Citizen Reporter: Recent Episodes
Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
- Mark Fonseca Rendeiro(Haarlem, The Netherlands)
- Matthew Dons(Tokyo, Japan)
Today on the program we bid farewell to a wonderful human and a dear friend – Matthew Dons. No words could do justice to the caliber of person Matthew was. Over the decades we have had so many conversations but undeniably the topic that was never far from our minds was his battle with cancer. His kindness, curiously, and dedication to his family and friends was.. well.. if you know then you know. As a dedicated podcast listener and voice, Im thankful to him for always making time and therefore with today’s show, I present to you our last conversation. It has been my honor to be able to call him a friend and therefore a bittersweet moment to be able to share this conversation with you… just as Matthew would have wanted it.
Make Cancer History
- Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
- Stephen R. Shalom
This is what AI thinks this episode was about:In this episode of Citizen Reporter, host Bicycle Mark engages in a substantial dialogue with Steve Shalom, an emeritus professor known for his deep understanding of moral philosophy, particularly as it pertains to war. As they convene in January 2025, the conversation revolves around the concept of “just wars” and how society defines what constitutes a just versus an unjust conflict. Mark establishes the context by reflecting on the changing landscape of global conflicts and the need to discern moral justifications for wars.
Shalom opens the discussion by providing an overview of just war theory, highlighting the rarity of truly just wars throughout history. He explains the foundational criteria for determining the justice of a war, acknowledging that such determinations hinge on both legal and moral assessments. The dialogue probes the complex relationship between law and morality, drawing parallels to personal moral dilemma.
The conversation then deepens into three general moral approaches to war: realism, pacifism, and just war theory. The realist perspective advocates for doing whatever it takes to win a war, dismissing the notion of moral constraints as unrealistic. In contrast, pacifism rejects war under any circumstances, arguing that it is inherently immoral. Steve identifies just war theory as a middle ground, suggesting that while many wars may be unjust, certain criteria can render a war just based on context. This nuanced view leads to a comprehensive examination of historical and modern conflicts, including the significance of international laws established by entities such as the United Nations, which aim to regulate warfare and promote peace.
Mark and Steve navigate through the evolution of international norms concerning war, noting that while the UN charter ostensibly outlaws aggression, nations frequently disregard these laws. They discuss key historical instances, such as the 1990 Gulf War, where collective self-defense was invoked, and the discrepancies in enforcement regarding international law. They also reflect on the ineffectiveness of the UN Security Council due to veto powers, which complicates any potential interventions.
The notion of competing narratives in any conflict is also addressed. Steve articulates the challenges of discerning the legitimacy of claims to self-defense, especially in contemporary contexts like the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They underline that while public opinion may sway narratives, it is ultimately the collective decision-making processes within international bodies that shape the application of just war theory.
As the discussion progresses, Mark draws parallels between historical wars, notably World War II, often cited as a model of just war. They deliberate on the complexities surrounding the justifications of U.S. actions in later conflicts such as Vietnam and Iraq, articulating the moral debates that arise from actions taken under the guise of self-defense or humanitarian intervention. This further leads to an exploration of how the standards of just war have shifted over time, particularly with the increased scrutiny of civilian casualties and ethics in warfare.
The episode concludes with a poignant discussion regarding the psychological impacts of violence and trauma on societies involved in conflict. Steve underscores the cyclical nature of violence and how immediate reactions to trauma can cloud moral judgments, making a case for the long-term consequences of military actions that often go unaddressed in political discourse. Mark reflects on historical media reactions following September 11, 2001, demonstrating how public sentiment can lead to the justification of extreme measures.
Together, Mark and Steve encourage a deeper exploration of just war theory and its relevance in current geopolitical dynamics, advocating for thoughtful consideration of the moral implications of warfare in our increasingly complicated world. They express a commitment to continue these critical conversations as global conflicts evolve, highlighting the importance of dialogue in understanding the ethics of war. (End of AI statatement)
You can also just listen for yourself to figure out if the above summary is accurate.
- Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
In this episode, I take you through my mail-in ballot. As people cast their ballots today, I delve into the mechanics of my mail-in ballot, which combines the alleged responsibilities of citizenship with my inconsistent knowledge on who is who on this ballot im filling out. We even look at some ballot initiatives worth big moneys; fun fun fun!
According to AI:
The episode serves not just as an exploration of my ballot but as a commentary on broader themes of political engagement and the tension that comes with it. I articulate my internal conflict surrounding voting while living abroad—considering whether my time away distances me from the true needs of my community. Yet, despite these uncertainties, I affirm that voting is still a reflection of my perspective on the world, even if it’s shaped by years of living outside the U.S.
- Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
As the American election draws ever closer, Mark ponders how AI could maybe help run any not for profit independent podcast. He also dives into the familiar struggle with publishing quickly and fighting the big companies vs joining them in an effort to just keep your content online and reach people. Later some chit-chat about how he used to accidentally nullify all his ballots in Dutch elections only to discover after 10+ years his votes never counted. This leads to some jabs at the “you must vote” moral policing that kind hearted Americans do to one another. Mark assures you, dear listener, that you if you choose not to vote, he will not shun you. Also if you unknowingly spoil your ballot, no judgement here. This and some other topics on this episode… tune in!
- Mark Fonseca Rendeiro(In Haarlem, The Netherlands)
- Matthew Dons(In Tokyo, Japan)
In this episode, the podcast delves into a profound exploration of memory, media, and the intricate tapestry of social issues through the lens of Matthew’s journey with cancer and the evolution of a community-focused initiative in Japan. Mark reflects on an ongoing nostalgic radio trip down memory lane, to a time before the seismic events of September 11, 2001. He highlights the sense of carefree normalcy during that period, contrasting it with the profound reality that would soon envelop the world post-9/11. Mark emphasizes the human tendency to cling to humor in the face of adversity, captivated by the juxtaposition of laughter and impending tragedy.
The discussion then shifts to Matthew’s ongoing battle with cancer, which has led him to become a proponent for awareness and education through the newly formed nonprofit, Make Cancer History Japan. His experiences navigating the intricate pathways of treatment and survival serve not only as a personal narrative but also as a call to action for those facing similar challenges. The impact of immunotherapy on Matthew’s life has been profound, inspiring continuous research and outreach to elevate conversations around targeted cancer therapies.
The podcast also highlights recent achievements in establishing a nonprofit organization, which has sparked a surge of activities aimed at supporting cancer patients. Matthew elaborates on the significance of collaborating with fellow nonprofits to create a network for distributing vital information, providing resources, and fostering a community where patient voices are amplified. The development of educational materials designed for both patients and healthcare professionals reflects the organization’s commitment to bridging the gap in cancer care.
As the conversation progresses, the hosts explore the unexpected connections between chemotherapy and its long-term effects, including heart health challenges faced by cancer patients. This underscores the need for holistic education and communication. The dual guide being developed for patients and oncologists epitomizes the commitment to enhancing understanding and fostering proactive healthcare strategies.
Throughout the episode, the theme of interconnectedness permeates the discussion—whether through shared experiences within the cancer community, societal responses to trauma, or the educational disparities in healthcare. By sharing his story and the organizational efforts of Make Cancer History Japan, Matthew seeks to cultivate a robust dialogue that acknowledges the multifaceted nature of health, healing, and the collective experiences of those navigating the complexities of cancer.
The episode concludes with a discussion of aspirations to establish a physical space that will function as a research hub focused on terminal cancer care. The hosts emphasize the importance of addressing not only the biological facets of cancer but also the psychosocial dimensions of patient care. As the journey continues, future episodes will further explore the intersections of art, culture, and health, as well as shared histories and evolving narratives. The episode wraps up with a nod to the connection between these themes and John Hughes films.
Summary written by some AI tool so… its probably not accurate!
- Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
Im in the kitchen preparing a meal for the family with just enough time to describe a little radio activity I’ve been working on. It involves listening back to talk radio programs from the end of the summer of 2001 and the leadup to 9/11. Hearing how people spoke and thought back then which is, of course, extremely familiar as I was there and these programs are from my home region. All this through the lens of what we are living through in 2024 and the ways we think and function now. Some people may not want to go back, I find it fascinating to do so.
- Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
Instead of the interview style podcasts this program has been about for almost 2 decades, today we’re back to the other great tradition of old school personal publishing — the monologue.
- Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
- Janelle Ward
Janelle Ward and I were once eager grad students at the University of Amsterdam where we dove head first into the world of personal publishing before most of the world had any idea what this was or why it would matter.
20+ years later, we are communications professionals, somehow still sitting in the Netherlands, watching events unfold online and offline.
The past few months, with the growing unrest and major changes taking place at social media companies, we wonder if this is a major moment that will define the next era of personal publishing and existing online? Today we chat about what it might all mean and what we remember about how we got here.
- Mark Fonseca Rendeiro(In Haarlem, NL)
- Matthew Dons(In Tokyo, JP)
Matthew Dons is back! And after having been diagnosed with terminal cancer over 6 years ago; that’s saying something!
Today on the program we continue to follow his story of life, not after cancer, but with cancer. Including the launch of his new online course to help combat the misinformation that has found its way into every corner of the internet. “Making Cancer History” is the course he is teaching and people around the world are taking notice!
For Trui Hanoulle it started as an interest in going places and learning about people. Over the past two decades what followed became a life’s work; to gather stories about women who dare to move even in the face of prejudice, stereotypes, and other elements of gender barriers.
Today on the podcast Trui joins me to talk about her mission and what she has seen and learned from the back of a motorcycle across continents and within cultures that many of us do not often hear from. She has also been kind enough to share photos of her project “Move She Does” which you can see here or in your podcast app as the episode plays.
Today on the podcast we are joined by the Ukraine director of the War Childhood Museum, to hear about the work they do and how it is being impacted by the ongoing invasion.
I’d like to also inform you that if you appreciate the unique and impactful work they are doing, they could really use your help. Please go to warchildhood.org to find out how to make a monetary donation.
In a time of so much frustration, confusion and despair - a podcast is always appropriate. Especially when you couple that with the backdrop that this month I also became a father! So much joy on the one hand, so much struggle on the other, and then you have the incredibly unjust world taking another horrible turn. This monologue is the story of the rollercoaster month it has been and the mounting questions that obviously I am not equipped to answer but that doesn’t stop me from trying.
Legendary blogger, writer, crtical thinker and my friend of many years — Elmine Wijnia joins me to talk about the big life changes, be in location, the insane buying of a new home, the having of a kid, and all that stuff that sometimes happens in this life. Listen in and join us as we reflect on the how and why of choices made and journeys taken.
Once a year I have the great pleasure of spending a few days in Boston with my dear friend and audio legend Christopher Lydon. We listen to Duke Ellington, pour over audio for his next program, and find time to turn on the microphone and have our “state of the world” conversation. Having missed our standing appointment during the pandemic, this year I managed to cautiously get back to Boston, back to my happy place; sitting across from Chris and discussing life.
Today on the podcast, it’s the State of the World in 2021, starring the one and only Christopher Lydon.
Tara Brown and Sean Bonner are some of the most creative and curious people I’ve ever known. Among the many things they are fascinated by, there are NFT’s; which coincidentally have also become something of a curiousity over the past years.
Today on the podcast, to better understand NFT’s and what is possible and where the conversations around them have gone and could yet go, Tara and Sean are my guests. Have a listen!
Kaustuv Pokhrel's path as an activist and advocate for young people has taken many interesting and unexpected turns. As the most recent lockdown in Nepal grew ever longer, we decided it was a good time to sit down and record these stories of his work as both a radio host and an organizer around youth, identity and self-expression. Listen in and enjoy!
Matthew Dons was told five years ago that he had less than one year to live. 5 years later, he is still living with terminal cancer. The struggle has not gotten easier yet at the same time Matthew has gained a wealth of knowledge about health care costs, cancer treatment options, humanity and I would argue… life itself. Today on the program, recorded some weeks before his major surgery he is struggling to recover from currently, we talk about these past 5 years, and we also discuss the recent loss of the great Dan Kaminsky. In between there is podcasting, media, information, friendships and well.. the stuff life is made of. Listen in and enjoy.
Picture it: You meet someone new who introduces themselves to you. You proceed to start a conversation, but this person's voice sounds exactly like that of a childhood friend. In that moment, although you're supposed to be listening to the conversation, you're also thinking back to those days and that person. You're there but you're somewhere else. Budhaditya Chattopadhyay is very interested in the "somewhere else" that sound can take us to. As an artist, researcher, writer and theorist, Budhaditya's work revolves around lived experiences as well as contemplation through listening. In today's podcast I get to ask him about his life, work, and the kinds of sounds that most fascinate him, particularly during a pandemic when people are moving less and perhaps noticing one another more. Along the way we do something I love to do… remember music and films.
