Making Contact
777 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 53 ratingsMedia that helps build a movement: Making Contact is an award-winning, 29-minute weekly magazine/documentary-style public affairs program heard on 150 radio stations.
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Episodes
Scorched Earth: The Legacy of Agent Orange
August 07, 2013 01:22 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBCombat, chemicals, and corporations; a special program in honor of Agent Orange Day. We’ll look at the multigenerational legacy of Agent Orange -- a toxic defoliant used by the United States military in the jungles of Vietnam.
Demystifying Unions with Bill Fletcher Jr.
July 31, 2013 01:01 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBUnions are getting weaker and the general public no longer understands or supports organized labor says organizer and author Bill Fletcher Jr.. Progressive Radio’s Matthew Rothschild interviews Fletcher about why working Americans and unions have lost touch with one another, and what might be done to turn that around.
Returning Fire: Interventions in Video Game Culture
July 24, 2013 00:04 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAt the mall, online, and even within the US military. Interactive, realistic, pro-war video games have become part of American culture. But anti-war protestors have found a way inside those games too. And artists are finding ways to turn the virtual world, into a place where the military hero narrative can be questioned. On this edition, We hear excerpts from the movie Returning Fire: Interventions in Video Game Culture, written and directed by Roger Stahl.
A New Way of Life and the New Underground Railroad
July 16, 2013 23:03 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAfter serving time, finding food, a job and a place to live with a criminal record can become an almost impossible task. On this edition, women building their own support network after being released from prison. We’ll hear "A New Way of Life and the New Underground Railroad," a documentary by Chris Moore-Backman.
Survivors of Solitary Confinement
July 09, 2013 22:57 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBTens of thousands are in solitary confinement in American prisons which according to the United Nations is torture. Claire Schoen met nine former prisoners.
Harvest of Empire (Part 2)
July 03, 2013 01:35 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBIts not just jobs and prosperity that draw immigrants to the United States. Many Latin Americans were brought here, or forced to come by dangerous or deadly conditions-which the US often helped create. On this edition, part two of “Harvest of Empire” a documentary film written and narrated by Democracy Now’s Juan Gonzalez. Today, in excerpts from the film, Gonzalez traces the history of Nicaraguan and Salvadoran migration to the United States.
Harvest of Empire (Part 1)
June 25, 2013 22:15 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBIts not just jobs and prosperity that draw immigrants to the United States. Many Latin American’s were brought here, or forced to come by dangerous or deadly conditions. And the US often had a role in creating those crises. Over the next 2 weeks, we’ll hear “Harvest of Empire” a documentary film written and narrated by Democracy Now’s Juan Gonzalez. Today, in part one, Gonzalez traces the history of Guatemalan, Dominican, and Mexican migration to the United States.
Seeking Shelter: Building Housing and Community for LGBTQ Elders
June 18, 2013 23:29 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBLesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors are much more likely than their straight counterparts to be alone and isolated as they age. Housing and support for these elders is a growing need--and the issue is not confined to the United States. On this edition, we’ll visit Jakarta Indonesia, and Los Angeles, California, to hear stories of building housing and community for LGBTQ seniors.
Rad Dads!!!
June 11, 2013 23:21 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBFathers…and mothers…on fatherhood and how it’s changing. Traditional ideas about what a dad is supposed to be are slowly disappearing, but what will take their place?
Idle No More
June 04, 2013 22:27 - 28 minutes - 26.6 MBIn the winter of 2012, flash mob round dances, demonstrations, hunger strikes, and blockades swept Canada. What began as a protest against new laws seen as curtailing environmental protections and infringing indigenous sovereignty, quickly grew into a movement for indigenous rights and environmental justice. On this edition, Sylvia McAdam, one of the founders of Idle No More, tells the story of the movement.
Capitalism Makes us Crazy: Dr Gabor Mate on Illness & Addiction
May 28, 2013 22:41 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBWhat’s the connection between the increase in chronic diseases, mental illness and drug addiction in our society today? On this edition, Dr. Gabor Mate talks about the relationship between mind and body health – and what the rise of capitalism has done to destroy both.
Partners in the Struggle
May 21, 2013 18:08 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBWhat does it mean to be an ally in a political movement? From white Americans in the civil rights era, to Israelis in Palestine, to Latino-Americans working with the undocumented…a roundtable discussion on the do’s and don’ts of how to be an effective ally.
Cracking the Codes: Dr. Shakti Butler on the System of Racial Inequity
May 14, 2013 15:56 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBHow do we talk about race and racism in this country? Not as deeply as we should, according to filmmaker and educator Dr. Shakti Butler. On this edition, we hear excerpts from Dr. Butler’s film “Cracking the Codes”, and speak with her about using the medium of film to start conversations around the thorny issues of racial inequity.
