August 2009
Initiative Radio with Angela McKenzie

Rinchen Dharlo
President, The Tibet Fund
Since 1959 over 140,000 Tibetans have fled their homeland and endured great hardship to start a new life in exile. The Tibet Fund was founded under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to help improve the lives of these refugees and enable them to maintain their Tibetan way of life and culture. From modest beginnings in 1981, the Tibet Fund has grown to become a primary vehicle for humanitarian assistance for the refugees.

On today's edition of “Initiative Radio,” Angela visits the office of the Tibet Fund to converse with the fund's president Rinchen Dharlo about the life and times of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama; about life in Tibet prior to the invasion of Communist China; the journey of Tibetan refugees across the Himalayan mountains to India; many of the projects spearheaded by The Tibet Fund; and the organization's support of the US based, touring play "The Buddha Prince" which pays homage to the Dalai Lama.

This is part one of a two part broadcast.
http://www.archive.org/details/IR-09-01

Jason Bowman
Director, Fountain Gallery
On today's program Angela visits the progressive Fountain Gallery in Hell's Kitchen, NYC to speak with director Jason Bowman who explains why Fountain is not just a gallery it's a movement. Fountain provides an environment for artists living and working with mental illness to pursue their creative visions and to challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

Among the gallery's success stories is a rather amusing one about cosmetic mogul Estee Lauder, who in the early days of the gallery pulled up in her limousine, entered the gallery, pointed to a number of pieces she fancied for purchase, turned around then made her way back to her limo. That was the beginning of Fountain's relationship with the Estee Lauder company and other corporations.

Amongst today's musical selections are tracks from singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell who is also an accomplished painter and the late Dan Fogelberg whose creative repertoire included singing, songwriting, photography and drawing.
http://www.archive.org/details/IR-08-52

Fran Russo
Curandera
Fran Russo left the corporate world behind in pursuit of spiritual health and a more harmonious state of mind, so with complete trust in her inner compass, she studied the spiritual teachings of Peru's Shamans including the use of the Medicine Wheel to take her mind,body and spirit to a more balanced and enlightened state. She now passes on her knowledge to other seeking souls as a Curandera - meaning a woman who heals at the healing center named Ayllusuyu and she has also documented her experiences in the book "Through the Eyes of the Jaguar... One Woman's Journey."

On today's program guest host Deardra Shuler chats with Fran Russo who shares many of the lessons she learned living in the Amazon Rainforest with the Peruvian people - the most important being the value of community. Fran believes that the untrained observer might regard the Peruvians as living poorly but in her opinion they live simply. Although some people may be blessed with an abundance of material possessions, if they do not understand the value of community they are spiritually poor and if they do not learn to let go and simply let their souls be free, they will not have a chance to experience the beauty of simplicity. The Peruvian music that accompanies today's show is truly a compliment to the "Initiative Radio" motto "Food for the Mind & Music for the Soul."
http://www.archive.org/details/IR-08-51

Annie Day & Carl Dix
Revolutionary Communist Party
Annie Day and Carl Dix are very vocal members of the Revolutionary Communist Party whose beliefs are rooted in Maoist principles. Under the RCP's leader Bob Avakian these party members make strong arguments to illustrate how unlike our current Capitalist system of governance, a Communist system could lead to an egalitarian and just society. Also in this show listeners may be unpleasantly or otherwise surprised to hear Carl Dix, a black American man openly questioning the leadership of Barack Obama. Is Obama genuinely committed to changing our current political and economic system for the benefit of all Americans or is he simply the latest gate keeper of elitism in the form of a black man? This hour is sure to strike many a chord with listeners.
http://www.archive.org/details/IR-08-50

Ori Winokur & Rebel Sun
Coolooloosh (Israel)
No matter which side of the argument you support concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict, or even if you support no side at all, there is certainly one area where most people can usually find common ground and that's music.

Providing such common ground is the band Coolooloosh, which is comprised of five Israeli musicians from Jerusalem and one Jewish, African-American emcee from Baltimore. These band mates have successfully fused multiple musical genres including Jazz, Hip-Hop and traditional Israeli music to create a unique sound that can captivate a global audience.

On today's show, Angela steals Ori Winokur the band's bassist and producer and Rebel Sun the emcee away from sound check before a performance at Joe's Pub in New York City, to learn about the band, the messages of peace and joy in their music and Coolooloosh's role as musical ambassadors for Israel and the world at large.
http://www.archive.org/details/IR-09-49