Always On: A YES! Jams Podcast

Content Warning: * The participants in this episode discuss a restorative justice process used for an incident of sex assault*

In this episode, we are joined by Cara Sweeny and Jeff Carolin to discuss their experience working through a transformative justice case in the Canadian legal system.

Show Notes:

In the beginning, there is a mention of this case being the first RJ case in Canada. It is true that this is the first case of restorative justice used in a case of serious harm that was on track for a jury trial, but it is not the first ever. https://www.buildinganewreality.com/first-modern-restorative-justice-case/ . 

Austin Willacy is a pop and a cappella mentor artist who writes, records, produces, engineers, and arranges different genres for television, film, and other artists. He is a veteran member of The House Jacks, a pioneering a cappella group with whom he has produced 10 full-length albums and completed multiple world tours. Austin is the co-Artistic Director of the Thrive Choir, and for the past 25 years, the director of ’Til Dawn, Youth in Arts’ award-winning teen a cappella group. In 2018, he won a Positive Music Award for co-writing the eponymous theme song to “Thrive”, a documentary with over 90 million views, worldwide.

In 2020, Austin co-founded Raise Your Voice Labs, a creative culture transformation company that helps groups build brave spaces to have discussions that matter, and embody new visions of community through musical co-creation.

In our wide ranging conversation, we explore many aspects of his work and in particular how singing through the tough times allowed 'Til Dawn, to flourish even through the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We've reached the end of Season 2. On today's episode we're joined by Alixa Garcia, an alum of El Jam Mexico 2018, where we talk about art: visual, audio, and more. Alixa is a world-renowned artist whose words, spirit, work, and art have infused our movements for justice with healing and imagination. She has inspired thousands through her award-winning multimedia theater, visual art, world music, sustainable touring, and community organizing. Check out her new collaboration "Fall Like Rain" and please consider pre-saving or pre-ordering the song to allow for it to reach more and more folks < https://tinyurl.com/falllikerain >. After May 14th check it out on all music platforms.  And learn more about Alixa at www.alixagarcia.com, on Instagram at alixagarcia, on Facebook Alixa Garcia

On today's episode "Remember the Stars" of "Always On!", the first of 2021, Jovan is joined by Giselle Castaño, a spiritual astrologer and alum of the 2014 and 2020 North America Leadership Jams (currently based out of Seattle, Washington, situated on Duwamish and Suquamish land) and LiZhen Wang, a astrologer, facilitator, and food-grower and alum of the 2015 North America Leadership Jam (based in Huichin (Oakland) and Taipei). Jovan, Giselle, and LiZhen dive into questions of the stars, the stories they are telling about what's possible this year, and following our passions wherever they might take us. Listen in, learn more, and visit their sites < https://www.gisellecastano.com/ > and < https://lizhen.space/ > to learn about each of their many offerings.

And check us out next week when we'll debut a new song by Alixa García.

Join us for an episode of "Always On!" hosted by Hanzade Germiyanoglu, YES!’s Coordinator of Community Learning and Partnerships, with Shilpa Jain, YES!'s Executive Director, about her journey to leadership and the facilitation.

Join us for a conversation with Tad Hargrave of Marketing for Hippies [marketingforhippies.com/] to talk about hospitality, the naming and inception of Jams, and more!

Jovan Julien is joined by Coumba Toure, co-coordinator of Africans Rising [www.africans-rising.org] and Malika Sanders-Fortier, a member of the Alabama State Senate representing District 23, to talk about their experience navigating, participating, changing, and being change by the Jam in the early 2000s. With their leadership and energy they would help experiment with, create, and adjust the forms we know as the Jam

The Northeast Jam Facilitanant team joins Jovan for an in-depth conversation on the happenings at the 2020 Northeast Jam which took place from March 10 - 15, 2020. Listen in as they share funny, revealing, and ultimately inspiring stories on navigating a difficult moment together while leaning on their tools and burgeoning love and respect of one another.

Ocean Robbins joins Jovan Julien and Shilpa Jain to talk about the first 15 years of YES!. The group touches on themes including how to live into the questions that animate your life, the risks, successes, and failures of the organization in its early years, and how they are living into their dreams today.