Programs for the Week of 3/12

Jean’s Pick of the Week: Afghan Women’s Writing Project: Being a writer myself, I was very moved by the stories that Afghan women tell about their lives, and the risks they take in doing so. Were it not for the efforts of the Afghan Women’s Writing Project, these women would not only be hidden, they would be silenced.

Monday: Ancestral Roots; Ancestral Wisdom: Encountering the Indigenous Traditions of the Americas: This year’s annual interfaith retreat hosted by The Christine Center, a very special place deep in Wisconsin’s Amish country, features two seekers whose Christian faith has been enriched and deepened by their immersion in Native American spirituality.

Tuesday: U.S. State Partnerships and Citizen Diplomacy: Did you know that Wisconsin has a state partnership with Nicaragua that was started by a Wisconsin housewife over fifty years ago? Oklahoma is partnered with Azerbaijan; Hawaii with Indonesia; and Alaska with Mongolia. Wisconsin’s former Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton has been a long-time champion of our state partnerships. She joins us to talk about their role in advancing global cooperation and citizen diplomacy.

Wednesday: 'Crazy Daisy' and the Girl Scouts of the USA: One hundred years ago, Juliette Gordon Low, popularly known as "Crazy Daisy," founded the Girl Scouts, an organization she hoped would build strong, independent young women. To celebrate the organization's centennial, we speak with Stacy Cordery about her new biography of the Girl Scouts' intrepid founder.

Thursday: Islam and Democracy: The Arab Spring surprised many in the West who believed Islam is inherently incompatible with democracy. But the citizens of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya proved them wrong. Reza Aslan joins us once again for this last program in our Inside Islam series.

Friday: Cooking for Nelson Mandela: At 93, Nelson Mandela may be the most famous man in the world, but his tastes are simple. He is happiest with traditional isiXhosa food, which could be the key to his longevity, He loves his umngqusho (samp and beans), umleqwa (farm chicken), ulusu (tripe), amasi (sour milk)--dishes lovingly prepared for him by his chef of 20 years, Xoliswa Ndoyiya. Her new cookbook is a collection of the recipes Madiba (as Mandela is affectionately known across Africa) loves most. She joins us to share her love of cooking, recipes and anecdotes from Madiba’s daily life.

Jean