July 19, 2008

What motivates us to care about those in other lands? What prompts some people to actualize compassion through travel, long-distance adoptions and creative pursuits such as film?

We'll talk with four people about their pursuits in Kenya and Iraq. At 8:00 CST, local women Charmaine Jamieson and Mounu Sharon Riddell join us. We'll learn about Mounu's unfolding relationship with Kennedy, the young college student she now assists in Kenya followed learning how Charmaine Jameison's voluntering to teach English to new Kurdish residents has resulted in her traveling three times to Iraq, recently to India and now to Kenya. Charmaine will talk about her upcoming trip departing Sunday. Her present passion is creating a model home for widows and orphans that could be replicated in countries. Contact Charmaine at cjbthere@aol.com to learn more about her work or arrange a speaking engagement with her.

In our second hour at 9:00 Central we'll learn about Direct Aide Iraq, an NGO founded to assist Iraqi citizens with severe medical needs. We'll talk with Najlaa Al-Nashi DIA coordianator in Jordan and Noah Baker Merrill who's spending the month in Amman with DAI. See www.directaidiraq.org and www.electroniciraq.net for moving stories and more.

Rounding out the show is new Nashville resident, Simone Allmen who shares what fueled her present passion to travel to Kurdistan in Northern Iraq to film a documentary on the people there. Check out her powerful site at http://simoneallmen.blogspot.com/

Prior shows may be listened to or downloaded at www.seedsthestory.com/wakeup

July 26th - Raising Consciousness through the Arts - Sculptor and gallery owner Alan LeQuire, filmaker Michael O'Connell who latest film is on Mountain Top Removal and Qiunn Dukes former Nashvillian now NYC resident whose installation at Nashville'sTwist Gallery explores the tension between human/animal nature and the built environment.