Needs No Introduction

Featured Speaker for the 2017 Broadbent Institute Progress Summit Felicia Wong discusses how the rules of American liberalism can be rewritten to find the best way forward for American progressives.

From Octopus Books in Ottawa, we bring you an evening with award-winning author George Elliott Clarke. He is joined by essayist, poet and playwright charles c. smith.

George Elliott Clarke was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia in 1960 near the Black Loyalist Community of Three Mile Plains. One of Canada's foremost Black voices on the literary scene, he coined the term "Africanadian" to describe the Black culture of Atlantic Canada. He is currently Professor of English at the University of Toronto.

charles c. smith, poet, essayist, playwright and Artistic Director of the multidisciplinary wind in the leaves collective. Among his many accomplishments, he was also the founder of the Black Perspectives Cultural Program at Regent Park in Toronto. He also received an award from Black Theatre Canada for his play Last Days for the Desperate, and has written and edited 12 books.

The moderator for the evening is Anishnaabe author and journalist Waubgeshig Rice.

Thanks to Octopus Books for making this interview available to rabble. Octopus has a great series of readings, and we'll be bringing some more of them to you on Needs No Introduction. If you're in Ottawa, it's a good night out, full of interesting ideas, people and books. You can find more details about upcoming speakers by going to www.octopusbooks.ca

Edited by Braden Alexander

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One aspect of corporate power that is being exercised more and more these days is the Slap Suit. When powerful people and corporations don't like what's being said, they try to shut down the discussion with lawsuits. Even when those lawsuits are groundless, the cost has the potential to shut down media organizations, especially those which are not able to afford costly libel insurance.

Today's program is all about this method of stifling dissent, and what can be done to limit the use and efficacy of slap suits to shut down citizens' voices.

"Protecting the Right to Protest: Free Speech versus Corporate Power." It was recorded at Media Democracy Days 2016 in November in Vancouver.

Speakers:

1.) Robert Hackett (introductions), is a professor at the Simon Fraser University School of Communication where he specializes in media reform, peace journalism, and the textual analysis of news.

2.) Josh Paterson is the Executive Director of the British Colombia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA). As a part of the BCCLA, Paterson has covered issues ranging from Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women to the right-to-die debate.

3.) Linda Solomon Wood is the CEO of the Observer Media Group and is also Editor-in-Chief of the National Observer. The National Observer focuses on investigative reporting and daily news about climate, energy, the environment, and current political affairs.

4.) Alan Dutton is a member of the Canadian Anti-Racism Education and Research Society. Dutton previously served on provincial committees developing anti-racism strategies and participated in federal organisations presenting workshops and research on racism.

5.) Michael Vonn is the Policy Director at the British Colombian Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA). Vonn has been published in a number of journals, including the Birckjbeck Law Review, Surveilance and Society, the Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law, and Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law.

Thanks to CJSF at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby for letting us use their recordings. And to Tania Ehret, rabble.ca's liaison with Media Democracy Days. And to Braden Alexander for editing and scripting this for rabble.ca.

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.

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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 Department of Political Science, York University, Toronto. He is currently co-editor of the Socialist Register. He is also on the editorial boards of Studies in Political Economy; Relay; Capitalism, Nature, Socialism; Canadian Dimension, The Bullet; and Historical Materialism (England).

Thanks to Kvesche Be for recording the talk by Greg Albo in Toronto; and to Octopus Books in Ottawa for their help obtaining the lecture by Dr. Leech-Ngo.

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 of $15 a month or more, you can get your own copy by clicking here.

Thanks to Octopus Books for making this interview available to rabble. Octopus has a great series of fall readings, and we'll be bringing some more of them to you on Needs No Introduction. If you're in Ottawa, it's a good night out, full of interesting ideas, people and books. You can find more details about the authors in this fall's roster by going to www.octopusbooks.ca

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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):

1. Tom Goldtooth - Environmental, climate, and economic justice activist, speaker, film producer, and Indigenous rights leader from Minnesota.
2. 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.
3. Jacob Wawatie, Algonquin elder and native studies educator at University of Ottawa. He's also founder of Kokomville Academy, an organization which seeks to integrate Indigenous and settler approaches towards nature, development, and overall ways of life.
4. Romeo Saganash, MP and NDP Critic for Intergovernmental Indigenous Affairs. He has tabled a private members bill -- Bill C262 -- to ensure that the laws of Canada respect the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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 director at the School of Journalism at Ryerson University, was previously a distinguished writer at Canada's national newspaper The Globe and Mail. Al-Solaylee also worked at Report on Business magazine and has written features and reviews for the Toronto Star, National Post, The Walrus, Toronto Life, Chatelaine, EYE WEEKLY, Literary Review of Canada and ELLE Canada. Al-Solaylee holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham and has taught at the University of Waterloo and York University. Al-Solaylee lives in Toronto.

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 for most of the last decade and during the 1980s. He has been a strong advocate for mercury justice, and for control over Grassy Narrows' forests and community affairs. He brings a depth of knowledge and first hand experience as a leader in a community that has been hit hard by mercury poison and has emerged as a leading voice for environmental justice and Indigenous rights. He is the father of 5 sons and many grandchildren. He is a hunter/trapper and knows the land very well and is also a very gentle man. Judy Da Silva: Judy da Silva is a member of the Grassy Narrows First Nations Community and internationally recognized environmental activist. In 2013, she received Michael Sattler Peace Prize from the German Mennonite Peace Committee to honour her efforts to halt and reverse the environmental destruction of the Grassy Narrows traditional territory. She also went to the United Nations in Geneva this year to make a presentation to Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, presenting the case that Canada had failed to protect their community's right to safe drinking water.

Youth performance: Song: Home to Me Youth singer (Darwin) speaks Avi Lewis: Avi Lewis is one of Canada's most eloquent and controversial media personalities. He is the director of the feature documentaries This Changes Everything (2015) and The Take (2004). He has also been a local news reporter, music journalist, debate show host, documentary filmmaker, public speaker, and activist. In all of these roles, he has created space to bring more radical voices and ideas to the mainstream for over 25 years.

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 at the 519 as Manager of Direct Services. The 519 is a place which, among other things, provides transitional support for those seeking refuge from persecution due to sexual orientation. Karlene herself is among those who have sought refugee status in this country, as she is no longer safe in her home country of Jamaica.

This panel was presented by Ryerson's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office, Career Centre and Student Life.

rabble thanks Student Life, the Career Centre and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office for making this available for broadcast.

If you would like to see video of this panel, you can go to RYECAST.RYERSON.CA for a high quality stream, and see all of this and other panels, speakers and discussions.

With production assistance for rabble by Kvesche Be.