In this Season 5 Premiere, Whatcom's own Joy Gilfilen and community justice educator and activist Karen Ball (currently located in Texas). engage in a high-level dialogue with Kathryn Alexander, MA, founder of Bridge to Partnership. An early student of the Fifth Discipline and systems thinking, Kathryn brings decades of research into how "tacit values" shape our leadership and our culture.

The conversation explores the imbalance of Western culture and Kathryn’s shift to nature as the ultimate expert. She introduces the Resilient Values Set™ and her Birds of a Feather™ model—tools designed to move us out of the "Protective" value systems that fuel social and environmental fighting. We dive deep into the Biotic Pump and her work with SoilSmart-SoilWise, revealing how a scientific understanding of the Earth’s self-cooling systems provides a blueprint for human community health. This is a vital look at how we move from the noise of systemic crisis to a legacy of restorative action.

#217 iChange Justice Podcast - The Seeds of Sovereignty: A Lifetime of Indigenous Advocacy with Beth Brownfield

In this special Happy New Year broadcast, host Joy Gilfilen welcomes her longtime mentor and community icon, Beth Brownfield. As we step into 2026 and our fifth season, this episode serves as a masterclass in how one person’s "seeds of justice" can ripple across a nation to change laws, denominations, and heart-centered community policies.

The Seed of a 12-Year-Old: Beth shares the origin of her activism—a seed planted at age 12 after reading a heartbreaking paragraph of contaminated smallpox blankets sent by the U.S. Army, especially Plains groups, to control the Indian problem. Years later she takes her heartbreaking first response through her journey from the Pine Ridge Reservation to the Pacific Northwest, sharing the heroic stories of Sue Ann Big Crow, who transformed racial tensions through a Lakota shawl dance on a basketball court, and the losing fight of Alex White Plume to grow hemp under the protection of native sovereignty.

The Principles of HONOR: Beth details her work with HONOR (Honor Our Neighbors, Origins, and Rights), an organization that worked, at the invitation of Tribes and Nations to: Honor government to government relationships and tribal sovereignty; Affirm Indian treaties; Honor and protect the Earth; Conduct Ourselves in a manner which is respectful of all people; Promote intercultural understanding and awareness. She explains how these principles were practiced in collaborative work to save Whatcom County from the proposed coal terminal, and why the first official acknowledgment of the "first inhabitants of these lands and waters" was an essential first step to restorative justice.

The Doctrine of Discovery: One of Beth’s most significant legacies is her work inspired by the work of Lummi, Jewel James and Shawnee, Lenape, Steve Newcomb to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery. Beth recounts her campaign to move the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) to pass a national resolution repudiating this archaic legal framework used to dominate the Original Nations and Peoples, their lands, and resources.

Beth describes her methodology as being a "Johnny Appleseed" for justice—planting seeds and letting them take root through the work of community action. She leaves us with a powerful call to action for 2026: "If everyone plants “seeds” as they pass through the world, and picks up the garbage in front of them, we could change the world."

Ready for a soul-stirring Christmas? Discover iChange Justice! Whatcom County's own Joy Gilfilen and visionary artist Shawn Gallaway present a musical gift of restoration for the Salish Sea and beyond. Find iChange Justice right here every Thursday at noon.

This Christmas Day, the iChange Justice podcast is unwrapping something truly special. Host Joy Gilfilen is joined by visionary artist Shawn Gallaway to present a curated selection of his most recent music—songs born from a lifetime of storytelling and a deep commitment to human restoration.

Blending Soul with TechnologyShawn shares how his newest creations use Authentic Intelligence to reach the heart. These are "songs of transformation" designed to help us navigate the Choice Point between love and fear.

Episode Highlights:

• The Debut of New Sounds: Experience Shawn’s most recent compositions, including the powerful evolution of "Joy Riders."

• Bridging Generations: Shawn reflects on his journey as a performer and grandfather using modern tools to spread ancient truths.

• A Vision for 2026: How music serves as a frequency to heal, transmute fear, and prepare us for the collective changes ahead.

This episode is a tribute to the Restorative Community Coalition and a warm holiday season to every listener seeking justice, peace, and joy in the Salish Sea and beyond.

The Christmas Special: A Sonic Gift to the Community

This episode is a tribute to the Restorative Community Coalition and a warm holiday season to every listener seeking justice, peace, and a bit of joy in the coming year.

iChange Justice co-hosts Joy Gilfilen and Karen Ball present the powerful conclusion to their two-part series with Elder Eveimai Lotori, focusing on "Beyond Your Impossible Awakening Your Wisdom Healing." This episode features deep reflection and dialogue with guest Mel Hoover, frequent contributor and and supporter of the work with Eveimai.

The discussion centers on Eveimai’s five-step self-learning and healing process, which is a rich integration of ancient teachings from Toltec, Mexica, Cherokee, Lakota, Dakota, and Cheyenne traditions. This process, which Eveimai uses for her own transformation through journaling, is structured around key stages: self-reflection (mirroring), heart-centered will, shedding limiting patterns, wisdom activation, and achieving harmonic balance through ceremonial dance.

Joy sets the context for the conversation by placing it at the critical transition from the end of 2025 into 2026. She emphasizes that this period is far from normal, citing profound shifts in global political and economic power, the spread of misinformation, and the rapidly accelerating influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and augmented intelligence.

Karen builds on this by translating Eveimai’s wisdom into actionable steps, inviting listeners to engage in deep listening and brave conversations. She uses the concept of the four directions to examine the self, questioning personal "blinders" and repetitive patterns of dualism and competition. Karen stresses the need to pivot away from systems of extraction, consumption, and control toward collaboration and co-creation aligned with the laws of nature.

