J. Manuel Herrera is an elected official in San Jose/Silicon Valley who envisions the transformation of the public square in our communities and emerging 21st Century politics that is whole, generative, and personally transformative. In this episode we talk about his experiences and observations from being involved in politics throughout his life. J. Manuel shares strategies for effective political advocacy based in viability mutual regard and respect developing a web of relationship through tra...
May 15, 2019•1 hr 41 min
Meet Abdul Mujeeb Khan, who I know as Abdullah. He is a facilitator and consultant working in India. Abdullah's mission and life’s work is to transform the world through the transformation of human heart and opening to love as a guiding force in the world. In our conversation he shares the fundamental importance of becoming who you really are and living your best self. In this episode we also talk about letting go of the hope that we'll succeed and the fear that we won't. Abdullah shares about t...
Apr 16, 2019•1 hr 8 min
Meet Ashok Panikkar. He is founder of Meta-Culture and a diversity and conflict management consultant - who also teaches Critical and Creative Thinking. Today most of his energies are focused on strengthening our democracies by working with communities to help build a culture of democracy. This episode hard and realistic. We take a serious look at the current state of politics, the challenges we are currently facing in the world, and we have more questions than answers.
Mar 30, 2019•1 hr 23 min
Ann-Ellice Parker is an anti-racist educator, dear friend and elder in the Bay Area. In this episode we talk about race in America and take a deeper look at the systemic nature of racism machine. What is at the heart of dehumanization? We acknowledge the trauma that lives in our bodies and how we face that through interacting with it every day. Many questions arise in the episode, some we can answer and others we cannot. Ann-Ellice puts a call to action to wake up to what is happening, what has ...
Feb 11, 2019•56 min
Meet N. Wahid Azal. He is Founder and Grand Sheik of the Fatimiya order of Sufi Islam. In this conversation we hear about Wahid incorporates plant medicine as sacrament his religion, and the official decree from the the Grand Ayatollah Rohani stating that Ayahuasca is approved in Shia Islam. We also talk about Wahid’s experiences of doing plant medicine work with indigenous tribes in the subtropical jungles of Iran and the proliferation of psychedelic patterns in Islamic art and architecture, es...
Jan 17, 2019•1 hr 32 min
Nathan Radabaugh is an Iraq veteran with a conservative background, who now lives and works in the cannabis industry in northern California. He is a friend and this conversation allows me to have a refreshing conversation with some one who is living a balance between progressive and conservative cultures. We talk about warriorship, fatherhood, having pride and criticism for our country, the charm and dangers of progressive culture, and about taking responsibility for our own life (shadows and al...
Dec 26, 2018•1 hr 30 min
Milagros Galli, an Argentinian artist, dancer and instrument maker. In this short and sweet episode we talk about the creative process and Milagros’s insight on all of us being creative beings. Milagros shares a wealth of wisdom on being a vibration in this universe. Lastly, we touch on importance of connecting with our inner child. I am just so grateful that we were able to meet, talk and capture this woman’s wisdom to share with the whole world.
Dec 19, 2018•37 min
Lyla June is a musician, poet, anthropologist, educator, community organizer and public speaker. More than anything though she is a true warrior of love. Lyla descends from both Diné (commonly known as Navajo) and European ancestors. Her story is one of deep healing from her own trauma and that of the generations before her. She has long worked hard to carry forward the wisdom of the people native to the North American continent (also known as Turtle Island) as well as uncover the history of her...
Nov 21, 2018•1 hr 12 min
David Dean is an anti-racism educator. He specializes in helping white people understand how their liberation is bound up with undoing racism. We explore the history of whiteness and race in the U.S. and across human history. The stories of racism, classism and patriarchy are connected and they impact all of us. An exploration of this deep history helps us understand how all of our ancestors were ripped away from their origins and forced to participate in a system that wants us to be divided, so...
Nov 20, 2018•1 hr 57 min
here is a lot of opportunity for healing in our country these days, It’s hard to see how we can effectively make change in our lives, our countries and the world. If you’re struggling to understand how we can heal our world, this episode may be the perfect medicine for you. Kazu Haga is a teacher of Kingian Non-Violence, and in this episode he offers up the wisdom of the great leader of non-violence, Dr. Martin Luther King. The wisdom here is as important today as it was back in MLK's time, and ...
Nov 14, 2018•1 hr 24 min
What if we tried to make our society, spirit and lives organic and free of poison?
Nov 02, 2018•1 hr 16 min
Amber Field Amber Field is a musician, performer and master teacher. They use music and expressive arts as practices for healing and liberation for both individuals and communities. For them music and art are tools for activism, for personal and social change. They have amazing workshops the teach people how to fine and free their voices. Amber identifies as a genderqueer and non-binary. I personally identify as gender-fluid, and this opens us up to a rich conversation about both of our experien...
Oct 21, 2018•1 hr 11 min
El Suchi was born in Guatemala he is a living bridge between his indigenous and European roots. In this episode we discuss healing trauma across generations. We open up about the importance and difficulty of uplifting people voices of indigenous and traditional peoples without co-opting them or pretending like they're are our own. We talk about the importance of leading with a positive vision of the future that inspires others and comes from listening to our hearts.
Oct 08, 2018•1 hr 43 min
Kenneth Cloke is one of the leading mediators in the world. This is a very special episode. Kenneth Cloke is a mediator, author, conflict resolution expert, and someone I have looked up to for years. The Fractal Friends podcast is Heavily inspired by the work Kenneth has done with conflict transformation and mediation. In this episode you will see the ways our world are intertwined and woven together through a powerful conversation about our perspectives and philosophies.
