Like so many witnessing the immense suffering in Gaza, Cassandra Dixon wanted to do something to help the situation. Cassandra has made numerous visits to Palestine and has come to know many people there as personal friends, so she strongly felt the call to join the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, carrying thousands of tons of humanitarian aid for the starving people of Gaza. At home in the Madison, WI, area, Cassandra does carpentry and home repair, leaving herself the time and freedom to annually spend a month or more in Palestine. Still, Cassandra needs and deserves our support, including through the GoFundMe to support Cassandra's participation in the flotilla.

Part 2 of a birthday celebration for Si Kahn on his 80th birthday, this week with John McCutcheon and Cathy Fink, sharing streams of music and meaning that flow from Si Kahn. Please consider donating to the Si Kahn Living Legacy on GoFundMe, to help gather and preserve the musical riches that Si has so prolifically generated. Both John and Cathy have half-century connections with Si, rich stories, and evocative music.

Timmon B. Wallis takes his life-long efforts for peace and the future of the planet to new depths and heights with his book, Warheads to Windmills - Preventing Climate Catastrophe and Nuclear War. In the book, Tim examines in thorough detail the threats that both nuclear weapons and climate change hold for the future of our planet, and then the wide range of factors implicit in our weaponry and energy sources, leading to a meticulous consideration of the agenda which will maximize the possibility of saving humans and the Earth, essentially beating swords into plowshares. Tim has spent his life building the tools of peace & getting rid of the weapons of war. Tim's Ph.D.

Brad Wolf has just released the book, A Ministry of Risk – Writings on Peace and Nonviolence – Philip Berrigan, powerfully capturing the life and ministry of Phil, in Phil's own words, his witness in the struggle for racial justice, against the Vietnam war and all wars, and against nuclear arms through the Plowshares movement. Brad is a deeply committed activist as co-founder of the Peace Action Network of Lancaster, and he recently coordinated the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal.

As a happy birthday to Si Kahn for his 80th birthday, this week and next week we are sharing songs and stories by & about Si as performed by the hand-chosen successors to Si's work and music. Today that means we are joined by Phoebe Rees & Joe Jencks. Phoebe lives in Whitley Bay in northeastern England, and Joe Jencks is based in Chicago, and if you don't know Si, Phoebe, or Joe, it's time to remedy that serious shortcoming and to find your place in the wide human community that flows from Si Kahn.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Atheist, Quaker, Buddhist, Non-affiliated, Meditation, Catholic, Jewish, Mysticism, Native American

One of the sources of the rich cadre of authors and activists I have here on Spirit In Action is the promotion of writers done by Peter Bermudes of GLPR – that's Gail Leondar Public Relations – and it was through Gail that I was first acquainted with GLPR, though Peter has been at the helm since 4 years ago. In many ways, the mission of GLPR dovetails perfectly with that of NSR, helping find and raise up the voice of those making this world better through their ideas and writing. GLPR has done promotion for so many vital and powerful change leaders over the decades, like Dr.

The team at FNVW and their Everyday Nonviolence Podcast guest-hosts today for Spirit In Action. Jarren Peterson Dean  interviews acclaimed authors Stanley Kusunoki and Kao Kalia Yang discuss the power art has to speak the truth and connect us to our shared humanity. Stanley Kusunoki's Japanese American parents were incarcerated in the U.S.

Andy Hanson has lots of history with making music, but has only only seriously worked on conveying his music to the world in the past 5 or so years. Having performed previously with the band WYBLUE, Andy is now principally a solo act, able to draw on his guitar, keyboards, and even saxophone. His preferred genre is folk, though it's possible that folk for those who are 3 decades younger than me, like Andy, includes variants and characteristics not of my generation, because Andy tells me there is something new called 'murder folk'. Andy lives in Eau Claire, WI.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Evangelical Christian, Catholic, Non-affiliated

Gisele Bolton is an inspiration of where a passionate heart for healing the world can lead you. From her home in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin, Gisele earned degrees in International Politics and Human Rights and in Global Studies, Human Rights and Justice in the Middle East and Africa. She added languages, including Arabic, to her toolkit, and she volunteered and interned in diverse countries like Lebanon, Kenya, and Honduras.