Shows
People of Faith for JusticeBraver Angels - Connecting Across the Partisan DivideCivic 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, fo...2023-03-2340 min
People of Faith for JusticeWeaving Our Garment of Destiny - A Pilgrimage“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...2023-02-2343 min
People of Faith for JusticeClimate Change - Global Challenges, Local SolutionsGlobal 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, to...2023-01-2641 min
People of Faith for JusticeHow to Do Prison Time Successfully with Author Emanuel BellNone 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...2022-11-2437 min
People of Faith for Justice2018 Paso High Grads - Still Dreaming BigWe 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...2022-10-2621 min
People of Faith for JusticeI Do It For the Kids - Geoffrey Land SLO County Teacher of the YearOur 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 An...2022-09-2141 min
People of Faith for JusticeRev. Dr. Caroline Hall - 2022 Woman of the Year - A Lifetime of ServiceRev. 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 fr...2022-08-2537 min
People of Faith for JusticeAmerica’s Gun Problem - What Makes Us Different?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, t...2022-07-2841 min
People of Faith for JusticeEarth Eternity - Healing Our Mistakes - 019Our 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...2022-05-2650 min
People of Faith for JusticeSlava Ukraini - A Nation of Survivors - 018Our 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 Obi...2022-04-281h 10
People of Faith for JusticeLGBTQ+ Communities - Their Struggle to Be Recognized, Respected and ProtectedOur 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 fo...2022-03-2445 min
People of Faith for JusticeSLO4Home - Answering the Call and Fulfilling the PromiseOur 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 th...2022-02-2435 min
People of Faith for JusticeFaith and Religion - Connecting Across a Changing Landscape w/ Professor Stephen Lloyd-MoffettOur 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...2022-01-2749 min
People of Faith for JusticeGetting to Know Us - Your People of Faith for Justice BoardJoin 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) Uni...2021-12-2336 min
People of Faith for JusticeWomen’s March SLO Dawn, Andrea and Jen - Three Women on the MoveThis 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...2021-10-2849 min
People of Faith for JusticeRuth Ann Angus - Faith in Action: Peacebuilder, Nonviolence Advocate, and EnvironmentalistThis 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, vi...2021-09-2334 min
People of Faith for JusticePeace Academy of the Sciences and Arts - Seeds of PeaceIn 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...2021-08-2625 min
People of Faith for JusticeRacial Justice - Liberation and Belonging for AllThe 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 c...2021-07-2256 minPeople of Faith for JusticeThe Importance of Bees to Our Web of Life - What’s the Buzz?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...2021-06-2431 minPeople of Faith for JusticeExamining War - Veterans Speak OutEach 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...2021-05-2755 minPeople of Faith for JusticeProtecting Sacred Water - A Conversation with Filmmaker Brittany AppWater 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...2021-04-2225 minPeople of Faith for JusticeDismantling Racism - Local Faith Leaders Speak OutGina 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 Fragil...2021-04-0822 minPeople of Faith for JusticeNew Life K9s - Benefits for AllNew 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...2021-03-2524 minPeople of Faith for JusticePeace Academy - Learning by BeingThe 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...2021-03-1122 minPeople of Faith for JusticeGetting to Know Gina & JasonThis 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 careg...2021-02-2547 minPeople of Faith for JusticeIntimate Partner Violence - A Conversation with RISE SLOIn 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. 2021-02-1142 minPeople of Faith for JusticeWhat is Restorative Justice? - An Interview with Restorative PartnersPeople 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 pr...2021-01-2739 minPeople of Faith for JusticePeople of Faith for Justice - An IntroductionWelcome 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...2021-01-1901 min