Robert B. Jones, Sr works joyfully to build bridges of understanding through music in an organization & project called Common Chords. Using tools of music, story-telling, history, & inspiration, Robert brings pleasure and insight to diverse audiences. Part of his richness is that he is also pastor of Sweet Kingdom Missionary Baptist Church of inner-city Detroit, where he seeks to inspire & heal the world in other ways.

The mission of Ananda Marga is self-realization & service to humanity, and one of the ways they do this is the work of RAWA (Renaissance Artists and Writers Association). They hold an annual contest of Songs for Social Change and today we look at the fruits of their 2017 submissions & CD with Dada Veda who oversees the contest.

Superstorm Sandy shocked the New York Metropolitan area in 2012. By some freak coincidence, right before this epic storm hit, Edgar Westerhof moved to New York City from the Netherlands. Not only does he come from a country that knows a lot about flooding, but Edgar is also an expert in integrated urban water management.

Since Sandy, Edgar has become the National Director for Flood Risk and Resiliency for Arcadis North America. In this episode, he talks about his experiences with Sandy and how this devastating storm could have been even worse. What role does cultural identity have in developing a relationship with the sea? Peterson also checks in with his friend Julia Wallace, who experienced the storm and lived without power in NYC for five days.

Art House

Kerry Patrick Clark in no way claims to be a perfect guy, but he aims his music to inspire the world in that direction. His folk-singer/songwriter pedigre is deep & long, and it overlaps seamlessly with the spirituality of his very part-time day job as Director of Contemporary Music at the Maumee United Methodist Church. His home stomping grounds are the Toledo region of Ohio.

Iris Graville is an author, book artist, and a former nurse. Her memoir, Hiking Naked: A Quaker Woman's Search for Balance shares her quest for meaningful & life-balancing work. The journey took Iris & her family far off the grid, radically exploring simplified living, freeing her to find her own answers to the big questions, less controlled by society's prompting.

Past/current religious/spiritual influences:
Lutheran, Methodist, Quaker 

Pam Taylor's work with Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan is an inspiring example of citizen-driven environmentalism which informs & guides govt with feet firmly rooted in both agrarian living & scientific scrutiny. NoCAFOs is her goal, sustainable agriculture is her means, and good neighbor living her ethic. She's a big fan of Wendall Berry agrarian living, She received the 2016 Petoskey Prize from the Michigan Environmental Council. 

A deep dish of appetizing Blues from the Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr. He's made music and shared the stage with many of the greats, like B.B. King, because he's a gifted musician, writer & storyteller. Robert also shares & writes many varieties of Americana music, like that which he performs with Matt Watroba and others. Also important is Robert's role as pastor of the Sweet Kingdom Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit.

J.E. McNeil has powerful points of view, but she also has a profound devotion to communication and unity, skills and attributes fostered by the Conversations with the Other trainings she presents widely.

Kitty Donohoe is of Irish extraction, genetically, and she sometimes writes & plays very Irish-sounding songs, including the Irish instruments she plays, but she is deeply & inspirationally Americana, touching the heart & soul with evocative tunes & magical lyrics. One of the founding members of The Yellow Room Gang, Kitty plays & has played in numerous variations on personel & style, including as part of Pub Domain and The Biddies.

Sami Rasouli came to the USA in 1976, returning to Iraq after the US invasion, where he was founder of the Muslim Peacemaker Teams. Sami shares a very different perspective of the cause and effect of the US invasion of Iraq, due to his vantage point on the ground in the country, and has put his life at the service of peace and healing for his country of birth.

They are looking for volunteers who want to spend time in Iraq, hosted free, to increase mutual understanding. Check out their Iraqi & American Reconciliation Project (IARP).

Past/current religious/spiritual influences:
Muslim