Needs No Introduction

Since 2001, The Media Democracy Project has provided a space for diverse communities to come together and discuss the relationship between media and democracy. In partnership with Simon Fraser University's School of Communication, Media Democracy Days is their annual conference where speakers of all backgrounds present workshops and give presentations on media, art, politics, representation, and much more. This year's keynote speaker was Indigenous comedian and storyteller Ryan McMahon. The keynote touches on upholding and preserving Indigenous stories, understanding Indigenous identity in the face of colonialism, all tinged with a comedic flair that keeps listeners engaged and entertained.  Thanks to radio station CJSF for sharing this recording; to Media Democracy Days; to Tania Ehret, rabble.ca's liaison with Media Democracy Days; and to Braden Alexander who edited and scripted this episode for Needs No Introduction. Like this podcast? rabble is reader-supported journalism.

Unless you're an expert on the Israeli occupation of Palestine, it's hard to figure out what's going on when we hear about it on the news. Today's two speakers provide some useful background which is helpful to understand the past, present and possible futures of that conflict. We have two presentations today -- one from Beit Zatoun in Toronto at an event called “Should we be Talking about Fascism?” with speaker Greg Albo, and an address by Dr. Philip Leech-Ngo of University of Ottawa. Both talks were recorded earlier this month. 1.) Dr. Philip Leech-Ngo is Gordon F. Henderson Post-doctoral Fellow, Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa. He has taught at both graduate and undergraduate levels at Liverpool, Plymouth and Exeter Universities. He has written two books - 'The State of Palestine: a critical analysis' and 'Popular Uprisings in the Middle East'. This talk was recorded at University of Ottawa in November 2016. 2.) Greg Albo, is a professor of political economy at the De

The Illegal is a novel by Canadian author Lawrence Hill. It's about a man named Keita Ali. Keita is a runner. That's all he ever wanted to do. His dream was to bring his family out of poverty by becoming a world class athlete. He does achieve part of his dream, but also ends up being literally on the run after he winds up in a country with a zeal for deporting refugees. He and his family all end up running for their lives. He talks about his novel with author and journalist Waubgeshig Rice at an event held on November 24, 2015 at Octopus Books in Ottawa. As described by Octopus Books, "The Illegal casts a satirical eye on people who have turned their backs on undocumented refugees struggling to survive in a nation that does not want them. Hill's depiction of life on the borderlands of society urges us to consider the plight of the unseen and the forgotten who live among us." If you would like a copy of your own, it's one of our thank you gifts during our rabble.ca fall fundraising campaign. For a contribution

Today we're bringing you an excerpt from a panel of speakers recorded at the World Social Forum in Montreal in early August. It was called "Indigenous Peoples' Struggles and Resistance: Building Solidarity for Land, Self Determination and Justice." What you'll hear is a variety of perspectives on one common theme: the need to protect the earth from the ravages of corporate greed and environmental devastation, and the right of Indigenous people to control their lands, their territories and their way of life. Speakers (in order they appear in the podcast):   Tom Goldtooth -   Environmental, climate, and economic justice activist, speaker, film producer, and Indigenous rights leader from Minnesota. Joseph Wawatie, a traditional Algonquin from Barriere Lake in western Quebec. In 2012, he was arrested for protesting logging on his traditional territory -- land which remains unceded territory. He speaks of his traditional life in the bush, and the challenges his nation faces. Jacob Wawatie, Algonquin elder and nat

Brown is a book by Kamal Al-Solaylee (So-LYE-lee), Canada Reads finalist, professor and journalist.  "Brown is not white. Brown is not black. Brown is an experience, a state of mind. Historically speaking, issues of race and skin colour have been interpreted along black and white lines, leaving out millions of people whose stories of migration and racial experiences have shaped our modern world. It fills in the narrative gap by taking a global look at the many social, political, economic and personal implications of being a brown-skinned person in the world now. To be brown is to be on the cusp of whiteness and on the edge of blackness," from publicity by publisher Harper Collins.  The Octopus Books presentation was done in interview format in the spring of 2016, sponsored by Harper Collins Canada. The interview was done by Adrian Harewood of the CBC, whom you will hear first. Thanks to Octopus Books for sending the talk to us to broadcast. KAMAL AL-SOLAYLEE, an assistant professor and undergraduate program d

