Dr. Nikolas Kosmatopoulos, political anthropologist, associate professor at the American University of Beirut, amateur sailor and host of the InsurgenSeas project, sets the stage for a new conversation about oceans and the politics of oceanic change. Drawing from decades of research and activism around the sea, he reflects on how the sea is often seen either as an empty space, a state-controlled border, a new investment horizon, or a lawless frontier, but can be reimagined as a site of radical possibilities and community reclaiming. Why turn to the sea at all? What does it mean to think politically from the rising waterlines? Through stories, interviews, and theoretical provocations, Kosmatopoulos invites listeners into an unconventional way of seeing the seas: one that connects frontline struggles, deconstructs oceanic essentialisms, and breaks new floating ground for thinking and acting with the sea and its communities.

In this episode, Dr. Nikolas Kosmatopoulos joined by student Roua Chakaroun speaks with Mrs. Huwaida Arraf, Palestinian-American lawyer, activist, and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement. Known for her work organizing the Gaza Freedom Flotillas, civilian ships that challenged the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, Arraf reflects on the political force of collective action at sea.

The conversation moves from the Mediterranean to broader oceanic geographies, exploring how communities around the world are using water not only as a space of livelihood but also as a site of protest, memory, and resistance.

The episode connects the daring voyages with other local struggles across the globe, tracing how voices from the oceanic frontlines are catalyzing a broader shift in the global landscape of resistance.

Listeners are invited into a deep, discussion that navigates law, activism, memory, and the sea as a battleground of sovereignty, solidarity, and hope.