Thread members Mac and Varsha talked with Marwa Sayed and Matt Thacker about their revitalizing of SLAP, the Student Labor Action Project, which serves as a solidarity movement to support the workers at Boston University. They discuss the different groups and unions they've worked with, and how they're seeking to grow the group from here.

Continuing our conversation with Reverend Julian Cook, we discuss the political machine of Chicago, and the political history behind former major Harold Washington and activist Jesse Jackson.

Naomi Carolan, an undergraduate international relations student, has an extracurricular interest the North Korea. Matthias and Kobe sat down with her to discuss recent developments in the region and larger geopolitical issues as well.

Dr. Houchang Chehabi, professor of international relations at BU, was in Turkey during the failed coup attempt last summer. We wanted to sit down with him after April 16th's referendum, in which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan codified and consolidated dictatorial powers. We discuss Dr. Chehabi's experience in Turkey, the political trajectory of President Erdogan, and the international impact of this sea change in Turkish politics.

Chicago has come up frequently in the national political conversation, mostly to serve as a negative example for everything that’s wrong with the country and society today. Matthias sat down with Reverend Julian Cook for the first episode of a series on Chicago’s history from 1966 to present day. This episode focuses on the social conditions that motivated MLK JR to take the Civil Rights movement to Chicago, the turbulence of the sixties, and Chicago as an economic hub amongst other things. We hope the conversations will provide some insight into the spirit of the city, its challenges, its aspirations and the historical dynamics that made the city what it is today.

A continuation from episode 2. Dr. Bin Song is pursuing a second PhD in religious studies. He has a deep knowledge of the Confucian tradition, which we draw on for Parts 2 and 3 of this series. Here, we discuss the compatibility of Confucian values with Western societies, Confucianism in 20th C. China, and what Confucianism has to say about education.

Dr. Bin Song is pursuing a second PhD in religious studies. He has a deep knowledge of the Confucian tradition, which we draw on for Parts 2 and 3 of this series. Here, we discuss the compatibility of Confucian values with Western societies, Confucianism in 20th C. China, and what Confucianism has to say about education.

Boston Confucianism, which argues for the applicability of Confucian values globally, rather than just in East Asia, is an intellectual movement pioneered by Dr. Robert Neville (former Dean of Marsh Chapel and the School of Theology; currently a professor of Philosophy, Religion and Theology at BU). Here, we discuss the inception of Boston Confucianism and the many potential points of contact between Confucianism and the west.

In a spontaneous moment, Mac, Matthias and Kobe find themselves in a room with some of today's biggest activists and ask them one important question. Then the activists take the mic. Spin this Thread to unwind their wisdom. Learn more about the activists you hear on our website, commonthreadpodcast.com/edge-of-activism

We sat down with Luis Castro and Sophie Brandigham to discuss the One BU gala held this Saturday April 8th. You can find a description and a link to the event on our website, commonthreadpodcast.com