Almost half a century ago, a pulp and paper company dumped tons of mercury into the English Wabigoon River system in Northwestern Ontario. The health and livelihood of people of the Grassy Narrows Reserve between Kenora and Winnipeg is still being harmed these many years later. The mercury is still buried in the sediment of lakes and rivers, and the effects of the poison continues to harm the health of people in the community. A delegation from the Grassy Narrow Reserve north of Kenora travelled to Toronto this week to call on Ontario Premier Wynne to finally clean up the toxic, dangerous mess. Three days of events began on May 31. It was held at Ryerson University, and featured elders from the community; activist and journalist Avi Lewis; and Grassy Narrows Youth performing their original song, "Home to Me." READ: Grassy Narrows First Nation demands Wynne clean up mercury in waterways Order of speakers: Opening: Andrea Chrisjon Chief Simon Fobister Sr: Simon Fobister Sr. has been Chief of Grassy Narrows fo

Voices of Experience is a panel put together by Ryerson University's Equity, Diversity and Accessibility Office, Career Centre and Student Life organization. The speakers have all overcome the challenges of immigration, racism, sexism and all the intersections crossed in between. They delve deeply into personal perspectives of industry leaders with a critical lense on diversity. Hosted by Jen Gonzalez, Director of Student Life at Ryerson. And: Sandeep Tatla, chief Diversity Officer for the Ontario College of Trades. Sandeep speaks to her experience as a lawyer brokering race and inclusion disputes in the workplace, as well as the influence of family life as an immigrant. George De La Rosa, CEO of Luminus Financial, who speaks to his experience as a young CEO challenging a predominantly old, white and heterosexual hierarchy of the banking system and rising to the top. Kathy Cheng, President of WS & Company, one of Canada’s only existing apparel lines made and sold in Canada. Karlene Williams Clarke works a

Did you know .. the new iPhones sold on the first weekend of its launch in fall 2104 had 25 per cent more computing power than all of the computers on earth in 1995? Staggering. That statistic comes to us via Robert McChesney, one of the two speakers on today's program. And what's even more staggering is what those phones, and the companies that make them are doing to us. Those are just a couple examples of the compelling ideas in this talk. This program is shocking, depressing and hopeful, all at the same time. Keep listening. It's one of the best talks about our collective present and future that we've heard in a long time. Who Will Win the Digital Revolution was a fundraiser for Open Media, Media Democracy Days with media sponsorship by rabble.ca. It was held on Sunday March 6, 2016 at the Vancouver Public Library, which is on the unceded and occupied Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh people. This podcast is an edited version of that talk. Speakers are leading thinkers

The media has a powerful ability to shape the way we view our world. In the midst of elections, international conflicts and refugee crises, Islamophobia has permeated the news cycle.  Last week, April 5, 2016, rabble put together a panel discussion called Combatting Islamophobia in Media. On today's program, we're bringing you highlights from the event, held at the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House on unceded Musqueam territory, also known as Vancouver. The evening provided a critical ear on media representation. Together, the panelists engaged in an important dialogue about the value of diversity, storytelling and truth sharing from the hands of marginalized communities within the media. Panelists:  Urooba Jamal: In the past year, Urooba has run for political office as the youngest candidate in Vancouver's municipal elections, has given a TEDx talk on student activism and has helped to co-found a leftist, alternative student press, The Talon, at the University of British Columbia. A recent graduate, she is

There's racism in music. It's a tough discussion. And to move forward as a supportive, empathetic community of music creators, producers, listeners and critics .. and those of us in the media too .. we need to have a better understanding of the systemic issues that are unique to Canada's multicultural landscape. Today we bring you a compelling panel discussion called Music: Racism, Power and Privilege 101. It was held at Music Gallery in Toronto on November 24, 2015.  The panel discussion included Alaska B of Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, a Canadian experimental music and performance art collective; Damian Abraham of the punk band Fucked Up, Simone Schmidt of Fiver and The Highest Order, cellist Cris Derkson, journalist Max Mohenu, and media and culture sociologist Kim de Laat. It's moderated by April Aliermo of Hooded Fang and Phèdre.  Thanks to chartattack.com for allowing us to use and edit their video stream, and to rpn associate producer Kvesche Be for helping put this program together. If you want to see th

