Radio Utopistan
25 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago -Radio Utopistan talks to visionary people from around the world.
Utopian ideas drive us as humans, they drive humankind and humanity. And Radio Utopistan wants to find out what drives those visionary people. It was the belief that we could fly, conquer disease or live in permanent peace that gave women and men the courage to take risks, to step out, to try things and also to fail.
Many things that we take for granted today, were mere utopias in their day - and the people who fought for them were ridiculed, shamed, harassed and also killed. 200 years ago the end of slavery was still utopia. The fall of the Berlin Wall just 40 years ago. And then the end of Apartheid 30 years ago. Where does that leave us today? What are the utopias of our time? What about gender equality? Basic income? Nature rights? Peace in the Middle East?
Today we need Utopian ideas more than ever. To rebuild and reframe our global society in the aftermaths of Corona. Now we are being forced to see how everything is connected: China and Europe. Nature and humankind. We are all in this together. It’s a global net. We are also shown on the one hand how huge political decisions like closing down airports all around the world are possible. And then how on the other hand small daily actions from each and every one of us like leaving the house or washing your hands have a huge impact on the world.
So Radio Utopistan collects the stories of global and local visionaries, people that work on the outside or on the inside of humanity. The politician in Ecuador for example who sees nature as a person. He has written her as a legal person in his country’s constitution. The engineer with high heels and headscarf in Gaza who brings solar energy into houses under occupation. Or the friend in a wheelchair who can only move his brain and his tongue after an accident but who hasn’t lost his humor and keeps fighting for equality.
Elisabeth Weydt meets people who are striving towards and fighting for their Utopias, people who want to change the system or build some space outside the system. Elisabeth is an award-winning multimedia journalist based somewhere between Hamburg and Haifa. She mostly covers topics which revolve around radicalism and resources. She loves cooking and will meet her guests preferably at home, in bars or in the jungle.
The interviews on Radio Utopistan will mainly be in English. If not, there will be a summary about the guests and their Utopias in English.
Let’s go treasure hunting together.
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Episodes
A glimpse into a more just future. Los Cedros and the revolutionary idea of Rights of Nature
January 25, 2024 06:30 - 55 minutes - 45.1 MBThe Los Cedros case is evidence that a more just future is possible. It is a constructive story in times when we almost only get dystopian news about the world we live in. It is a story humans need to not lose hope in democracy and civil engagement. It shows us how powerful and transforming civil society can be. How human rights and nature rights are interconnected and how justice can be implemented. The cloud forest of Los Cedros in Ecuador was the first case in which a court clearly and ir...
Watermelons for Gaza. How to protest when freedom rights are heavily restricted
November 15, 2023 14:14 - 30 minutes - 24.8 MBIt is now almost six weeks since the horrors in Israel and Palestine started – again, but this time in an unprecedented manner. It has never been so cruel so far. So much has been said about all of it already and it is still happening anyway. People are still getting killed on a daily basis by a huge military apparatus that is supported by the big Western countries of this world. Words don`t seem relevant or powerful enough in the face of this. The increasingly loud and aggressive discussion...
Keynote: How constructive storytelling can boost your life and impact in the world
September 26, 2023 19:03 - 24 minutes - 20.3 MBWe are back from a long brake - with even more passion and new tools to interconnect visionary people and bold ideas from around the world. Our mission still is to inspire a more just future through storytelling. Through constructive storytelling. And today Elisabeth will share some insights about the power of constructive storytelling. You will learn the very basics of: * what is constructive storytelling and solution journalism * why humans are always paying attention to the horror stories...
Ronja von Wurmb Seibel on solution journalism and Afghanistan
September 28, 2022 16:26 - 43 minutes - 35.7 MBWhen she had just become a journalist Ronja went to Afghanistan for almost two years. There she did reports about the war, about drug addiction, poverty and other really devastating things. Sometimes all the misery left her hopeless and without perspective. So she started to look for the constructive aspects within her stories: for people who are trying to find a way out, for projects that are offering solutions. This is called constructive journalism or solution journalism. She didn`t kn...
Carolyn Ekyarisiima: Why coding is a superpower in Tanzania and anywhere
June 20, 2022 11:32 - 39 minutes - 32.2 MBCarolyn Ekyarisiima wanted to become a doctor to help people. Now she is an IT-Expert training thousands of girls in Tanzania how to use technology to create the world they want to live in. She founded the organization Apps and Girls. They are teaching girls how to code. And how to use IT and technology to get their voices heard and ideas out into the world. When she founded the NGO in 2014 she was pregnant, today she has four kids and 11 employees. In the last eight years more than 100.000 ...
Carlos Zorrilla on how to say NO to mining in the cloud forest of Intag
May 15, 2022 13:25 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBSince almost 30 years the people of Intag are successfully fighting a huge open pit copper mine in the tropical Andean mountains in northern Ecuador. It´s one of the most biodivers places left on earth, there live more species per hectare than in the Amazon. But underneath it lies copper and some gold, worth millions and billions of dollar. Different transnational mining companies and also the state of Ecuador are trying to get it out. Exploration phase is now almost completed. Next step wou...
