The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope

Airing in celebration of Pendle Hill’s 95th Anniversary Gathering, this special episode marks the conclusion of Season 6 and the final chapter of The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope. Across six seasons, The Seed has brought together Quakers, artists, activists, and seekers to explore visions of a transformed world breaking through the cracks of our broken systems. In this series finale, host Dwight Dunston is joined once again by Francisco Burgos, Executive Director of Pendle Hill, to re...

How do we use art to dismantle colonial narratives and stay grounded in our cultural truth? In this moving episode, host Dwight Dunston is joined by mother-daughter "artivists" Anito Gavino and Malaya Ulan. Together, they explore the intersection of family-centered practice, Filipina identity, and the power of storytelling as a tool for justice and healing. The conversation begins with a quote from environmental activist Vandana Shiva on ecofeminism and our refusal to be divided by race or se...

In this intimate mini-episode of The Seed: Conversations for Radical Hope, the roles are briefly shifted as host Dwight Dunston shares his own Quaker journey with guest John Calvi. From an antsy teenager in a Quaker high school to finding his "spiritual home" as an adult, Dwight reflects on the power of silence, memory, and the "upper room" of communal worship. Dwight recalls the bittersweet grief of his final high school meeting for worship, a moment where he realized the profound value of "...

In this mini-episode, host Dwight Dunston returns to his conversation with Quaker healer John Calvi. They explore the history of John’s seminal song, "The Ones Who Aren't Here," and the weight of carrying love across time and loss. John shares the song's origins, written in his 20s during a time of "personal exile". Reflecting on the "fierce closet" of the early 80s, John notes, "As Pete Seeger said, you build a good building, can be used for a lot of different things over time". For John, th...

What does love look like when it moves beyond sentiment and becomes a force for healing, justice, and transformation? In this Season Six finale of The Seed, we welcome John Calvi, a Quaker healer, certified massage therapist, and longtime advocate for survivors of trauma. John began offering healing touch during the AIDS crisis in 1983 and has since worked with survivors of war, torture, sexual abuse, and incarceration—always centering presence, compassion, and deep listening. He is also the ...