Chester McCoy
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Chester McCoy's Song of the Soul

Chester McCoy grew up Catholic in a working class neighborhood of St Louis when segregation was still the rule. His way out of the limitations and oppression of racism was through education, social work and his his rich connections with people, including college at St John's in Collegeville, Minnesota. Chester has been writing songs for about 30 years now, and is a Quaker, a member of Minneapolis Friends Meeting.

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Dan Nerhaugen - Civic Engagement and Literacy Dan Nerhaugen has a deep concern that we build literacy in the USA - in our schools, but especially in our citizenry. Civic engagement and political literacy are built by reading, and reading books in particular. On his web site, The48er.com, Dan highlights resources to strengthen the civic mind - books and other publications which will help folks in the USA to competently uphold our democratic republic.
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Anna Sandidge - Friends Peace TeamsAnna Sandidge is the coordinator for the Friends Peace Teams after having served with two different projects in Burundi and Rwanda as part of the African Great Lakes Initiative. Anna was raised in the Assembles of God church, but had her first serious break with the church at the age of 12. At 15 she sought out Quakers, finding herself "home" from the start at Friends Meeting. She was a professional organizer in her 20's, but found a leading to more securely connect her employment work with her spiritual work and found that with the Friends Peace Teams.
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Jeremy Kadinger's Song of the Soul

Jeremy Kadinger has a special relationship with music as a Christian DJ. He does weekly music radio shows with WRJF-LP in Menomonie and WHYS-LP in Eau Claire. A member of the Jesus Fellowship of Believers in Menomonie, Jeremy is an energic and devoted disciple, father and husband.

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Tom Walz - Wild Bill/Extend A DreamTom Walz may be the tireless force behind Iowa City's alternative cultural experience, Uptown Bill's Small Mall, but the work of the mall is the legacy of an amazing mentally retarded man, Bill Sachter. Because of his experience with Bill, Tom found his life's work, helping people with disabilities own and run their own businesses.
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Bonnie Tinker - Love Makes A Family

Bonnie Tinker has been an equality activist most of her life, with a special calling to work for the rights of gay and lesbian families. She has spearheaded many initiatives including Love Makes A Family, an organization which supports non-traditional parents and children and seeks to protect their rights, gay or straight. The daughter of a Methodist preacher turned Quaker, Bonnie has Spirit at the heart of her work.

Bonnie jumped into the middle of the debate over Oregon's proposed anti-homosexuality constitutional amendment in 1992, but decided that it was crucial to win over those from "the other side". She eventually got her own talk radio show and learned to make friends of former adversaries using a form of non-violent dialogue.

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Birth and Midwifery with Ina May Gaskin, author of Spiritual MidwiferyIna May Gaskin is an internationally recognized leader in advocating for Spiritual Midwifery. She is also an author, activist and advocate whose spiritual insights and empowerment have been part of the incredible exploration which is The Farm, the spiritual-based intentional community in Tennessee, founded in the early 1970's.
photo of Chante Wolf in her miliatry uniform and carrying a rifle
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Chante Wolf - Veterans for Peace

Chante Wolf spent 12 years in the military, leaving on her birthday in 1992, meaning that she was part of the first Gulf War. Back then she was called Sharon Haller, thought of herself as a Republican, and nearly killed someone who messed with her gun. She speaks elequently of the changes she's been through, starting out Baptist/Methodist, a self-described "Bible thumper", a partier and, currently an activist with Veterans for Peace and attender of Quaker meetings in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

Music featured on this program includes:
War - Edwin Starr
Mercy Now - Mary Gauthier
How Come - Ray LaMontagne

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Michelle Balas - Northern ThunderMichelle Balas has served for about 10 years with an organization here, in the Chippewa Valley, called Northern Thunder, an environmental and social activist organization, serving on their board for the last 6 years, in addition to years spent as co-producer of TV Notion for the local public access cable channel, and years working on the issue of urban sprawl.
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Maralene Strom - Adventures In LivingMaralene Strom is many things - a writer, speaker, caregiver, healer, storyteller, photographer - and more. Sharing from her own experiences of growth and loss, she finds ways to help others forward on their journey. She writes a column called "Adventures In Living" for the Dunn County News and is in the midst of writing three books, the earliest expected for this fall.