Atul Deshmane, a businessman, systems engineer, and re-elected official, talks with podcast Host Joy Gilfilen about the issue of digital communications, the speed of change, and how we are doing business around the world today. How has it changed over the past few years, and even just since the elections? Atul speaks to how his experience of talking with people in person, rather than just through electronic media, has changed the nature and quality of his understanding of relationships and human value.

He brings together issues related to broadband, digital media, and conserving energy to intersect with how technology has altered how people engage with the world. We discuss how people can feel separated, disconnected, and isolated from why things matter. Conversely, why it matters that we can make a huge difference locally to intentionally change our destiny in the future!

Interviewing Eric Flores, with the Freedom Project in Seattle, WA, presents a new view of how people can change their lives with help, time, and a change in circumstances.

Host Joy Gilfilen talks with him about his experience growing up as a teen, living inside the juvenile correctional system, and living in an environment where gangs, drugs, and shootings were common. It was just part of his life and a learned behavior from his surroundings.

Eric didn’t know another life or way of being until he came to a different state, had different mentors and opportunities, and found a different way of understanding the world. Seeing his children for the first time from inside a prison cell changed him forever. He saw how his decisions were affecting their lives, and he made a commitment to change.

Today, Eric has become a mentor and part of the counselor and coaching team to help people reenter the world outside the walls. He has been learning and teaching others how to build bridges to a better life when people are anticipating their release.

Guest Beth Brownfield speaks about the process of her remarkable life over 80 years and how she was shaped as a young person to become the grandmother and civic activist that she is today.

Host Joy Gilfilen has been learning from Beth about the Doctrine of Discoveries, the Reservation Schools and how this ties back to her ancestral heritage. Wisdom comes with the lived experience of learning the stories about how three of her Grandmothers were hanged during the Salem Witch Trials; the early military and slavery influences of her family impacted how she engaged in civics, education, business and more.

Beth has been significant locally in supporting the Lummi Nation,🛶Canoe Journeys, the Totem Journeys, the recognition that the indigenous peoples are the 1st peoples of this continent and the early heritage wisdom of what we now call the United States of America - a corporation.

On October 25th, President Biden made a significant step towards healing our communities by formally apologizing for the U.S. government's role in the Indian boarding school era. In light of this historic moment, Joy realized that her interview with Patricia Anne Davis earlier this year was perfect to replay. Patricia, an honored Choctaw-Navajo elder, talks about The Betrayal and Origin Story.

This powerful matriarch shares her life's work in understanding the prison industrial complex and her insights on justice, violence, and the lasting impact of colonization. She talks about the root causes of systemic failures, and her Five Steps for moving towards a more just future.

Listen now on Spotify and other podcast platforms.

#155 iChange Justice Podcast

Host: Joy Gilfilen

Guest: Loree Boyd, Author and Documentary Filmmaker

Join us for a powerful conversation with Loree Boyd as she shares the inspiring story of her mother, Silversong, an American Indian elder. Learn how Silversong's journey intertwines with the legacy of Irene Morgan, the founder of the Restorative CommUnity Coalition.

We'll delve into the historical context, exploring the genocide of Native children in Canadian Reservation Schools and how it connects to the Doctrine of Discovery and the formation of the US Constitution.

Our Key Topics:

The importance of defining terms and understanding ancient and recent history

The interconnectedness of events throughout time

The significance of the Doctrine of Discovery in shaping our legal framework

The value of reading complete books and listening to understand the "law of the land" discussions

Don't miss this thought-provoking episode as we explore the profound impact of historical injustices and the ongoing quest for justice and reconciliation.

A Life Experience group conversation on "How to Intercept the Games of Manipulation" that often leave us victimized inside our own self-destructive belief systems, habits and behaviors. .

In her groundbreaking work, Joy Gilfilen, former President of the Restorative Community Coalition, sheds light on unwitting, insidious ways in which habits of manipulation and denialism can be seen infiltrating our institutions, commercial and civic systems. It happens across the social, economic and civic spectrum - infecting fear into our media, courts, business, political, and public safety and emergency management systems.

Drawing from recordings from 2016, this deep dive into our systems offers a chilling account of how individuals, 1st responders, and families are unknowingly trapped in a cycle of harmful habits and presumptions. Gilfilen introduces the concept of "Story-Traps," these harmful narratives that can lead to a vicious cycle of perpetual loss, recidivism and injustice.

One of hidden problems is that often profits are made when our biases, or hidden blind spots are exploited unconsciously. Our beliefs erect blinders that occludes vision, which prevents us from seeing it. Even when our 6th sense, or our intuition is feeling uneasy, or we have a gut feeling that something's not right, we often dismiss these alarms, trusting instead the authority figure.

Join us for a powerful conversation with Liz Darrow, Participatory Democracy Program Coordinator for the non-profit Community to Community Liz Darrow and Host Joy Gilfilen. Liz brings a unique perspective to the discussion as a mother, non-profit leader and with lived experience as a candidate for public office. She has become a passionate advocate for taking care of our earth, for farmworkers , families and community empowerment.

Learn about Liz's background and her work with Community to Community.

Discover the challenges faced by farmworkers and the importance of advocating for their rights.

Explore Liz's vision for a more equitable food system and the role of community involvement.

Gain insights into the power of community organizing and the importance of creating inclusive spaces for decision-making.