Mel Hoover provides a foundational analysis, affirming that culture has programmed people into "either/or" thinking—a deviation from nature. He introduces the critical idea that personal change must begin with the "I" to build an honest "we." Mel then offers a profound, experience-based definition of the "tipping point," drawing on his civil rights work. He explains that when neighborhoods or schools reached 15% to 20% integration, white residents with financial means often "panicked and moved." This phenomenon, he argues, exposed how money and classism allowed people to mask the deeper discomfort of "anti-blackness" and systemic advantage, proving that the societal struggle encompasses not just racism, but all "isms" (including rankism and classism) built on a foundational "lie" that normalizes division.

The episode concludes with a powerful invitation to embrace the coming holy day season (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa) with "mosaic eyes." Joy and Mel encourage listeners to practice true listening, forgive human imperfections, apologize sincerely for unintended harm, and work toward becoming "beloveds together"—connected to the wholeness and health of nature. The conversation ends by calling for a "holiday season of learning" that celebrates the possibility of personal and collective change.

To learn how you can participate, volunteer, research, or donate to support local living economies and partner with the iChange Justice podcast, please visit www.therestorativecommunity.org.

Find details about upcoming events on the calendar there.

This first installment introduces Eveimai's groundbreaking plan for The Beyond Your Impossible Legacy Foundation. Co-hosts Joy Gilfilen and Karen Ball guide listeners through the vision for this new entity—a 508 C1A Private Membership Association—designed for global community service, advocacy, and spiritual inclusivity.

At the heart of the foundation are the proposed Nurturing Development Centers. Eveimai describes these centers as tailored, two-year immersive journeys for individuals and families in locales worldwide, from Colorado to Palestine. The mission is to help participants discover their soul and creative potential, supported by healers, craftspeople, and experts. Core focus areas include emotional healing, creativity activation, and developing conscious enterprise roadmaps for a future where traditional jobs are obsolete and "creators and co-creators" lead the way.

Eveimai envisions these centers as residential properties where participants can live and engage in a holistic experience. They will feature essential elements like food gardens, orchards, vineyards, and labyrinth gardens for meditation. They will also host ceremony spaces—such as sweat lodges and teepees—welcoming traditions from all cultures, alongside farm animals to engage children and families. Furthermore, the property design incorporates Airbnb-ready tree houses or housing units to support financial sustainability through retreats and rentals.

This episode is a compelling call to shift our collective focus from systems of restriction to systems of creation. As Eveimai beautifully states, the goal is to weave our visions together, recognizing that "we all are a piece of the whole." Karen and Joy affirm the timeliness of this vision, noting that current global challenges demand this level of unified, multi-cultural action to bridge economic gaps and restore natural balance.

Tune in to witness the genesis of a vision for a thriving future, and be sure to return next week for Part Two, where Eveimai describes her holistic healing process, Beyond Your Possible Awakening Your Wisdom Healing.

To learn how you can participate, volunteer, research, or donate to support local living economies and partner with the iChange Justice podcast connecty with us.

Host Joy Gilfilen and co-host Karen Ball launch a new conversational series with Elder and civil rights leader Mel Hoover (Mel-Rose Ministries). This episode begins the podcast's move into its Fifth Era as a converging network.

Mel, born in 1944 into an "apartheid nation," contrasts his inherited unconditional love with the Constitution's "lie in terms of the actions" and reveals his Native American heritage. The hosts compare their three distinct generational stories (Apartheid, Vietnam, and the Red Scare) to explore the Survival/Thrival Paradox: How do we build a restorative culture when facing the deep societal fear and "undeniable fissures" exposed by the COVID-19 lockdown?

Mel's wisdom for the future is a mandate for courage: cultivate the core belief to be your "authentic self no matter what." This internal decision is the key to creating a "beloved, inclusive future."

Join hosts Joy Gilfilen (Restorative Community Coalition) and criminal justice educator Karen Ball for a powerful installment as they explore the foundational principles driving the iChange Justice movement.

This episode draws on five years of work and the wisdom of global, national, and local thought leaders. We dive into our core philosophy: "When we invest in punishment, we perpetuate harm; when we invest in people, we cultivate safety."

In this episode, you'll hear the essential impact of insights from:

Mel Hoover (Mel-Rose Ministries): On the ethical grounding of restorative practice.

Marc Santos (NobleGoldman Network): Pathways to systemic change through regenerative economics.

Kurt Krueger (Peacemakers Circles): Methods for conflict resolution and peace education.

James White (ESATTA Cooperative): The power of community support and self-advocacy.

Irene Morgan: The vision steering the Restorative Community Coalition.

We connect the dots between activism, education, and policy to show the concrete actions needed to build a more humane future. Don't miss this crucial conversation about choosing people over punishment!

Find iChange Justice every Thursday at noon.

Host Joy Gilfilen welcomes Larry Ballesteros—a Native American leader and symbol of deep resilience (tribal name: Bear from the Earth).

Larry reveals his journey from incarceration to innovation, detailing how he co-created the grassroots Transitioning Offenders Program (TOP) after realizing the system was designed to fail those being released (leaving prison with only a $40 check).

Larry and fellow inmates built a comprehensive, data-driven reentry network right from inside the walls. When audited by state officials, their inmate-run program demonstrated a stunning 92% success rate (7.8% recidivism)—a record unmatched by formal programs at the time.

In this powerful conversation, Larry discusses what it truly takes to transform lives behind bars, the power of self-mastery (requiring participants to read Jonathan Livingston Seagull), and how programs like TOP offer a blueprint for the future of restorative justice.

Airing Everywhere on November 20th.