Peace & Justice Report WSLR

This week we’ll talk to local author Ruth Brandwein and then WSLR co-founder Dave Beaton about his plans for Michigan!Local author, Professor and Dean Emeritus at Stony Brook University Ruth Brandwein. She has received the National Achievement Award from the National Association of Social Workers, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sarasota National Association of Social Workers, and one of 15 recipients of the Florence G. Heller Alumni Award. We will discuss her latest book Pursuing Justice: One woman's life of rebellion, resistance, and reslienceThen, we'll talk with WSLR's Dave Beaton. Co-Founder of WSLR (along with Arlene Sweeting) about their stepping down from their positions here at the station and what their plans are for the future in their settling in the great state of Michigan.

This week we’ll talk to Brad Wolf, editor of the new book A Ministry of Risk: Writings on Peace and Nonviolence by Philip Berrigan, peace activist and Catholic priest.From the battlefields of World War II to the front lines of peace activism, Philip Berrigan evolved from soldier to scholar, priest to political prisoner. Confronting the fundamental nature of America’s military-focused culture, Berrigan took an unyielding stance against societal evils―war, systemic racism, unchecked materialism, and the baleful presence of nuclear weapons. Imprisoned by his government and ostracized by his Church, Berrigan’s life is a courageous example of nonviolent resistance and liberation in the face of overwhelming odds.Then, since it’s the third Wednesday, we’ll host the good people from Legal Aid of Manasota. We’ll be talking to Jon Thaxton, Director of Community Investment at Gulf Coast Community Foundation, about the bill Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law on March 20, which prohibits homeless individuals from camping on city streets, sidewalks, and parks. Instead, they are required to stay in temporary shelters monitored by law enforcement agencies. H.B. 1365 is specific to Florida, but it reverberates nationally, too—the Supreme Court is currently debating a case about Oregon’s crackdown on homeless people sleeping in public places.

In this episode we’ll talk to Ken Grossinger, author of Art Works – How Organizers and Artists Are Creating a Better World Together. Grossinger chronicles these efforts for the first time, distilling lessons and insights from grassroots leaders and luminaries such as Ai Weiwei, Courtland Cox, Jackson Browne, Shepard Fairey, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Alexander, Bill McKibben, JR, Jose Antonio Vargas, and more. And in the second half of our show this discussion will continue with added guest Artist Robert Shetterly. For 25 years he was the President of the Union of Maine Visual Artists (UMVA) and a producer of the UMVA’s Maine Masters Project, an on-going series of video documentaries about Maine artists. As surrealist painter he's become more known over the past 20+ year for his continuing portrait series AMERICANS WHO TELL THE TRUTH. A series collection of over 200 portraits started in response to the events leading up to Americas decision to invade Iraq in 2003.

In this episode we’ll talk to Liz Barker, candidate for the Sarasota School Board, District Two. The election is August 20. Then Bob will talk to a person he met in New Orleans at the French Quarter Festival, Tarot Reader Audrey

In this episode E. Scott Osborne, writer, advocate, and President of Through Women’s Eyes Organization, will interview Florida nature photographer and author Fran Palmeri. Then we’ll talk to Adrienne Scott about the repatriation campaigns of the Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust in the Northeast United States.

In this episode we’ll talk to Patrica Birch, who was homeless until a few days ago. Judith Wellmen, Point In Time survey volunteer and we’ll hear from Gail Chatfield of Freedom Gathering about the meals and other services they provide in Bradenton.