Sep 28, 2018•1 hr 43 min
Learn more about the Nationwide Prison Strike at www.prisonstrike.com. Visit Amani Sawari's website at www.sawarimi.org for ongoing information, resources and details about the prison strike. Sign up here to join or support the Millions for Prisoners’ Human Rights Coalition: The Daily Kos has a petition to demand the end of legalized prison slavery . Sign the petition here. Want to send letters to prisoners who have been retaliated against for their involvement with the strike? Here is a list of...
Sep 18, 2018•37 min
In this episode I use my personal story to bring attention to the millions of men and women who continue to be trapped in the criminal-justice system. I list out the demands of the Nationwide Prison Strike that happened from August 21 - September 9th, 2018. I then tell a detailed story of my personal experience of getting caught up in the “justice” system that seemed to be more focused on punishment than on healing.
Sep 12, 2018•1 hr 11 min
This episode is an interview with Ryan Beauregard. Ryan is the founder of We Share Earth, an organization committed to transforming grief & garbage into growth & gardens. He's also the manager of The Zendo Project. In this conversation we learn about his passion to support the creation of a sustainable society and culture by deepening our relationship with nature, learning what we can from it and getting out of its way. We talk about the ecological crisis, economics and spirituality, and...
Sep 04, 2018•1 hr 25 min
On this episode Barbara shares what to do during The Great Turning. In these times of injustice, ecological crisis, and cultural dissociation, we talk about the tools to help us re-connect- to our hearts, our creative capacities, our communities, and our planet. Barbara explains what it means to live in a culture of disassociation and how we can all be empowered by radical gratitude.
Aug 10, 2018•1 hr
En español - Una conversación profunda sobre la historia de hiphop cubano y su impacto en la cultura cubana. Hablamos de racismo, el poder de la música y del encuentro entre Harry Belafonte y Fidel Castro para hablar sobre el peligro y la oportunidad de la llegada de hiphop en Cuba.
Aug 03, 2018•53 min
A conversation with the coach, professor and sports psychologist Dr. Virginia Savage. This is beautiful exploration about how to live life fully in the face of death, danger and all the mistakes we've made. We talk of our hero's journeys, finding purpose in life and the beauty of aging with conscious intention.
Jul 26, 2018•1 hr
Aryeh Shell shares the power of story telling and how we can learn from the natural world to better understand our social and political systems.
Jul 12, 2018•1 hr 11 min
This conversation is with the one of the creators of Pacha's Pajamas a children's book that uses augmented reality and great music to create a compelling transformation story. The conversation is a reflection on parenting, stewardship and the impact that we can have on our world and how we can inspire others to also act positively in the world.
Nov 09, 2017•1 hr 7 min
This is the first Fractal Friends episode in Spanish. It is a conversation with racial and social justice activist Vivian Batista Ibañez from Havana, Cuba. This episode is in Spanish. For those who haven't totally learned Spanish yet, I'll soon try to post a transcript and translation at fractalfriends.us. Este episodio es el primero en español, y estoy muy emocionado compartirlo. Es una entrevista con la activista y organizadora Vivian Batista Ibañez. En este conversación hablamos sobre raza, m...
Oct 06, 2017
n this episode we talk about Alan's efforts to help the wild mustangs and to sustainable systems for the long term health of the wild horses and of grass. The conversation takes us into various important themes, like: How do we create sustainable living systems when we have finite resources? How do we work with populations that are traumatized by the behavior of those that came before us? How do we find the unique purpose in each of our lives that inspires us to contribute to the world?
Sep 07, 2017•1 hr 6 min
Fractal Friends returns from a long hiatus with an episode called "An Honest Love Letter to America." The conversation with performer, podcaster and artist Al Letson is a provocative exploration of the beauty and challenges that face America. This interview was recorded in July of 2016, long before anyone imagined that Donald Trump could be President of the United States. As such, the conversation reveals a degree of optimism and clarity about the state of America that is hard to find today....
Jan 17, 2017•55 min
A lively and provocative discussion with author Steve McIntosh about how to evolve politics for everyone. We discuss politics from an integral lens and learn to embrace the power of an inclusive polarity to propel us forward.
Jun 13, 2016•1 hr 2 min
A conversation with collaboration consultant and author Dave Savage. We talk about how the leaders of the future will need to be able to collaborate, we reflect on being drops the rushing river of progress and how social change needs to be profitable. Dave is a friend and colleague of mine so the conversation is more intimate than usual.
May 13, 2016•56 min
Nikki Silvestri is a lifelong advocate for food and climate justice. She is a true thought leader pushing forward our understandings of self and the systems we are a part of. Her passion for a better world and better leadership is clear and inspiring. I also play the ukulele in this episode.
Apr 22, 2016•51 min
In this conversation we discuss growing up in Cuba, the process of becoming a filmmaker and the value of story in remembering our history.
Mar 22, 2016•1 hr
The conversation takes us on a deep exploration of both art and spiritual practice and the intersection points between the two. One of the recurring themes here is about finding the courage to slow down and let life show up and the various things that we discover when we do that. When we listen and open our eyes to the world, the world comes alive around us. As it comes alive we find that the world is reflecting ourselves back at us, and as we engage we also find ourselves mirroring the world ar...
Mar 11, 2016•1 hr
