Podcasting since 2004; Conversations, conflicts, adventures and monologues from around the world.
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Howard Zinn, historian and war veteran, has dedicated much of his life’s work to telling the FULL history of the United States. This means including the dark and often upsetting truths of how the nation and its government has carried itself since its inception. In this special brief podcast, I read Zinn’s text entitled “On July 4, Put Away the Flags”.
Also audio from Utah Phillips and a fantastic statement from Joe Strummer.
When the international community hears from Cameroon it is most commonly related to soccer or music. Yet the nation known as mini-Africa has alot more to offer. In this podcast, blogger and activist Josh Goldstein talks about his work and recent visit to Cameroon.
His blog: In An African Minute
The organization: Global Youth Partnership for Africa
We Discuss:
-How and why he ended up in Cameroon
-The organization
-The recent history of Cameroon
-The language divide
-City versus Countryside
-Technology and Access
-Support for and interest in the program
-Cultural Products
-Future Plans
They call it a missile defense system and tell the public it will protect them from attacks by rogue nations. Yet after hundreds of billions of dollars in military contracts, a plethora of failed tests, and a long list of international disagreements, missile defense is still being developed without much public discussion.
My guests today, Victoria Samson, of the Center for Defense Information, and Jane Vaynman of the blog Armscontrolwonk.com , help to lay out the issue of the anti missile system and to remind us of the details that many governments would like for us to ignore.
We Discuss:
– What is Missile Defense
– How is it funded
– When did it begin, how
– Where is it in the world, for who
– Who are the perceived threats
– Tests and failures
– The politics and political game revolving around the system
– The Russian point of view
– A new Cold War or just a bad time for relations with Russia
– Who Benefits?
– Where and who can we look to for info and help
Using a wide range of strategies, human rights activists around the world are calling on China to stop funding the genocide in Darfur. Their most important tool- the Olympic Games in 2008. While some experts and activists call for a boycott in the tradition of boycotting olympics to make a political statement, others are proposing different strategies.
My Guest is Jonathan Zimmerman, Director of the History of Education Program, Steinhardt School of Education, NYU.
(you can read some of his op-eds on China and Darfur, here and here)
We Discuss:
-China’s role in Darfur
-Resources and the need for resources
-Historical olympic boycotts
-Leading public figures who won’t take a stand against China
-Beyond Boycott
In the second part of the program you hear excerpts from a press conference launching the Olympic Dream for Darfur campaign. Audio includes Mia Farrow, Eric Reeves and Jill Savitt
He knows the city will flood again, and is fully aware of all the corruption and neglect that goes on in New Orleans. But the American Zombie says there is no where else in the world he would rather be, than living in New Orleans, and exposing the bastards, up until the very end.
We discuss:
– His early blogging following the hurricane
– Blogging as a reporter and a watchdog, covering the rebuilding
– Corruption, from insurance, to taxes, to the mayors office
– Who is Mayor Ray Nagin really?
– Who is profiting from the bad state of things?
– Decline of New Orleans, death of America
– The inevitable flood and looking to the future
Corruption is a global problem, and Transparency International has made it their business to track and measure corruption worldwide. In this program I head to TI headquarters in Berlin to ask about their projects in Latin America.
My first guest is Marta Erquicia, programme coordinator, Americas Dept. at TI.
Then via telephone we hear from Silke Pfeiffer, regional director, also from the Americas Dept.
We discuss:
– Transparency International’s mission
– How the organization functions
– Funding sources
– Different areas of focus in Latin America
– Political Campaign Funding
– Who cooperates who doesn’t?
– Recent meeting with the OAS
– Group of 8 involved in the campaign
– Sources of dirty money
– Much more, so give it a listen
More info at the Carter Center as well