Occupy Wall Street has changed the conversation about the distribution of wealth, and an economic framework which for decades, has been taken for granted.  So what now?  What policy changes and initiatives should the movement be pushing for?  On this edition, University of Massachusetts at Amherst emeritus economics professor Richard Wolff speaks about some of the roots of, and solutions to, the economic inequality that’s finally being acknowledged.

Featuring:

Richard Wolff, University of Massachusetts Economics professor; Deepa Varna, housing attorney

 For More Information:

Occupy Wall Street

http://occupywallst.org/

Occupy Wall Street West

http://www.occupywallstwest.org/wordpress/

Richard Wolff

http://rdwolff.com/

Move To Amend

http://movetoamend.org/

Eviction Defense Collaborative

http://www.evictiondefense.org/index.html

Occupy For Jobs

http://www.occupy4jobs.org/

F.D.R and the New Deal

http://www.fdrheritage.org/new_deal.htm

2012 United Nations year of Co-Operatives

http://www.2012.coop/

Articles/Blogs/Videos/Audio: 

Occupy 4 Jobs Rally NYC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F15OKHKdo1k

Decolonize/Occupy Wall St West 1.20.12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwryQ2guhKs

Occupy is back — with horns and glitter

http://www.sfbg.com/2012/01/24/occupy-back-horns-and-glitter

Banks cancel debit card fees, but anti-bank sentiment remains palpable

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/the-daily-need/banks-cancel-debit-card-fees-but-anti-bank-sentiment-remains-palpable/12180/

The post Making Contact – How to Occupy the Economy: According to Richard Wolff appeared first on KPFA.

It’s 2012, the world is calling for change, and in the U.S, another presidential election is looming.   But journalist Tariq Ali says the American public’s so-called ‘choices’ don’t present much in the way of options. On this edition, Ali speaks about the ‘extreme center’ and how Occupy and other emerging social movements are challenging the status quo.

Special thanks to the Lannan Foundation.

Featuring:

Longtime journalist and activist Tariq Ali, author of more than 20 books, including “The Obama Syndrome,” “The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power,” and “Bush in Babylon: The Reconciliation of Iraq.” 

For More Information:

Tariq Ali

http://tariqali.org/

Lannan Foundation

http://www.lannan.org/

The Guardian

http://www.guardiannews.com/

New Left Review

http://newleftreview.org/

Books/Articles:

Tariq Ali speaks about his book, “The Obama Syndrome: Surrender at Home, War Abroad” on Democracy Now

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/9/21/tariq_ali_on_the_obama_syndrome

The post Making Contact – Tariq Ali on the Rise of the “Extreme Center” appeared first on KPFA.

The post Making Contact – January 20, 2012 at 1:30pm appeared first on KPFA.

As the Arab spring enters its second year, the popular uprising against the Syrian government continues.  Scores are being killed by government forces, but international condemnation has not been enough to stop the violence.  Foreign correspondent Reese Erlich is one of the few foreign reporters who got into Syria to interview opposition demonstrators, Kurdish refugees, government officials and impassioned supporters of President Bashar al Assad. On this edition, An Inside look at the Syrian Uprising, produced by Reese Erlich.

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting provided a grant to Reese Erlich for his reporting from Syria.  Special thanks to Azad Diwani and Nabaz Shwani for translation and arranging interviews. 

Featuring:

Leen, Ahmad, Taim, Mahmood, Syrian activists; Bouthaina Shaban, Syrian Presidential advisor; J. Toumajian, translator; Feras Dieb, Alawite businessman; Mohammad al Habash, Syrian Parliament member; Rana Issa, marketing and advertising business owner; Barkhodan Balo, Kurdish refugee; clothing store owner in Damascus souk

For More Information:

 Syrian American Council

http://sacouncil.com/

Local Coordination Committees of Syria

http://www.lccsyria.org/

Al-Jazeera spotlight on Syria

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/syria/

Free Syria

http://www.free-syria.com/en/

Razaniyyat

http://razanghazzawi.com/

Syrian Arab News Agency

http://www.sana.sy/index_eng.html

The Arab League

http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/league.htm

Syria Comment

http://syriacomment.com/

Pulitzer Center

http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/arab-spring-gaza-egypt-mubarak-tahrir-square

Books/Articles:

Flash Mob For Syrian Freedom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVuFYzz5QUI

The post Making Contact – Inside the Syrian Uprising appeared first on KPFA.

With the world in transition, and the future so unclear, what kind of promises can we make to our children?  What can we do to ensure a just world for them? And what are the youth doing now to make it happen for themselves?

On this edition, we hear a dialogue between Princeton University professor Cornel West, and Revolutionary Communist Party USA spokesman Carl Dix about the future of America’s youth in the age of Obama.

Featuring:

Cornel West, professor at the Center for African American Studies and Department of Religion at Princeton University; Carl Dix, co-founder of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA.

Special thanks to Alton Byrd and Revolution Books.