The Ottawa River has played a vital role in the history of the Algonquin Nation. The Ottawa River flows through unceded Algonquin territory and there is an outstanding land claim which been under negotiation for a long time. Most recently, the proposed development of lands at Chaudiere Falls in Ottawa just west of downtown has amplified the frustrations of the people of the Algonquin Nation that their land claim is far from settled. Peter Di Gangi has been working with on research, policy work and advocacy with Aboriginal communities since the late 1970s. In this lecture he delves into the history of the human history of the Ottawa River Watershed and what needs to be done in the future to reconcile the acts of the past. It was recorded December 8, 2015 at Octopus Books in Ottawa, unceded Algonquin territory by Greg MacDougall of www.equitableeducation.ca. Thanks to Greg for sending this to us to repodcast for our rabble.ca listeners. 

An address by Dr. Sara Roy of Harvard University, talking about her extensive experience in Gaza. This lecture looks at the unprecedented dynamics that have emerged in Gaza in the aftermath of last summer's devastating war and its future implications. Dr. Roy will also explore how we can move beyond fear and militarism to envision something different: a world where dissent is mandatory and our capacity to witness is restored. She was invited to be guest speaker at this year's James Graff Memorial Lecture. This annual lecture series was established in memory of University of Toronto philosophy professor, husband, father, and tireless peace advocate Dr. James Graff, founder of NECEF Sabeel, Canada’s oldest Middle East peace education NGO. Dr. Roy's talk is an event hosted by Necef Sabeel. Dr. Sara Roy (Ed.D. Harvard University) is a senior research scholar at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies specializing in the Palestinian economy, Palestinian Islamism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She is the daugh

If you missed the Big Event, you can join us by listening to this podcast. "Back when the rabble podcast network first began there was no iTunes, no iPhones, and few people knew what a podcast was -- now, people talk on their daily commute and at work about the latest podcasts they're listening to," said Victoria Fenner, rabble podcast network executive producer and the event's moderator. rabble.ca is the only podcasting network in the country and, when it was founded in 2006, was one of the first organizations to venture into the medium with a clear vision of how podcasting can serve as important tool for citizen journalists to add their voice to the public dialogue. "Thankfully now we're living in the golden age of podcasting," Fenner concluded.  "We believe podcasts are the most democratic medium to come along since, well, the Internet itself," said Kim Elliott, rabble.ca publisher. At present, the rpn's extensive collection of Canadian podcasts offer an alternative take on politics, entertainment, society

Earlier today, September 15, 2015, a group of prominent Canadians launched a manifesto outlining a bold climate and economic vision. We at rabble.ca are happy to have livestreamed the press conference to announce the Leap Manifesto: A Call for a Canada Based on Caring for the Earth and One Another. It has been translated into eight languages, including Cree and Inuktitut. The aim is to gather tens of thousands of signatures and build pressure on the next federal government to transition Canada off fossil fuels while also making it a more livable, fair and just society. The Leap Manifesto has been signed by musicians, directors, actors, authors, national and community leaders and dozens of organizations. On today's press conference we'll hear from an impressive list of notable Canadians. It was hosted by Naomi Klein, who was joined by: Seth Klein, David Suzuki, Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Tantoo Cardinal, Yolen Bollo Kamar, Sarah Harmer, Paul Moist, Maude Barlow, Bishop Mark MacDonald, Ashley Callingbull, Clayton

Mexico is the first tourist destination of choice for many Canadians. But that reputation as a sunny place to go forget about your troubles is not well deserved. Mexico is also a place where human rights abuses continue. New communications technology has resulted in traditional methods of political repression co-existing with newer high-tech forms of surveillance and policing. But this juxtaposition of the new and old also permeates counter-movements. For example, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, Indigenous communities are using community media, new technologies and grassroots infrastructure to organize resistance and build community. In this episode, we hear from two organizers from Oaxaco, Loreto Bravo and Peter Bloom. They were in Toronto on May 1 for the Union for Democratic Communications Conference. Loreto Bravo is a feminist hacker and anthropologist. She currently coordinates Palabra Radio, a collective based in Oaxaca, Mexico that uses community FM radio and technological appropriation as tools of str

