Episode 58: Diane Pendola of the LITUPP Prison Project (CA)

Diane Pendola has been a contemplative presence in county jails and prisons since 1986 when she completed her Masters degree in theology. She was deeply influenced by feminist and liberation theologies, with their emphasis on giving voice to the voiceless and bringing the disenfranchised in from the margins to the very center of authentic spiritual life. She also had the great good fortune of being the student of the pre-eminent inter-cultural philosopher, Raimon Panikkar. Through Panikkar she became grounded in a deep respect for dialogue as an open and engaged listening to the perceived "other" as a path to spiritual growth and conversion, not of the other, but of oneself. Currently, Diane is the Director and Co-founder of Skyline Harvest. Skyline's projects include retreats and workshops at their Eco-contemplative Center, and out-reach through The Lioness Tale Prison Project, called LiT-uPP From the Inside Out. LiT-uPP awakens the inner freedom of women serving long term prison sentences, giving purpose to their lives, and lighting up the prison where they live from the inside out. This spring Skyline is launching The Compassionate Leaders Program, designed to prepare leaders from across the planet to carry the in-prison program into their countries' jails, prisons and juvenile facilities. Diane knows all things are possible through the Love that resides at the center of our expanding universe and at the center of our human hearts. www.econcontemplative.org www.thelionesstale.com [email protected]