We are not where we thought we would be right now. I’m tucked up in my home, probably like you, in self-imposed isolation, aiming to stop the spread of this pernicious, deadly disease that is sweeping the planet right now. It’s a moment where we realise the things we have taken for granted. Seeing our friends, hugging our mum. Even having a robust argument with someone doesn’t quite work on Zoom (and it can be fatal on Twitter). Oh how…
Bonnie Honig is one of the world’s top democratic theorists and is based at Brown University. A scholar and commentator in the United States, Bonnie is the author of numerous books, including Public Things: Democracy in Disrepair, published in 2017. She runs us through her approach to democracy and critical thinking, showing us how it can help us interpret and respond to the crises and shocks that we are experiencing now. Listen by clicking play above, or listen via…
Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers gives us the lowdown on what she’s learned about changemaking after more than 25 years at the chalkface of teacher’s unionism in the United States. We explore education reform and the mobilising power of social movements and discover how the election of President Trump invited her to rethink the way she organises. Listen by clicking play above, or listen via an app on Apple, PodcastOne or Stitcher – or on most…
Curious about the remarkable rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and policies like the Green New Deal? We talk to Andrés Bernal about both. Andrés Bernal is an Advisor to U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. His PhD research focuses on the political economy and policy design of the Green New Deal. Andrés is a proponent of the heterodox school of economic thought known as Modern Monetary Theory. He is a Research Fellow at the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity. See: https://www.andres-bernal.com/about Listen…
In the US, gun violence affects black communities far more than any other. How did the March for Our Lives movement work with these communities? What do powerful intersectional movements look like? Listen by clicking play above, or listen via an app on Apple, PodcastOne or Stitcher – or on most other podcast apps by searching “ChangeMakers.” Or use our RSS feed. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT MEI-LING HO-SHING I feel like every African-American household is required to talk about what gun violence…
In the wake of the school shooting in Parkland people began using art as a means to express their grief and to connect their plea for gun reform to others. How did this art reach people in ways that moved beyond just words? Listen by clicking play above, or listen via an app on Apple, PodcastOne or Stitcher – or on most other podcast apps by searching “ChangeMakers.” Or use our RSS feed. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT MANUEL OLIVER: Listen. If…
On 14 February 2018, 17 people were killed in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida. That same day, student survivors began to build a movement against senseless gun violence and lax gun laws. This is the first episode in a multi-part series that explores how they organised for change. This episode looks at how important their voices were in breaking through the sense of despair in America’s gun debate. Listen by clicking…
Today’s chat is with autism advocate Robyn Steward. We learn about her journey as an autistic woman, and about the power of building understanding between neurotypical and neurodivergent people. Curious about autism – this one is for you! Listen by clicking play above, or listen via an app on Apple, PodcastOne or Stitcher – or on most other podcast apps by searching “ChangeMakers.” Or use our RSS feed.
GetUp is one of Australia’s most impactful and influential community organisations, and Paul Oosting is their national director. We discuss what GetUp learnt from the 2019 Federal Election campaign. We find out Paul’s insights about what it’s like to operate under the pressure of media and political attack. Listen by clicking play above, or listen via an app on Apple, PodcastOne or Stitcher – or on most other podcast apps by searching “ChangeMakers.” Or use our RSS feed.
When the 2019 Bushfires burnt her home, Fiona Lee did what most would find hard – she became an advocate for climate change. Three days after her house burnt down, Fiona and her family stood at NSW Parliament House calling for serious action on climate change as creating the context for these catastrophic fires. What is her story? How did she do this? And what did she learn about the power of her own voice in this moment. This episode…
