On December 10, 1948,  at the United Nations General Assembly, Eleanor Roosevelt was the first to proclaim to the world the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  On Human Rights Day sixty-six years later, Bill Hass, United Nations veteran and president of United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut, talks about the status of human rights among the UN’s 193 member states today.  (Broadcast on WPKN, December 10, 2014)

"The end of the world as we know it is not the end of the world full stop," says Dougald Hine, speaking from Sweden via Skype.  Dougald, named by The Guardian as one of Britain's fifty new radicals,  is best known for Dark Mountain, an emerging cultural movement he co-founded with Paul Kingsnorth five years ago.  Dark Mountain looks squarely at the profound disruption we are all experiencing and offers a creative space, somewhere between apocalypse and false hope, in which people can engage in a conversation about a future life worth living, freed from wishful thinking that the world will once again be as it was.

(Produced by Tony Ernst and broadcast by WPKN 0n September 10, 2014)

“The end of the world as we know it is not the end of the world full stop,” says Dougald Hine, speaking from Sweden via Skype.  Dougald, named by The Guardian as one of Britain’s fifty new radicals,  is best known for Dark Mountain, an emerging cultural movement he co-founded with Paul Kingsnorth five years ago.  Dark Mountain looks squarely at the profound disruption we are all experiencing and offers a creative space, somewhere between apocalypse and false hope, in which people can engage in a conversation about a future life worth living, freed from wishful thinking that the world will once again be as it was.

(Produced by Tony Ernst and broadcast by WPKN 0n September 10, 2014)

Links to North Fork Works programs 2012 and 2013 and to Southold Historical Society to learn about the North Fork's past and present.

Alex Villani, long-time fisherman and Stephanie Villani, fishmonger, proprietors of Blue Moon Fish describe their lives working their Mattituck-based family business. (November 5, 2014)

https://ia600700.us.archive.org/2/items/AlKrupskiNorthForkWorks030514/Al%20Krupski-%20NorthForkWorks-03-05-14.mp3

Barbara Shinn, of Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck, explains how the principles and philosophy of biodynamic farming guide her as she grows her vineyard.  (October 3, 2014)

https://ia902308.us.archive.org/29/items/BarbaraShinnNorthForkWorks100114/BarbaraShinn-NorthForkWorks-10-01-14.mp3

Otto Schoenstein, 84, Greenport resident, shares a lifetime of stories about  what he has built in his life, including the blacksmith shop and the lantern room of Bug Lighthouse on the North Fork.  June Shoenstein joins the conversation. (September 3, 2014)

https://ia801401.us.archive.org/6/items/OttoSchoensteinOnNorthForkWorks090314REV./OttoSchoenstein%20on%20NorthForkWorks-09-03-14-REV..mp3

Sister Margaret Smyth, founder and director of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate talks about her life, her work and the Hispanic Communities of Riverhead and Greenport, NY.  (August 6, 2014)

https://ia902300.us.archive.org/30/items/SisterMargaretOnNorthForkWorks080614/Sister%20Margaret%20on%20NorthForkWorks-08-06-14.mp3

Will Paulson, fourth-generation woodworker, talks about his Swedish heritage, his philosophy about his tools, his craft and his sculptures and how he feels about wood and trees.  (May 7, 2014)

https://ia802508.us.archive.org/19/items/WillPaulsonNorthForkWorks050714A/WillPaulson-NorthForkWorks-05-07-14-A.mp3

Gideon D’Arcangelo, resident of Orient Village, musician and designer, plays music and talks about “third places,” working with Alan Lomax and organizing Song Swaps in Poquatuck Hall.  (updated, April 29, 2014)

https://ia802502.us.archive.org/19/items/NorthForkWorksGideonDArcangelo043014/NorthForkWorks-GideonD%27Arcangelo-04-30-14.mp3

Al Krupski, fourth generation Cutchogue farmer and Suffolk County Legislator for the 1st District talks about his life as a farmer and his work in local and county public service. (March 5, 2014)

https://ia600700.us.archive.org/2/items/AlKrupskiNorthForkWorks030514/Al%20Krupski-%20NorthForkWorks-03-05-14.mp3

Alternative link here

David Berson, sea captain, celestial navigator, author, musician and skipper of the solar-charged boat Glory talks about his life and work and why Greenport is the only place in the world he wants to live.  Music by David Berson. (January 1, 2014)

https://ia800801.us.archive.org/24/items/hkahan_optonline/Berson-NorthForkWorks-01-01-14.mp3

 

 

Links to North Fork Works programs 2012 and 2013 and to Southold Historical Society to learn about the North Fork’s past and present.

Alex Villani, long-time fisherman and Stephanie Villani, fishmonger, proprietors of Blue Moon Fish describe their lives working their Mattituck-based family business. (November 5, 2014)

https://ia600700.us.archive.org/2/items/AlKrupskiNorthForkWorks030514/Al%20Krupski-%20NorthForkWorks-03-05-14.mp3

Barbara Shinn, of Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck, explains how the principles and philosophy of biodynamic farming guide her as she grows her vineyard.  (October 3, 2014)

https://ia902308.us.archive.org/29/items/BarbaraShinnNorthForkWorks100114/BarbaraShinn-NorthForkWorks-10-01-14.mp3

Otto Schoenstein, 84, Greenport resident, shares a lifetime of stories about  what he has built in his life, including the blacksmith shop and the lantern room of Bug Lighthouse on the North Fork.  June Shoenstein joins the conversation. (September 3, 2014)

https://ia801401.us.archive.org/6/items/OttoSchoensteinOnNorthForkWorks090314REV./OttoSchoenstein%20on%20NorthForkWorks-09-03-14-REV..mp3

