Inside the Journey: Recent Episodes
Nelson de Witt & John Younger
An American man shares a personal search to heal the wounds of a war in which he disappeared with his birth mother nearly 30 years ago. More at: http://www.identifyingnelson.com/
Nelson de Witt & John Younger discuss the 20th anniversary of Nelson’s reunion. They also discuss their progress on the film and Nelson’s new project, Waking From Innocent Dreams. Show Notes Images/Video: Links: Read Chapter 1 of Waking From Innocent Dreams. Credits: Hosts – Nelson de Witt & John Younger Producer – Derek de […]
The post Episode #86: A look back at 2017 and more appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Tom is a father of four who works in Human Resource Command for the Army. He is currently trying to have an in person reunion with his birth mother after 26 years. Tom was separated from his family in what he believed was a legal adoption. Upon finding his birth mother, Tom learned that she was tricked into giving him up for adoption.
The post Episode #85: Tom’s Reunion appeared first on Inside the Journey.
A conversation with Arturo Viscara, the Advocacy Coordinator of SOA Watch. Arturo discusses his work with an organization that documents the atrocities linked to the School of the Americas, including a detailed discussion of the 2009 military coup in Honduras and how that event brought him to SOA Watch. Show Notes Images/Video: Links: SOA Watch […]
The post Episode #84: Solidarity – Central America and SOA Watch with Arturo Viscarra appeared first on Inside the Journey.
A conversation about the Salvadoran Civil War with Philippe Bourgois. Philippe describes his time in Central America as a graduate student and how he got caught up in a firefight when the Salvadoran military raided a rural village. Show Notes Images/Video: Links: Philippe Bourgois Website Credits: Hosts – Nelson de Witt & John Younger Producer […]
The post Episode #83: Experiencing War with Philippe Bourgois appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John and Nelson talk about what they have been up to over the past several months. They share an update about the film, podcast, and the newly formed Mama Chila Foundation.
The post Episode #82: Where have we been? appeared first on Inside the Journey.
A conversation about the 2014 US border crisis, with professor Aviva Chomsky. Professor Chomsky helps us understand the influx of Central American youths, by looking at the complicated and often misunderstood history of the region.
The post Episode #80: Understanding The US Border Crisis with Prof. Aviva Chomsky appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John and Nelson talk about three articles that directly and indirectly related to El Salvador and how different groups of people deal will collective trauma.
The post Episode #79: In the news, a few great articles to read appeared first on Inside the Journey.
A conversation about the history of El Salvador with Jorge E. Cuéllar, a PhD Candidate at Yale University. While the film and podcast primary look at El Salvador’s history over the past 30 years, Jorge provides us with deep picture of El Salvador’s past and explains what being Salvadoran means to him.
The post Episode #78: A Deeper Look at El Salvador with Jorge E. Cuéllar appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John and Nelson take a look back at the progress made in 2014, and talk about what’s next for the film in 2015.
The post Episode #77: 2014 Recap and a look ahead appeared first on Inside the Journey.
A Conversation with Dr. Angelina Snodgrass Godoy about leading The Unfinished Sentences Project, and how she got involved with human rights work in Central America.
The post Episode #76: The Power of a Global Movement with Dr. Angelina Snodgrass Godoy appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk with Julie “JC” Miller, a Salvadoran adoptee, about her search, the importance of owning the process, and some helpful resources.
The post Episode #75: Unnecessary Hurt with Julie “JC” Miller appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk with Phil Neff and Mina Manuchehri about The Unfinished Sentences Project and their work on The Yellow Book. Phil and Mina explain how they have used Freedom of Information requests to obtain classified documents which help form a picture of how the Salvadoran military targeted civilians.
The post Episode #74: The Unfinished Sentences Project appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson talks with four students from the Association of Salvadoreños at Yale Undergraduate. They talk about juggling multiple identities and the contradictions that come with those identities.
The post Episode #73: What does it mean to be Salvadoran? appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John talks with Nelson about his recent trip to Yale University to talk with the Salvadoran student group.
The post Episode #72: Speaking at Yale appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about the discovery of a Salvadoran military document called The Yellow Book. It is an intelligence document that was created in 1987 which contains the names and pictures of individuals who were considered “enemies” of the state.
The post Episode #71: The Yellow Book appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk with Lindsay about challenges of defining justice. Often we are able to determine that an injustice has accrued, but it can be much harder to determine how to make up or correct for that injustice.
The post Episode #70: How does one define justice? appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson talks with his mother, Margaret E. Ward, about the challenges of creating a compelling narrative from our incredibly complex family history.
The post Episode #69: Creating a compelling narrative with Margaret E. Ward appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson continues his talk with Rob McAndrews, a professor at Salem State, who has done a lot work in El Salvador and with the Salvadoran community.