Permission to Speak: Political Prisoners in Burma
May 07, 2013 16:52 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBAs Burma transitions from dictatorship to democracy, hundreds of political prisoners have been freed after decades behind bars. On this edition, we hear from some of these freed political prisoners as they struggle to rebuild their lives, and test the emerging democracy.
Manufacturing Terror: The Media's Anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim Problem
April 30, 2013 21:52 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAfter the Boston Marathon bombing, journalists scrambled to identify those responsible for the attack, and their motive. Rolling news and online message boards were filled with speculation, many pointing the finger at Muslims and Arabs. Does the media reinforce anti-Arab and anti-Muslim stereotypes?
Undocumented and Undaunted: DREAMer Artists Speak Out
April 23, 2013 18:11 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBThe struggles of undocumented youth in the US often fly under the radar of the mainstream media. But with the tools of creative expression and the power of social media, a new generation of young immigrants is making sure their voices are heard. From musical theater to political posters to videos on the web, young undocumented artists speak their truth. Special thanks to the Left Tilt Fund and the Berwick-Degel Family Foundation.
Arundhati Roy Jungles of Resistance
April 16, 2013 16:55 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBRenowned Indian author Arundhati Roy says her country’s government has declared war on its own people. Her outspokenness earned her an invitation to spend time with Maoist rebels. On this edition, Arundhati Roy takes us into the jungles of India, as she reads excerpts from her new book ‘Walking with the Comrades’. Special thanks to the Center for Place Culture and Politics at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center.
Surviving Ex-Gay Therapy
April 08, 2013 21:57 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBThe growth of the ex-gay movement in the last two decades gave rise to hundreds of therapy programs aiming to change people’s sexual orientation. Many were explicitly religious, and claimed to be able to “pray away the gay”. But there’s a growing movement, led by survivors of ex-gay therapy, to disprove and ban these harmful practices for good. On this edition, stories of recovery from conversion therapy, and becoming ex- ex-gay.
Taxes are for suckers
April 03, 2013 00:07 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBImagine paying almost nothing in taxes—sounds great doesn’t it? Some of America’s biggest companies are doing just that and making millions or even billions in profits, thanks to loopholes and political influence… On this edition, why does big business pay lower tax rates than the rest of us? And how activists have brought the issue into the spotlight.
Transit For All
March 26, 2013 00:09 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBWhen city budgets are cut, public transportation is often on the chopping block. And routes and lines serving those who need the service most, can be the first to go. But from New York to Argentina, an emerging ‘transportation justice’ movement is standing up for people’s right to ride.
Our Bodies, Our Stories: Reproductive Health Behind Bars
March 19, 2013 17:51 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBPregnant women in America’s prisons are being shackled to their beds; others are being sterilized. Correctional institutions claim the policies are for safety’s sake, but thousands of incarcerated people are fighting for control of their own reproductive health.
Ten Years Later: Counting the Costs of War in Iraq
March 12, 2013 18:48 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBThe invasion and occupation of Iraq defined a generation; the world’s largest anti-war protest was followed by the 3rd longest war in US history. Ten years later, American troops have officially left Iraq, but the occupation and its effects continue. On this edition, we look back at the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For Iraqis, for the US military, and for the anti-war movement; how have things changed? And what, if anything, has the world learned?
Women Rising #22: International Anti-Nuclear Activists
March 05, 2013 02:39 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBWith nuclear power back on the agenda, three prominent female activists tell their stories: Kaori Izumi was part of the grassroots campaign to shutdown Japan’s nuclear power plants, after the Fukushima disaster. Winona LaDuke, has spent much of her life working to oppose uranium mining on indigenous land. And Alice Slater is part of a global initiative to ban nuclear weapons. On this edition, is the anti-nuclear movement on the rise? This is a special collaboration with Lynn Feinerman and Cr...
Omar Barghouti on How to End Apartheid in Palestine
February 26, 2013 19:18 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBInspired by the campaign to end South African apartheid, Palestinians are leading an international campaign to put economic and political pressure on Israel by boycotting Israeli products, divesting from Israeli companies and pushing for international sanctions on Israel. On this edition, Palestinian activist Omar Barghouti explains his people’s resistance, and the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions campaign.
Putting the "Eco" Back into Economics with David Suzuki
February 15, 2013 00:55 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAuthor, radio host, and scientist David Suzuki has spent a lifetime working to protect the environment. But a generation later, he says activists like him have failed to shift the paradigm; more is needed to protect the health of our species and our planet. On this edition, David Suzuki says we need to stop fighting, and use the laws of nature as a starting point for moving forward.
