The fourth conversation featuring James Addington, Mel Hoover, William Gardiner and host Karen Ball. We examine what it truly means to be “fit to survive” in an era defined by climate instability, political division, and social fragmentation.

This discussion frames climate change not simply as an environmental issue, but as the central moral challenge shaping ecological, economic, and cultural realities. When we isolate crises instead of understanding their interconnected roots, we weaken our collective ability to respond.

James reframes “survival of the fittest” into something more urgent and hopeful: being fit to survive. Fitness, in this context, means adaptability, preparedness, and the capacity to build systems grounded in shared responsibility.

The episode explores leadership beyond title or position, leadership grounded in reality orientation, accountability to systems of power, historical imagination, hopeful engagement, and a commitment to viable, inclusive community.

Reparations are discussed not merely as financial compensation, but as an essential strategy for rebuilding the societal fabric and ensuring all communities can participate in shaping a sustainable future.

Grounded in the concept of Tikkun Olam — repairing the world — this conversation challenges listeners to move beyond denial and polarization toward moral clarity, collective resilience, and long-term responsibility for generations yet to come.

Unpacking Inclusion, Control, and Affection: A Clinical Look at the Structures of Power and Systemic Trauma.

How can communities collectively imagine self-determination and liberation from systemic domination? This episode tackles that question by examining the "moral imaginary" required to move past our current social chaos. Mel Hoover sets the stage by citing James Baldwin’s 1963 reality check: “We made the world we’re living in and we have to make it over.” The panel explores how the truth of our lived experience has been covered up by dehumanizing ideologies, undermining our capacity to pursue an equitable future.

To understand this landscape, the guests introduce a clinical framework for evaluating community health through three core principles: Inclusion, Control, and Affection. Dr. Bill Gardiner traces the history of "who is in and who is out" back to the Naturalization Act of 1790, which legally defined citizenship based on whiteness. The panel connects this history to modern-day voter "integrity" efforts and the habitual use of power—and often violence—to suppress successful, interracial movements like the "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa or the Battle of Blair Mountain.

Finally, the group defines Affection as heartfelt, emotional connections that can only blossom once Inclusion is addressed and Control (power) is shared. The conversation concludes with a call for authentic solidarity, encouraging listeners to heal collective trauma by having "skin in the game."

Featuring an Encore of 2025’s Most Popular Episode #174 with Josef Tichy, Mel Hoover, Kurt Krueger, and Host Joy Gilfilen.

We are bringing back this essential conversation for a special encore presentation on February 12th.

Joseph shares reflections on growing up in Prague, while Mel discusses their diverse American roots. They tackle the impact of history, like the fall of communism, on personal freedom and responsibility.

The panel calls for a NEW educational framework that nurtures holistic consciousness. Language and perception are key! They stress the need for innovative vocabulary to define humanity and connect with nature.

America's "melting pot" identity is questioned, urging a reevaluation to embrace multicultural and multigenerational wisdom. Ultimately, they highlight the transformative power of IDEAS and the importance of CONSCIOUS efforts to drive societal change and envision new realities.

Joy Gilfilen, co-host Karen Ball and our panel continue a deep historical reflection following their clinical analysis of the historical structures of law in episode #221, this session shifts the focus to the immediate present. The panel examines the social turmoil and confusion in our streets and headlines today, arguing that these are not isolated incidents of unrest. Instead, they represent the predictable breaking point of a globalized logic of dominance, and the pathologies of historical amnesia, social anesthesia, and collective denial.

In this episode, James Addington, author of Tragic Investment, explains how the artificial fabrication of race continues to sabotage communities and jeopardize our learning to think and feel like ancestors. He invites listeners to grapple with the dynamics of racialization and its connection to power and how that plays out.

Bill describes the colonization process where western European countries sent ships to subdue people living in other geographic locations and imposed their image of government control. This process was brutal and extractive. This historical theme has continued to today and Mel points out that it is time to intentionally change our vision and create a new story for the generations to come.

Join us as we learn to see the world through a lens of restorative justice and uncover the tools necessary to transform our present.

Host Joy Gilfilen brings you an extraordinary, “local-to-global” high-stakes conversation with a dynamic trio of leaders: Mel Hoover, James Addington, and William Gardiner. These three men offer a rare "Bird’s Eye View" from the epicenters of social change, possessing direct, real-world lived experience with intentional change over time. Past cross-generational issues of habits of slavery, structural imprisonment, religious caste, and economic class are 2026 issues for tomorrow’s children.

In this episode, we explore the ripples of the Civil Rights movement specifically as it gained steam and shifted from the Atlantic Seaboard and the deep South toward the West. Our guests reveal the waves of change through time, how they’ve seen the "logic" of these bioregions travel, shaping the civic systems we inhabit in 2026.

The "Practical Historian" Framework

James Addington challenges us to move beyond academic history and become ‘Practical Historians’. This means developing the comfort to look at the "complexity and ambiguity" of our past so we can understand exactly how we got here. As James notes, citing theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and academic Olufemi Taiwo, we must learn to “think and feel like ancestors” to ensure the options we deliver to future generations are rooted in shared humanity.

Inside this Episode:

The Invention of "Race" for Power: James Addington explains why "race" is an artificial fabrication—a system of classification created solely to determine social value, access, and participation.

