Making Contact

Years of campaigning for basic human rights for people caught up in America's criminal justice system may finally be paying off. 2013 saw significant changes from sentencing reform, to drug policy, to how people are treated behind bars. On this edition, we look at year victories in the struggle to bring humanity to the world’s largest prison industrial complex. Are these changes really a sign of progress? Or will the ‘tough on crime’ crowd rise once again for another crackdown?

Native American women experience the highest rates of violence of any other group in the United States. One in three native women have been victims of sexual assault and the murder rate of indigenous women is consistently higher than the national average. On this edition, Andrea Smith, author of “Conquest: Sexual Violence and Native American Genocide” explains the connection between violence against women, and the colonization of native lands and bodies. Andrea Smith's presentation includes descriptions of racial and sexual violence, so please be forewarned.

While countries like Japan, Italy and Germany begin to phase out their use of nuclear energy, the US aims to build the first new nuclear power plant in nearly thirty years. We hear excerpts from the film The Atomic States of America , which chronicles the rise of nuclear energy, the high price some communities have paid for it, and how the U.S. is pushing to redefine nuclear as green to meet our energy demand. Special thanks to Specialty Studios. Featuring:  Kelly McMasters , author of Shirley: A Memoir from an Atomic Town; David Lochbaum , nuclear engineer and senior member of Union of Concerned Scientists; Arnie Gunderson , nuclear engineer and former senior vice president of Nuclear Energy Services; Christine Todd Whitman , co-chair of CASEnergy Coalition, former New Jersey governor and administrator for the U.S Environmental Protection Agency; Eric Epstein , chair of Three Mile Island Alert; Neil Sheehan , spokesperson for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Paul Cataldo , NRC resident inspector for Indian

Spoken word. Its poetry…its hip-hop…and it’s increasingly, the chosen means of expression for today’s youth. On this edition we bring you the poets and students of Youth Speaks, from their annual event in honor of another master orator, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Special thanks to Youth Speaks. Featuring:James Kass, Youth Speaks founder & executive director; Talia Young, Dante Clark, Gretchen Carvahol, Prentice Powell, Justin Jodiatis, spoken word artists.

Americans eat out more than any other people. But the workers who put food on our restaurant tables are struggling to feed themselves and their families. On this edition, Saru Jayaraman, co-director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and author of "Behind the Kitchen Door" makes the case for bringing justice to restaurants and how ordinary diners can help.

Our world is generating more and more nuclear waste, but have no permanent place to dispose of it.  But the nation of Finland has a plan. They're building an underground cave, to hold thousands of tones of nuclear waste, for at least 100 thousand years.  On this edition, we hear excerpts of the film, “Into Eternity”, which explores the logistical and philosophical quandries around the construction of something that if it works, might very well outlast the entire human race. Special thanks to Specialty Studios

We 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, which accelerated after 9/11.

Some call it “Paradise”, but Hawaii isn’t just a tourist getaway. Look beyond the resorts, and you’ll find a history of opposition to US occupation. From sacred sites, to indigenous language, Hawaiians are fighting hard to protect their traditions, and their future. On this edition we hear excerpts from the 2012 film by Catherine Bauknight “Hawaii: A Voice for Sovereignty,” which explores the history of Hawaii - from the beginning of the US occupation up to statehood and the present day.

It’s not just about Roe v Wade and the Supreme Court.  Local institutions can create restrictions that prevent women from exercising reproductive health choices, even with the law on their side. From Albuquerque to Portland to New York City, obstacles are surfacing in pharmacies, state legislatures, city councils and even medical schools.

Renowned biologist Sandra Steingraber has made fighting environmentally induced cancers her lifes work. Steingraber’s book, Living Downstream, has been turned into a movie chronicling a year in her life trying to create a world free of cancer causing toxics. On this edition, we hear excerpts of the documentary film, Living Downstream. Special thanks to The People’s Picture Company for allowing us to excerpt the film ‘Living Downstream’.

We profile women of La Via Campesina, the global peasant movement celebrating 20 years of grassroots activism, for sustainable farming, land rights and social justice. Canadian Nettie Wiebe fights to keep seeds in the hands of small farmers. From the US, Dina Hoff takes on climate change and trade agreements. Elizabeth Mpufo of Zimbabwe raises issues facing women. And Japan’s Ayumi Kinezuka shares the effects of the Fukishima nuclear disaster on her organic farm. This show was produced by the Women Rising Radio Project.

At 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.

Before 2001, there was another 9/11. In 1973, a military coup backed by the United States, overthrew the Chilean government and ushered in seventeen years of brutal dictatorship. In the first of a two part series; we hear stories of the Chilean 9/11.That day marked the end of one of Latin America’s longest democratic traditions, and brought on almost two decades of murder, disappearances, repression, and fear. This program was produced by the Freedom Archives

Before 2001, there was another 9/11. In 1973, a military coup backed by the United States, overthrew the Chilean government and ushered in seventeen years of brutal dictatorship. In the first of a two part series; we hear stories of the Chilean 9/11.That day marked the end of one of Latin America’s longest democratic traditions, and brought on almost two decades of murder, disappearances, repression, and fear. This program was produced by the Freedom Archives

Have you ever wanted to run your own radio station? This October the FCC is opening a window in which anyone can apply for to create their own low-power FM radio station. It could result in thousands of new radio stations. We visit current LPFM stations, and find out how you can get involved.

50 years after the March on Washington, historians are still defining the legacy of the civil rights movement, and of Dr. Martin Luther King.   Syndicated columnist Reverend Byron Williams makes the case that 1963 was the pivotal year for American culture, but has been overlooked… until now.  On this edition, Williams speaks about his book, 1963: The Year of Hope & Hostility.

The 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.

Combat, 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.

Unions 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.

At 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.