The post Episode #68: The Difficult Truth with Robert McAndrews appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson talks to Rob McAndrews, a professor at Salem State, who has done a lot work in El Salvador and with the Salvadoran community.
The post Episode #67: Activism for El Salvador with Rob McAndrews appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson take time to discuss the highlights of their interviews with Stefan Schmitt and Congressman Jim McGovern.
The post Episode #66: Summer Recap Episode appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk to Kathryn Ferguson about her work with Tucson Samaritans. For the past 10 years Kathryn has been providing humanitarian aid to immigrants trying to cross the US border near Tucson.
The post Episode #65: Life on the Border with Kathryn Ferguson appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson talk with his sister Eva about her new born baby Mila. They discuss the significance of the name Mila and what legacy means to them.
The post Episode #64: Baby Mila with Eva Coto appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk to Congressman Jim McGovern about his modern day El Salvador it's struggle to find justice.
The post Episode #63: Amnesty in El Salvador with Congressman Jim McGovern appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk to Congressman Jim McGovern about his experiences in El Salvador and the work he did on The Moakley report.
The post Episode #62: The Moakley Report with Congressman Jim McGovern appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk with the director of PHR’s International Forensic Program Stefan Schmitt about how events in Latin America are tied to Vietnam and Iraq. They try to make sense of wars past and present in order to find a little bit of hope.
The post Episode #61: Trying to make sense of war with Stefan Schmitt appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk with the director of PHR’s International Forensic Program Stefan Schmitt about the violence in Guatemala during the 80's.
The post Episode #60: Violence in Guatemala during the 80’s with Stefan Schmitt appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk with the director of PHR’s International Forensic Program Stefan Schmitt about his life and work in Guatemala. This is the first of a multipart episode.
The post Episode #59: Forensic Anthropology in Guatemala with Stefan Schmitt (Part 1) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson interviews three of his former camp counselors John Younger, Curtis Fazen, and Josh Lieberman. They share memories of Nelson as a camper and what meeting his birth family meant to them.
The post Episode #57: Camp Frank A. Day Edition with John, Josh, and Curtis. appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about the rise of gang violence in El Salvador after the country's new president Sánchez Cerén took office.
The post Episode #56: Current events in El Salvador appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson talks with his siblings about their grandmother Mama Chila, who became a surrogate mother to Eva and Ernesto. They talk about her influence on the family and how losing she losing her own mother motivated Mama Chila to take care them.
The post Episode #54: Remembering Mama Chila appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In this short but important podcast John & Nelson talk about the latest developments of the film.
The post Episode #53: An important film update appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about how their perspectives have changed since their 2011 trip to El Salvador. Sometimes it takes a while to understand the impact of a trip of this magnitude.
The post Episode #51: How the trip El Salvador effected us appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In honor of the first full year of the podcast John & Nelson talk about the ebook that started it all. Back in 2010 John discovered an ebook that Nelson wrote as part of his website Ana's Miracle.
The post Episode #50: How our film project got started appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson & Lindsay talk about race and culture and how that relates to identity. Nelson shares stories where his race and culture were out of alignment and how that shaped his world view.
The post Episode #49: Race, culture, and identity appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson talks to Mila Konomos a Korean American adoptee who wrote about the challenges of reuniting with your birth family. They discuss the similarities and differences between their stories and the role identity and culture has to play in adoption.
The post Episode #48: Romanticizing Adoption and Reunion with Mila Konomos appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson speculate about the impact of El Salvador's recent election for the disappeared and the country's amnesty laws.
The post Episode #47: What does El Salvador’s recent election mean for the Disappeared? appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In order to commemorate El salvador's Day of the Disappeared, March 29th, John & Nelson are airing a speech made in 2011 by former President Mauricio Funes. While the speech is in spanish they provide commentary on it for our english speaking audience.
The post Episode #46: The President’s Speech appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk to Ana and Isabel two salvadoran adoptees from the New England area who went looking for their birth family. They share their adoption story, talk about the search, and some of the challenges they have faced.
The post Episode #45: Searching Sisters with Ana and Isabel (Part 2) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk to Ana and Isabel two salvadoran adoptees from the New England area who went looking for their birth family. They share their adoption story, talk about the search, and some of the challenges they have faced.
The post Episode #44: Searching Sisters with Ana and Isabel (Part 1) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about what is at the core of Nelson's story as they work on a narrative for their crowd-funding campaign. They explore the themes of connection, identity, and how they can change the way we view the world.
The post Episode #43: What’s our crowd-funding story? appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk to Marla Roach who is a Salvadoran Adoptee looking for her birth family. She talks about meeting other adoptees and her slow realization that her adoption was not what it seemed.