Carlos Zorrilla on how to protect the cloud forest of Intag against mining
May 15, 2022 13:25 - 1 hour - 63.6 MBSince almost 30 years the people of Intag are successfully fighting a huge open pit copper mine in the tropical Andean mountains in northern Ecuador. It´s one of the most biodivers places left on earth, there live more species per hectare than in the Amazon. But underneath it lies copper and some gold, worth millions and billions of dollar. Different transnational mining companies and also the state of Ecuador are trying to get it out. Exploration phase is now almost completed. Next step wou...
Helena Gualinga from the Amazon on making people understand
April 15, 2022 12:45 - 34 minutes - 28.1 MBThe people of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon are protecting their territory in a very special way. They call it Kawsak Sacha, the living forest. It grows on land under which there is a lot of oil, like in many parts of The Amazon. Helena Gualinga is one of them. She is 20 years old and her way of fighting consists of photo shoots for lifestyle magazines, of traveling to international climate conferences and of dancing with her friends and family at traditional ceremonies. About 75.000 peo...
Architect Angelika Hinterbrandner on alternative building, housing and thinking
March 15, 2022 13:39 - 49 minutes - 40.2 MBThe problem we tackle in the first episode of our second season is huge and it is everywhere: CONCRETE It is the most widely used substance on the planet after water! And it obviously works: The Pantheon in Italy was built out of Roman concrete almost 2000 years ago and still standing. But it’s destroying nature big times: Eight percent of all carbon dioxide in the world comes from producing concrete. That’s more than double than those from flying or shipping. To produce it you need a...
Ayotzinapa II: A Human Rights Lawyer and a Psychologist on how to stay hopeful
October 31, 2021 13:30 - 43 minutes - 35.3 MBWe’ll visit the forensic institute of Guerrero to look for a missing son, we see if Padre Fili can establish a side hustle with a Mezcal brewer for his human rights organization Centro Minerva Bello. We learn about the connection of the violence in Guerrero to drug trafficking in the US and about the connection of illegally exported weapons from Germany to the missing 43. And Padre Fili will reveal his secret: how to talk to Narcos. Along the way we will talk to Guadeloupe the psychologist ...
Padre Fili on drugs, violence and justice in Mexico/Ayotzinapa Part I
October 10, 2021 20:15 - 51 minutes - 41.2 MBWe are in the field again for this episode: In the drug strongholds of Mexico, the violence is unimaginable and the justice system overwhelmed or even involved. Less than two percent of crimes are solved. Padre Fili disrupts the system. He spreads peace, joy and vanilla cream cake. In 2014 he set up camp in Ayotzinapa, where the 43 students disappeared. They were on their way to a demonstration, their buses were stopped and shot at by the police. Illegally supplied weapons from Germany were...
Ayotzinapa I: Padre Fili on drugs, violence and justice in Mexico
October 10, 2021 20:15 - 51 minutes - 41.2 MBWe are in the field again for this episode: In the drug strongholds of Mexico, the violence is unimaginable and the justice system overwhelmed or even involved. Less than two percent of crimes are solved. Padre Fili disrupts the system. He spreads peace, joy and vanilla cream cake. In 2014 he set up camp in Ayotzinapa, where the 43 students disappeared. They were on their way to a demonstration, their buses were stopped and shot at by the police. Illegally supplied weapons from Germany were...
Snorkeling for plastic in Mexico and talking to science in Germany
April 08, 2021 11:20 - 56 minutes - 45.9 MBWe know there is way too much plastic in our world. And we produce and use more and more every day. It’s destroying ecosystems in the ocean and on land, our basis for life. In the Mexican Caribbean Antonio and Alberto play Don Quichotte every Sunday morning at 7am to fight against the windmills of plastic on our planet. They pick up the trash that came with the ocean or with careless visitors. On different beaches along the Riviera Maya south of Cancun or in the waves off the coast. They ar...
Musicians from around the world on their very own Utopias
January 02, 2021 00:35 - 54 minutes - 43.9 MBHappy New Year! What is your Utopia? For the very first episode of the new year we asked musicians from around the world to answer us this very question not with words but with music. Because music sometimes is the only language left. It can articulate feelings, complexity and even politics in a way language will never be able to do. We got some musical answers from the Altai mountains, from the capital of DR Congo, from Spanish Berlin and Arabic Berlin. From the green hills of England, the s...
Exit II: Fabian Wichmann on how to fight right wing extremism and racism
December 20, 2020 13:20 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBExit Part I is about stories, Exit Part II about facts and strategies. Fabian Wichmann grew up with Nazis in his schoolyard. Today he is working for Exit, an organization that helps people get out of extremist circles. His Utopia: To see that people can change. That is the biggest narrative in a democracy, he says. People can come back into society. Fabian gives some hands on strategies of what to do about extremism and racism within your neighborhood or family. He is telling the story of ...