Not In Our Backyard: Fighting Pollution in Richmond, California
February 09, 2013 02:02 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBRichmond, California is one of the lowest-income communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s also one of the most toxic. On this edition, we’ll hear how community activists in this heavily polluted area are coming together to fight for environmental justice.
Breaking the Psychological Chains of Slavery
February 01, 2013 22:44 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBAfrican-Americans have endured one of the most painful eras of American history – an era that has been normalized and justified not only by institutions that have been complicit with slavery but also by African-Americans themselves. Dr. Joy DeGruy is the author of “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing”, she argues that African-Americans suffer from a deep psychological trauma that has been passed on through generations.
Beats, Rhymes and Laughs: Culture As a Tool for Racial Justice
January 29, 2013 23:37 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBArtists and creative people have always used culture as a tool for social change. On this edition, excerpts from a panel on racial justice, culture and politics featuring some of today’s most insightful and outspoken artists. Special thanks to Applied Research Center, Colorlines and the Facing Race Conference 2012
Dam Shame: Rivers and Resistance
January 22, 2013 20:07 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAs we look for a solution to global energy problems and a way out of the limate crisis- some are turning to dams and hydroelectric power as a source of “green” energy. But at what cost? Massive dams are being built and considered all over the world, despite mounting concern over their economic, environmental and human impacts. On this edition, we’ll take a closer look at the damage caused by hydropower projects, and we’ll visit a community trying to keep their culture and homeland free from ...
In the Shadow of the Wall: From Gaza to Arizona
January 15, 2013 02:57 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBMore than two decades after the fall of the Berlin wall, what have we learned about barriers that separate people? In dozens of countries around the world, millions of people live beside border walls. These heavily militarized and closely watched areas can be dangerous places to be. On this edition, from Palestinian farmers struggling to make a living next to the Israeli wall, to shootings at the fence that divides the US and Mexico. Living in the shadow of the wall…
Human Rights: Not Just for Humans (& Corporations) Anymore?
January 07, 2013 19:10 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBCorporations have the same rights as people. But do our communities and natural ecosystems have any rights? How about our bodies, cells and genetic material? Thomas Linzey and Katherine Davies argue that in order to defend our bodies and our environment, they must be given rights under the law.
Art is Our Weapon: A Conversation With Climbing Poetree
January 01, 2013 20:43 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAlixa and Naima are two poets who together make up Climbing PoeTree, an award winning performance duo. Mixing poetry and politics they seek to use their words to educate and inspire. On this edition, we hear performances by Climbing PoeTree and hear how their performances have evolved over the years.
Looking Back, Moving Forward: 2012 Year In Review
December 24, 2012 17:35 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAs 2013 approaches, we look at some of the important issues we’ve covered in 2012: from domestic workers struggling for respect, to the consequences of climate change, todrone warfare. We’ll listen back to some highlights from those programs, and get updates on where those stories stand now.
Life or Death: Ending the Death Penalty
December 17, 2012 20:51 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBReporter Nancy Mullane speaks to some of those on California’s death row and we hear from two opponents of the death penalty about where the movement to end executions goes next.
Michelle Alexander on the New Jim Crow
December 11, 2012 19:35 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBMichelle Alexander has struck a chord in so-called ‘post racial’ America. The Ohio State University law professor makes the case that the United States’ current criminal justice system policies can be traced directly back to slavery. Those targeted now, as they were then, are African Americans. On this edition, Michelle Alexander talks about her book, ‘The New Jim Crow. Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness’.
Saving or Selling the Planet? REDD, Climate Change and Indigenous Lands
December 03, 2012 22:59 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAround the world communities are already facing the impacts of climate change. Now international organizations, like the World Bank, are pushing a policy that asks polluters to offset their pollution by paying governments to protect forests. But is it working? On this edition, we take a closer look at this policy and ask, is it a plan to save the planet, or just sell it off? We'll hear extracts from the Global Justice Ecology Project and the Global Forest Coalition's “A Darker Shade of G...
Room To Breathe: From Chaos to Peace in the Classroom
November 27, 2012 20:38 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAt overcrowded and underfunded public schools across the country high suspension rates are exacerbating existing achievement gaps. Often, chaos in the classroom is to blame, keeping students from concentrating on their classes. On this edition we’ll hear excerpts from Russell Long’s film “Room to Breathe” which takes us to a middle school in San Francisco, California, that began teaching mindfulness in the hopes of giving students the skills they need to focus on learning.