Legendary podcaster and esteemed political commentator Madge Weinstein returns to the program to update the gentle audience on what life is like when there are vaccines for covid but people somehow still manage to make each other sick.
Beyond the loss, the distance, and the isolation brought on by the global pandemic, Bilal Ghalib has found creative and effective ways to keep learning; about himself, his loved ones, and humans in general. He also has never stopped experimenting with ways of connecting with people or tapping into his own talents and fears. Today on the podcast, we spend the hour speaking with Bilal about his reflections over the past year, what he has figured out and what he struggles with. We tackle history and the parts of our past that are difficult to talk about or make sense of. We speak of family and the complication of distance when being the outsider /foreigner becomes a way of life. We also manage to discuss what gaming means to us, so far, with limited experience.
Bilal is a very special person who has appeared on this podcast numerous times over these past two decades, and Im very thankfully to have had this time together and to be able to share it with you the listeners.
When the global pandemic broke out, Davey Brightbill was struggling to make it home to his cooperative community in Florida. In the months that followed he faced a personal health scare and the more well known shortages of PPE among first responders in his region and across the country. Now over a year into the pandemic, he is part of a network of maker spaces that rose to the occasion - providing that much needed equipment. He has also navigated, like so many senior citizens, the new world of vaccines and testing.
Back in the winter of 2016, Madhavan Pillai welcomed me with open arms and warm conversations in the mountainous tranquility of Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India. He was new to the city and we talked about the kinds of projects in art and photography that he hoped to make a reality for the community. 4 years later, Maddy’s creativity and commitment is as contageous as ever. Today on the podcast, Madhavan Pillai speaks about his experiences over these past years, and his current project called “People of India”, a project that brings together artists from around the nation, as part of the ongoing effort to decolonize photography in India. Listen and enjoy!
When you’re conerned about the state of the legislative and executive branch following a horrendous attack on congress - call Vin from Jersey, he’ll straighten us all out.
In the spirit of celebrating the holidays and spending time, virtually, with your loved ones, this holiday edition of CTRP features an interview with my nephew: Alexander Rendeiro. Since we can't be together in person, he joins me from New Jersey to discuss what his year has been like as a high school student and an avid connaisseur of music, gaming, and all things internet. But not cereal. Don't ever ask him about cereal.
Michael Schaap is a documentary maker, a voice over artist, and an arm-chair historian who I have had the pleasure of knowing for almost two decades. For the past four years he has been watching in frustration and sadness as the US and the rest of the world, walk down a dangerous path not unlike what we've seen before. Today on the podcast, an end of the year, Hanakkuh-Christmas-Kwanzaa-Festivus special looking at the glboal impact of the election in the US. And like every good holiday film, if you listen close you'll hear an inspiring message… as well as Michael's cat chewing on cables and documents. Listen and enjoy!
Over the past 4 years documentary film maker Shafiur Rahman has been regularly back and forth from his home in the UK to the Rohingya Refugee camps in Bangladesh. Until the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Now 10 months into this global crisis on top of an already nightmarish situation for millions of Rohingya people, Shafiur has used these months to find new and creative ways of raising awareness and helping improve life for refugees living in the camps. Today on the podcast, we talk about the situation in 2020 for the Rohingya and how Shafiur has approached the issue in these trying times.
John Aravosis has been fighting for a better country and a better world for over 30 years. As a journalist and a commentator, despite all his experience, he says there has never been anything as confounding and threatening as the current president of the United States. Scary times in America. Yet somewhere in the madness, John also talks about where he finds hope, possibility, and humor. Today on the podcast we hear about what he's seeing in Washington DC, and talk about the state of the media and his personal experience from legendary blogger to a rising force in the podcast world. Listen and enjoy!
South Africa is not a place where keeping a distance from one another matches the traditions of how communities have survived and thrived for generations. But since March of this year, the nation has lived with restrictions, lockdowns, closures and limits of social activities familiar to many people around the world. Meanwhile, the ongoing struggle with gender based violence rages on, though it is not clear if this is a new chapter with real change on the horizon or just a continuation of injustice as usual.
The longest running mashup podcast in the world started in London under the name Radio Clash where to this day Tim sits behind the mic. A member of the original podcasters generation, he has seen trends emerge and disappear, crises, change, the good the bad… the odd.. all of it. And then came Covid19.
Today on the podcast, from Lockdown London, it's Tim from Radio Clash to talk music, politics, culture, gentrification, London, BLM, and more.
Cornelius Kibelka somehow got on the last flight from Europe to Brazil before they closed the border earlier this year. Upon arrival he was greeted by a São Paulo under lockdown, and a nation deeply divided about how to deal with a virus along political lines. Today on the podcast he tells us what he is seeing, feeling and hearing in the most populous city in Brazil and what it all might mean for the weeks and months to come.
Before there was youtube, twitter, or any other major platform for sharing video content, Ruud Elmendorp was producing content from the continent of Africa for the internet. His focus, then and now: everyday life. With the onset of the global pandemic, Ruud is where he has been for the past two decades, trying to report on daily life from a region that doesn't get the global headlines that North America and Europe do. Today on the podcast, Ruud Elmendorp joins us from Tanzania, to talk about life as a journalist in East Africa during corona times.
Mexico City is big, heavily populated, exciting, dangerous, and poluted thanks in part to all of the above. Along came a pandemic. Today on the podcast Lorena de la Parra takes us through her daily life and what she sees happening in CDMX, from the price of masks to the phenomenon that is López-Gatel. Listen and enjoy.
Tony Pierce talks to people for a living. They tell him about how life is these days, what jobs they do, what challenges they face, and probably much more. As a longtime resident of LA and blogger extraordinaire, who better to hear from during a pandemic to learn how life is for Angelinos. Today on the podcast, we spend the hour with the great Tony Pierce!
During this time of Corona around the world, there are some stories you hear over and over; political manuvering, some scientific explanations, the occasional story about a medical worker in a well known metropolitan area. Then there are the stories you will rarely hear: about cities with less than 1 million people, about professions like librarians - who play an essential role in daily American society during non pandemic times. Today on the podcast we hear from my good friend Leanne Kubicz in Kansas City, Missouri; about her work as a librarian and what happens to her city and members of her community when a pandemic comes to town.
Fiona Krakenbürger knows her home town of Berlin under normal circumstances and now knows it during Covid19 times. Whats the difference? Today on the podcast we get into Berlin over the past weeks as well as uncovering what has been going on in DC over the past months (for her). Along the way we talk about Planet Money, sourdough, serious concerns for at-risk groups, hackerspaces, ultimate frisbee, and home office politics. Very pleased to have this podcast with Fiona to share with all of you. Have a listen!
If you told me while I was visiting Mumbai some years ago, that in 2020 a city of 20 million people would have deserted streets and closed restaurants, I would have argued that such a thing is simply not possible. Yet here we are. Mumbai, like the rest of India, is self-isolating and battening down the hatches for what is sure to be a very difficult battle with Covid-19.
The award winning writer and journalist Dilip D'Souza is experiencing this hard-to-believe reality first hand from his living room, and he joins us today to talk about life, math, and other possibly virus inspired things to consider about humanity.
If you want to talk about decolonizing museums and other knowledge institutions in this world then you need to speak with those who preserve, produce, and pass on culture. In the fascinating and complex case of the Maasai and their engagement with museums in the UK, it is women who play an essential role in knowing about what an artifact is, how it is made, and why it is important. Despite this fact, in this growing global conversation, the voices we more often hear are male.
Jay Dedman joins me on the podcast today from his home in Western Virginia, where land is plentiful and incomes are on average a bit lower than in the big city. What is happening in rural America during this global emegency, what does he see and what can we decipher when comparing countries, cities, counties, leaders, culture… any and all of it. Also zombies.
As someone living with terminal cancer, Matthew Dons is not one who would panic in the face of a global pandemic. From his home in Tokyo he joins us on the podcast today to talk about what is happening in Japan, but also what it is like to be a person with a compromised immune system in the midst of the international corona virus crisis. Listen and enjoy and then go support his Health Fund to help him continue to live.
Almost three years ago Samwel Nangiria paid a visit the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. While there he was presented with objects gathered from his culture around 100 years ago. To his shock the collection included items that would normally never have made it into a museum or out of the hands of specific members of the Maasai community. He would eventually express his feelings to the museum, and what follows has become a fascinating and at times emotional engagement to de-colonize museums and empower the Maasai to tell their own story of who they are as a living culture today.
Today on the podcast we explain the process from the unlikely way it began to the interesting ways it has evolved. With help from Nick Lunch - Director of Insight Share, Dr/ Laura from Broekhoven - director of the Pitt Rivers Museum, and Samwel Nangiria of the Pan-African Living Cultures Alliance.
Still retracing my audio steps from the recent United States visit, this time on the Garden State Parkway, looking out at all the cars and development and whathaveyou. Listen in as I simultaneously dodge dead deer while giving a socio-political analysis on the state of the states.
The Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania have a long tradition of living in harmony with nature. However, for the past century they have also seen their land and way of life targetted by encroaching intiatives related to nation-building, development, tourism, mining, etc. As a new decade begins the Maasai are once again being pushed off their lands and told their way of life must end in the name of "progress" or "development". Today on the podcast, we hear from three members of that community who explain their way of life and the reality they face on the ground today. It's the story of the Maasai and their struggle to survive.
Somehow the end of a year (and a decade this time) doesn't feel right if I don't find myself at the dinner table in Boston sitting across from Christopher Lydon. The voice of the world's first podcast, he's been my north star ever since I started this thing long before itunes had podcasts or NPR knew what to do with the internet. As luck- or perhaps fate- would have it, Chris and I have become close friends over the years and the annual "where are we, what happened, where are we going" podcast conversation are among my most favorite rituals. (right after oatmeal, working on an episode of ROS with Mary and the team, and a historical walk around a neighborhood of Boston). This year we can't help but talk about the socio-policial state of the world, as well as the environmental crisis we continue to march towards. Then there's music, books, conversations that have been important to us which may shed some light on why all this is happening and what there is to appreciate or condemn when all is said and done. Lastly, as good friends surely will, we take time to appreciate one another, as we both arrive at landmark decades when it comes to age and wisdom. Listen in and stay for the whole ride for what is an honest and heartfelt conversation… to end one year and welcome in another.
Identity. Land. Displacement. Trauma. History. Struggle. Fear. Anger. Future. Environment. Income. Danger. Knowledge. Loss. Curiousity. Safety.
These are a few of the words that came to mind listening back to this very special round table discussion recorded in South Africa with 3 South African friends. The major topic was identity in this age of information. From the city to the rural areas. From the past to the present and beyond, we discuss what is happening for many people around the topic of identity. This was a spontaneous, beautiful conversation recorded a few weeks ago at the V4C gathering in Boschendaal. Furthermore, as our dear guests ask at the end of the program, it would really mean something to hear back from you about what you think, feel and experience around these issues.
There is a force referred to as development that has arrived in Northern Kenya. It brings highways, wind farms, pipelines, cables, standardized education, and new towns where the government wants people to live and work. What it also brings is pollution, inequality, disappearing cultures and languages, an end to nomadic lifestyles that have existed for hundreds of years. While all this is happening, extreme weather has also arrived, taking people who have long known how to live in balance with the environment and thrusting them into the uncertainty and destruction climate change leaves in its wake.
This month I had the great honor of being present at the Video 4 Change gathering in South Africa. This meeting brought together indigenous activists from different parts of the continent, as well as allies and friends from the rest of the world. The topic: the struggle for indigenous rights in a globalized world where in the name of profit and development, people who have long lived in harmony with their environment are being forced to discard their identity and physically pulled from their ancestral land. How is this happening in an era of sustainable development goals and human rights? What can be done to help communities defend themselves and be heard on a national and international scale?
My esteemed colleague and media icon Madge Weinstein returns to the podcast today to dissect the podcast hype. As one of the first podcasts ever to exist in the history of the world, you will rarely hear from a visionary with the extensive experience and self-loathing that Madge brings. We also discuss impeachment, social media narcissism, and eventually things that we actually like. So amazing. Weew. It’s Madge!
Joana Ponder has an approach to life that I greatly admire. She’s also a fun person to speak with. For these reasons and more I invited her to the kitchen table for a conversation about what she’s busy with when it comes to how we see ourselves and approach life through good times and bad.