Exit I: Fabian and Tülüfülükülümülü on Nazis in Germany
December 16, 2020 13:30 - 43 minutes - 35.2 MBPart one is about stories, part two about facts and strategies. We’ll meet a Nazi-whisperer, an ex-Nazi, and a Nazi-target. Tülüfülükülümülü is a writer and actor, son of a guest working cleaning lady and a guest working taxi driver. He grew up in Bavaria and learned the hard way. His Utopia is that people don’t try the easy way in life. You can’t find easy answers to really difficult questions, he says. Who are you in a room for 24 hours without internet?, for example. Fabian grew up with ...
Kübra Gümüsay from Germany on language and political discourse
September 27, 2020 16:37 - 1 hour - 51.8 MBKübra (32) is an author and activist in Hamburg, Germany. She just published her first book, “Language and Being”. On the interdependence of language, perception and the way we treat each other. A broad and ancient topic, but Kübra found a way to talk about it that resonates with many. It’s a bestseller allready, maybe because she speaks and lives in three languages: German, Turkish and English. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Kübra’s Utopia: It’s still under construction,...
Melinda Janki from Guyana on ExxonMobil, World Bank and climate
September 04, 2020 08:07 - 26 minutes - 21.8 MBMelinda (58) is a lawyer and environmental activist in Guyana, South America. The poor country wants to get very very rich – with oil. One of the largest oil discoveries in recent years was made off the coast of Guyana. Melinda says, we are rich already. We are a carbon sink, look at all the nature. So she is fighting with her government, with the World Bank and with one of the biggest oil companies in the world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Melinda’s Utopia: the oil sha...
Melinda Janki from Guyana on oil, money and nature
September 04, 2020 08:07 - 26 minutes - 21.8 MBMelinda (58) is a lawyer and environmental activist in Guyana, South America. The poor country wants to get very very rich – with oil. One of the largest oil discoveries in recent years was made off the coast of Guyana. Melinda says, we are rich already. We are a carbon sink, look at all the nature. So she is fighting with her government, with the World Bank and with one of the biggest oil companies in the world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Melinda’s Utopia: the oil sha...
Udo from Berlin on basic income and homelessness
July 19, 2020 09:57 - 26 minutes - 21.8 MBUdo (30) is a social worker in the streets of Berlin, the capital of one of the richest countries in the world. Nevertheless there are about 10.000 homeless people living on card boards or abandoned mattresses. To reduce poverty the city of Berlin invented a solidarity basic income and Udo’s organization Karuna a give-away of about 1500 Euros in cash a day. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We talk about money, solidarity, pain and paperwork. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀...
Majd Mashharawi from Gaza on business and politics
June 21, 2020 18:49 - 49 minutes - 40.3 MBMajd Mashharawi (26) is an engineer and founder of two companies in Gaza. A place that is often referred to as the biggest open air prison in the world. But instead of surrendering to her fate, Majd decided to create something under occupation, siege and patriarchy. In headscarf and high heels. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Her company Greencake is turning rubble and ashes into bricks and houses. Her company Sunbox is turning sunlight into electricity, and salt water in...
Grace Kabera from Congo on fear and democracy
June 07, 2020 19:55 - 53 minutes - 43.1 MBGrace Kabera (27) is a member of the LUCHA movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is fighting for change. With change she means the end of corruption and violence. And instead creating a real democracy with social justice, clean water, paved roads and free education. With fighting she means non violent fighting: demonstrations, leaflets, social media campaigns. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ For their work LUCHA (Lutte pour le Changement) was honored with diff...
Pakistani Maria Toorpakai on Taliban and freedom
May 24, 2020 18:37 - 36 minutes - 29.5 MBMaria grew up in Taliban headquarter. That’s how she calls the tribal area of Waziristan where she was raised. Today she is a squash player in the international arena and has a foundation to encourage Pakistani girls to also be brave. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The Taliban threatened to kill her and her family. So she put herself under a voluntary quarantine for three years. She just hardly ever left the house. The first time she sensed that something was wrong with t...
Maria Toorpakai from Pakistan on Taliban and freedom
May 24, 2020 18:37 - 36 minutes - 29.5 MBMaria grew up in Taliban headquarter. That’s how she calls the tribal area of Waziristan where she was raised. Today she is a squash player in the international arena and has a foundation to encourage Pakistani girls to also be brave. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The Taliban threatened to kill her and her family. So she put herself under a voluntary quarantine for three years. She just hardly ever left the house. The first time she sensed that something was wrong with t...
Radio Utopistan
April 21, 2020 11:38 - 3 minutes - 3.28 MBRadio Utopistan is a podcast and community. We believe in constructive storytelling and a more just future. Therefore we are interconnecting bold ideas and visionary people from around the world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Radio Utopistan is a think-and-do-tank. A toolbox for political hope and civic engagement. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We are still in the beginning. Our aim is to establish a digital media brand and a social enterprise that ...