“Rehumanizing our Systems” is with James White, ESATTA Cooperative and host Joy Gilfilen, Restorative Community Coalition.

“It’s time to bring truth and reconciliation, new research, compassion, forgiveness, and inclusionary leadership into our community services,” says James. “In fact, it’s decades past time to work with people who have lived experience, mental health labels, and what I call "diverse abilities."

"In Vancouver, BC we’ve been a hotspot for leading edge research into the neuro-sciences, healing from addiction, abuse, criminalization and with the 1st Nations people who have been harmed by the Reservation Schools.”

“In July, the Pope is taking a huge step in reconciliation and trauma recovery to acknowledge the deep historical and intergenerational trauma caused by land displacement, physical and cultural genocide!”

With 38 years in the community living field, James is now the Director/Manager of ESATTA - Empowering Self Advocates to Take Action – a cooperative in British Columbia, Canada that's helping others learn from past mistakes, and to use leadership skills to start cooperatives in other cities, like in Mission, BC and Kamloops!

A Taste of the Islands - Wednesday at 4pm

On this week's episode we chat about the local flavors of Hawaii and what foods to expect when you experience the islands.

Also on this week's episode is a glimpse into Tomato Week", a different tomato recipe every day of the week on https://buff.ly/3vdOPcA and on https://buff.ly/3PY6WLD

Recipes mentioned:

Greek Tomato Fritters: https://buff.ly/3vdpQ98

Heirloom Tomato Fattoush Salad: https://buff.ly/2C80OMp

Shoyu Poke: https://buff.ly/3vgMptD

#30-Facing Today’s Challenges

How do we face the challenges of today? Host Joy Gilfilen, talks with Deb David about what she has learned about ACE's - Adverse Childhood Experiences as it applies to early childhood trauma impacts; then how this relates to the repetitive systemic violence that is affecting us across generations, and impacting our emotions and our ability to function in emergencies and in crisis situations.

Deb has been involved in researching and studying the impacts of the law and justice system as an employee, as a home care aid, as a parent, partner and grandmother of people living (or working) inside the system, or dealing with the systems as a support person striving to help others.

IChange Justice podcast #29-Put the Public back into Public Safety

Joy Gilfilen, host of iChange Justice, talks with author, professor and psycho-therapist Clyde Ford about public safety relative to his local experiences living and doing business here in Whatcom County. As a documentary author, professor and global citizen, he has done several significant books that intersect with our issues such as "Think Black", and his new book "Of Blood and Sweat".

Clyde talks candidly about what he sees happening in Bellingham regarding public safety...and how it is time to put "the public" back in "Public Safety". He discusses the history of racism and business development going back thousands of years. There is a pattern of disturbing trends he has seen with more security guards protecting businesses (such as at the Food Coop) rather than the people who need the services. More guards do not typically help humans feel secure...instead the reaction can be more fear; classism, and the potential for violence. His research shows how its time to focus on building relationships and healing people, not just protecting business and buildings.

iChange Justice podcast #28 "Speaking of Case Interception..."

Let's talk with a client and with her mentor, Chene Keltz, one of our Restorative Community Coalition specialists about restorative justice and case management. In this "live" interview, Joy Gilfilen, host of iChange Justice, asks what it takes to humanize an inhumane system? In this case to help a person dig out of the after-affects, side effects and ripple effects that a conviction leaves on your life, on your family's life - forever!

Our client is being challenged to right a wrong that makes no sense. How can she get a driver’s license, when she was given a 99 year driver’s license suspension when she never had a driver's license in the first place; and she did not harm another person or cause an accident? Yet still she is sitting in the crosshairs of complex civic systems that have created a kind of "commercialized prison for life" for her and her family. Sounds preposterous? Its real...

IChange Justice podcast #25-"Understanding Public Sector Corporations"

Host Joy Gilfilen interviews guest Atul Deshmane about "Understanding Public Sector Corporations''. Atul speaks from personal experience in very clear language about how public and private sector corporations are structured and operate.

This opens the conversation where Atul and Joy discuss how this may be different still from how many other non-corporate business people believe they work. And then how this in turn creates a ripple effect and more confusion in civic conversations and politics and when talking about taxes, responsibilities, liabilities, and more.

For example, Whatcom County is a public sector corporation with a strong Executive branch that has three CEO's who control not only the legal and business affairs of the corporation, but also control the execution of the law, and how the management of the communities business affairs work (i.e. public tax monies). This chain of power and command becomes especially important to know when we are talking about the administration of justice, jails, law enforcement, emergency management and disaster services, the civil and criminal legal systems, etc.

Atul is uniquely qualified to speak about executive level biases and interests that often lead to confusion in public discussions for he has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Restorative CommUnity Coalition, serves as a Whatcom County Public Utility District Commissioner, is a Whatcom County Planning Commissioner and has been a private sector businessman in both small and large corporations, including working at Ford Motor Company in planning, testing and design using systems engineering principles.

Joy Gilfilen, mother and taxpayer, talks about her life experiences and learning curve living in Whatcom County since the 70’s and witnessing the changes in local to global law and justice issues up close and personal. Joy, the president of the Restorative CommUnity Coalition then shares how her views created different kinds of beliefs, blinders and blind spots as a student, a businesswoman, a mother and as a civic leader. Each had its related behaviors, trust and trauma points that allowed her to navigate the world of business, taxes, safety and police for 40 years. Joy was unaware of the trouble brewing beneath our habit-forming establishment practices, our economic and social systems.

Then, by discussing it with Debbie David and Chene Keltz (and their experiences of the world over the same time frames) you will hear how she discovered that Whatcom County’s political, professional, and police influences have led to the development of a privateering industry that sits in the underbelly of poverty, homelessness, economic and societal distress that we are dealing with today. To get to the roots of the dysfunctions, Joy did a hands-on study of 79 people who were involved in a crisis incident that led to an arrest; and discovered how this event triggers an unknown and unexpected cascade of investigations, incarcerations, court processes, prosecution, punishment, and a plethora of aftereffects that change families forever. Will you come listen?