PUSHBACK Talks

Welcome to Season 7 of Pushback Talks! It's been an eventful summer, as nations worldwide grappled with the housing and climate crises, and people took to the streets to protest wealth inequality and the rapidly rising cost of living. In this highly anticipated season premiere, we join Fredrik and Leilani for a one-on-one conversation about their work to push back against the injustices of our time and how their mission adapts as the situation develops.

In this premiere episode, Fredrik and Leilani engage in a candid conversation that peels back the layers of the housing crisis as it relates to student housing, the climate crises, and the social contract. What actions can be taken right now to mitigate the crises? The episode underscores the critical need for accountability from both governments and private entities in addressing these far-reaching housing issues.

Join us for an engaging Season 7 premiere that deepens our understanding of the how the housing crisis is developing, and stay tuned for an exciting lineup of episodes that will inspire action, promote change, and illuminate the path toward a more just and equitable world. 

Support the show

This year's summer series is coming to a close! We did things a little differently this year, revisiting some of our favorite episodes from across all six seasons, and giving you updates on the guests and topics at the top of each episode.

No matter where you are - we hope you enjoy the final episode of the 2023 Summer Series!

Students the world over head to university filled with hopes and dreams for the future. But to pursue those dreams requires secure housing and that’s where the nightmare begins. The co-hosts swap stories of student life in London, Lagos, Dublin, Seoul, and Toronto. Students are working multiple jobs to pay the rent, lobbying for the right to sleep in their cars, experiencing sexual coercion, spending hours commuting back and forth each day, and worrying about the debt they’re accruing. Just when they should be stepping into the world with energy and strength, they are being beaten down. 

Lower-income students have less time to study and are leaving university with crippling debt loads, creating new patterns of inequality.  The Filmmaker and the Advocate discuss one of the central drivers of these conditions: student housing has become one of the hottest commodities around. It's being scooped up by global vulture funds including … you guessed it … Blackstone. This episode will make you angry and should make all of us want to push back so young people can dream again.

In recent days, the story has only gotten worse. In cities around the world, university students are facing homelessness, with many staging protests against universities that accept them without providing a proper and affordable place to stay. In Turkey, Canada, and beyond, students are pushing back against untenable housing conditions.

Support the show

It's summertime in Sweden and Canada, so it's time for Pushback Talks - Summer Series! And we're doing things a little differently this year. For the next six weeks, we'll revisit some of our favorite episodes from across all six seasons, giving you updates on the guests and topics at the top of each episode.

The Filmmaker and the Advocate are taking a break, but the podcast isn't. No matter where you are - we hope you enjoy this year's Summer Series!

This week we revisit Pushback Talks' first-ever guest, Peabody Award-winning investigative journalist, San Francisco resident, and author of, Homewreckers, Aaron Glantz.  Glantz speaks with Fredrik and Leilani about the devastating impact of vulture capitalists on millions of Americans since entering the housing sector after the Global Financial Crisis. Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz provides a jumping-off point for the trio to discuss the cozy relationship between government, banks, and private equity that ensured those with money would be winners and those without would have their dreams demolished.

Fredrik and Leilani used this episode of PUSHBACK Talks as a wake-up call and a warning: the vultures are likely circling again, with 40 million people in the US who can’t pay their rent and nearly 4 million who can't pay their home mortgages. Years later, the financial situation in the US has only worsened, making this conversation all the more relevant.

Produced by WG Film 
Recorded & Edited by Sebastian Cronholm
Music by Florencia Di Concilio
Social Media & Support - Kirsten McRae

Support the show

Support the show

It's summertime in Sweden and Canada, and that means it's time for Pushback Talks - Summer Series! And we're doing things a little differently this year. For the next six weeks, we'll revisit some of our favorite episodes from across all six seasons, giving you updates on the guests and topics at the top of each episode.

The Filmmaker and the Advocate are taking a break, but the podcast isn't. No matter where you are - we hope you enjoy this year's Summer Series!

In this episode, we look back at Fredrik and Leilani's 2021 conversation with Denmark’s then Housing Minister – Kaare Dybvad Bek – one of the few politicians in the world to have had the courage to take on Blackstone and other institutional investors. With Copenhagen being dominated by private equity, pension funds, and asset management firms, the Minister took matters into his own hands.  Despite considerable pressure, a Parliamentary Committee launched an investigation into the matter and successfully put forward ground-breaking legislation aimed at keeping big finance out of Copenhagen’s housing market. 

Known as ‘Lex Blackstone’, the legislation put a 5-year ban on renovations and rent increases for new owners and strengthened tenants' rights. The legislation had its intended results: fewer institutional investors and a significant decrease in property prices. Denmark’s legislation still offers inspiration and stands as a model for advocates and politicians across the globe, even years later.

Support the show

It's summertime in Sweden and Canada, and that means it's time for Pushback Talks - Summer Series! And we're doing things a little differently this year. For the next six weeks, we'll revisit some of our favorite episodes from across all six seasons, giving you updates on the guests and topics at the top of each episode.