Native Harvest for a Modern World ENCORE
November 17, 2012 16:11 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBFor centuries, the Taos Pueblo people in New Mexico lived entirely off their land. Sustainable agriculture was a way of life, but U.S. federal policies helped put an end to that. Food wasn’t grown at the pueblos; it was trucked in. Traditional farming gave way to government subsidies and obesity rates soared. But recently, a surprising agricultural renaissance has taken root across the pueblos. On this edition, Making Contact’s Rita Daniels takes us to the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico to share...
Women Rising #22: International Anti-Nuclear Activists
November 13, 2012 21:06 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBWith nuclear power back on the agenda, three prominent female activists tell their stories: Kaori Izumi was part of the grassroots campaign to shutdown Japan’s nuclear power plants, after the Fukushima disaster. Winona LaDuke, has spent much of her life working to oppose uranium mining on indigenous land. And Alice Slater is part of a global initiative to ban nuclear weapons. On this edition, is the anti-nuclear movement on the rise? This is a special collaboration with Lynn Feinerman and Cr...
The Electoral College's Dirty History
November 05, 2012 18:21 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBYale University Law & Political Science Professor Akhil Reed Amar says the Electoral College discourages voting, lessens the power of the states, and could work to the disadvantage of either major political party. Professor Amar speaks with Angela McKenzie of Initiative Radio about how the US constitution can be changed to create a more fair and just society
Education Not for Sale
October 31, 2012 00:33 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBAround the world, students have been taking to the streets. They’re opposed to rising tuition fees and cuts to education. On this edition, we’ll hear how students in Quebec helped bring down the government and why Chilean students are back out on the streets again. We’ll also speak to an activist in Puerto Rico who says she’s had enough of US-style higher education.
The Life, Death, and Rebirth of ACORN
October 22, 2012 20:52 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBIt took 40 years to build ACORN, but just a few months to bring it down. Local organizers are trying to rebuild, but how is ACORN’s absence affecting elections, poverty, and the continuing housing crisis?
The Penalty is Exile: How Immigration and Criminalization Collide
October 17, 2012 00:05 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBUnder President Obama more than 1 million people have been deported from the United States. Immigration officials claim that many of those being deported are criminals. On this edition, producer Cory Fischer-Hoffman investigates the connection between immigration and the criminal justice system and the impact this burgeoning relationship is having on immigrants.
Microfinance: How it Lost Its Way and Betrayed the Poor
October 09, 2012 23:47 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBHugh Sinclair, the author of Confessions of a Microfinance Heretic, in conversation with KALW radio host Rose Aguilar. Sinclair tells the story of how he learned the dirty truths behind the banking sector that’s creeping across the "developing" world.
COINTELPRO 101 (Part 2) ENCORE
October 02, 2012 19:36 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBCOINTELPRO, the secret FBI project to infiltrate and disrupt domestic organizations thought to be “subversive,” targeted many movements for self-determination by people of color in the U.S.. Between 1956 and 1971, the FBI conducted more than 2,000 COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) operations. This week, the second part of the documentary film “COINTELPRO 101,” produced by the Freedom Archives.
COINTELPRO 101 (Part 1) ENCORE
September 25, 2012 20:29 - 29 minutes - 26.5 MBCOINTELPRO, the secret FBI project to infiltrate and disrupt domestic organizations thought to be “subversive,” targeted many movements for self-determination by people of color in the U.S.. Between 1956 and 1971, the FBI conducted more than 2,000 COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) operations. This week, the first part of the documentary film “COINTELPRO 101,” produced by the Freedom Archives.
The Burning Issue: America's War on Fire
September 15, 2012 00:20 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBEvery summer, wildfires torch thousands of acres of land. The National Forest Service rushes to the rescue; to save lives, homes, and communities. But is the agency’s approach to fire doing more harm than good? Producer George Lavender takes a closer look at the “War on Fire.”
Making it Our Business: Co-ops on the Rise
September 11, 2012 18:15 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBThe global economic situation is causing more people to consider worker owned businesses. We go from Chicago, where workers are trying to take over the factory to save their jobs, to the Basque country in Spain, where an entire region has formed a massive co-operative society.
Buying Power: Corporate Money in Politics
September 04, 2012 18:19 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBIt began with an on-air rant by CNBC commentator Rick Santelli. It became a major political movement, with elected representatives on Capitol Hill. The Tea Party has come a long way, but who’s really behind it? On this edition: how some of America’s largest corporations are using grassroots movements to influence law makers. We hear excerpts from the documentary "The Billionaires’ Tea Party" and learn more about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
Drones: A New Death From Above
August 28, 2012 23:13 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBWe bring you voices from Pakistan of families destroyed by drone strikes. And, we hear from Medea Benjamin and other activists working to build a global movement against this controversial military technology.