For decades Wim Kruiswijk has lived on the Dutch coast walking the beach before people arrive and after they have left. His treasure: messages in bottles. Over the years he has collected thousands, and turned beach combing into meaninful friendships. He’s also become extremely knowledgeable about why people write messages and bottles, as well as what else is happenning to the environment along the coast. Today on the podcast, in assocation with the For Keeps podcast, we pay a visit to Wim Kruiswijk to learn about his incredible experiences with messages in bottles.
A podcast episode recorded from eastern Rwanda on a fine March evening in 2019. Special thanks to my Mikme recorder and the good people at Mikme for their creation and support.
Somewhere in the year 2005, as podcast slowly sprang up around the world, I began listening to and communicating with the great David Brightbill. Over the years we have kept in touch, followed each others projects, and above all kept our love of audio, creativity, and community. Also riding bikes, we both like that. Listen as David and I sit at my kitchen table for our first recording since 2007 and examine just what is going on in this online audio space of ours, as well as many things in the offline space too.
On our first ever podcast from Kenya, I bring you along as we walk the calm roads of Karen, while observing nature and society along the way. It's a brief Nairobi adventure... come along!
Phone booth being used as a toilet? Bicycles being thrown into rivers? Vending machines being driven into by cars? Today on the podcast, the great Matthew Dons riffs on the many things that just could not happen in Japan. Yet, actually happen in this world. Get those ears ready for a treat!
In the eyes of Matthew Dons, whomever you are in this world, if you could make it over to Japan, you absolutely should be here. Why? Because Japan.Today on the podcast, we take a long walk past the houses and trains, the fields and shrines, while looking at how things work here compared to anywhere else. There is learning but there is also a lot of laughing, mostly my own. Listen and enjoy.Reminder also, Matthew is fighting to live longer, in a relentless battle against cancer; you can help his family afford this struggle by going to http://matthewdons.org and join the almost 900 people that have already donated.
High above the Kofu and within view of the all mighty Mt. Fuji, my friend Mieko joins me to tell the story of her family and this magical place they created. What starts as a conversation about a natural spring, quickly becomes the story of a family that believes very strongly in giving to those who are in need. As day turns to night and the sun goes behind the mountain, Mieko also reflects on her happy years living in the Netherlands and how she see's her home country of Japan changing. (special thanks to Mieko and her family for one of the greatest weekends of my life)
One of the most interesting and innovative global projects based in Tokyo is Safecast and who better to explain it than one of the most interesting and innovative people I know: Sean Bonner! I visited him at Safecast HQ in Tokyo and he explained not only what the project is, but also how it impacted his life as a new resident of Japan.
It's another wonderful Japan visit! This time we start with crickets in the Tokyo suburbs and then move on to the top of the 5th inning, standing upper deck on a friday night, at an exciting Swallows (Tokyo)- Baystars (Yokohama) baseball game. People are getting really drunk all around me and boy oh boy do they love Lopez.
We begin today with my ode to Berlin and what remains a city with real heart despite all the speculators and grifters doing their best to co-opt that beautiful soul. Then its over to a modern classic that I finally read/listened to: Tuesdays with Morrie. There is something so profound and very relevant to our current status as people on this planet, Morrie's words are still well worth hearing. And even more fun we can hear them in his own voice. This leads to an examination of the power of the mind to create so much in our lives. And lastly I will be returning to Japan in less than 2 weeks, hear all about it on this podcast. ---
From somewhere in Portugal to somewhere in Uganda. Today's podcast takes a few turns and comes with a bold declaration to take it back to the old school. Weekly podcasts are back? Can it be? Listen to all if it and subscribe in your podcast app. CTRP is in there somewhere.
Dynamic journalist and inspiring global citizen Catarina Gomes joins me at the kitchen table on the 1 year anniversary of the deadly wildfires in Portugal. What is going on today? What lessons have we learned? What is the road forward? Much to figure out and to do in the years to come. And you can hear all about it on today's episode.
A few months ago Mike Spine and Barbara Luna played a show in Amsterdam that I was fortunate enough to attend. As a bonus, Mike came over for a kitchen table conversation. In this conversation we look at his own path as both an educator and a musician and what he has learned along the way.
There are only a hand full of places in the world that come close to Essouira when it comes music and art. For hundreds of years this place has been a crossroads for trade, culture, and a self-expression. In 2018, from traditional music to spontanous improvised sound, that tradition continues.Today on the podcast we're recording in Essouira, Morocco, with the great Imad telling the story of music and why this place was, is, and will remain so vital to anyone who loves art and the beauty of spontaeous collaboration.
Chris Lydon is a journalist, radio host, and observer of human behavior. He also has a deep love for jazz, books, and a good bowl of oatmeal. Chris and I became friends some ten years ago because of his legendary radio show and podcast, Radio Open Source. The first podcaster in the history of the medium, a former reporter for the NY Times, Chris cares a great deal about where we've been, as citizens of planet earth, and where we are going.Over the years it has become a tradition that I come spend some days in Boston, talking with him and participating in his daily life. A tradition that has had a massive impact on my life, a pilgrimage that I dare not miss. At Chris's kitchen table, eating oatmeal, talking about the world... thats where I love to be. So what better way to start a 2018 of restoration and rebirth.... it's Chris Lydon and myself.. looking back at 2017 and finding clues about 2018.
tthew Dons and I sit high above one of the busiest sections of Tokyo to discuss what it is that sets Japan apart from the rest of the world and why it is noteworthy and inspiring. We get into economics, demography, aging, work, family, healthcare and so much more.Support Matthew's campaign to fund his cancer treatment Matthewdons.org
The South of Mumbai podcast series rambled into the busy and bustling city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, where we were immediately emersed in the topic of mobility. On one particular afternoon we went to visit Manikandan at his office where he told us about the history of Coimbatore, the impact of growth and the strong tradition of manufacturing. The centerpiece of our conversation, a project close to his heart - the Spero E-Bike. Listen in as we talk history, mobility, awareness, sustainability, industrial hemp and yes.. bicycles!
What do you get when you combine a group a friends who studied engineering, a passion for bicycles, and a city known for manufacturing? My answer: a sweet bike, a unique approach to working, and a really good time. Today on the podcast, as part of the South of Mumbai series on the road in India, we hear from the talented team at Scolarian bikes in Coimbatore about what they do and why they do it. And how it all ties back into life and changes in India.
The conflict is a familiar one no matter where you live in the world: Beautiful natural ecosystem where a vast amount plants and animals thrive is also the same land that a mining company wants to extract resources from.Kudremukh National Park got its status in 1987. Unfortunately it was the target of Iron-ore extractions since the 1960s. Over the years instead of halting the mining, the company found ways to continue. That is -until a group of concerned and determined activists came together to bring about an end to the mining in 2005.Niren Jain was part of this group that dared to take on the powerful forces in business and government. Their story is one of success but also struggle, as part of a battle that should be over, but somehow, finds new ways of carrying on.Today on the podcast, in Mangalore, Karnataka, we hear the story of how mining was stopped in Kundremukh, and the aftermath of such a momentous achievement.
While there is much pride about India as a democracy where people have rights and representation, there is also another side of India which domestic and international media rarely hear about - the marginalized groups of this vast country (think geography, caste, class, ethnicity, gender, and more).Since 2003, Video Volunteers has been daring to challenge the status quo of media within Indian democracy, helping train and amplify video reporting by members of communities that are considered by those in power as unimportant, weak, or inferior. Today on the program we're in Goa, at the headquarters of Video Volunteers listening to founder Jessica Mayberry explain what the organization has been up to; their successes, goals, and challenges that have come along with helping these embattled voices be heard. Fun fact: Back in 2010 we spoke with Stalin of Video Volunteers on this very podcast, listen to that show here.
When you think recycling and reusing, India might not be the first place that comes to find. But you'd be wrong to underestimate the longstanding traditions of making use of waste materials that exist throughout the subcontinent. One of the foremost states for recycling in India is Goa, and one of the key protagonists in the story of upcycling as well as wildlife preservation in Goa is my guest on today's podcast, Clinton Vaz. A program we recorded in just the right setting; at night on one of South Goa's most beautiful beaches.
It may draw some stares and annoy my traveling companions, but occasionally I take out the recorder while we are on long train journeys to try and capture the sounds and memories. The following is audio from some of those train rides. Some of South India's most beloved train lines coming to you directly in audio format. Enjoy!
Jazz, konkani, Portuguese, bollywood; these are just the tip of the iceberg when you start to examine the rich heritage of Goan music. Colin D'Cruz is a one stop shop for music made in Goa. As a musician, producer, and record label, he's got his ear to the ground when it comes to what sounds are coming out of Goa; yesterday, today and in the future. We went to visit him in the studio where we recorded this brief tour of Goan music.
Amin Sheikh grew up living on the streets of Mumbai, with all the horror and joy that only they can bring to a child with no one to turn to. Those streets might have eaten him alive, and they almost did- until someone came along and changed all that. A few someones in fact, who's actions changed the direction of his life. His personal slogan, "I am because of you", means exactly what it sounds like. If you're reading this, listening to this, sharing in this experience, then he is in many ways - because of you.We sat in his Mumbai cafe-library, "From Bombay to Barcelona", in a state of euphoria enjoying delicious food and drink. But what really makes everything taste better is getting to sit in the presence of such a passionate and loving human being. Today on the podcast, the story of Amin Sheikh, in his own words.
While global shipping is a massive and lucrative business that benefits people in so many ways, there is another side to it. Once the massive vessels need to be retired, they have to be broken down and their valueable materials recycled. Doing this using well equipped workers and proper facilities comes at a cost, and for decades, companies have been getting around that cost by sending their ships to parts of the world like India and Bangladesh where neither equipment nor proper facilities are required. Where no one is looking, and where toxic materials can be dumped and handled with minimal complaints. My guests on today's program from the Brussels based NGO ShipBreaking Platform are among the most well informed and dedicated observers of this practice, advocated to stop harmful practices and push companies to act responsibily. A major challenge in an industry few people follow or feel able to influence, listen in and hear what is going on out there.
Just over 2 weeks ago Matthew and I recorded our first podcast conversation in 5 years. 2 weeks ago he was getting himself mentally and physically prepared to take on chemo therapy, knowing it would be bad, but how bad would it get? 2 weeks of chemo therapy and its horrid side effects, today Matthew checks in to talk about how his daily struggle is progressing. We also talk about family, friends, the internet, gaming and how it all ties into this ongoing battle to live.
Matthew Karamoon is a longtime friend of this podcast who over the years has contributed his observations on and off the air. This summer he learned that he is dying of cancer that is uncurable. In an effort to survive longer and have more time with his young family, he is persuing immune therapy that comes at a price tag he cannot afford. Therefore we as a community of friends and yes even strangers, are getting involved and helping Karamoon get the therapy he needs. On today's program I talk about Karamoon and go back to moments where he has been on the program. The goal here is to get more support... so if you're reading or listening.. I'm talking to you.
The topic is unfortuantely overly discussed in an almost routine way in our world today: the sharing economy, the good that it does, who is in it, and who is against it. Yet even the definition of what is the sharing economy is pretty fuzzy. On today's podcast the subject is the sharing economy and growth, what happens when these often interesting and beneficial services grow into global empires? Where does the human and society fit into this equation that is so focused on earning income by tapping into untapped resources in every day life?Talk by Yochai Benkler "Challenges of the Sharing Economy" for the World Economic Forum
Made my way up to Stockholm to spend quality time with my pal Martin of the Stocktown Chronicles Podcast. Together we sat back, drank tea, and discussed what we've seen emerge and change in podcasting since the very first days. Sit back, turn up the volume, and emerse yourself in this conversation.
Today on the program we're scavenging in Amsterdam with Jay and Ryanne. Plus, a bonus appearance but the one and only Macdocman, as he discovers how the scavenger life works and marvels at the details.
Remember when I used to record podcasts about social issues with guests from around the world? Well this is not one of those. I do discuss issues, in addition to things that have been going on; journeys, etc. All this from the comfort of my new home while making a dam fine cup of chai. If you enjoy me talking about life and the world for about 40 minutes, give this one a listen. Also you may enjoy Kate's ukulele songs from hacker camp a few weeks ago. Well worth a listen!
São Miguel, the main island of the breathtaking Azores has been an adventure this summer, traveling in circles around the island from the highest peaks to the sea and back again. It is a place of incomparable beauty and beyond that, a people who have such a good hearted caring nature you dare not ask a small question unless you're ready for the extensive information and help they're going to insist on giving you. While the world watches as society changes in interesting and sometimes very painful ways in different parts of the world, here on the island things are as they have surely always been. Cows are grazing. Fish are jumping. Tourists taking pictures. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.What was I talking about? Oh yeah, I recorded this podcast on one of our last nights in the Azores on a trip that has taught me a lot and inspired some future journeys in the effort to experience and learn even more.