For More Information:

Cornel West

http://cornelwest.com/

Carl Dix

http://rwor.org/a/carldix/cd.htm

Revolutionary Communist Party, USA

http://rwor.org/

Revolution Books

www.revolutionsbooks.org

Occupy Wall Street

http://occupywallst.org/

Stop and Frisk policy:

http://www.nyclu.org/issues/racial-justice/stop-and-frisk-practices

Sentencing Project

http://www.sentencingproject.org/template/index.cfm

Critical Resistance

http://www.criticalresistance.org/

Books/Articles:

“The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander

http://www.newjimcrow.com/

The post Making Contact – Cornel West & Carl Dix: Pursuing Justice in the Age of Obama appeared first on KPFA.

From Egypt to Wisconsin, and from Wall Street to anytown USA.  2011 was a year in which people raised their voices to call for justice.  As we head into 2012, there’s optimism about the possibilities for change.  On this edition, we look back at some the most important issues of 2011: Attacks on organized labor, the Egyptian revolution, and the struggle to address climate change.   We’ll hear highlights of some of the best programs we’ve brought you this year, and get some updates on where those stories stand now.

Featuring:

Shimaa Helmy, Egyptian human rights activist; Pedro De Sa, ILWU local 6 Rank and File organizer; Kris Hirsh, Stand up For Ohio spokesman; Melissa Fezekas, We Are Ohio spokesperson; Larry Cohen, Communications Workers of America President; Rich Trumka, AFL-CIO President; Fred Risser, Wisconsin State Senator; Khalid Shalid, Tahrir square protestor; Salma Shukrallah, Al Ahram Online journalist; Tarek Shalaby, Tahrir Square leader; James Inhofe, US Senator from Oklahoma; Bernaditas Mueller, South Centre climate change special advisor; Patrick Bond, Center for Civil Society Director at the University of Kwazulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa; Mike Ludwig, Truthout reporter; Brian Edwards-Tiekert, journalist 

For More Information:

No Military Trials For Civilians

http://en.nomiltrials.com/

Shimaa Tahrir

http://www.facebook.com/Shimaa.Tahrir

Al-Ahram online

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/

Muslim Brotherhood

http://www.ikhwanweb.com/

Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting

http://pulitzercenter.org/

ILWU

http://www.ilwu.org/

Occupy Wall Street

http://occupywallst.org/

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker

http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/

Workers Independent News

www.laborradio.org

WORT Community Radio-Madison, WI

http://www.wort-fm.org

Wisconsin AFL-CIO

http://www.wisaflcio.org/

Communications Workers of America

http://www.cwa-union.org/

We the People Campaign

http://www.wethepeoplecampaign.org/

Campaign Cash

http://campaigncash.org/

Stand Up For Ohio

http://standupforohio.org/home/

We Are Ohio

http://weareohio.com/

ALEC exposed

http://alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed

Truthout

www.truthout.org

The Media Consortium

http://www.themediaconsortium.org/

Durban Platform

http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/durban_nov_2011/decisions/application/pdf/cop17_durbanplatform.pdf

Climate Signals-An Inventory of Climate Change Impact Reports

http://climatesignals.org/

Skeptical Science

www.skepticalscience.com

Mobilization for Climate Justice

http://www.actforclimatejustice.org

Center for Civil Society, University of Kwazulu-Natal

http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/

Indigenous Environmental Network

http://www.ienearth.org/

The South Centre

http://www.southcentre.org/

COP17 in Durban, South Africa

http://www.cop17durban.com

Books/Articles:

Tina Gerhardt: Get It Done! Youth to UN on Internationally Binding Climate Treaty

http://onespot.wsj.com/politics/2011/12/12/d0f96/tina-gerhardt-get-it-done-youth-to-un-on

Scenes From a Revolution

http://printmag.com/Article/Scenes-from-a-Revolution

The post Making Contact – Looking Back, Moving Forward: 2011 Year in Review appeared first on KPFA.

Since the days of slavery, the African-American woman has been subjected to stereotypes: the mammy, the angry black female and the hyper-sexual woman . These stereotypes continue to this day and permeate thru pop culture.

 On this edition, author and political science professor Melissa Harris-Perry speaks about the stereotypes black women face, the resulting impacts on their identity, and how those stereotypes have limited the ways in which society views black women as true “citizens.”

 Special Thanks to KPFA radio.

Featuring:

 Melissa Harris-Perry, Tulane University professor of political science; Blanche Richardson, author and owner of Marcus Book Stores.

