Culture Road: Recent Episodes
George Orwel
Culture Road is a new podcast of analysis and commentary of culture and ecology. Your host, George Joshua Orwel is a philosopher and college lecturer in New York. Born in Kenya, he has worked as a journalist for more than two decades across three continents. Orwel teaches creative expression courses, including African art, literature and history, and he serves as a trustee of the Museum of African Culture, Art and History in Brooklyn, NY.
For Season 1 finale, George and Phil welcome back Lucia Green-Weiskel to the show. The three discuss the COP26 conference that took place in Glasgow, a general look back at the climate change history and its effects, and possible solutions in the future.
George and Phil welcome David Bogoslaw, a New York writer to discuss the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the recent elections in the US.
We are also currently running a fundraiser, check it out here.
the project
Culture Road/Initiative for Collaborative Action to Rescue Our Environment is nonprofit group that is engaged environmental justice through public education using visual art, digital, and podcasting.
Not engaged in news reporting, Culture Road instead operates as a collective of audio, video, visual arts, and literary platform for discussions, commentary, and criticisms of culture and ecology. For its part, ICARE-A collaborates with partners on the ground to improve sustainable living and ecological justice in economically poor, minority communities in New York City.
Our first project is to mitigate climate change risks and build up resiliency in the often-neglected neighborhoods in South Bronx, Upper Manhattan, and Central Brooklyn. These are places where the elderly, children, homeless, and immigrants are left vulnerable to potential health risks linked to climate change.
the steps
As part of this project, we are raising money for a research study for community social capital, which would generate extra data to fill in the gaps left by inadequate government data gathering programs. These gaps are the result of city, state and federal agencies using outdated census data that lag by 10 years to design policies that affect urban communities.
why we're doing it
We want to show the missing social indicators in government modeling is why they fail in their policy goals. Our overall agenda is to improve or come up with better strategies for mitigating urgent environmental risks by supporting community-led development.
George and Phil discuss the latest Facebook outage and how social media in general affect our mental health. They also touch up on the new Texas abortion law and what that can mean for our future.
George, Phil, and Angela meet up and discuss the current climate crisis that is more often resulting in hurricanes across the country, tornados in DC, etc. They also touch on the German election, the US politics, and the Covid-19 crisis.
We are also currently running a fundraiser, which you can visit at: https://ioby.org/project/cultured-road-help-us-reach-5000
the project
Culture Road/Initiative for Collaborative Action to Rescue Our Environment is nonprofit group that is engaged environmental justice through public education using visual art, digital, and podcasting.
Not engaged in news reporting, Culture Road instead operates as a collective of audio, video, visual arts, and literary platform for discussions, commentary, and criticisms of culture and ecology. For its part, ICARE-A collaborates with partners on the ground to improve sustainable living and ecological justice in economically poor, minority communities in New York City.
Our first project is to mitigate climate change risks and build up resiliency in the often-neglected neighborhoods in South Bronx, Upper Manhattan, and Central Brooklyn. These are places where the elderly, children, homeless, and immigrants are left vulnerable to potential health risks linked to climate change.
the steps
As part of this project, we are raising money for a research study for community social capital, which would generate extra data to fill in the gaps left by inadequate government data gathering programs. These gaps are the result of city, state and federal agencies using outdated census data that lag by 10 years to design policies that affect urban communities.
why we're doing it
We want to show the missing social indicators in government modeling is why they fail in their policy goals. Our overall agenda is to improve or come up with better strategies for mitigating urgent environmental risks by supporting community-led development.
George and Phil meet up to discuss the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, decisions that led to this, and the consequences this move is creating. The general culture of war and the history of this particular one is discussed, as it is how it parallels other ones in the past.
The team discusses the Olympics, the culture around it, and how there is an incredible amount of disrespect towards the athletes from various sides. The conversation continues into the general treatment of Black American athletes and other non-white athletes throughout the decades during the Olympics and other international sporting events.
Phil and George join up to discuss the current state of the covid-19 pandemic in the world, and the cultural divide that is partially responsible for that state. Angela doesn't miss a chance to join in on the conversation, and the convo about covid, vaccines, and the culture around them takes all sorts of twists and turns. Enjoy!
The team welcomes Lucia Green-Weiskel, and together they discuss the new US approach to Russia, climate change (Paris Accord) and the US-China relations.
Lucia Green-Weiskel teaches Political Science at Northern Vermont University in Johnson, Vermont. Since 2007, she has worked as a Program Manager and later Special Advisor for the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation, a climate policy center in Beijing. She has attended many UN climate conferences and written about US-China relations for The Nation, Vice News, and Grist.
We are sorry we missed the last week's episode, we will be back next week with a brand new episode. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
The team discusses the current nature and culture of work in the United States. Companies are now more than ever used to worker exploitation and paying below living wages, and even companies that claim to pay a living wage take extra steps to exploit the workers. The culture of work has changed with individualism and people being told the only way to win is for other people to lose. Unions have been given a bad name by the conservatives in the country, and company loyalty was prized above all. This year of Covid is changing that culture, hopefully for the better. The younger generation is seeing through the corporate lies, and changing the culture of work.
The team welcomes Nicole Cyrus, author and career coach. Nicole helps address intersectionality of workplace culture, justice, class, race, and gender.
They discuss how writing and journalism changed over time, how they shaped the world we have today, and how our culture grows and changes with them.