Over the past year (maybe more) my friend Yves has been on a journey of self discovery and observing human behavior. Each time he returns to Amsterdam we talk about his observations and attempts to change what is considered "normal everyday" communication. This time, we bring microphones to one of those conversations, in attempt to bring in you -the audience- to discuss people, communication, needs, and yes - the meaning of life. Never thought I'd write that as a podcast title :) Don't be scared. It's nothing. So have a listen!A small but perhaps relevant link:Marshall Rosenberg - Nonviolent Communication
Some ask where I've been, but actually I never stopped producing podcasts with Source Code Berlin and Newz of the World having lots of new content coming at you quite regularly. Meanwhile on today's program I'm talking about the world of pocasts and how it is changing, what these changes mean for us in general. Also an announcement about upcoming projects both here on this channel and elsewhere. It's a classic podcast update as many of us used to do in the golden days of podcasting.
On February 11th, 2015 my friend Raja Oueis passed away at the age of 27. I was lucky enough to meet Raja at hacker camp (OHM) in 2013. We spent several happy days exploring that crazy carnival of creativity, an event that we always looked back on with fondness. Not long after we were able to meet again, in Amsterdam and at the Hacker congress in Hamburg. Each in person meeting would be a joyous occasion for eating, laughing, thinking out loud and plotting future hanging out oppertunities. It seemed only right, I think for both of us, that we did meet and become friends. One of those classic cases of someone you feel like you always knew from the first moment you speak.Sadly over the past year, as Raja fought a daunting battle against cancer, our communication would be limited to short conversations online. I convinced myself that there would be time, that despite everything, we would get to sit and talk and drink chai and discuss matters of the heart one last time. Just as it felt meant to be that we would become friends, naturally fate would allow us one more chance to talk til the wee hours of the morning. But time ran out on us. My ticket to Beirut reads March and Raja's ticket to another dimension seems to have been set for February.Thankfully, though it is hardly enough, during those happy days camping among some of the kindest and most creative people on the planet, we turned on a microphone and together with many friends and strangers, talked about what we were experiencing and why it was special to us. In this podcast I'll revisit those moments with Raja. Though his voice is one of many in these recordings, his wonderful answers mean even more to me now. I wish we had left the recorder on for so many more hours and days. But thats not how it works, I suppose. Nevertheless, I consider myself lucky to have known him and I'm pleased to be able to share this little tiny piece of such a larger than life human being.
Richard Bluestein is a longtime internet content creator who pioneered much of what we know today as popular comedy and entertainment genres. His program, as well as his legendary character Madge Weinstein, have quietly pushed the limits and challenged conventions in the world of audio/visual content and satire. He is one of my favorite guests to sit back with for a long conversation to discuss life, changes, observations, films, shows, podcasts and more.
Award winning graphic designer and global citizen Tarek Atrissi joins me on the podcast to talk about Arabic script, logos, design, and the impact these things have on society. If you enjoy hearing from people with unique careers who are passionate and well informed about their field, if you're curious about what is happening in the world - especially the arabic speaking world-, if you'd like to learn something new; these only some of the reasons that you will enjoy listening to his words.
If you've been alive for a few decades you've surely noticed how fast time passes and how things seem to change, sometimes even without us fully comprehending what has happened. Once a year, somewhere in Germany, several thousand enthusiastic individuals get together to consider those changes and look into what else is possible in the future. Beyond that, old and new friends get a chance to catch up, share knowledge, and maybe even get inspired.This event, known as the Chaos Communication Congress, has brought me friends and acquaintences that I feel very fortunate to have and look forward to seeing year after year. Two such friends and fellow audiofiles, join me on today's program to kickoff CTRP 2015 properly; by reporting from the congress and evaluating what this meeting is all about and how this thing connects to the big thing out there. Today on the program: Emmanuel and Kyle of 2600 Magazine, Off the Hook and Off the Wall.
"Fate also plays a role, " says the middle aged head of an investment group in the sky lobby of the world financial center as we look out over Shanghai, "just imagine the odds that you and I would be here in this building in this city at the same time and have this conversation." -- Whether it is the result of fate or some of the most genius moves in recent history, I find myself in the world's largest city, seemingly in the epicenter of the most important place in the world. "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere" has long been New York City's motto, but while they were busy singing the same ol tune in the empire state, Shanghai kept chugging right along and one day the world awoke to find that it is now Shanghai where if you make it here, you can definitely make it anywhere. Sorry Frank, somewhere along the way Mao stole your thunder.The following is a podcast of my reflections and things I have learned during my educational visit to Shanghai this week. Have a listen!
The wonderful and talented Shelby Earl came to Amsterdam to perform as part of her Swift Arrows European Tour. The evening, which took place at the fantastic Studiobar, included a performance as well as a Q and A hosted by yours truly. Here is a podcast of that magical evening.
Not since the cold war has the world needed to take a time-out from political posturing and the information game to get beyond the gate keepers and speak directly with the people referred to as "Russia". Not unlike 25 years ago, we in the west are once again talking about a people as if they cannot be spoken with and do not have a wide range of opinions and values. Over in Russia, similar is happening with what the media refer to as "the west".Enter the power of the podcast:On today's program I am coming to you from Moscow, the heart of the nation that so many are talking about these days with angry and confused tones. But this is not about Ukraine or Putin. This is about the city, life, culture, changes, and other developments that remind us of the wealth of things we citizens of planet earth have in common. Today we speak with my friend Victor, an resident and keen observer of this country and its culture, to hear what he sees and has seen.
In order to properly say goodbye to the Dubai Taxi Project, you have to have a podcast. On today's program there are final notes, unpublished reflections, hypocracies, musings, future plans and even an easter egg. No guests, no taxi's, just me and a microphone and you listening wherever you are in the world. Podcasting the way it was in the beginning, where it is good to return to after a long journey or time away.
Are we living in an era where the art of storytelling has risen to some newfound prominence? What kinds of stories are inspired and produced by the cultures of the Arabian peninsula these days? How difficult is it to achieve a balance between life and work in this environment? These and other subjects are a part of this lunchtime podcast we recorded at the American University in Dubai this past winter.Meedo Taha is, among other things, a storyteller based in Dubai. But before making a life in this city, his story went from Lebanon, to London, to Tokyo, to LA and beyond.
Imagine yourself at work one day when the boss comes to you, hands you a shovel, a gun, and says "the invasion is starting, you must defend your workplace." It may sound implausible but that is exactly what happened to my guest on the program today.Ali Al Shouk was your average working chemist when the invasion of Iraq began in 2003. It was then that a series of traumatic events and coincidences would begin, eventually leading him to a career in journalism and a place he did not expect to end up.In between my taxi interviews Ali and I sat down together in Dubai to talk about his amazing experiences that made him who he is today.
Until now you've heard stories of individual taxi drivers and entrepeneurs in the UAE. Today Im going to bring you the voices of several taxi drivers, as they speak about probably the most common theme of my trip: LOVE.Start talking with a taxi driver in the city of gold and chances are you will get to the topics of relationships, marriage, love and family. Many will tell you that all these things are very closely related and extremely important. Their outlooks and philosophies vary, from the very traditional to the free thinkers who would go as far as to defy their family. Stories vary from charming to frustrating, and from beautiful to deeply sad.Today on the podcast, Love in a Dubai Taxi, stories and reflections on love from taxi drivers in the UAE.
He arrived in Dubai just as the UAE came into existence. He started working at the Dubai airport in a time where there were no computers and this town was nothing more than a stopover for flights on their way somewhere. In his 37 years as a Dubai resident, KJ Bhatia raised a family, developed a career, and enjoyed a front row seat to see a world of change in both the city and the region.As luck would have it, one day as I was shopping for postcards, we struck up a conversation in his shop which would eventually lead to this podcast. This is one man's story, a rare voice of experience, that runs parallel to the story of a nation. One of my favorite voices from Dubai, Mr. KJ Bhatia.
Somewhere along the neverending Jumeirah Beach Road in Dubai, within view of world famous sky scrapers and people enjoying themselves on the beach, you'll find a little oasis of healthy food and unique style. The place is Comptoir 102, a concept cafe created and run by my guests on today's podcast: Alexandra de Montaudouin and Emma Sawko. While their place may not be far from downtown, this little cafe is in a very different world from the brand name corporate culture that took root in Dubai more than a decade ago.
Life wisdom comes from unexpected places at unexpected times. On one particular evening I was making my way from Abu Dhabi to Dubai and I found myself seated next to Mr. AJ from Nepal, a taxi driver-philosopher-extraordinaire. As I got into the car I asked how is life? and his immediate response was, "I am a bad man, I have wasted my life chasing money." I knew right there, this was going to be an interesting ride.Making a life in Nepal has become more and more difficult over the past 20 years and as a result, hundreds of thousands of Nepalese are now working outside the country and sending money home to family members. They can be found in countries like Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, and until recently Saudi Arabia. Mr. AJ has tried working in many of these countries but a combination ofhostile politics and racism would eventually land him in Abu Dhabi, a place he doesn't love, but has come to understand. At the age of 36 he has arrived at a life altering realization, all these years spent "chasing money", away from his family and the people he loves, have been wasted. The pursuit of material things has led him to the conclusion that he and many people like him have been focusing on the wrong things in life. What is needed to find true satisfaction and happiness, Mr. AJ explains, "is to either help someone or grow something."During this long car ride we talked at length about what humans are doing with this planet and with their lives, and what could be done to improve things, and what we as individuals will do in the coming years in an effort to reach that happy place so many of us wish for. It's an example of taxicab wisdom at its best and a great example of why I wanted to do this series in the first place.
Ali Al Saloom, better known on the internet as Ask Ali, came on the scene in the same way many of us podcasters, bloggers, and other independent content creators did over the past 10 years; with an idea and a dream. His goal, to teach the world about his people and his culture, to dispel myths and contribute factual information about the UAE. The result: thousands of published answers to all kinds of questions about the UAE, a successful cultural consultancy service, and an internationally recognized representative of a country and a culture that until recently were little known or poorly understoodA pioneer in both new media and internet outreach, Ali can run down the list of reasons people around the world are coming to this region and he is proud of what his nation has accomplished. At the same time he sees the risks and responsibilities that come with success and wealth, as he talks about the things that concern him in the near future.While much of my journey has been about taxi drivers and the wisdom they can share about this place and life as a whole, a conversation with Ali Al Saloom provides a rare chance to hear from a citizen of this nation and to learn from his unique experience.
Mr. A is a young man in his early twenties, but he refers to himself as an old driver. So it goes in a country where the average taxi driver has a contract of 3 or 5 years. Like many drivers he is a modest man and when I ask him about life, at first he says he leads an uninteresting life. But after a few minutes of talking about Dubai, we find just the opposite to be true. Unlike many people of the modern metropolis, Mr. A believes his life is just fine, especially after seeing the kinds of problems his passengers are carrying with them. Though respect is an issue and the stress is considerable, here is a man who's number one matra is "I can't complain, I have a good life."As we drive along the famed Jumeira Beach Road, passing alongside the world famous Burj al Arab, we talk about how he got started as a taxi driver. What his life was like in his home country. And what its like to love a job that so many people, including his own family, label as no good or unacceptable.
I may have come to Dubai to listen to the stories of taxi drivers, but what I quickly figured out is there are many layers and many stories in this rapidly growing city that has attracted people from every corner of the world. And so, on my first days in Dubai, in between taxi rides, I did a quick search for healthy quality cuisine in this extremely new neighborhood I was staying in. Although this massive area is filled with hundreds of restaurants, the internet somehow led me to Marta's Workshop, where Marta Yanci originally from San Sebastian, Spain, and her talented staff, cook up a different menu everyday.Marta's work represents a growing movement in a city that is more known for its tall skyscrapers and massive shopping malls rather than small, unique neighborhood businesses. The moment I sat down at the communal table in this modest and charming dining room, I knew something worth talking about was going on here. A thought that would be only further reinforced when I tasted the fantastically delicious food.No it isn't a taxi story, but it is an interesting part of this big Dubai puzzle that – honestly- few media organizations ever dedicate the time and energy to look at in its entirety. Dubai might be young in terms of history, but it already has many layers, each of which shows us something potentially worth learning from. My original inspiration and my focus is still Taxi Drivers, but what you might notice when you listen to Marta, and I have noticed in and out of the cabs, there is something bigger going on here that interconnects everyone. You can also follow Marta on twitter
Mr. X seemed a bit miserable and quiet when I threw myself into his front seat. He seemed to be talking to himself somewhat and I slowly removed the soundless headphones from my ears. "Were you listening to something very closely, like your music? - I though you were. Maybe it is just habit?" I look over at the brown skinned smiling gentleman in his 60's with streaks of silver in his dark sideburns. - You're absolutely correct, it is a bad habit of mine.That is how the conversation starts, the subject of audio in one's ears is a gateway for me to bring up radio and my passion for recording stories. Mr. X, an Indian gentleman who has been driving in Dubai for over a decade, is amused, "So you record people's stories, like who?" -- Like you -- I tell him. Watch, I'll show you, and to his consternation I've got the recorder and microphone out and on before he can say another word. "So I just talk about me? My life? My work?" -- Yes I tell him. I want the world to know that there are people inside and around this shiny buildings, that make the city what it is today.Mr. X considers this idea and lets out a big laugh and licks his lips, "Ok then, let us try it!"
