Northern Spirit Radio

Northern Spirit Radio NSR broadcasts inspirational voices of peace and social justice using stories, music, & spirituality

Today we'll introduce you to Betsy Small, recently the Executive Director at Creating Friendships for Peace, and we'll t...
06/12/2026

Today we'll introduce you to Betsy Small, recently the Executive Director at Creating Friendships for Peace, and we'll take you on Betsy's moving saga in Sierra Leone, exploring the tribulations and elations of her Peace Corps experience in the West African country, as told in her book, Before Before: A Story of Discovery and Loss in Sierra Leone. Betsy shares the depth of her struggles, and the deep belonging and bond that grew in her over the course of her three years as a volunteer, while we also learn of the ravages and rebuilding that took place in the country after Betsy's departure. She has already received several awards and recognitions for the book, and she is doing an audiobook version as well. Thanks to Andrew Janssen for production assistance on this program and to Jim Giddings of WUML radio in Lowell, MA, for connecting me up with Betsy Small.

Today we'll introduce you to Betsy Small, recently the Executive Director at Creating Friendships for Peace, and we'll take you on Betsy's moving saga in Sierra Leone, exploring the tribulations and elations of her Peace Corps experience in the West African country, as told in her book, Before Befor...

We're back today with Part 2 of our Song of the Soul visit with Arielle Silver. If you missed part 1 last week, it can b...
06/11/2026

We're back today with Part 2 of our Song of the Soul visit with Arielle Silver. If you missed part 1 last week, it can be easily found on our website, and it was a visit steeped in song, story, and Arielle's silky-soaring voice. We finished just as she was explaining some of the riches & wonderings that were gifts of her Jewish upbringing, including her deep dive into Eastern and Earth-based inspirations. We'll continue today, exploring some of the fruits of her 2 more recent albums, as we magically continue our visit with Arielle Silver, near Los Angeles, California.

We're back today with Part 2 of our Song of the Soul visit with Arielle Silver. If you missed part 1 last week, it can be easily found on our website, and it was a visit steeped in song, story, and Arielle's silky-soaring voice. We finished just as she was explaining some of the riches & wonderings....

Peterson Toscano helps create a variety of podcasts, among them Climate Changed, Bubble & Squeak, Quakers Today, The See...
06/05/2026

Peterson Toscano helps create a variety of podcasts, among them Climate Changed, Bubble & Squeak, Quakers Today, The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope, Stories That Stay, and many others. Today he is sharing a powerful conversation from the Religion and Justice podcast with hosts Gabby Lisi and George Schmidt, who speak with John and Samuel Munayer about their book The Cross and the Olive Tree: Cultivating Palestinian Theology amid Gaza. The episode explores indigenous Palestinian Christianity, the olive tree as a symbol of rooted theology, and the spiritual challenge of remaining present in suffering while still honoring resilience.

Peterson Toscano helps create a variety of podcasts, among them Climate Changed, Bubble & Squeak, Quakers Today, The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope, Stories That Stay, and many others.

Arielle Silver is on a mission, and she takes this pursuit seriously. We'll get to know her music today, but her deep en...
06/05/2026

Arielle Silver is on a mission, and she takes this pursuit seriously. We'll get to know her music today, but her deep encounter with Eastern Spirituality, including her practice of yoga, meditation, and more, could easily fill all our broadcast time. Arielle had music flowing into her from her father's guitar playing, and it also was a rich part of her Jewish background, but she definitely found the need for her music to rise out of and be rooted in her spirituality. Arielle made 3 albums, but then took a 10-year detour, eventually leading her back to the work of a songwriter, with 2 new albums and another in gestation. She can do it all, musically, but today you'll hear more folkish influences than pop, rock, jazz, or punk. Whatever she sings, she shapes into an elevating, moving, spell-binding flow of music. Today is part 1 of her Song of the Soul, with part 2 next week.

Arielle Silver is on a mission, and she takes this pursuit seriously. We'll get to know her music today, but her deep encounter with Eastern Spirituality, including her practice of yoga, meditation, and more, could easily fill all our broadcast time. Arielle had music flowing into her from her fathe...

(Originally aired 6/3/2023) Since Meg Hutchinson last joined us in 2012, she obtained her Masters of Divinity as the onl...
05/29/2026

(Originally aired 6/3/2023) Since Meg Hutchinson last joined us in 2012, she obtained her Masters of Divinity as the only Buddhist in her class, and has added work including as Osal Doula Services, still continuing to produce the amazingly deep & moving music she is known for. Her creds include the Kerrville New Folk Award and awards at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, the Telluride Troubadour Songwriter's Showcase and more. Meg's open heart and compassion shine through her work & playing, all the way from Boston, MA.