The post Episode #42: Life as a Salvadoran Adoptee with Marla Roach appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about the concept of historical memory and what it means to the country of El Salvador. They also talk about the lack of historical memory in the United States.
The post Episode #41: Historical Memory appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about Act III of their film, "FMLN Arena." They share memories from the 2011 Day of The Disappeared, which is at the heart of the Act.
The post Episode #40: Act III, FMLN Arena appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about the lessons we hope people will take away from our film. They talk about the mindset which allowed these atrocities to happen, and contrast them with the cost of war on an individual/family level.
The post Episode #39: Finding what makes us alike appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about the phenomenon of forced disappearances throughout Latin America. Most films, books, and articles talk about the disappearances in El Salvador with out looking at countries like Argentina, Chili, and Guatemala who all had similar pasts.
The post Episode #38: Forced disappearances in the context of Latin America appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about the equipment they use to film and how it impacted the interviews. They discuss the benefits of the equipment's small size and how allowed them record very intimate interviews with their subjects.
The post Episode #37: What’s in your bag? appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk about the film, "A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman." They share their reactions and talk it relates back to Identifying Nelson/Buscando a Roberto.
The post Episode #36: Reactions to A Promise to the Dead appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson work through the creative process as they search for language that will tie together scene two. Nelson shares some very personal feelings about what it means to share his story.
The post Episode #35: We lived appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John interviews Nelson about the 16th anniversary of when he was reunited with his family. They share some memories from 2013.
The post Episode #34: 16 years, a look back with Nelson/Roberto appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson talks with his brothers Derek and Ernesto about our 16 year reunion. Ernesto gives us a glimpse into the experience of the birth family and Derek shares some old stories.
The post Episode #33: 16 Years, a look back with Derek & Ernesto appeared first on Inside the Journey.
Nelson talks with his adoptive parents Tom de Witt and Margaret War about the past 16 years. They share how meaningful it has been to develop a relationship with members of Nelson's biological family.
The post Episode #32: 16 years, a look back with Tom & Margaret appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk with Yolaina who works at Pro-Búsqueda to help family's through the reunion process. We talk about the work that Pro-b is doing and the challenges of being reunited with a family you've never met.
The post Episode #31: Catching up with Pro-B appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson continue their talk with Peter Cassidy-Sibrian about reconnecting with his birth family and his experiences visiting El Salvador. He talks about the challenges of balancing family and people's perceptions about the war.
The post Episode #30: Balancing two lives with Peter Cassidy-Sibrian (Part 2) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
John & Nelson talk with Peter Cassidy-Sibrian about reconnecting with his birth family and his experiences visiting El Salvador. He shares some memorable stories about his time with Father John Cortina.
The post Episode #29: Balancing two lives with Peter Cassidy-Sibrian (Part 1) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the 28th episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk about their decision to remain independent and some of the trade-offs. They talk about the challenges of going to film festivals such as Sundance and how sometimes the best thing to do is pick yourself.
The post Episode #28: Impact vs Acclaim appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the 27th episode of the Inside the Journey podcast Nelson sits down with his mother, Margaret E. Ward, to talk about their event at Wells College. They talk about the audience's reaction, questions from students and the challenges of telling a balanced story.
The post Episode #27: Reactions from Wells appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the 26th episode of the Inside the Journey podcast we continue John's interview with Nelson and his siblings. We talk about the unforeseen impact of being reunited and how it changed Eva and Ernesto.
The post Episode #26: Unforeseen impact appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the 25th episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John interviews Nelson and his siblings. They each share a part of the story that was important to them.
The post Episode #25: Getting to know Nelson’s Siblings appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the 24th episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk about movements. The explore how movements start and what they hope to accomplish with the film.
The post Episode #24: What’s our movement? appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the 23rd episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk about three films that have inspired them. Each film breaks down a complex story to reveal a deeper, and not very well understood truth.
The post Episode #23: Films that inspire us appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the 22nd episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk about facing criticism and addressing the Elephant in the room. They review last weeks NPR article and talk about the editorial challenges they face.
The post Episode #22: Washing Elephants appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the twenty first episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson share media resources that have helped them better understand the Salvadoran conflict. Making sense of war is always difficult, and these recourses help demonstrate the devastating impact of bad foreign policies on individual lives.
The post Episode #21: Understanding the Salvadoran Conflict appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the 20th episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk about the fear and anxiety that comes from making art. They share what they are scared of, and how they deal with those feelings.
The post Episode #20: Fear and filmmaking appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the nineteenth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk about their plans to release the film in early 2014. They share some big announcements including The Advocate Experience, a way for you to see the film as it's being developed.