Much can be learned from 30 years of watching the international hacker community develop, or a decade of watching China do the same. From the broadcast area of the 30th Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg, Germany, this week I am joined by internet audio pioneer Tim Pritlove and the guru of all things blinking and TV turning off, Mitch Altman. Together we discuss just what is and has happened at this world famous event this year and what it all means for the big picture of work, life, and tube messaging.
As part of preparations for the Dubai Taxi Driver project, this week on the podcast we discuss what to expect inside and outside the car in one of the world's most famous cities. My guest is Agnes Tandler, a Dubai based journalist who has been taking taxi's almost everyday for the past 4 years. In her experience, anytime you get into a cab in the "city of gold"- you're in for a surprise.Also this week, the Dubai Taxi Driver project countdown begins, with 4 days left to join the kickstarter funding campaign, and 1 month before the journey starts. If you haven't yet been to the page, read the plan, or watched the video, click over now as time is running out!At the beginning of the podcast this week you will also hear music by Neighbor from their new album "Water in the Pocket." Highly recommended.
This past Friday marked the launch of a campaign to fund my next multimedia project, "The Dubai Taxi Driver." In the tradition of the great Tony Schwartz, the master of sound who recorded so many wonderful stories from New York City in the 50's, 60's and 70's, my journey will be to Dubai, to speak with a group of people that have long fascinated and inspired me with their stories and life experiences. My task will be to sit in the front seat and record the stories, wisdom, and observations of this special group of people who drive the taxi's of this world renowned metropolis.Like special series and journeys that I have previously been able to share with you, this one needs your direct involvement. My brand of media is non-commercial and always personal, as is this project. And if you like what you've heard in the past, or if this idea sounds interesting and you'd like to know more, click on the kickstarter link.
Frank Edward Nora believes, as that now cliché Chinese proverb says, we actually do live in very interesting times. Part of his love and dedication to creating original audio content and preserving bits of audio from the past is because of his interest in what will be available for future generations. For over ten years he has produced the Overnightscape, a personal audio journey, a chronical of one man's daily life and thoughts in the New York City Tri-State area.
Rabble was the first ever employee at twitter and had the opportunity to watch how it went from activist tool to massively popular communication medium. In a world where everyone thinks they know why twitter or tools like twitter exist and are good, Rabble has unique knowledge that can explain why it exists and how things changed over time. He can tell you the good, the bad, and the in between, as is so often the case with such a widely used platform.
One week since the death of my grandfather, this podcast contains a few personal and professional stories from my life over the past few months. Though this program is usually focused on interviews and issues from all over the world, its origin is this very formula: one person, a microphone, honest observations, and you the listener. So consider this an example of going back to the roots of my work online. It's personal.
The shipyard of Gdansk Poland is legendary both for its well known capacity to build ships and the labor struggles that would send shock waves of inspiration to the entire world. The tireless and selfless efforts of workers of the Solidarity Movement who stood up to authority and brute force, demanding justice and respect, no doubt made a better life for countless people in Poland, Europe and beyond. Yet decades later, the now privatized, downsized, and struggling shipyard feels more like a graveyard or a shrine to a lost past. The victories, on the grand scale of time, were short lived, as the world of ship building, labor, and politics, changed yet again, and Solidarity went from engine of change to historical symbol of a bygone era. Was it all for nothing? Are the dreams of those workers still alive in Gdansk or elsewhere? When the new luxury condominiums and shopping malls break ground on the same site where workers lost their lives and built their dreams, will their efforts matter anymore? Should they? Or is this just life.
Hacker Camp, which takes place every two years in Europe, is an event where creative, quirky, and passionate minds from around the world gather to form a temporary physical community where ideas are exchanged. The areas of interest vary greatly, as do the personal stories of those who participate. One area of interest that has long been present at camp is that of conflict resolution, quality of life, and development projects. Making use of tools or knowledge in and from different parts of the world in a effort to improve quality of life for those who desire change and access to technological solutions.
Lamija Tanovic grew up in a Yugoslavia with a quality of life that makes today's Bosnia look like another planet. A time where values such as education, cooperation, and participation were essential. An era that would later give way to a terrible war and a dysfunctional plan to create a new nation in its aftermath. Through it all, Lamija explains, everyone always wished to come home and make a life in this beautiful place. The problem is, today's Bosnia makes it quite difficult for anyone to have a decent life and as a result, people have left and will continue to leave.
"People here are a whole lot more rational than they give themselves credit for. They all think they are more moderate than the norm; they don't realize they are the norm."Kurt Bassuener has been working on the issue of Bosnia for over 15 years and in that time has figured out what many people inside and outside the country have not - what is wrong and what can be done about it. That is, in fact, one of the key lessons to take home from this Bosnia 101 conversation; there is hope, there are things that can be done, if specific actors would be willing to change the status quo.
In 2011 Ahmad and Karam, two university students from Deir ez-Zor took to the streets as part of the mass protest movement demanding an end to the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad. Their protest was met by violent reprisals, mass arrests, and soon war broke out and the government undertook a full siege of the city. Since that time, these two friends have become a reporting team, collecting videos and still images as their families and their community have been decimated by war.
The year was 2000 and on the streets of Cochabamba, Bolivia, people marched and demonstrated against the privatization of their water. In what became known as the water wars, the people on the streets emerged victorious, kicking out private water companies and re-instating the municipal system.
Has your water utility been privatized in the past decade? Are today's water companies really investing in infrastructure and improvements? How much democracy is there in your water bill? If any of these questions sound familiar, you probably care about who is in charge of bringing water to your home. And after all the promises that came with the privatization of water systems, many cities around the world have determined they want their water utility to be transparent, democratic, and public again. They call it, the re-municipalization of water. And on virtually every continent, it is taking root.
You can't windsurf, because that would be elitist. But, if you're the American president, you can drive around your ranch in a golf cart shooting guns, because people can relate to that. As comedian and writer Lizz Winstead explains it, sometimes there is no debate possible if we don't agree on fundamental and proven facts. Over the past few months Lizz has been promoting her book "Lizz Free or Die" and travelling around the United States to see what people are doing and what they think about politics or life in general. Having written for several memorable television programs which includes having co-created The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Lizz can tell you thing or two about what is good and what is bad about politics and media in the United States.By chance, I ran into her at a conference in Sweden earlier this month and spent a few afternoons having excellent discussions, such as this one featured in today's podcast.
Tony Pierce was blogging before most of us had broadband internet and well before smart phones existed. For over a decade he has been writing daily and bringing people into his world on the busblog, where nothing is true. Through it all, he has preached about what would only years later be understood as good advice for anyone interested in writing or creating content online: keep going, do what makes you happy, and tell some good stories along the way.
As I have now published all the interviews I have to share with you from the journey, I realized there was still audio that I had never put together and released to the public - the audio from Tahrir Square, as Chris and I, together with inspiring friends and people who just came right up to us, speak about what was going on around us. It was, and remains, a unique moment in my life and clearly from listening to people, an unforgettable moment in their lives as well. Part of a long struggle where there are beautiful and terrible days. This one, I believe, was a beautiful one. Take a listen, one last podcast from the Arab Artists in a Revolution series, one last chance to be transported back to a time and a place that captured the imagination of the entire world. Special thanks to the dear friends who every time we came to the square, stuck with us made us feel at home.
As part of the Arab Artists in a Revolution series, during our three weeks in Cairo, we had the pleasure of meeting up with the former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. He may not be an artist but at 90 years of age, he is an extremely experienced observer of Egypt and the world, who is passionate about humanity and its problems. In this interview we meet in his living room over looking the Nile, the river that is "like a god" to him and who's present and future crisis he see's as 100% tied to that of Egypt.
The name Tyre was one I remembered best from the days of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2006 when the city was bombed and that standard war-map would appear on news reports. While in country this past December, when I was offered a chance to go down there and speak with someone who lived in a refugee camp- I immediately said yes. But what I didn't realize until I got there, was just how many people not only live in the camps, but were born and have lived their entire lives there. In a situation that has existed since 1948, there are stories that would be hard for some people to believe and too much for others to think about.This podcast features a conversation we had with a young artist by the name of Ashraf. After taking us to see the city and some of its amazing history, he sat down with us to answer our questions about his life, the situation for residents of the camp, and what the prospects are for people who have been referred to and treated as non-citizen "guests" for over 60 years.
Over the course of my week in Beirut I had the good fortune of spending time with teacher and performance artist Raghda Mouawad. Through her I learned a great many things about the country and its people, including details about the education system and the harsh reality for artists during an economic crisis in a country that offers little support. We also get back into that now familiar topic, the contradictions of Beirut when it comes to identities, ethnicity and beyond.The following podcast was recorded in a car late at night in Beirut on the eve of my departure last month. Special thanks to both Raghda and our silent passenger in the back seat, Krystel Khoury, for taking the time to explain and show me their city. Friends like these in far away places make doing what I do, not only possible, but a pleasure.
Kamal Hakim grew up in an era of reconstruction after the civil war in Lebanon. As the son of a Greek Orthodox - Sunni Muslim marriage, he recalls eating sour-kraut cooked by his protestant grandmother. His life was marked by all the struggles of a city of contradictions, contradictions which he recognizes in himself as well. As an illustrator, Kamal has a dream, a dream he must reconcile with the financial demands of life during an economic crisis in a country that lives every day not knowing if there will be a tomorrow.
It was one of those beautiful nights in Beirut were I found myself sitting at a table with new friends sharing stories, teaching each other about the world, and finding humor in unexpected places. And even after a long day of teaching and rehearsing, Alexandre Paulikevitch is a natural at all these things. As we sat around the table of the outdoor cafe he talked about projects he's working on and the challenges that keep coming his way, and after several minutes of conversation he looked at me and my portable recorder and said "OK Mark, I understand what you're doing and what kind of conversations you are seeking." A clear and reassuring statement I wish I would tell myself every now and then.
In the early days of the 2011 revolt some young Egyptians found themselves at the beginning of their military service. While in Tahrir square and on the streets the winds of change blew away a dictator, in the barracks soldiers knew little of what was going on outside and what their fate might be as soldiers. Would they be deployed to the streets to confront ordinary citizens? Do they still answer to the same president or is there someone new? The questions were many and the information was scarce.
The issue of domestic abuse is a huge yet unspoken problem in Egypt. Despite all the stories of the great social liberation that is taking place on the street when it comes to self-expression and liberty, at home women are still beaten by their husbands. Between the social acceptance and the legal indifference of this terrible tradition, it would seem to be an extremely difficult reality to overcome.
Youth has long been the buzz word connecting to the uprisings in North Africa and in the Middle East in the spring of 2011. A demographic shift, we've been told, combined with economic and social conditions, resulted in a new resistence culture with new strategies and goals for their respective countries. Tunisia was one such country, where the median age is 30, and multi-lingual, interconnected youth played an essential role in spearheading the pressure that would lead Ben Ali to flee the country. Now they are also an important part of safeguarding and assessing the changes that are taking place. On today's podcast, we sit in a part in Tunis, together with 3 young people working in the field of non-profit watch dog organizations. In our 40+ minute conversation you will hear from Amir Kamergi, Khaoula Mhatli, and Yosra Mkadem, regarding the work they are doing and their individual and collective experiences and opinions regarding what is up with Tunisia today, how far we've come, and what to make of the future.
"There is an information war going on in Tunisia," Adel explains to me one beautiful afternoon in a suburb of Tunis, "people are constantly consuming and waiting for that next message." In an unexpected podcast conversation my new friend began right away talking about the good news and the bad news when it comes to changes in Tunisia over the past 2 years. He also talks about the importance, now especially, to be an activist-cyclist in this nation in transition. He guided us safely during our critical mass ride and in this conversation he guides us through how he lived the revolt of 2011.
