America Speaks Podcast

Part two of our conversation discussing Norman's writing, films, his choices on what has impacted his art. This conversation is a prayer to life.  A true awakening to what's important. To how we live, and how we must respect all living things.  Norman brings us on a journey with his work as a writer, film maker, and as an activist. He provides for us a window into healing our spirits How his grandmother taught him how to respect life. How to be compassionate. Norman intersects his work in his upcoming film "Rainbow Boy", as his story reflects on how we in the 21 century have abused our planet.

Norman Patrick Brown renown filmmaker, Writer, Educator and respected voice of Indigenous people. In this conversation Norman provides wisdom and a brief history of the Navajo Nation, from Norman's family to his views on humanity, the struggle of his people, how he learned from his grandmother to honor Mother Earth and his guidance for the future our planet.He speaks humbly and with reverence about his roots and his outlook for today's young Navajo youth and his hope for young people around the world to come together.   

Mary Kathryn Nagle is a playwright and a partner at Pipestem Law, a firm specializing in tribal sovereignty of Native nations and peoples. She was born in Oklahoma City, OK, and is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.[1] She currently serves as the executive director of the Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program Nagle is an alumna of the 2013 Emerging Writers Group, a prestigious program supported by The Public Theater for up-and-coming playwrights. During her time in the Emerging Writers Group she wrote Manahatta, a play that received recognition from the groups that give the William Soroyan Prize for Playwriting and the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award.[6][7] Sliver of a Full Moon is one of her most successful works to date, that tells the story the trauma of violence against women.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury ’s legacy and leadership in advancing the best interest of the global community are boldly imprinted in his pioneering initiative in March 2000 as the President of the Security Council that achieved the political and conceptual breakthrough leading to the adoption of the groundbreaking UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in which the Council recognized for the first time the role and contribution of women in the area of peace and security. As a career diplomat, Permanent Representative to United Nations, President of the UN Security Council, President of UNICEF Board, UN Under-Secretary- General, the Senior Special Advisor to the UN General Assembly President, and recipient of the U Thant Peace Award, UNESCO Gandhi Gold Medal for Culture of Peace, Spirit of the UN Award and University of Massachusetts Boston Chancellor’s Medal for Global Leadership for Peace, Ambassador Chowdhury has a wealth of experience in the critical issues of our time - peace, sustainable development, and

Robert Miller could have one of the most difficult and challenging as well as rewarding and responsible jobs there is; as director of one of California's largest shelter systems. Rob oversees every aspect of the lives he is in charge of . He is no stranger to caring for dogs and cats in the clinic. After this conversation its clear that it was when he worked one on one with the animals in the vet clinics and humane societies he worked for the caring for the patients was when Rob was the happiest. This episode is more of a symposium on pet ownership and gives a thorough sense of Rob's life as Riverside director, and all the many layers of shelter life.

Allegra Love, director of the Sante Fe Dreamer's Project and a tireless immigration attorney, devotes 24/7 to representing asylum seekers escaping the unforgiving violence in Central America. Allegra is these families best hope. She offers her legal services for free to those who have no other options than to put themselves at the mercy of the U.S. immigration court system. Her clients have endured great hardships  and trauma in their native countries and the journey to the U.S. with young children only to find the merciless treatment at the hands of border patrol, ICE and the Trump administration. Allegra unpacks the full challenge of her daily efforts as she represent these families.

Wilford Welch has been exploring the driving forces impacting our world for more than five decades as a U.S. diplomat in Asia; as an economic development and business consultant in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S.; as the publisher of a world affairs magazine that appeared in 26 countries in six language editions; and as the leader of educational trips to numerous countries and culture Wilford developed future planning scenarios for a number of multinational corporations and governments, including Citibank, Toyota, the U.S. Navy, and the Korean Government. He was the leader of a research team that developed the Wealth of Nations Index using 63 variables to measure each nation’s economic, information technology, and social well-being. He is the author of In Our Hands: A Handbook for Intergenerational Actions to Solve the Climate Crisis, published in 2018, and The Tactics of Hope: How Social Entrepreneurs Are Changing Our World, published in 2008.       https://www.wilfordwelch.com/

A round table idea fest of the day after the election with Mary Angela and Host of America Speaks Tish Lampert , and Kim Langbecker, producer. A full menu of responses and zeroing in on the stunts Republican have created to suppress voting. What happened to democracy in Georgia?

Kathy Eldon, Pat Chandler and Creative Visions remind us we must find a way to reconnect and make greater effort to understand the plight that others are dealing with. To find our human connection. The virtue of being a storyteller is to high light a more compassionate message, with an invigorated focus on the individual narrative. How do we enliven participation and strike a chord to encourage our commonality? We are the stewards of our fragile planet and can put aside our differences to find solutions, together, and create the impossible.

Today’s conversation with Kathy Eldon and Pat Chandler boosted my spirits and reinforced my resolve. We can be heard ! This is the perfect message we want to send everyone, as you go off to the polls. Each of us matters and as Kathy has reminded us historically we always boomerang back into the light, after these challenging periods of darkness. We are rewarded by our coming together in hope and acceptance of one another. Both Kathy and Pat and the full Creative Visions Foundation reflect what true activism is about , with compassion, and creative focus on storytelling to shine a light on the best of our humanity. They look beyond themselves at the world ‘outside the cornfields’ as it were. There is magic in each of us as we engage and place ourselves boldly into what will determine our future.  