Sister Margaret Smyth, founder and director of the North Fork Spanish Apostolate talks about her life, her work and the Hispanic Communities of Riverhead and Greenport, NY.  (August 6, 2014)

https://ia902300.us.archive.org/30/items/SisterMargaretOnNorthForkWorks080614/Sister%20Margaret%20on%20NorthForkWorks-08-06-14.mp3

Will Paulson, fourth-generation woodworker, talks about his Swedish heritage, his philosophy about his tools, his craft and his sculptures and how he feels about wood and trees.  (May 7, 2014)

https://ia802508.us.archive.org/19/items/WillPaulsonNorthForkWorks050714A/WillPaulson-NorthForkWorks-05-07-14-A.mp3

Gideon D’Arcangelo, resident of Orient Village, musician and designer, plays music and talks about “third places,” working with Alan Lomax and organizing Song Swaps in Poquatuck Hall.  (updated, April 29, 2014)

https://ia802502.us.archive.org/19/items/NorthForkWorksGideonDArcangelo043014/NorthForkWorks-GideonD%27Arcangelo-04-30-14.mp3

Al Krupski, fourth generation Cutchogue farmer and Suffolk County Legislator for the 1st District talks about his life as a farmer and his work in local and county public service. (March 5, 2014)

https://ia600700.us.archive.org/2/items/AlKrupskiNorthForkWorks030514/Al%20Krupski-%20NorthForkWorks-03-05-14.mp3

Alternative link

Sister Margaret Smyth, talks about how she became a nun, started and built the North Fork Spanish Apostolate in Riverhead and Greenport.  She  gives us an intimate and current look at the many challenges--and triumphs in the Hispanic community, including  reuniting  the unaccompanied children from Central America with their mothers  on the East End of Long Island. (Broadcast on WPKN August 6, 2014)

Clare Wigfall, Berlin-based British author of the novel The Loudest Sound and Nothing, and I continue the conversation, begun with Storyacious editor Jenny Bhatt, about handwritten letters, how email can never take their place and how difficult it is, in these times, for letter writing to retain its once important place in our lives. The conversation includes 7-year old Maggie exploring the possibility of becoming a letter writer. (April 9, 2014)

Perhaps listening to these conversations will take you back to your own letter-writing days.  Or perhaps you've written and posted a letter today!

Clare Wigfall, Berlin-based British author of the novel The Loudest Sound and Nothing, and I continue the conversation, begun with Storyacious editor Jenny Bhatt, about handwritten letters, how email can never take their place and how difficult it is, in these times, for letter writing to retain its once important place in our lives. The conversation includes 7-year old Maggie exploring the possibility of becoming a letter writer. (April 9, 2014)

Perhaps listening to these conversations will take you back to your own letter-writing days.  Or perhaps you’ve written and posted a letter today!

Global Days of Listening is the project of Afghan Peace Volunteers (APV) who invite people around the world to talk directly on the 21st of each month via livestream and Skype sessions with youth in Afghanistan and other war-torn countries, to listen to the ordinary voices of those whose homeland is occupied with violence. The next Day of Listening is March 21, 2014, which is also NahRoz, the Afghan New Year.  Do contact GDoL directly if you would like to participate in the next session.

As the host of Tidings from Hazel Kahan on WPKN radio I was invited, along with others around the world, to participate in the November 21, 2013 Global Day of Listening.

The quality of the night-time livestream and Skype connection may have varied but with the expert translation into English and Dari by Hakim, their mentor, the communication between us and the Afghan youth in Kabul was clear as a bell.

My first question: What should radio listeners out here in Connecticut and Long Island know about you in Afghanistan that they don't know?

The answer came back loud and clear:  "If you are of military age or the parents of military age children, don't come here as soldiers.  Don't do it.  Stay at home. Don't believe the propaganda that soldiers come here to establish democracy or freedom.  The methods the soldiers are required to use here are the methods of war and killing. And  you will suffer losses for nothing."

Afghan teenagers and Hakim address us directly:

http://hazelkahan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/GlobalDoL-2.mp3

 

(I plan to post replies to my other questions at a later date.)

 

Global Days of Listening is the project of Afghan Peace Volunteers (APV) who invite people around the world to talk directly on the 21st of each month via livestream and Skype sessions with youth in Afghanistan and other war-torn countries, to listen to the ordinary voices of those whose homeland is occupied with violence. The next Day of Listening is March 21, 2014, which is also NahRoz, the Afghan New Year.  Do contact GDoL directly if you would like to participate in the next session.

As the host of Tidings from Hazel Kahan on WPKN radio I was invited, along with others around the world, to participate in the November 21, 2013 Global Day of Listening.

The quality of the night-time livestream and Skype connection may have varied but with the expert translation into English and Dari by Hakim, their mentor, the communication between us and the Afghan youth in Kabul was clear as a bell.

My first question: What should radio listeners out here in Connecticut and Long Island know about you in Afghanistan that they don’t know?

The answer came back loud and clear:  “If you are of military age or the parents of military age children, don’t come here as soldiers.  Don’t do it.  Stay at home. Don’t believe the propaganda that soldiers come here to establish democracy or freedom.  The methods the soldiers are required to use here are the methods of war and killing. And  you will suffer losses for nothing.”

Afghan teenagers and Hakim address us directly:

 

(I plan to post replies to my other questions at a later date.)