Our federal government still says that the tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women isn't high on their radar and they don't seem to be budging on the issue. But it is high on the radar of many many other people and organizations, including the United Nations. Today's episode excerpts an event focusing on the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, or CEDAW for short. On June 13, 2015 a panel discussion was held in Toronto to spotlight how Indigenous women activists are changing the discourse around women's rights in Canada and abroad. The topic of missing and murdered Indigenous women featured prominently in the discussion. Cherry Smiley is an artist and Indigenous feminist activist, working for years as a front-line anti-violence worker in a transition house for battered women and their children and rape crisis centre. She is also Campaign Coordinator for Campaign of Solidarity with Aboriginal Women, a project of The Feminist Alliance for International Action. 

Women have been historically underrepresented and misrepresented in mainstream media. The arrival of the Internet, and blogging in particular, gave women and girls an unprecedented way of telling their own stories using their own voices directly to their audience. However, online spaces have had a tendency to reproduce the same systems of oppression that exist in the real world. Women who speak out, especially on feminism, are vulnerable to bullying, trolling and silencing. In order to address this specific issue, rabble.ca partnered with Women Transforming Cities to develop the #Fierce Voices events in Vancouver. The goal of these events was to help young self-identifying women and their allies build skills to engage with media and develop their own voices. The final #Fierce Voices event took place on May 23 at the Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. This excerpt features keynote speakers from that event: Romila Barryman, creator of media publication Textbook, and Anne Theriault

Freelance journalists face incredibly tough conditions in war zones around the world with limited resources and little in the way of safety nets. What they do have is a passion for the story. "People's Journalism: Reporting Under Fire" is a panel discussion that took place in Toronto on March 14. The discussion focuses on the role of freelancing in war zones and commemorates the life of one such freelancer: Ali Mustafa. Mustafa was a Toronto-based freelance photojournalist, activist and writer. He died along with seven others on March 9, 2014 in Aleppo, Syria in an aerial bombing. The panellists knew Mustafa personally. Panelists were: independent journalist, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, of Democracy Now; Jihan Hafiz, who has reported for Al Jazeera America; and documentary filmmaker, Reed Lindsay. Their discussion is grounded in their relationship to Mustafa and the life he led as a freelance photojournalist in Palestine, Egypt and Syria. This lecture was organized by the Ali Mustafa Collective who came together a

For over 30 years, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund has been imposing their austerity agenda on countries around the world as a condition for economic assistance. Greece has been in the news most recently, but it's been going on for several decades now. Here in Canada, that same austerity agenda has also wreaked havoc on our country and its citizens. Under the austerity agenda, social programs are cut, unions are attacked and working conditions get more and more precarious because eroding wages and working conditions is good for corporations. It's all about sacrificing the public good for corporate profits. Unite Against Austerity is a campaign which brings people together to talk about the effects of austerity and support organizing efforts to increase public dialogue which will lead to change. As part of the campaign, a panel discussion was held in Toronto on April 25, 2015 at the Steelworkers Hall. The panel addresses the questions: What are the austerity policies that you are dealing wit

On April 18 in Toronto, American cognitive linguist and author of Don’t Think of an Elephant George Lakoff spoke to a crowd in Toronto about how conservative values have come to dominate public discourse. Accomplishing this, he said, has been as much about the construction of metaphors as it has been about policies. Conservatives in the US and Canada have crafted a worldview and adjusted politics to fit with the framework; progressives have yet to figure this out. When the progressive response is primarily criticism, said Lakoff, the debate is still framed in conservative terms. Progressives won’t reclaim politics until they shift the conversation. Around the world, and in Canada, progressives are fighting simply to hang on to hard-fought wins, while struggling to communicate progressive values in a political sphere largely dominated by successful conservative messages. Why are conservatives so successful in communicating their messages? What do progressives need to do to communicate their values to large pop