluded from both common law damages and statutory benefits. But will the amendment be sufficient to give drivers in single no-fault accidents a remedy? And if they are entitled to statutory benefits, must those benefits cease after 6 months? In this episode, Andrew Gorman discusses the mental gymnastics necessary to get to the answer.

Fully autonomous, or self-drive vehicles are likely to be on the roads of Australia in real numbers in 5 to 10 years. Analysts are predicting a massive new economy will evolve around the industry as it emerges. An industry which, according to Boston Consulting Group, will be worth US$42 billion by 2021. In this episode of the Proper Lookout Podcast, Andrew Gorman examines the state of play of the technology here and abroad, the evolution of the regulatory framework and guidance to be taken from very recent UK legislation in terms of liability when accidents happen.

In episode #0016 we review Under the Skin with Will and Joe from Exploding Helicopter website and podcast. SPOILER. There are NO exploding helicopters in Under the Skin. This is the 2013 film from Jonathan Glazer featuring Scarlett Johansson as an alien scouring the streets of Glasgow for unsuspecting prey.   Chosen by Will as a second or third-time watcher - and not for the faint hearted casual viewer - Under the Skin blends arthouse and mainstream in a unique and challenging way. Lacking in dialogue, largely improvised without a clear linear narrative this film isn’t an easy watch, as our reviews reveal though there is a lot of beauty and nuanced intention. A minimal and stripped down role, Scarlett Johansson compels expectations and pushes the boundaries of mainstream performances.   Does she learn humanity? Is it a feminist film? What happens in diesel sex dungeon? The scene with the baby? Aren’t you glad Brad Pitt never got involved? So many questions but what are your answers? If you agree its not style over substance and can get beyond the room of goo - please share with us your thoughts and opinions of this film. One of the more obscure choices for the Flixwatcher pod, we urge you to get Under the Skin and experience this unique and obscure film on Netflix. Scores [supsystic-tables id='17'] Episode #016 Crew Links Just to remind you all, the Episode #015 Crew of Simon and Rachel from Level Up Human @LevelUpHuman You can listen to Exploding Helicopter on iTunes and can be found on Twitter at @chopperFireball Please make sure you give them some love Flixwatcher Spotify Playlist The Under the Skin soundtrack is freaky and ethereal and we wonder if you can separate it from the film, BUT just in case you did want to listen in isolation we have added "Andrew Void" to the Flixwatcher Soundtrack.   More about Under The Skin If you want to know more about Under The Skin you can find check it out on IMDB or you can find more info via Rotten Tomatoes.   @undrthskn Jonathan Glazer @Swindon_gol Scarlett Johansson @Scarlett_Jo Jeremy McWilliams @McWill99 Dougie McConnell @dougiemcconnell Kevin McAlinden @kevin_mcalinden Andrew Gorman @andrewgm3 Joe Szula @joe_szula Final Plug! Subscribe, Share and Review us on iTunes If you enjoyed this episode of Flixwatcher Podcast you probably know other people who will like it too! Please share it with your friends and family, review us, and join us across ALL of the social Media links below.  

This week we have 50% more crap! Sheila Valleri joins us again to discuss Under the Skin, Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast – that’s a movie, not an assessment)’s 2013 film about an alien who prowls the streets of a Scottish city (Edinburgh, maybe?) shot using hidden cameras, non-professional actors, and one of the world’s biggest movie stars. Not, however, using a lot of dialogue. The film stars Jeremy McWilliams (prize-winning motorcyclist, screen debut), Dougie McConnell (screen debut), Andrew Gorman (screen debut), and Scarlett Johansson (Ghost World). Follow us on twitter: @ArtsCrappodcast E-mail your thoughts, impressionistic metaphors, or suggestions of things you’d like us to talk about to: artsandcrappodcast@gmail.com http://taylornetworkofpodcasts.com

This week we have 50% more crap! Sheila Valleri joins us again to discuss Under the Skin, Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast – that’s a movie, not an assessment)’s 2013 film about an alien who prowls the streets of a Scottish city (Edinburgh, maybe?) shot using hidden cameras, non-professional actors, and one of the world’s biggest movie stars. Not, however, using a lot of dialogue. The film stars Jeremy McWilliams (prize-winning motorcyclist, screen debut), Dougie McConnell (screen debut), Andrew Gorman (screen debut), and Scarlett Johansson (Ghost World). Follow us on twitter: @ArtsCrappodcast E-mail your thoughts, impressionistic metaphors, or suggestions of things you’d like us to talk about to: artsandcrappodcast@gmail.com http://taylornetworkofpodcasts.com