Everyday Nonviolence Podcast

Originally released in June, 2018 Jon Vang, now Jon Vang Tao, spoke with Joann Perry, the first host of the “Everyday Nonviolence” podcast. Jon and Joann talk about his work as an activist with Man Forward. He discusses masculinity, the problems facing individuals coming out of prison, and his dedication to ending gender-based violence in the Asian community.  Born in the U.S. after his parents es...

Podcast team member, Ellery McCardle, speaks with Erika Thorne, an activist, writer, facilitator and cultural worker since 1974. During this interview, Erika talks about her work with Training for Social Change, a multi-racial group of individuals, training others to confront systems of injustice. Additionally, Erika describes her involvement with the Twin Cities affiliate of Showing Up for Racial...

Geetanjali Mittal is an educator, storyteller, and internationally-published researcher, who for the past two years has served as a Program Developer with SEWA-AIFW (Asian Indian Family Wellness). In a conversation with Podcast team member, Diane Sandberg, Geetanjali shares personal and professional experiences and perspective related to domestic violence and heath promotion within the South Asian...

After the death of her teenage son in 2010, Princess Haley discovered the healing power of growing, eating, and sharing good food. She joined two other women in applying these principles to the broader community.  Their creation, Appetite for Change, focuses on food to build health, wealth and social change.  In this conversation with Everyday Nonviolence podcast team member, Diane Sandberg, Princ...

In this episode, Everyday Nonviolence podcast team member, Diane Sandberg, talks with the Executive Director of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society (MSHS), Rick Juliusson. Rick reflects on how his varied experiences in international and U.S. non-profit organizations and as a farmer informs his work with MSHS. He shares his excitement about MSHS’s increased focus on needs such as food insecur...

PJ Hoffman is a musician, activist and Friends for a Non-Violent World member. In this episode PJ and Everyday Non-Violence Podcast Host Joann Perry discuss the importance of music in PJ’s life, starting with his early involvement in protests. They also look more broadly at music in social justice movements - how it inspires, energizes and comforts. PJ shares recordings of two (of his many) songs...

Lois Yellowthunder (B.A. UCLA, M.A. University of Chicago, Ph. D. University of Minnesota) has worked in many settings, academic and non-academic.  For ten years Lois worked in museums as assistant to the Curator of Anthropology (Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History), helping to establish a Department of Interpretation at the Museum of Man in San Diego, coordinating the first city-wide Nat...

Rebecca Slaby leads AMAZEworks in working with schools, communities, and organizations to create equity and belonging for all. She gives workshops on Anti-Bias Education with a focus on cultural responsiveness, bias, identity, and stereotype threat and has co-authored two AMAZEworks curriculums. With an MEd from DePaul University, she has 15 years of experience teaching middle school humanities/so...

Today we hear from Al Peters, Founder and Executive Director of Can Do Canines. He shares about the work of his organization and how incarcerated people are supporting in training service animals.  Bio: Mr. Peters serves as Executive Director of Can Do Canines and founded the organization in 1987. He is responsible for general management as well as fundraising, publicity and public relations. Mr....

Mel Duncan is a co-founder and current Director of Advocacy and Outreach for Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), a world leader in unarmed civilian protection. NP provides direct protection to civilians caught in violent conflict and works with local groups on violence deterrence in a variety of conflict areas around the world. Mel represents NP at the United Nations where the group has been granted consu...

Shelly Tochluk is an educator, with a background in psychology, she has spent ten years as a researcher, counselor, and teacher in California’s public schools. She now trains teachers to work with Los Angeles’ diverse school population as a Professor in the Education Department at Mount Saint Mary’s University-Los Angeles. Shelly currently work with AWARE-LA (Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywh...

Sasha Cotton is the Youth Violence Prevention Coordinator for the City of Minneapolis and serves as the Project Manager for the Group Violence Intervention strategy. Ms. Cotton is a liaison between the City and the community as it relates to youth and community violence and helps to improve communication between city officials, community organizations and all citizens concerned with public safety....

Joseph Perry is a veteran of two wars, WWII and Korea as well as a meditation teacher (originally teaching Transcendental Meditation), an attorney for 30 years, a partner with his wife, Beverly, creating/maintaining an adult foster home for 38 years, and most recently achieved 54 years of sobriety and a 50-year wedding anniversary.    Music generously donated by bensound.com

Charlotte Gorham is a Political Science and Geography double major at Macalester College. She interned at the Friends Committee on National Legislation during the summer of 2018. Charlotte was raised Quaker in New Haven Friends Meeting in New Haven, Connecticut. She enjoys dancing, painting, and fostering a peaceful world.   Music generously donated by bensound.com

In this powerful episode "Lee" shares with us a situation where he was physically abused by his wife. In addition to sharing this situation we also hear about the challenges he had trying to find resources and help.  If you identify as male and are struggling to find support and resources to get out of or process through a harmful situation the Twin Cities Men's Center has compiled a list of helpf...

HaoPay Lee is a first generation Hmong American. She grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2015. HaoPay has experience in providing culturally specific domestic and sexual violence advocacy in Wisconsin and was the first Hmong sexual assault advocate Eau Claire, Wisconsin and is now practicing the same wo...

"Father Harry J. Bury is a Catholic priest unlike any you have ever met. His travels through Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Costa Rica, Philippines, Africa, Palestine and Israel, span over 60 years. His life-long dedication: to interact lovingly with citizens of the world in pursuit of peace and nonviolence." In this week's episode Father Bury shares with us his life of activism an...

Matthew Walker shares his journey to find nonviolence while taking an Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) workshop.   Music generously donated by Bensound.com

Father Harry Bury talks about his newest project, Twin Cities NonViolent. Twin Cities Nonviolent is a new organization working to eliminate violence in the Twin Cities. Their first large project is 10 Days Free From Violence which is like an art crawl of nonviolent activities. Starting this Friday Sept 21st, check out the calender and join one of the amazing events.  https://twincitiesnonviolent.o...

Sipra Jha talks about her work with refugees and women seeking to leave abusive relationships. In addition to sharing about her work she weaves in stories of her past and how she came to do this important work. Bio: Sipra Jha was born in India and lives in Minneapolis. She is currently the shelter Director at Asian Women United of Minnesota, an agency that is working towards ending domestic violen...

Ishwari Rajak talks about her new documentary " The Invisible War on Blood' and shares about the violence that occurs to women who are menstruating both in the United States and in Nepal.   Bio: Ishwari Rajak, a feminist since childhood, is a scholar of menstruation practices and taboos in different cultures. She is passionate about education and believes that educating men about positive models o...

Activist Jon Vang shares his story and about the work he is doing both in his paid job with the government and as an activist with Man Forward. In this interview Jon discusses the challenges for people coming out of prison, masculinity, and work being done to end gender based violence in the Asian community.  https://www.facebook.com/ManForwardMN/ Bio: As one of the first generation born in the US...

Maggie Hohenstien is a Macalester student and interned at Friends for a NonViolent World (FNVW) last summer. Maggie shares her story of growing up in the Quaker community and her leadings to living a life of nonviolence.  Music generously donated by Bensound.com

Laura Linder-Scholar talks about her work preventing sexual violence on Macalester campus and the work of supporting those who have been harmed. Laura is a campus advocate around issues of sexual violence prevention, bystander intervention, trauma-informed survivor response and support, and Title IX in higher education.   Music generously made available by  www.bensound.com

Dr. Donna Minter joins us for our inaugural podcast to share about the work she is doing around trauma healing and resilience.   Music generously made available by www.bensound.com