For More Information:

Melissa Harris-Perry

http://melissaharrisperry.com/

Marcus Books

http://www.marcusbookstores.com/

The Nation, Melissa Harris- Perry, Columns:

http://www.thenation.com/authors/melissa-harris-lacewell

Black Face, a history

http://black-face.com/

The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) http://www.ncnw.org/resources/index.htm

National Association of Colored Women (NACW), http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_org_nacw.html

Books/Articles:

Embracing Sisterhood: Class, Identity, and Contemporary Black Women by Katrina Bell McDonald

 http://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Sisterhood-Class-Identity-Contemporary/dp/074254575X/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323391517&sr=1-6

Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America, by Melissa Harris-Perry

http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300165418

Citizen Abstained?: Sister Citizen by Melissa Harris-Perry

By R. N. Bradley

 http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/152018-citizen-abstained-sister-citizen-by-melissa-harris-perry/

Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty by Dorothy Roberts

http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Black-Body-Reproduction-Meaning/dp/0679758690/ref=pd_sim_b_4

‘She’s Ghetto’: Stereotypes Black Women Internalize by Bene Viera

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2011/04/%E2%80%98she%E2%80%99s-ghetto%E2%80%99-stereotypes-black-women-internalize/

How Spike Lee’s ‘Bamboozled’ challenges Hollywood’s portrayal of black people on screen. By Megan Fox

 http://therealmeganfox.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/how-spike-lee%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98bamboozled%E2%80%99-challenges-hollywood%E2%80%99s-portrayal-of-black-people-on-screen-unfortunately-condensed-into-a-10-minute-presentation/

The post Making Contact – Melissa Harris-Perry: Confronting Stereotypes of the Black Woman appeared first on KPFA.

It’s called a gang injunction.  A controversial crime tool strategy that some people say should be illegal, and others say is a necessary last resort for communities plagued by violence.   On this edition, we go from the birthplace of gang injunctions in Los Angeles, to their newest use in London, England.  Almost 30 years later, communities remain divided about the best way to address youth violence and crime.

This program was crowd-funded on spot.us, a community supported journalism project.

Featuring:

Angela Davis , Critical resistance founder; Freddie Hamilton, Oakland police lieutenant: Michael Muskin, man named in Fruitvale Gang Injunction; Scott Peterson, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce public policy director; Danielle Rocha, Youth Empowerment School senior: K.E.V., Oakland-based MC; Sagnicthe Salazar, Youth Together organizer; Cesar Cruz, Homies Empowerment program co-founder; Kim McGill, Youth Justice Coalition organizer; Rosio Fiero, attorney for the city of Oakland; Kwame Nitoto, Oakland Parents Together parent education project director; Meriea Jones, Cory Jenkins, Destiny McNeil, Mohammad El-Zafri, Santa Fe Elementary School students; Jonathan Toy, Southwark Council head of community safety; Emeka Egbuonu; youth worker at The Crib; Michael Bailey, young person at The Crib, Russell Higgs, Pembury Estate resident

For More Information:

Youth Justice Coalition

http://www.youth4justice.org/

Critical Resistance

http://www.criticalresistance.org/

Stop the Injunctions Coalition

http://stoptheinjunction.wordpress.com/

Homies Empowerment Program-Oakland, CA

http://us.ymcaeastbay.org/

All of Us or None

http://www.allofusornone.org/

Youth Together

http://www.youthtogether.net/

Homies Unidos

http://homiesunidos.org/

Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

http://www.oaklandchamber.com/

Southwark Council

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/

Spot.us crowd-funded journalism

www.spot.us

Articles, Blogs, Reports and Videos:

Map of North Oakland gang Injunction

http://www.oaklandcityattorney.org/PDFS/NSO%20SZ%20map%20big.pdf

LAPD map of Gang Injunctions

http://www.lapdonline.org/assets/pdf/gang_injunc_ctywd.pdf

North Side Oakland injunction report November 2011

http://www.scribd.com/doc/71995064/NSO-Injunction-Report

The post Making Contact – Gang Injunctions: Problem or Solution? appeared first on KPFA.

If you’ve ever stepped into a nail salon, you know the smell of a chemical cocktail that hits you like an invisible wall. While consumers may tolerate it during a short visit, the nail salon workers find themselves stewing in a toxic bubble for years. On this edition, we take a look at the health impacts of chemical exposure, the shoddy regulation of cosmetics, and the movement towards greener nail salons.

 Featuring:

Alisha Nga Tran, Patient Leadership Council facilitator, Asian Health Services; Dr. Thu Quach, Epidemiologist, Cancer Prevention Institute of California; My Tong, translator, health advocate at Asian Health Services; Lam Le, former nail salon worker and cancer survivor; Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO, Green For All; Jamie Silberberger, Director of Programs and Policy at Women’s Voices for the Earth; Uyen Nguyen, Owner, Isabella Nail Salon; Sarah Vuong, employee at Isabella Nail Salon; Jill Adams, client, Isabella Nail Salon; David Chiu, President of San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

 Thanks to all of our supporters, to As You Sow’s Environmental Enforcement Fund and to Spot.us for helping to crowd fund this story.

For More Information:

Asian Health Services

http://www.asianhealthservices.org/

Oakland, CA

California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative

http://www.cahealthynailsalons.org/

Oakland, CA

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum

http://napawf.org/

Washington, DC

National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance

http://nailsalonalliance.org/

Washington, D.C.

Women’s Voices for the Earth

http://www.womensvoices.org/

Missoula, MT

The post Making Contact – The Toxic Truth about Nail Salons (encore) appeared first on KPFA.

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