The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack

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Joining me for the first time on the podcast from Gaza, Palestine, is 21 year old English Literature Student and volunteer with wearenotnumbers.org, Afaf Al Najjar. She outlines the situation inside Gaza right now, the crumbling infrastucture, the shortagrs of electricity, wifi and now water and the need for the fighting to stop.

This is a must listen first person testimony to live under the blockade (we are even interrupted at one point by the noise from Israeli gunships) and Afaf's appeal for the application of international law and the right to live a life in peace and with dignity is powerful appeal for sanity in this time of madness. Please listen and find Afaf on twitter @afafpal_

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It has been another bloody and brutal 36hrs in Israel and Palestine, with the destruction of schools, homes and hospitals and air strikes leaving hundreds of people dead and thousands more injured. Joining us to discuss the this, the events that led to Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and the reaction of the international community is journalist Hannah McCarthy, who has only recently returned from a visit to the area.

Warning: We discuss topics that some listeners may find disturbing.

The Healthcare not Handcuffs podcast is out now:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-90627401

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TW: Contains subjects that people may find upsetting. But please listen.

It was a great to be rejoined on the podcast by co-founder of secondtree.org Giovanni Fontana, to get an update on the campaign to get justice for Fatmata, who was shot and killed in April by a border police officer. There is, thanks to the work of Giovanni and others, some good news and a trial now looks likely. But the path to here has been exceptionally difficult, including the morgue asking for a bribe of €8,500 just to release Fatmata's body. Giovanni speaks passionately and cogently about Fortress Europe, Frontex and the lethal barriers we, as voters, place in front of people seeking a better life. There is good in the world and second tree are a force for it. Thanks, Gio.

Support their work at secondtree.org

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The Hamas - Islamic Jihad 'Operation Al-Aqsa Flood' caught almost everyone by surprise, including Gaza-based journalist Mahmoud Mushtaha, who rejoined us under very trying circumstances to talk about what is an escalation of enormous proportions and has triggered Israeli President Bini Netanyahu to declare that Israel is "at war."

Mahmoud gives the latest from on the ground in Gaza, the context of why it is happening and the currently non-existent hopes for peace negotiations. So far there are reports of hundreds dead and the injuries are now in the thousands. We will cover this as best we can electricity and wifi dependent.

Sinn Féin's budget podcast is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-90385626

Donate to MSF now:https://www.msf.org/palestine

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Colin Harvey is Professor of Human Rights Law in the School of Law, Director of the Human Rights Centre, a Fellow of the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, and an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Irish Studies. He is also a Commissioner on the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, a campaigner for a new Ireland and member of Ireland's Future.

In this episode we talk to Prof. Harvey about the constitution and what a rights based society might look like.

The Ghost Limb podcast is out now:https://www.patreon.com/posts/90361039

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It's not that long ago that the Liffey was a thriving salmon fishing river. But in only a few decades, and despite improvements in the water quality, the stocks of fish have fallen from several thousand to around 300. Why and what can be done to fix it? Can we let one of the main sources of Dublin's drinking water become lifeless? What is lost to the city and further up river if we don't act?

Joining me is Director of Liffey Salmon Project, Mark McAndrew, and he’s a man with not just a plan, but a fantastic initiative, working with about 12 others, to bring the Liffey back to life. A great listen and a great example of real activism.

The Pre-Budget 2024 podcast is out now:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-90292526

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It was a pleasure to be rejoined in the tortoise shack by academic, author and activist, Naomi Klein for what is a deep-dive into the worlds she discusses in her new book, Doppelganger. We talk about the doppleganger phenomenon in the era of people building personal brands, the wellbeing to far right pipeline, following the white rabbit, liberalism versus leftism, the nonsense that is horseshoe theory and the need for soft borders (in ideology and in community) in order to counter the far right and move towards a rights-based society.

Doppleganger by Naomi Klein is published by Allen Lane and is available in shops and online from 12th November and we have 2 signed copies of the book to give away. To enter simply share and recommend this podcast on your social media feed (twitter or instagram) and tag @TortoiseShack.

The Aoife Moore and Emmet Kirwan podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-90027745

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Listeners would be aware of one of our regular contributors, the young journalist in Gaza, Palestine, Mahmoud Mushtaha and his reports on the events in the area. He rejoined us to bring us up to speed on the latest impacts of the conflict, the growing problem of food insecurity (40% don't know where their next meal is coming from) and the increase in (illegal) settler violence.

We had some problems with Mahmoud's line, but please bare with it. His description of recently losing his friend and the feeling of being trapped by the Israeli blockade must be heard.

The Naomi Klein interview is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-90076219

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Longtime listeners would know journalist and friend of the pod, Hannah McCarthy, for her previous podcasts with us from Afghanistan, Lebanon and Ukraine. Well this time in a rare treat she was back in Dublin and joined me in the tortoise shack to tell us all about her recent trip accompanying Tanaiste Micheal Martin in Israel and Palestine.

Hannah, as always, spoke to some great sources and has great insights on the trip, Ireland's position, Israel/EU relations and more. A must listen!

Tickets for Thursday:https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/tortoise-shack-live-tickets-698299581847?aff=oddtdtcreator

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For the last few years we've done a member-only wrap of the week Sunday Show for our members. This week we've decided to lift the paywall and share the madness with you all. Joining us is Shrapnel cohost and future leader of lefty Irish twitter, Sam Mcilwaine. We talk libraries unable to buy books, the Stormont stalemate that's driving the case for reform, the gallows outside the Dáil and the main enablers within the status quo, the neoliberal "we need more unemployment" argument that's become a newspaper column, the 3 leaders at a pointless UN meeting and Trump worrying about the potential for World War II, (no really). Embrace the chaos.

Tickets:https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/tortoise-shack-live-tickets-698299581847?aff=oddtdtcreator

Latest Shrapnel- Music, Conflict and Culture - is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-89512183