Ask Katherine Maher to describe the Beirut that she loves and you get stories of a place that sounds like Brooklyn, Berlin, London and Rio de Janeiro crumpled up and dropped onto the map in a region filled with anxiety, trauma, and uncertain futures. A place where life is lived to the fullest, by day and by night. And if you want art, you've come to the right place.On one fine October afternoon in Amsterdam, Katherine sat down with me to tell me of Beirut and the things a visiting journalist seeking storytellers and artists should keep in mind along the way.
Since the revolution began in 2011, many a foreign journalist has gone to Egypt filled with good intentions and enthusiasm. And while some have done interesting or inspiring work, there are still many in the international media that consistently get half the story or hardly any of it and go home proclaiming that they know what's what.
The Daily Show and South Park, along with The Colbert Report, are the 1-2 (3) punch of socio-political satire in America and have been for well over a decade. Some dismiss them as childish clowns with limited significance while in fact, they are among the most trusted sources of news and entertainment wielding tremendous power from the reputation they have built as uncompromising provacateurs.Brian Dunphy is a lecturer at Brooklyn College, a citizen of the world, and a keen observer of satire in all its forms in the United States. He starts each day with a bowl of cereal and Jon Stewart, and his in-depth research and analysis reveals that there is a lot more happening here than just a bunch of funny impressions and the occasional fart joke. There is real speaking of truth to power and challenging people to think and look carefully at the actions of the powerful decision makers of this world. Today on the podcast, Brian gives us a taste of this topic that he has been bringing to audiences in North America and Northern Europe over the past year.
If you search for adventures in the Caucasus, it is his picture that should pop up first. From the loud taverns of Tblisi, to the shiny new streets of Gonzy and eventually to the future Olympic village of Sochi, he has seen it all and shared many of his adventures with anyone that cares to know. Now he has taken his greatest hits from the Caucasus and assembled them in book form (in Dutch). The result is a hilarious, insightful, and often exciting journey in a region with so much diversity and such a rich history.On today's podcast I'm joined by none other than Olaf Koens, as we sit along the Amstel river in a windy afternoon, we talk about some of those adventures in that magical region of the world.His book, (.nl) Koorddansen in de Kaukasus
This week two crazy journalists and audio fanatics joined forces to launch a campaign to get to Egypt and Tunisia this fall. The goal is to hear from the artists, the heart and soul of a culture that is much bigger and more complicated then the sound-byte size version we got from the 24 hour news networks last year.
Before the city of Maastricht chose to pursue marijuana prohibition policies they first asked a team of researchers to examine what impact it would have. The researchers found that the proposed "membership" system for coffeeshops, which included banning all non-residents from going into establishments, would have disastrous effects on the cities public safety, health, and economic situation. In response, the government demanded new research with results that would support their new mission to shut down marijuana cafe's that have existed since the 1990's. Today there are a several municipalities that have adopted this prohibition policy that is scheduled to go national by January 2013, and the results are already being felt. Nicole Maalsté is a researcher from Tilburg University who has been examining the issue of drug policy and coffeeshops in the Netherlands over the course of several decades. She joins me on today's podcast to explain what her work has revealed and just how the relationship between politics and research has led to a startling reality on the street level.
When social media rose up from what were thought to be the ashes of traditional media, there were high hopes for the new world that was to come. And as world events continue to unfold and these seemingly open forums continue to grow in importance, alot of old habits and trends continue to appear. What once was known as the 24 news cycle has not disappeared, but rather, it has spawned the world of trending topics and viral media.
An African Election is a film that documents the struggle and achievements of the 2008 Ghanian elections. 4 years later, with the death President Atta Mills, the country is preparing to go back to the ballot box. And they're not alone, throughout the continent of Africa, the wheels of democracy continue to turn, often in places you hear the least about in the international press. Film maker Jarreth Merz is fascinated and inspired by the shining examples of Africa, and in their stories he see's a chance to inspire, the spark that can light a fire and get new discussions started, large and small. To do it, he's putting together a mobile movie theater and bringing it all over Ghana and beyond. But he's not doing it alone, besides his talented team, he's putting out the call to people around the world who love democracy, Africa, aventure, and stories.. to get involved and get on board - it is time for A Political Safari.
Unlike the simple and unmistakable yellow fruit on your kitchen table, the banana industry has a complex and troubled story. And as the global banana faces its greatest crisis ever, one might wonder- how did we get this banana, and how did the industry get to such a breaking point? Writer and journalist Dan Koeppel has been researching and tracking the world of bananas for several years and has information that most of the banana eating public has never heard. He joins me on today's podcast as we discuss the history, the science, the politics and the future of the mighty banana.
Somewhere out in the country side of western Portugal, I'm driving around dodging goats and tractors while reflecting on life's challenges when you exist across borders. Instead of the usual world news issues and under reported news this is a more traditional stream-of-conciousness podcast that some people out there may be able to relate to when it comes to old age, economic problems, small towns, and ch-ch-changes. Join me on the back roads and highways of Portugal's loveliest pear and wine regions.
When it comes to drug policy and coffeeshops in the Netherlands, we rarely hear the voices of those who work behind the counter and see how things work (or don't work). Nel has lived and worked in the coffeeshop world for over 5 years and in that time he has seen the daily routine of the cannabis industry and the politics that revolve around it. What he knows is not the political theater that so often gets reported on in the media, his story is the reality that somehow does not always trump the growing list of myths that surround cannabis in the Netherlands.
Over the past years alot of half-assed information has been spread by a combination of poor journalism and rumors via social media, which states that foreigners can no longer buy cannabis in coffeeshops in Amsterdam. Though this is untrue, word about an experimental policy in the south of the Netherlands has travelled. Many, both outside and inside the country, believe its only a matter of time before prohibition becomes a national reality. But the truth is, that is still only one of many possible futures for the Netherlands. Beyond that, research and reality shows the experiment is a failure, yet politicians remain locked into their white-washing campaign to clean the image of the nation. My returning guest is Frederik Pollak, a researcher and policy expert who has been following the discussion for over a decade, and has alot to say about what is really going on in the Netherlands and around the world.
In the post-Arab spring/occupy world we've seen a call to action for more tools to help acitivists do what they do. We've also seen a hodge-podge of tools being rolled out and touted as just what activists need. But security minded observers are not impressed. In fact, in some cases, they're horrified. In this podcast, which is plagued by a previously undetected Berlin wind, Eleanor Saitta sits down with me to go over the aspects of security and ethics that everyone involved should keep in mind as we develop and implement communication strategies for organizations and activists around the world.
Global Voices Online has come a long way since the days of being all about blogs from around the world. Just as the technology for publishing online and having conversations about issues that effect our lives has evolved, so too has this international project dedicated to multi-lingual, multi-cultural, grassroots reporting. In 2012 GVO are into more than just providing a place for translation and reporting, they've moved into specialized projects relating to advocacy, socio-cultural projects and protecting citizen journalists around the world. At this year's Re:publica12 conference, I had a chance to finally sit down with Ivan Sigal, executive director of Global Voices Online, and we spoke about these new frontiers and how he sees where we are today as global citizens of many languages examining the world around us.
Just over a year ago, Brian Conley found himself teaching workshops on new media reporting in a divided Libya. While Gadaffi clung to power and a war was fought, Brian and his team improvised their way around and experienced part of the excitement, fear, frustration, and joy.. not to mention all the other emotions that this very difficult conflict brought about. This month, one year since those first journeys around Libya, he is returning to pick up where he left off. These are his stories, setting the stage for a new adventure, one where his actions will help bring about a better future for a hopeful nation.
The use of the law to keep people from protesting and assembling did not start with the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011. In fact, for hundreds of years, since the birth of the United States, there has been a slow but steady effort to keep people from being able to lawfully protest and organize. During the occupy movement there were extensive discussions about democracy, freedom, economics, and our future. Somewhere behind it all, there was the issue of laws and what protesters can and cannot do. In the end it was the police armed with tear gas and legal ordinances who were able to clear people out of the public squares they had peacefully occupied. In this podcast we speak with attorney Joshua Dratel, the first civilian defense lawyer to have worked with prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. His recent article "The Evaporation of American Political Dissent" talks about the long running degredation of the right to protest and assemble in the United States.
Getting the world to listen through photos is a big part of Massoud Hossaini's work as a photographer in Afghanistan. Even in a moment where he receives compliments and awards from around the world- including the Pulitzer prize- for his tragic photo "Heartbreak", his message remains the same - the world must know what is happening here, because what happens in Afghanistan always has and always will spill beyond its borders and reach us in some way, no matter where we live on the planet. Photography, media, conflict, beauty, and art; a followup on a conversation that started on a rooftop in Kabul back in 2010- we spend the hour with photographer and citizen of the world, Massoud Hossaini.
In the summer of 2011 we learned of the fairphone mission; to make the world's first ethically responsible mobile phone. We spoke about the challenges, the steps, the people and places in the world that would be involved. Now, many months later, we revisit fairphone to get an update and hear about the interesting developments and ongoing initiatives. My guest and guide on this podcast is Bas van Abel of the Waag Society, who has been part of the fairphone initiative since the early days.
For Levan Asabashvili, the key to fixing Tbilisi is working on the small but significant issues to eventually change the big picture. When he looks at the crumbling facades in old Tbilisi, he sees a reality that can be changed, and a city worth saving. His collective, Urban Reactor, are one group of Georgians that have dedicated themselves to this mission, with full knowledge of the social and historical obstacles that must be overcome.
On one fine Saturday afternoon in March, Levan and I sat down in Gudiashvili Square to talk about the urban challenges Georgia faces.
Every nation needs someone to question, ciriticize, and even make fun of its own society. Even if people don't always like it, making satire of the news is an essential way to unclog the social and political arteries, to prevent a detrimental heart failure. In the Republic of Georgia, there is no shortage of humor and rediculousness to be found, but chiti.ge doesn't just go for the low hanging fruit... they see the value of pushing the so-called limits of what can and cannot be made fun of. My guest is Saba Lekveishvili, one of the people behind Georgia's finest fake news program.
Check them out at Chiti.ge
John Hall remembers the advertizing business in the 50's, 60's and 70's, and there was nothing glamorous about it. His personal policy in the work place was not to pursue wealth and happiness, but to pursue work that brought meaning to life, which in turn has always given him a feeling of being content and the richest man around. As a business man, a hospice nurse, an english teacher for French people, and a business teacher - one thing shines through no matter what he is working on - John Hall is a force to be rekoned with in the best possible way. John joins me on the phone from Paris in this very insightful and fun conversation about the lessons he's learned from fantastic life experiences, and his struggle to convey that to future global business leaders.
Annie Correal knows all about the nature of the news reporting business and the internet of news feeds and hypersharing. But she also knows a world where people take time to tell their stories and listen to one another. The online world of reading, writing and recording where taking time and moving perhaps a little more slowly, is well worth the wait. Her work with both Cowbird and Radio Ambulante reveals two such places where people from all walks of life are coming together, and sharing life in a very significant way.
Today on the podcast I get to know Annie Correal, and ask her questions about how she got started as a journalist to how and why these two special projects became part of her life. Join us for what I believe is a very important and enjoyable conversation. Then go tell stories of your own!
"We've been here before!" Hanna Braun said to herself back in 1948 as Arab residents were expelled from Haifa. She had been a member of the Hagana before the Israeli army had been formally created - before there was even an Israel. She had escaped Germany at the height of the Nazi era, and tells marvelous tales of life in Palestine and how the dream of a secular, multicultural, state was stolen away by a select group who saw violence and hate as tools with which to build a nation. When she was old enough to fully understand what had happened, she dedicated her life to fighting injustice and increasing understanding on both sides. Hanna Braun was a friend of this podcast who taught us about a time in history and an experience that no school book has ever been allowed to publish. She passed away in November of 2011 at the age of 84. This podcast features our first ever conversation, recorded in February 2006, about her life growing up, and what led her to become such an outspoken activist and deciated humanitarian.
Her Memoir - Weeds Don't Perish
In the late 80's and early 90's, my parents built a studio in the basement of our home. This plywood and carpet creation would become the home for The Voice of Portugal, which proudly served the Portuguese of New Jersey for almost a decade. It was this very spot where I first spoke into a microphone as a child. 20 years later I'm standing on that same spot, recording a podcast update about this current journey in the United States, and the new projects I have launched this year.
This week leaders of the African Union celebrated the completion of their state-of-the-art headquarters in Addis Ababa. A gift from China, built with Chinese money and Chinese Labor. Recently the Indian government completed work on the Ghanian State-House. Everywhere you turn on the continent of Africa, leaders continue to make deals and accept gifts that look like progress but in fact, as Chika Ezeanya explains it, is an insult and a crime against Africa. Through her work, writing and teaching, Chika reminds Africans and the entire world that the real tradition of this wonderful continent is not to hold out your hands and have someone build you a new headquarters, it is to work hard use your own skills and strength - that is the often ignored African Way. Background Reading and more information; read Chika for Africa, the best out of Africans, for Africa!