Since Meg Hutchinson last joined us in 2012, she obtained her Masters of Divinity as the only Buddhist in her class, and has added work including as Osal Doula Services, still continuing to produce the amazingly deep & moving music she is known for.

Today we're going on an adventure with Kazu Haga, a high school dropout whose path turned radically into a passionate st...
05/29/2026

Today we're going on an adventure with Kazu Haga, a high school dropout whose path turned radically into a passionate study & sharing of nonviolence. Having learned from/with & befriended some of the greatest activist and nonviolence workers & trainers of the past 70 years, Kazu found & refined his life's mission in many phases. His book, Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm, traces Kazu's steps through learning & activism with the University of Rhode Island's Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies, with Joanna Macy, as an important organizer with Occupy Oakland, and in forming the East Point Peace Academy (as opposed to West Point Military Academy), while deepening personally with the East Bay Meditation Center. His now extensive experience working with many incarcerated folks & in many other settings has given him first-hand experience to confidently proclaim essential dynamics of nonviolence sprung from Kingian roots, like the 6 principles of nonviolence & the 6 steps of nonviolence. Just naming these parts of the theory & practice far undersells the marvelous work that Kazu does, and the amazing stories he tells. Kazu Haga lives in the Los Angeles, CA, area.

Today we're going on an adventure with Kazu Haga, a high school dropout whose path turned radically into a passionate study & sharing of nonviolence. Having learned from/with & befriended some of the greatest activist and nonviolence workers & trainers of the past 70 years, Kazu found & refined his....

Our guest today is Billy Simons Jr, who I ran into by seeing, and loving, a number of the video reels he's shared online...
05/22/2026

Our guest today is Billy Simons Jr, who I ran into by seeing, and loving, a number of the video reels he's shared online, mostly about current political issues & turmoil. Plus, he has wonderful sense of humor that adds an extra charge to his songs. He was making music back close to 20 years ago, but then there were some years of quiet on the music front, overlapping with a book he created called Earth Is Not A Planet. The point is that Billy Simons Jr has amazing creativity & talent, considerable depth & insight & humor, so it's a delight to have him here.

Our guest today is Billy Simons Jr, (or on Bandcamp) who I ran into by seeing, and loving, a number of the video reels he's shared online, mostly about current political issues & turmoil. Plus, he has wonderful sense of humor that adds an extra charge to his songs.

The 2026 Earth Day in Eau Claire, WI, featured an Earth Fest with a wealth of tables, displays, demos, and more, among t...
05/22/2026

The 2026 Earth Day in Eau Claire, WI, featured an Earth Fest with a wealth of tables, displays, demos, and more, among them the table for Kaiserson Bee Company. Their varieties of honey infusions, like chili, hibiscus, Tulsi, vanilla, coffee, and lavender were certainly intriguing, but the whole story and method of their production was even more interesting. Things like their CSA - community-supported apiculture, support for dealing with bee swarms, and environmental education, all made me eager to talk to Drew Kaiser, the Kaiser in Kaiserson Bee Company. Drew joins me to talk about The Bees.

The 2026 Earth Day in Eau Claire, WI, featured an Earth Fest with a wealth of tables, displays, demos, and more, among them the table for Kaiserson Bee Company. Their varieties of honey infusions, like chili, hibiscus, Tulsi, vanilla, coffee, and lavender were certainly intriguing, but the whole sto...

We've got some powerful witness to be shared today, brought together by Nonviolence International, doing powerful, insig...
05/15/2026

We've got some powerful witness to be shared today, brought together by Nonviolence International, doing powerful, insightful, work leveraging the world toward peace & wholeness. They brought together the webinar that will be over half of today's show, with 3 well-placed activists focused on the topic Solidarity in Action: Resisting Occupation in Palestine & Minnesota. While there are great differences in these 2 areas of the world, there are plenty of lessons to be shared in both directions. We share today about half of the March, 2026, webinar, plus we share from an interview with one of the presenters that I did afterward. This event was hosted by Mel Duncan, co-founder with David Hartsough of the Nonviolent Peaceforce and organizer of the Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP). The 3 main seminar speakers include Amira Musallam, Head of Mission of UCPiP, Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, Executive Director for UNIDOS MN, and Mattie Weiss, Minnesota community organizer.

We've got some powerful witness to be shared today, brought together by Nonviolence International, doing powerful, insightful, work leveraging the world toward peace & wholeness. They brought together the webinar that will be over half of today's show, with 3 well-placed activists focused on the top...

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