Our system of government is called a representative democracy and American citizens do not directly make governmental decisions. They elect officials to govern for them. But with the skyrocketing spending of super pacs, and influence of lobbying giants amidst the enormous contributions from high roller donors flooding dark money into campaigns across the country are Americans witnessing the merchandising of our elections? The outcome of this out of control spending allows wealthy individuals, corporations, and special interest groups to exercise a disproportionate level of influence over our political process. What Josh Silver and Represent US teaches us today is that we have the power to stop the corruption and outrageous spending in our political campaigns. WE The People are the republic for which we stand. We must engage in changing the statis quo and believe we have a distinct voice in the direction our government and our country is going in.

Represent US brings together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass powerful anti-corruption laws that stop political bribery, end secret money, and fix our broken elections. Headed by Josh Silver is a veteran election and media reform executive. He was the campaign manager for the successful 1998 Arizona Clean Elections ballot initiative, and is the co-founder and former CEO of Free Press, a leading media and technology reform advocacy organization. Silver has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal and featured in outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Newsweek, NPR, and CBS Sunday Morning.  

Twenty-one youths, ages 9 -21, are suing the federal government, for climate damage; representing Juliana Vs US Gov't which has out smarted US government lawyers, for two years, as it heads to superior court in Oregon. This landmark suit takes on the U.S. government, as well as the fossil fuel giants, to answer to the determined millennials who are fighting for the planet’s future.

This episode reflects how Kathy Kleinfield, an impassioned woman dedicates her life to fighting every day for women. Everyday Kathy Kleinfield witnesses how women rely on her health clinic for their lives, and their children's lives. And yet all women in our country today are at the mercy of Senators, with old ideas in Washington, old disaffected men whose votes  are solely political with no regard to how their legislation will affect everyday lives. Women are a force to be reckoned with and women vote. Women are rising up in ways that will change business as usual in Washington.

Here we are in 2018  and women are still having to pick up their swords to battle for their rights. We are witnessing a choreographed effort of obstructionism with this rushed appointment of Brett Kavanaugh despite evidence that should bring into question how this candidate should deserve a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. Kathy Kleinfield, who heads the Houston's Women's Clinic, can attest to the character and bias of Kavanaugh who officiated the "Jane Doe" case of the undocumented minor who Kavanaugh refused to grant her legal right to an abortion. Kathy speaks powerfully about what is at stake with Kavanaugh's appointment and reflects on her role as a strong voice in the reproductive justice community.   

This is a compelling episode examining Quentin s remarkable life, his origin years, the book he published for his son and how he is now a distinguished advisor and speaker, working with police departments across the U.S., as swell as his aim to bring people together from all walks of life. Quentin is also an author, prolific international speaker, former FBI Agent, former federal prosecutor, work with the United States Attorney’s Office  

Quentin is a previous FBI agent, a lawyer, a contract mediator, a respected educator with a lengthy record of successful deal-making and community advocacy, a messenger of reconciliation who is working with police departments across the country to create greater co-operation and harmony within urban communities.  As the new NFL season is upon us we decided to get a sense from Quentin of a more in depth understanding of the protests today by the players in the NFL and NBA. In part two of our conversation, next week, we look forward to going back and discovering Quentin' s remarkable origin years, the book he published for his son and how he is now a distinguished advisor and speaker bringing people together from all walks of life.

I WANTED TO BRING MARTIN SHEEN BACK ON AMERICA SPEAKS TO RE LISTEN TO HIS COUNSEL AND GET HIS PERSPECTIVE AS WE ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND COMMIT TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US CASTING OUR VOTE, USING OUR VOICE AND STANDING UP WITH COURAGE TO UNITE AGAINST INTIMIDATION, CORRUPTION LIES AND THE EROSION OF OUR FREEDOMS, AND THE AMERICA WE HOLD DEAR.

Deb Haaland is running to make history in New Mexico, the first Native American woman who would represent the first district in New Mexico in Congress. Deb is committed to a campaign devoted to accountability, honest values, and a fierce dedication to her constituents.Deb has a vision for the future emphasizing renewable energy and green jobs. Deb is passionate about having the opportunity to represent New Mexico with a forward direction for today's youth. This conversation is outside the box of politics as usual. It will encourage you to ask tough questions about who we want to elect to represent us.

Deb Haaland reflects the new wave of candidates running in the 2018. She is a veteran of political campaigns and a well respected Democratic party chair, in New Mexico. Deb is a strong advocate for women's rights , Native Americans, LGBTQ rights, Veterans, early education (one of Deb's real motivations) and a true honoring for our commons and our sacred lands. Deb is a down to earth single mom, who has devoted her life to issues all Americans care about. She is not driven by political empowerment but by doing what is most needed for all in New Mexico who are challenged by today's job market, today's flaws in public education , today's environment and a powerful advocate for Native Americans. This episode reveals the true heart and soul of Deb Haaland, a candidate who will reshape the future for her constituents in New Mexico and as well demonstrates a sincere caring about all American families.