In 2011 the Republic of Honduras became the most dangerous country in the world. With the murder rate rising and wages plummeting, the miitary have now been granted extraordinary police powers. Multinational mining, agribusness, and textile corporations pay poverty wages while the government cooperates closely with the objectives of the US military. The result is what human rights observers like Gilda Batista have described as an unsustainable situation where something big is about to happen. From the streets of Tegucigalpa to the mines of the Siria Valley, something terrible is going on in Honduras, something the internaitonal headlines have been afraid to address.
To help better understand the situation on the ground and how things got this way, my guests on this podcast are:
Gilda Batista, Human Rights Defender, Prosecutor - Refuge Without Limits Grahame Russell, Director - Rights Action This podcast was co-produced by Jeremy Kryt, who's investigative work on Honduras can be read on In These Times
When three friends set out on a journey through West Africa, they knew an unpredictable but potentially wonderful adventure awaited them. And sure enough from Senegal through Mali, BurkinaFaso to Ghana and finally to Togo, they experienced the joy and witnessed the struggles of everyday life there. As radio journalists and documentary film makers, they observed and reported, but some things even an interview can't capture properly.
The following conversation was recorded in Berlin just a few days into the New Year. It features Steffi and Phillip, both independent media producers who just returned from Togo. I asked them about their journey, including the stops en route to Togo, comparisons between countries, and how the experience matched or did not match their expectations and hopes for the journey. We also talk about a documentary about Togolese culture which they are also working on.
Thomas Wiegold was there in Somalia even before the German military arrived back in 1993. And he has been there ever since, reporting on what is a unique situation for both a country and its military. As the decades have passed, as an independent journalist Thomas has continued to both report about as well as look critically at the decisions that are made and how those decisions are carried out by a military that has quietly engaged in a significant number of international interventions over the past 20 years.
In this podcast I get the chance to sit down with Thomas at the Pressehaus in Berlin and to talk about his work, how he got started reporting about the military and where this work has taken him, both physically and mentally. Besides a list of newspapers and magazines, you can also find his work on his blog, Augen Geradeaus (wordplay on the military command - EYES FRONT!), which is mostly in German with items for the English speakers as well. Download, sync it, listen to the discussion, you're sure to learn something new, just as I did.
Personal media empires aren't a new concept, but with every year that goes by and every advancement that helps individuals produce original content- they rise. Media commentators used to predict a media revolution or the collapse of traditional media institutions, but recent history shows us that it won't exactly unfold that way. Instead, personal media producers like Tim Pritlove are hard at work producing programs, exploring topics, engaging with audiences in ways that a big media outlet could only dream about. In different parts of the world, using a magnificent range of styles and approaches, personal media empires are on the rise.
Beyond his many podcasts and online work, you can also follow him on twitter.
"If my grandmother knows Kosovo is a country… everyone knows Kosovo is a country" Flekitza repeats in an attempt to help me understand what is going on in the Serbian community of Kosovo. In her home city in Kosovo, public school teachers get pay checks from the Serbian government, which are substantially larger the the salary Kosovo pays them. A confusing situation that you'll hear me get lost in several times as Flekitza explains how even her university diploma is now considered worthless, as jobs do not recognize what was then officially a Serbian University. The list of obstacles would be enough to make a person quit and run off to a country where things make more sense, but instead she is dedicated to making a life in Prishtina, together with her Albanian partner. A Serbian-Albanian-Kosovar love story that many people, including family, are not willing to accept. "Who cares what people think.. I certainly don't"…. in this podcast I spend time getting to know Flekitza's story, her family, her problems as an ethnic Serbian of struggling Kosovo, and her love of radio. An extra-ordinary individual living in some mind-boggling circumstances.
Gent Thaçi is a rare bird in Kosovo, even he would admit it. At 17 years old he devotes most of his energy to making Kosovo a better place, speci
Çelik Nimani is well aware of the difficulties his young country faces. He is also well aware of the tremendous creativity and potential that can be found here as well as throughout the international Kosovar diaspora. His goal is to help unleash that potential with a resounding call for everyone to get involved, take initiative, and be the change the nation needs to see. He's not just a business man, he's an ideas guy who enjoys being inspired just as much as he himself inspires.
In this podcast we get into how to reach people in Kosovo, to motivate them, to wake up those who are in a depression or feeling powerless. We discuss resources and what this nation has to offer the world. You would think being able to choose your country on a form would be a given, but thats not the case in Kosovo - we discuss this issue. From education to entrepreneurs, this program takes the series on Kosovo to the next level, to where the mainstream media rarely invests the time and energy, and where you can hear the details of this immense challenge from the people who are living them everyday.
çelik Nimani on twitter
His LinkedIn profile
It is often assumed that in order to be successful and realize your dreams you must go to university. Year after year people of all ages apply to institutions of higher education and go to great lengths to afford the high costs that come with such schools. Increasingly people are realizing that the costs to attend such schools far outweigh the benefits. Beyond that, with the dawn of interest networks online and the availability of information and instruction, there is a real opportunity to learn what you want to learn, without going back to school.
Unrecognized by many countries, unable to secure their borders, a struggling economy in a world already in crisis- the laundry list of problems that Kosovo faces can easily be called daunting. But in the face of so much adversity there are some exciting things happening and one source of excitement in Prishtina is the new media project called Kosovo 2.0
He was podcasting before there was podcasting. Looking to the online conversations and connections between old and new media long before any media company understood what was going on. He's a global citizen who has a talent for finding inspiring voices and teaching us about our world. His is a voice I hear in my head whenever I turn on a microphone or ask a question. Who better to talk about the past, present, and future of this thing we do on this website and beyond, than Christopher Lydon. He was there making podcasts long before anyone else back in 2002, when I starting recording my own program in 2004, his Radio Open Source was my constant companion as I made my way through my new life here in Amsterdam. In honor of my 400th we go back to the origins, back to the mindset that brought us this media revolution that is still unfolding. We're not here to say its all great, nor are we here to declare it as disaster, but we are here to talk about what it has been like, what we see, and foresee, for ourselves as independent voices who make media, and for the bigger picture of us as citizens of this world.
Madge Weinstein is an internet celebrity, a culinary pioneer, and an extremely irritable elderly lesbian. Beyond all that, she is an inspiration to several generations of children around the world. After surviving many tragedies, including 3 Bush presidential terms and the current socio-political disaster that has gripped the United States, this podcasting diva has moved her life to Paris where she is sharing her talents with the people of France who already hate her.
Bank Transfer Day was this past weekend. Even now, people around the world are looking at their bank account thinking, maybe I dont want my money with these guys. What are the alternatives? Many will say "all banks are the same" as a way of justifying not doing anything. But what a little investigation can easily reveal is that not all banks are the same.
In the US much of the focus is on community banks and credit unions. In Europe, in the Netherlands for example, we have two small banks that are known for their dedication to transparency and sustainability. And now more then ever, as people flock to occupy more spaces to express their disgust and frustration with the global financial system, there is great interest in expressing your dissent by moving money from the big banks to the small sustainable banks.
Occupy Amsterdam has just entered into its 3rd week. 3 weeks of building a community where people have come together and occupied a public space, where debates are an almost 24 hour phenomenon and cooperation is currency.
Over the first 7 days of occupyamsterdam I was there checking in with people and observing how things developed. During those days I observed meetings of the General Assembly, as well as work groups that are dedicated to different aspects of the movement. I observed teach-ins or education lectures. At the weekend I listened to and even participated in speeches and musical performances. By the beginning of week two it had become a fully functional camp where some people could live and anyone can and did stop by to participate or look around.
The following 4 interviews are taken from week 1, they were carried out with people I saw regularly participating and attending events. My goal in these conversations was not to do what the mainstream media does: asking people why they are here as if I don't understand. Instead, my goal was to hear about the details of how the movement functions and how it deals with a dysfunctional press that is unlikely to communicate their message with much accuracy. Of course during these interviews opinions, experiences, and statements lead to a number of topics popping up beyond how occupyamsterdam functions. We also get into the feeling or spirit of occupy, the outside perception and challenge the group faces when it comes to being understood and heard, and of course the lesser known facts about how the banking system has impacted the very core of how nations function and how people live.
Lastly you'll hear from legendary musician and activist Michael Franti.. as he walked right by me and climbed on stage to give a surprise performance and words of support for the occupy movement.
My guest on this edition of Citizenreporter.org is Chilean-American, community organizer, world citizen Nick Farr who has been traveling around Chile observing many of the activities connected with the student protests demanding education reform in that country.
For several months students throughout Chile have been holding mass rallies, protests as well as occupying university and high school buildings, demanding the government take action to address inequality in the education system and the creation of the country's first free higher education option.
Presently education in Chile consists of a few prestigious charter-type schools, many more prestigious private schools which are very expensive, and then the rest of the public system that is considered poor quality-undesirable schooling. Rural areas, which is most of Chile, are especially plagued by a lack of affordable education. But even in cities these days, access to good schools is entirely dependent on where you live.
The student movement that has exploded throughout the country is focused on the need for better quality and more accessible public education at all levels, especially secondary and university education. While occupy wall street started just over a month ago, students in Chile began occupying school buildings 4 months ago. As part of the occupation, they carry out a fully functioning program of providing meals, classes and cultural activities.
One of the arguments against the students stems from the main leader of the movement who is a very vocal communist. Political opponents and many critical Chileans view his role as "evidence" that this protest is a communist invasion of the country.
Meanwhile the nation, that is highly dependent on the price of copper, struggles as global commodity prices have become so unstable. Graduates who come out of the current higher education system find themselves with little choice when it comes to jobs and career. Despite whatever specialized skills and training they might have had, the only work available to them might be in the low paying service industry.
With the protests as the backdrop, negotiations take place and one point the government hopes students will compromise on is the goal of a "free" education. A point that student leaders refuse to compromise on.
After several decades of tremendous socio-economic progress which saw Chile become a much admired country in the region and around the world, there is talk now of a shrinking middle class and a return to the former paralyzing state of cronyism and inequality.
Will Chilean students achieve their goal? Will the unpopular Chilean government give in to a mass movement sweeping the nation and conducting mass action in the streets and in the schools? In a time where so many nations have bought into the idea of corporate schools or charter schools, could Chile be the place where an old idea is given new life - universal public education.
Link:
Educación 2020 - One of the Movement's Web Sources
El Mercurio - News from Chile
Earlier this year a famine was declared in Somalia. It was not the first time the world had heard about a humanitarian crisis in that struggling country. How did the world respond? How did Somalia get to the state it is in today and who was involved in getting it that way?
John Howard Wolf doesn't know how to fix the global economy, but he can teach us a thing or two about education. Its been his business and passion for most of his adult life. Having immigrated from the US to Portugal in the late 1970's, even back then he was a swimming against the current, setting up a primary school in a country still getting over its post-fascist hangover. As a Americano-Luso (American-Portuguese) he has a unique perspective based on the kind of experiences most of us only wish we could have. John Howard Wolf knows literature and he knows history, but what he knows that the world would be lucky to hear about, is another way to approach life and human relations on this planet. For one great hour on the last days of summer in Lisbon, we sat together watching the world go by during a financial crisis, and talking about how this all happened and what is to come.
Read John's piece in the Portuguese-American Journal
His article on Rural Development and Portugal from January 1992 (note - academic journal paywall)
Erik Nelson moved from house to house as an urban dweller, never living in a space that he felt connected to. Until he found forest land that appealed to him and built his own home there. Or as he explains it: "While most people find a job and then live near that job, we picked the place where we really want to live and then made it work with jobs we could get."
But approach to work isn't the only thing interesting about how Erik and his family live. In this podcast we talk about the reasons for making your own home on the side of a hill in Vermont, how the experience was building it and how it is now living there. In his experience we find yet another example of those who have left the conventional path and made their own home in a unique place/way.
Recommended: Erik's Vlog, Wreck & Salvage and the entire collection of house photos on flickr.
The goal to live life on their terms took Ryanne and Jay from New York City to San Francisco and eventually to Western Virginia. It is here that this dynamic couple set out to build their own home, grow some of their own food, work on their terms, and generally tinker with life choices that were previously not an option or unaffordable. The result is an inspiring start to healthy, stimulating and more sustainable life at a time where so many feel such goals are unreachable.
In this program I'm joined by Ryanne and Jay via skype as they explain how they came to this decision and all the aspects of the home and life they have built together in a place you might not have expected to find them.