The Filmmaker and the Advocate are taking a break, but the podcast isn't. No matter where you are - we hope you enjoy this year's Summer Series!

This week we're looking back at extra special guests from Port Harcourt Nigeria – Chicoco Radio, made up of rappers and mappers, musicians, journalists, filmmakers and photographers. Together they discuss the harsh inequalities experienced in Africa's largest nation, particularly in the oil-producing Delta Coast – where erasure of communities and extremely violent forced evictions are a common part of life. The Chicoco guests draw parallels between their experiences of police brutality at the hands of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and recent protests and the Black Lives Matter movement. What makes Chicoco utterly special - as well as this episode of PUSHBACK Talks -  is their use of song in their resistance. They say -- in Chicoco we’ve all experienced forced evictions either first-hand or through someone we love. We’re singing for change … to push back the fear of demolitions, of bullets and of wounds. Here we go.  Turn this one up LOUD.

More from  Chicoco Radio at https://chicoco.fm/

Guests:
Grace Timi 
Tammy Uzodinma
IB Johnson
Michael Uwemedimo

Musicians:
Miebaka Kienabere - lead vox
Faithia Blaze - vox
Imanny Cleverstone - rap
Slim D - rap
Young Crown - rap
Denny Tunez - guitar
Bright Benjamin - cajon

Chicoco Radio Team:

Tech:
Osom Product
Promise Sunday
Ana Bonaldo

Camera:
Imanny Cleverstone
Tammy Fingaz

IT:
Kelex Maduewesi  

Produced by WG Film 
Recorded & Edited by Mikey Jones
Music by Florencia Di Concilio
Social Media & Support Team - Louise Gustafsson & Maja Moberg  

Support the show

Support the show

It's summertime in Sweden and Canada, and that means it's time for Pushback Talks - Summer Series! And we're doing things a little differently this year. For the next six weeks, we'll revisit some of our favorite episodes from across all six seasons, giving you updates on the guests and topics at the top of each episode. 

The Filmmaker and the Advocate are taking a break, but the podcast isn't. No matter where you are - we hope you enjoy this year's Summer Series!

In this flashback episode, Leilani and Fredrik are joined by Anand Giridharadas, an American journalist and writer, to discuss the art of persuasion and engaging in conversations that bring people together. They explore strategies to connect on a human level and foster emotional intelligence within pro-democracy movements. Drawing from Anand's book, "The Persuaders," they explore how to create compelling visions for the future that inspire others to join the cause. Join the conversation as they delve into the transformative power of persuasion and the importance of building shared visions for a more united world.

Support the show

Support the show

In the last few years, the city of Bologna has been undergoing some big changes. Already known as a progressive city throughout the region, the city is putting its people in the driver's seat when it comes to housing policy in the hopes that the national government will follow its example. Sparked by the election of a neo-fascist national government and nationwide protests over a lack of affordable student housing, Bologna is joining with 11 other cities across Italy to push for housing change. After decades without structural investment in housing at any government level, the people of Bologna joined together to push the government to take action.

Fredrik and Leilani speak with Emily Marion Clancy, Deputy Mayor of Bologna, about the cool ways the city is using policy to give power back to the people and where they hope it will all lead.

Support the show

Join us for an eye-opening episode as we dive into the world of urban geography and technology with Dr. Desiree Fields, an esteemed scholar, and researcher. Drawing from her extensive expertise, Dr. Fields shines a light on the tangible effects of digital platforms, uncovering the stark socio-economic disparities they bring to our cities.

In this engaging conversation, we explore the real-life implications of digital technologies on urban governance and policy-making. Dr. Fields emphasizes the need to understand how algorithms, data-driven decision-making, and smart city initiatives shape our communities, perpetuating inequalities in the distribution of crucial resources.

Follow along as we explore the real-life consequences of digital platforms, from housing challenges and affordability issues to technological inequalities faced by marginalized communities. Leilani, Fredrik, & Dr. Fields discuss the need for inclusive policies that address the negative impacts of digital platforms, promote equitable access to technology, and prioritize the well-being of all urban residents. Listen in to gain insights on the impacts of digital platforms and discover how we can foster a more inclusive and equitable future for our cities.

Check out Dr. Fields' paper of the same name: "Automated Landlord: Digital Technologies and Post-crisis Financial Accumulation" and her other work on technology and financialization here.

Support the show

Join us in this thought-provoking episode of Pushback Talks as we sit down with Rebecca Riddell, Policy Lead, Economic Justice at Oxfam America. In a candid conversation, Leilani, Fredrik, and Rebecca speak on the importance of engaging in difficult conversations and effectively communicating across ideological divides when advocating for housing rights.

We delve into what increasing taxes on the rich for the specific purpose of human rights outcomes could look like, the importance of working in coalition, and even about a group of millionaires committed to raising taxes on the wealthy. 

Is there a way to keep the essential parts of our society out of the speculative finance bubble? What does economic justice look like? Listen to this week's episode to find out!

Rebecca Riddell, BIO

Support the show