The team discusses the human right of the freedom of movement, as well as the current state of immigration in the United States. The current rights to freedom of movement is severely regulated through a system of visas. They touch on Vice President Harris’s new immigration role and what that means for migrants today. The conversation flows into discussion of taxation, wealth, and the current rules in the United States.
George, Angela, and Phil discuss the recent epidemic of mass shootings and also how these shootings relate to today's events and how they affect people. George presents two pieces of art XTZ and ZVS and how they relate to the world we live in vs the world we would like to live in. The team also discusses gun regulation and how that would benefit the American society, how ghost guns are more prevalent with white nationalists, and why this is an absolutely terrible trend. In the last part of the episode, the team discusses police violence and particularly the recent wave of police shootings, and how they are affecting the people.
In this episode, the hosts discuss death, mortality, and how death is seen in various cultures. They touch on The Death Cleaner documentary from the New York Times and how it shows death in this one person’s life. Their different views on death illuminate some of the common views, fears, and feelings we all sometimes see in ourselves.
George, Angela, and Phil welcome Adam Kraemer and welcome back Dr. Eluemuno Blyden to discuss everything that’s happened in a year since the rise of COVID-19 and the first lockdown.
Adam Kraemer, a writer, editor and singer, joined the show from Los Angeles. He’s currently the editorial manager at GSW Advertising, in charge of a lot of ads by pharmaceutical companies. He plays guitar, too.
The team welcomes Erin Latham to discuss the series “Amends” on Netflix and the effects of fascsim, slavery, and the civil war in the US and all around the world.
Erin Latham is a concept driven installation artist, printmaker, and thinker, living and working in Oklahoma. She received her Bachelors of Fine Art from the University of Oklahoma in 2008, Masters of Fine art from the Pratt Institute in 2012, and is currently a PhD candidate in Art Theory, Aesthetics, and Philosophy at the Institute of Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts.
She has a passion for sharing art with others and has been a teaching artist for nine years. Latham is exploring the world around her-the environments within which she exists, both ecological and social- through an interplay of materials and processes, which include both theoretical and practice based work.
Her work is predicated on research of subjectivity and nature, via the human reaction to the environment and the other. By using found and recycled objects and traditional media in sustainable ways she creates installations which immerse the viewer in specific environments and allow for moments of wonder.
To see more of her work please visit: www.erinlatham.com
George, Angela, and Phil welcome back Dr. Eluemuno Blyden and welcome for the first time Yan Chapman and Dr. Tshombe Walker.
Dr. Eluemuno Blyden, a U.K-educated scientist, has worked in biotechnology, education, food security and conservation. He has developed and patented unique technologies for manufacturing vaccines and other medicines using chicken eggs, and a vertical gardening system for urban food production.
Yan Tai, a veteran journalist, is Senior Vice President for Marketing at Delos, engaging the Asian market in promoting wellness in build environments. She worked as a reporter for Washington Times and a correspondent for United Press International. She also was a senior editor at World Journal in New York City. Before that, she was a college professor in Beijing. She is a graduate of Columbia University in New York City.
Tshombe R. Walker PH.D. is an Africologist, Cultural Analyst, Professor of African-American Studies, and Director of HOLLER AT A SCHOLAR, LLC. Over the years Dr. Walker has researched, written and lectured on the anteriority of African Civilization in World History and Hip-Hop Culture as an agent of social change.
They discuss the national recovery after the Trump era— recalling our past and looking into the future. They touch upon education - the calls for children to go back to schools, despite lack of vaccination, and review the teaching and writing of our history.
George, Angela, and Phil welcome Kakuna Kerina, a filmmaker, a writer, a human rights activist and a great storyteller, and share beautiful and touching Black History Month stories with each other. They also discuss the current covid-19 crisis and vaccination, and also touch up on current policies, politics, and who should be the next mayor of New York
Taped the morning after the inauguration, George and Phil welcome David Bogoslaw, a writer, and Dr Cheryl Pahaham, an urban sociologist and policy analyst to discuss the inauguration, the events that came before it, and the culture that shaped it all.
Following the events of January 6th, the hosts had the pleasure to welcome Harry Spikes for an enlightened and interesting conversation about civics in the United States. As always, our topics are colored by current events.
Harry Spikes is the newly appointed Executive Director for Bon Secours Community Works in West Baltimore City where he oversees a budget of over 7 million dollars to provide housing, workforce development, urban farming and early head start to low income families. Previously, Harry served in the office of the late U.S. Congressman Elijah E. Cummings who represented Maryland’s 7th Congressional District.
In the last episode of 2020, George and Phil welcome back Dr. Eluemuno Blyden and Victor Provenzano to the show to discuss climate change and how it shapes our culture, how it affects our lives. As people who depended and still depend on nature, we are attuned to the environment.
George and the team discuss the technology and how it effects our daily lives. He's joined by two spectacular guests:
Dr. Eluemuno Blyden, a U.K-educated scientist, has worked in biotechnology, education, food security and conservation. He has developed and patented unique technologies for manufacturing vaccines and other medicines using chicken eggs, and a vertical gardening system for urban food production.
Jerone J. Jones is a consulting engineer with 16 years of experience in pragmatic technology. He founded Technology Security, which focused on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
Host George Orwel and Co-hosts Angela Mosely and Phil Berroll discuss the election results with Cheryl Pahaham, a sociologist and public servant from NYC. Listen in on their conversation about post-election weeks, and find out what issues and results they are expecting.
Host George Orwel and Co-hosts Angela Mosely and Phil Berroll discuss election day events with guest Victor Provenzano, ABD from Stanford University. Join us for this interesting conversation!