Their Flickr Photos documenting their projects
Ryan is Hungry, the Vlog
Follow Jay and Ryanne on twitter
What happens when two New Yorkers leave their successful careers and fabulous apartments in favor of building their own house and a new kind of life on a former trailer park in New Mexico? 5 years ago Wendy Tremayn and Mikey Sklar set off to live life in a radically different way in Truth and Consequences, New Mexico. Building their own home-compound. Growing a lot of their own food. Using alternative energy and sources for basic needs. And working from home as independent professionals and entrepreneurs. Whats more, they've been blogging and vlogging the process the whole way.
How did they do it? What do they say about the experience 5 years in? Whats the biggest drawback or benefit? Listen to this inspiring couple as we cover all this and more.
Part 1 in a series that focuses on the topic of making your own home, work, and life in what these days might be considered a nonconventional way.
(note there was an extremely loud storm in Amsterdam as I recorded this interview, so be ready for the sounds of rain)
This month saw one of the first major uprisings against the government in Angola in recent memory. It was organized, you guessed it- with the help of social media. After Gaddafi, President José Eduardo dos Santos is the longest running leader of an African state (32 years). And just like with the now-fugitive Muammar, many are saying this presidency has gone on for too long. But can change finally come to Angola?
Joining me for a podcast conversation about the reports that have come out of Angola this month is citizen of the world and Global Voices contributor Janet Gunter. Together we try to understand and explain where the country stands when it comes to politics, economy, human rights, and prospects for the future.
When the city of Vancouver made the push to get the Winter Olympics, Joe Bowser and citizens throughout BC were opposed. Through the ballot box and demonstrations they expressed their disapproval. As a result, they were spied on, targeted, and to this day followed by a Canadian government that knows no limits and sees opposition as terrorism.
I caught up with Joe at CCC2011, just a few weeks ago. He had presented his experience as the target of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that has left him with little doubt that the present and future of Canada is dark. In this interview we discuss:
The Winter Olympics Proposal The B.C. budget crisis First Nations People of BC Anti-Olympics Network Annecy Olympics The Harper Government The future
An investigative journalist in the Netherlands has exposed major security flaws in a major government project which promised safe and easy travel throughout the country. He has been reporting the results of his work to both the public and the government. The goal was to inform the public while also pressuring decision makers to address this problem before further damage is done. The result, however, is that Brenno de Winter is now being prosecuted for his journalistic investigation. Laws that protect a journalist in such a situation? -the Netherlands doesn't have any. How can that be? In this podcast Brenno explains the saga as he now faces jail time as punishment for having exposed massive flaws in a 3 billion euro investment (OV-Chip Card) carried out with public funds.
Follow Brenno on twitter for the latest info on the case AND the card.
There is a direct connection between armed conflict in Congo and the minerals we use in our phones and computers. Bibi Bleekemolen has been investigating that connection, in an effort to understand how it works, who is involved, and what can be done about it. Her focus is the role that electronics companies have in the raging conflicts in eastern Congo.
Earlier this year she went along as part of the fairphone fact finding mission to Katanga. In this podcast we discuss the aftermath of that journey as well as Bibi's extensive research into the topic.
Recommended Links about Conflict Minerals and Congo:
SOMO
NIZA
Earlier this year Michael Schaap went to DRCongo as part of the Fairphone fact finding mission. The goal was to better understand how the minerals that make up our technology, our mobile phones, are mined and how they travel from miners up through all the middle people and eventually to the mobile phone producers. Can this process be carried out ethically? Where people are not taken advantage of or abused while doing their work and earning a living? Michael saw first hand how this process works and where things could perhaps change. But does the organization have the resources and support to achieve their goals? What lessons came out of the visit to Katanga?
Since the beginning of 2011 Juan Rodriguez has been working in Afghanistan with the mission to help this country communicate. This has meant bringing internet connectivity to schools, mobile phones for farmers, and an array of crowdsource projects for health, security, and agriculture. On one beautiful and relaxed Friday afternoon in Jalalabad, Juan and I sat in the garden of the wonderful Taj to record this program and tell this story.
You don't often hear from poets in Afghanistan, but beyond all the politics and violence that gets all the press, they've been there all along, writing, reciting, performing...
My guest is Wida Sharifi, a poet and writer based here in Herat. She joins me to tell me about how she got her start in poetry and how the world of poetry works in Afghanistan. We also get into literacy, television, work, and more.
The violence and threats occasionally are reported about in the mainstream media. The threats to funding have also grabbed headlines this year. Almost two years since the murder of Dr. Tiller, what is the state of abortion in the United States? For those who perform the procedure. For those who need or want the procedure. How have things been changing for all the actors involved over the past few years.
To explain the state of things I'm visiting with one of my favorite people, Leah, of the Philadelphia Women's Center.
She was last on the program back in December of 2007, discussing the state of abortion in America at that time.
The way people talk and think about poverty has a major influence in how it is addressed in society. The problem is that there is a limited amount of research regarding perceptions of poverty in different parts of the world and throughout history. Armando Barrientos, Professor and Research Director at the Brooks World Poverty Institute (Manchester), has extensive experience with research and policy related to perception of poverty. He joins me on this podcast to talk about what trends can be identified and even a bit of possible good news when it comes to global poverty.
Driving outside of Tbilisi on the way to the ancient city Mtskheta, my hosts and I talk about Georgian language and how it has been effected by decades of Soviet Occupation and migration patterns. We also delve into Russian-Georgian relations today and how war is still very much part of the language and memory of the nation.
You can follow one of the guests on this episode via his twitter account. The other guest will remain anonymous.
I suddenly find myself in the republic of Georgia and the first thing one needs when arriving in a new country such as Georgia is a guide. Mark Mullen knows Georgia, he has been here since the late 90's and pays close attention to what is going on in the present. Who better to sit down with on my first night in Tbilisi, to talk about this country.
Mark's Podcast about Georgia
As I travel around the Northeast of the United States, I am also struggling to keep up with events unfolding in Spain. Disturbing events as protesters throughout the country suffer the wrath of a police force out of control. While millions throughout the country assemble in city squares demanding political and social reform, their story goes mostly unreported and downplayed by many international media outlets. What is going on in Spain? On today's podcast I talk about the situation, while also giving an update to several themes from recent podcasts.
As a designer, at some point David Kousemaker became interested in finding where our old phones and electronics in general end up once we in the western world throw them away. His interest took him to parts of Indonesia, China, Brazil and Thailand, among other places. There he observed not only how things like mobile phones are broken down, recycled, rebuilt etc, he also saw how entire industries and ecosystems form around these practices.
Through his photos and blog entries you can follow his travels and see some of the highlights. David Kousemaker met up with me here in Amsterdam to talk about how he got into this subject and what he learned from the journey about just how big an impact our love of gadgets is having on this world.
Nadia Plesner is a concerned citizen of the world as well as an artist, and she's deeply troubled by what has been happening in Darfur. She's also frustrated with the lack of media coverage the topic recieves, while showbiz news has no such shortage of attention. In her painting "Darfurnica" as well as her other work, Nadia has been depicting images of the horrors that people live in Darfur, the political maneuvering that goes on, and images of what makes major media headlines instead of Darfur. In part of Darfurnica, there appears the infamous photo of the ghastly thin Sudanese child, adorned in Paris Hilton style with a chiwawa in one hand and a Louis Vuitton bag in the other.
This is the story of how the painting came together, and how LV would file a lawsuit against Nadia. Demanding that she not show her artwork which contains images of their bag, and calling for her to pay an expensive penalty (€5,000 per each day the painting is shown) if she doesn't take down her work. The case is pending a decision in early May. In this podcast interview, we discuss the case as well as Nadia's work in relation to Darfur.
In post Katrina New Orleans, prisons and the justice system suffer from a long list of problems, many of which were there before the floods. They're also the subject of a battle being fought by community leaders to change and fix how crime is addressed in a city fighting to rise again.
My guest for this podcast is Jordan Flaherty, a journalist and community organizer based in New Orleans, where he works on an impressive list of social issues. His book, Floodlines: Community and Resistance from Katrina to the Jena 6 focuses on the struggle of people in New Orleans, the stories of community and culture that do not often reach the mainstream media.
Several weeks following our initial interview with Matthew Dons following the Earthquake-Tsumani and subsequent Nuclear Accident in Japan; we're back again to do an update. Together we discuss the Japanese media, food supply, the rescue-emergency workers, and the behavior of the nuclear industry since this disaster.
Citizenreporter.org's West Africa correspondant isn't too keen on walking the streets of Abidjan these days and she has to watch what she says, as the country is sharply divided by a political standoff. The standoff is between two presidents and their supporters. One the incumbent with his own dedicated citizenry, the other elected several months ago, internationally certified and recognized. How long can this standoff last? What can be done or is being done to resolve it? In the meantime, what does daily life consist of on the streets of Abidjan as well as for a longtime correspondant in her own neighborhood.
Joining me online from Abidjan, international journalist and prolific West Africa blogger, Pauline Bax.
Her work on bloomberg.com Her blog West Africa Wins Always
2011 is the year where many observers and so called experts around the world scramble to understand how it is that so many dictatorships suddenly arrived at a crisis. As people take to the streets and battles take place in city squares throughout the middle east, we discover that in fact many of the dictators of these regions have not been well studied or understood.
Natasha Ezrow, Director of the International Development Studies Program at the University of Essex and author of Dictators & Dictatorships: Understanding Authoritarian Regimes and Their Leaders, has written about the important differences between dictators which we now see being played out by how they handle calls for reform. She also lays out criteria for why types of leaders might flee a country before anyone is harmed, while others would stay til their last breath.
You may think the media and the social networks have told you all that needs to be known about conditions on the ground in Japan, but hearing it first hand gives you a far greater understanding. In the days following the massive earthquake and tsunami, Karamoon contacted me from his home in Tokyo. He wasn't sure how much longer he could remain in his home, or on the other hand, if he wouldn't have to stay in doors for two weeks to avoid radioactive winds.
In the following podcast he describes his experience and the concerns going forward. He also goes into details about his survival preparations and options on an island where many people face difficult choices in the aftermath.
Follow Karamoon on twitter
Listen to the Learn Japanese Pod
And just now I received an update, Tokyo Hacker Space is taking action for quake relief in Northern Japan but they need your help. (link has been down occasionally today)
Gerald Mendes was born in Canada and raised with the story of his grandfather Aristides de Sousa Mendes. As he grew up he came to learn not only about the history of his family, but also about those that the actions of his grandfather during WWII helped to save. At a restaurant in Paris we sat down recently to talk about his family, his life experiences, and his activities related to the legacy of his grandfather.
He died disgraced and impoverished, asking his children to one day clear his name. Decades later, the story of how that man, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, helped save thousands upon thousands of lives during World War II, is finally spreading around the world.
Today his family and descendants of those that were saved by his actions are working to restore not only his name, legacy, and to ensure that his story lives on.
My guest on this podcast is one of the founders of the Sousa Mendes Foundation, herself the daughter and grand daughter of Sousa Mendes visa recipients: Olivia Mattis. In this conversation she tells the story of Sousa Mendes, what becam
The story is not unique to Newark, all over the United States there are cities that are struggling. But what is unique is how citizens of Newark respond. Led by Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a man who loves his gadgets and social networking, groups of volunteers from all walks of life ride the streets of the city in packs of caravans, looking around to see what is going on, who needs help, and what doesn't look right. In cooperation with the police and department of public safety, the objective is to stem the violence, reduce crime, and show residents that people do care. As the mayor himself said to me, it is also a chance for people from different backgrounds, races, religion, geographic locations, you name it - to meet each other and engage in this community activity together.
In this podcast I take you along on a night patrol with pack #2. Along the way you'll hear stories, some serious, some not so serious, but each from a different volunteer with a unique connection to the city of Newark. You will also hear from Cory himself, as he prepares us all before we hit the streets, and later on when he and I had a chance to talk about this initiative and how it has been received by the city.
Linguist and citizen of the world Thomas Milo of Decotype joins me to discuss arabic script, working as a translator for UNIFIL, and mind blowing stories from his days as an intercontinental trucker.
The name UNIFIL doesn't often appear on page one of the mainstream newspapers. For many it was last summers invasion of southern Lebanon that caused the media to even mention that there was an international force wedged between Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, given the task of ensuring that all sides respect a peace agreement.Thomas Milo had a very unique roll as one of the only Arabic speakers stationed with the Dutch battalion of UNIFIL back in 1979. We sat together in his kitchen in Amsterdam and he explained what it was like to work everyday between rocks and a hard place.