From Indentured to Enslaved: Mel Hoover breaks down the turning point in American law where white and black indentured servants began to organize together. To break that power, the wealthy elite created a new category: lifelong chattel slavery, intentionally stripping humanity from African-heritage people to protect property and wealth.

The Global Blueprint: Discover the sobering truth that the American ‘Indian reservation’ system and legal segregation served as the functional engineers for South African Apartheid and were even admired by the Nazi regime.

The "Asterisk" of Whiteness: Bill Gardiner and James Addington discuss growing up in "American Apartheid" and the "asterisk" of whiteness—how many white families have forgotten their own immigrant histories of discrimination (Irish, Polish, Italian) and their own complex heritages (including Choctaw and enslaved ancestors).

Bioregional Logic: We parse the differences between the political and religious structures of the East and South, and how those cultural "logics" of dominance were exported across the nation.

Mel Hoover, James Addington, and Bill Gardiner demonstrate how becoming practical historians reveals and can promote productive community changes. We cannot remove the "foot on the neck" of the present until we understand the biased structure of the law that placed it there.

Join us for this "Major League" conversation on rehumanizing the human race.

Special Premier for MLK Day...

Offering Lived Experience of the Civil Rights Movement and Wisdom needed for 2026. Hosts Joy Gilfilen and Karen Ball are joined by Civil Rights Activist Mel Hoover, a pillar of wisdom whose life experience bridges the worlds where Martin Luther King Jr. and his family walked and lived. We are profoundly enriched by this elder sharing his lived experience of the civil rights movement and his personal knowledge of his namesake, Dr. Melvin Watson, who was a close friend and mentor to the King family.

A trailblazer in ministry, education, and social justice, Mel opens the windows to bring in fresh air for a frank, grassroots understanding of what “I have a dream!” meant to “we the people.” This episode—the first of several—brings forward a powerhouse of lived experience from a challenging period of history to help us navigate our current times.

Inside this Episode:

• Predicting the Past: Mel explains why we must honestly examine our history to change our present. If we don’t understand how the "foot on the neck" functioned in the past, we cannot remove it in the future.

• The Messenger vs. The Movement: A deep dive into how Dr. King was the voice, but the community—especially the power of Black women—was the engine.

• Geographical Perspectives: Comparing the marches in Texas to the border-community perspectives of Whatcom County, Washington, to see how location shapes our understanding of race and restorative work.

• Logic to Legacy: We explore shifting from transactional, hierarchical systems to a Living Restorative Legacy based on shared humanity and the "eyes of love."

Mel Hoover demonstrates how focusing on local needs promotes positive community changes. Join us for this "Major League" conversation on rehumanizing the human race.

Available NOW on all streaming platforms. 🎧Broadcasting Thursday, Jan 22nd at Noon on KOYS-LPFM 94.1. 📻🕛

Welcome to the Season 5 Premiere of iChange Justice! In this landmark episode, hosts Joy Gilfilen and Karen Ball celebrate an incredible milestone with our dear friend and international collaborator, James White. James is a member of Community Living British Columbia, serves on the Board of the Restorative Community Coalition, and founded the ESATTA Cooperative (Empowering Self Advocates To Take Action) over 40 years ago. Trailblazing anew, it’s achieved a distinctive level of civic leadership!

Focusing on 2026, James identifies this as the Year of the Fire Horse—his own Chinese astrological sign—signaling a time of high energy, passion, and rapid advancement. A globally recognized mentor in the international learning community for person-centered practices, James is guiding us to use this "on fire" energy to move away from cold, transactional bureaucracy and back to the heart of Human Connection.

Inside this Premiere, he introduces tools and demonstrates action:

The "Who Am I?" One-Page Profile: James details how ESATTA uses this tool to help people move past labels and "ableism." It’s a blueprint for building symbiotic, life-giving friendships and professional support systems based on who we actually are, rather than institutional "pigeonholes."

The Mission, B.C. Success Story: We dive into the "Reimagining Community: Welcome Home" project. Using the power of World Cafés, James shows how he helped bridge the gap between city councils, 27 diverse tribes, and everyday citizens in British Columbia to create a roadmap for true civic inclusion.

Breaking Down Barriers: Following the theme of "Nothing About Us Without Us," we discuss how to challenge systemic barriers and return control to the individuals most impacted by the justice and care systems.

Moving from Logic to Legacy: This episode sets the stage for a series of five intensive trainings James will be leading in 2026. We are moving from the “logic” of the system (the data, the labels, and the rules) to a “living restorative legacy”—utilizing the powerful "Fire Horse" energy of the year to create a world where everyone is treated with compassion, respect, and dignity.

In this Season 5 Premiere, Whatcom's own Joy Gilfilen and community justice educator and activist Karen Ball (currently located in Texas). engage in a high-level dialogue with Kathryn Alexander, MA, founder of Bridge to Partnership. An early student of the Fifth Discipline and systems thinking, Kathryn brings decades of research into how "tacit values" shape our leadership and our culture.

The conversation explores the imbalance of Western culture and Kathryn’s shift to nature as the ultimate expert. She introduces the Resilient Values Set™ and her Birds of a Feather™ model—tools designed to move us out of the "Protective" value systems that fuel social and environmental fighting. We dive deep into the Biotic Pump and her work with SoilSmart-SoilWise, revealing how a scientific understanding of the Earth’s self-cooling systems provides a blueprint for human community health. This is a vital look at how we move from the noise of systemic crisis to a legacy of restorative action.