The post Episode #19: Business Plan Edition appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the eighteenth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast, Nelson talks with Clarence Smith Jr. about his online portfolio BOLD Edition. Clarence shares his thoughts about the process and challenges of telling a great story.
The post Episode #18: The art of storytelling with Clarence Smith Jr. appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the seventeenth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast Nelson talk with his siblings about what life lessons they have learned. Derek, Ernesto and Eva share their thoughts on faith, their grand mother, and the meaning of family.
The post Episode #17: What can we learn from this story? With Nelson’s siblings appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the sixteenth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast Nelson's parents continue to tell the story of how he was adopted. It is filled with mystery and drama as Tom & Margaret take a leap of faith for an unknown child.
The post Episode #16: Nelson’s Adoption Story (Part 2) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the fifteenth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast Nelson's parents tell the story of how he was adopted. It is filled with mystery and drama as Tom & Margaret take a leap of faith for an unknown child.
The post Episode #15: Nelson’s Adoption Story (Part 1) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the fourteenth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast Nelson talks to the Misfits about their take on our film. Deb, Jackie, and Sue Ann comment on what they saw in Fargo.
The post Episode #14: Misfit Invasion, feedback from Fargo. appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the thirteenth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson reflect on their conversations with previous guests. In part two they talk about living with two identities and their interviews with Derek and Danii.
The post Episode #13: Recap Episode (Part 2) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the twelfth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson reflect on their conversations with previous guests. In part one they talk about interviewing Margaret E. Ward, author of Missing Mila, Finding Family, and Ralph Sprenkels the lead investigator on Nelson's case.
The post Episode #12: Recap Episode (Part 1) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the eleventh episode of the Inside the Journey podcast Nelson interviews his niece Daniela Sancho Coto. She talks about the unforeseen consequences of our decisions and growing up with an uncle who isn't always there.
The post Episode #11: The unforeseen consequences of our decisions with Danii appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the tenth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk with Nelson's brother Derek about his experiences. He shares a poem he wrote and talks about why we should care about the war in El Salvador.
The post Episode #10: Why should we care? With Derek de Witt appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the third episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John interviews Nelson talk about living with two identities. Nelson shares his feelings of being torn between two worlds and how hard it can be at times.
The post Episode #09: Living with two identities with Nelson/Roberto appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the eight episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson continue their talk with Ralph Sprenkels about the origins of Pro-Busqueda. In part two we talk about the truth commission, the discovery of missing children, and the case that lead to the formation of Pro-B.
The post Episode #08: The Origins of Pro-B with Ralph Sprenkels (Part 2) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the seventh episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk with Ralph Sprenkels about the origins of Pro-Busqueda. In part one we talk about early years of the war and the work of father Jon Cortina.
The post Episode #07: The Origins of Pro-B with Ralph Sprenkels (Part 1) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the sixth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson continue their talk with Margaret E. Ward author of Missing Mila, Finding Family. She talks about the history of El Salvador and her thoughts on the film.
The post Episode #06: Finding Family with Margaret E. Ward (Part 2) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the fifth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson interview Margaret E. Ward author of Missing Mila, Finding Family. We talk about her book, what went into writing it, and what has happened since it's release.
The post Episode #05: Finding Family with Margaret E. Ward (Part 1) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the fourth episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk about what's next for the film. They cover the next six months leading up to a 2nd crowd-funding campaign and beyond.
The post Episode #04: What’s next for the film? appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the third episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson continue their discussion about the history of their film.
A lot has happened since the start of this project in 2010. We realize that many people are unaware of the developments with the film. So we recorded this episode to share our progress and person highlights.
Originally this was going to be one episode but we decided to break it up. In part 2 we talk cover our Nelson's trip back to LA and our talk at the U. Chicago Robert Kirschner Memorial lecture.
The post Episode #03: History of the film (Part 2) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In the second episode of the Inside the Journey podcast John & Nelson talk about the film's progress over the past three years and their personal highlights. A lot has happened since the start of this project in 2010. We realize that many people are unaware of the developments with the film. So we recorded this episode to share our progress and person highlights. Originally this was going to be one episode but we decided to break it up. In part 1 we talk cover our Kickstarter project and trip to El Salvador.
The post Episode #02: History of the film (Part 1) appeared first on Inside the Journey.
In our first episode of the Inside the Journey Podcast, John and Nelson talk about how the film got started and what the project means to them now. John shares how he met Nelson at summer camp and what a lasting impression that made on him. They talk about Nelson's blog, Ana's Miracle, and his journey to share his family's story.
The post Episode #01: Why are we making this film? appeared first on Inside the Journey.