TROUBLEMAKERS

It takes more than organising to shift a society's sense of what's possible.

In this episode, we travel to Moldova to explore how feminist and LGBTQ+ activists are reimagining the boundaries of public discourse and reshaping the culture of protest in a quiet, conservative society. Our guests, Julia and Stella, are part of a growing movement challenging apathy, tradition, and fear with bold, consistent action.

We unpack the concept of the Overton Window—the idea that public acceptance of ideas can shift depending on how they're framed and who dares to speak them first. Iulia and Steliana share what it's like to organize in a country where dissent is often seen as shameful and where radical ideas can be misread or feared before they are understood.

The Overton Window is a concept that can help us understand how the radical fringes of society pull what's palatable for the majority of society toward them.

This episode is a candid and moving conversation about courage, culture, and the slow, persistent work of shifting what's possible.

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Resources & Show Links:

Use your radical fringe to shift the Overton window

Femicide in Moldova

More from our channels

How do you take on a corporate giant—and win?

In this episode of Troublemakers, we dive into a story from BDS Palestine organizers in Jordan. They built one of the most impactful consumer boycotts in recent memory, targeting Carrefour supermarkets. Fatima and Enas walk us through the strategy, creativity, and community power that made it possible.

They share how neighborhood committees were formed, how young people and students got involved through art contests, and how a deep analysis of local economies shaped the campaign's tactical focus. From pressuring suppliers to rethinking contracts, to triggering public withdrawals, this is a story of people reclaiming power through organized resistance.

We also reflect on the emotional stakes of the campaign, the challenges of sustaining momentum, and the hope that fuels the struggle for a free Palestine.

Connect with us on our socials @troublemakers.podcast or write to us via email [email protected].

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.

In this episode of Trouble Makers, we dive into the spectacle surrounding Disney’s  Snow White remake to explore a deeper story: how corporate media co-opts identity politics, commodifies culture, and shapes our collective imagination for profit.

In this episode of Troublemakers, we dive into Participatory Action Research (PAR) with Abel Sibanda, exploring how research needn't be divorced from reality but can actually foster social transformation and systems change, especially when it's not separated from our complex realities and the actions of our movements. We discuss the nuances of solidarity when carrying out research together with social movements, and the many perils of academic extraction, including gatekeeping. We explore the idea of non-academics as researchers and knowledge-producers.

We also touch on the knowledge commons, looking at creative ways people are reclaiming access to information—liberated archives, inclusive attribution, or unconventional repurposed platforms like the famous cooperative sandbox game Minecraft where gamers have built a library that provides universal access to banned books.

We also interrogate the relationship between research and AI, AI as mass plagiarism, and the blind spots of AI with the assumption that communities hold and code knowledges that big tech fails to absorb.

Participatory action research is one of the many tools in the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.

Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Resources & Links:

Minecraft’s banned book libraries.

Directory of Open Access Journals

Open-access knowledge repositories.

Our episode with Dalit knowledge-producer polymath Sarita Pariyar.

In this first episode of TM Smoke Signal, we sit down with Stewart Muhindo to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.— Maya Angelou

Phil sits with a longtime comradely fellow organizer Phionah Kyokusiima from Solidarity Uganda. Together they delve into the tactic of cultural disobedience, which has just as much subversive power—sometimes more—as civil disobedience. Kyokusiima is a seasoned organizer with the powerful Solidarity Uganda network (solidarityuganda.org). She enlightens us on how

women are proliferating the spaces they have been excluded from and seizing their power through breaking traditional gender taboos.

Can culturally profane expressions serve as a mobilization tool for social change? Are they inherently powerful in themselves? Join us as we unpack these questions and more in a conversation that bridges questions of tradition and transformation.

Learn more about Cultural disobedience in the Beautiful Trouble toolbox, the inspiration for our podcast.

Connect with us by email at [email protected] or via Instagram and FaceBook @troublemakers.podcast

And when they spy on us, let them discover us loving.

— Alice Walker

Our guest helps us answer many of the questions activists have about privacy and digital security. He has chosen to remain anonymous to share his insights on protecting oneself online, avoiding surveillance, and practicing safe digital habits.

From understanding encryption to safeguarding your personal data, this conversation equips listeners with essential tools for navigating the digital landscape securely.

Some of the tools listed include Signal, Tor Browser and VPN (s).

This episode is free to use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License with proper attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast).

Our work is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

You can also learn more about Practicing Digital Self-Defence by reading through the principle.

Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook @troublemakers.podcast or write us an email via [email protected]

In this second part of our series on "Use the law, don't be afraid of it," we speak with climate justice lawyer Victoria Whalen, who offers a refreshingly positive perspective on what the law is and what it can do. She puts law in the hands of the people as a tool to mould new realities, and frames the history of legal rights as a living archive of movement victories.

Victoria Whalen is such a dynamic force in climate justice. With a background in biology, urban sustainability, and environmental law, Victoria is deeply committed to progressive climate policy, and on the front lines of cases and documentation projects that have the potential to provide a basis for people around the entire world to pressure their local and national governments more effectively, even as individuals or small groups affected by climate change.

She shares her insights on youth-led activism, indigenous legal frameworks, and bridging the gap between law and community organizing. We never wanted to be paralegals or lawyers, but after this chat with Victoria, now we're not so sure.

To learn more about Victoria's work, visit https://www.futuregenerationstribunal.com/ 

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.

Learn more about Use the law, don’t be afraid of it in the Beautiful Trouble toolbox, the inspiration for our podcast.

Connect with us by email at [email protected] or via Instagram and FaceBook @troublemakers.podcast

How does storytelling reshape movements? What role does humor play in activism? How can we clown a hostile moment, a climate protest, a global convening sold out to the billionaires? Do children understand political expediency better — should we all be clowns and ninjas and unashamed painters instead of activists and campaigners?

In this episode of Troublemakers, we sit down with Angus Joseph to explore the intersections of satire, absurdity, neoliberalism, and movement culture.

We also promised to link to research by Sophia McClennen, Srdja Popovic, and Joseph Wright about how satirical dilemma actions provide a 11-16% success rate boost to campaigns. That research can be found through CANVAS.

And speaking of Jedis, learn how to use their mind trick.

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.

Learn more about Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army in the Beautiful Trouble toolbox, the inspiration for our podcast.

Connect with us by email at [email protected] or via Instagram @troublemakers.podcast

Pain is often treated as something to suppress, avoid, or silence. But what if true healing comes from embracing it fully—together? We sit down with Nicaraguan movement psychologist Cristel Montenegro to explore the power of collective trauma processing. We examine how communities facing deep wounds caused by violence and systemic oppression can embrace healing through storytelling and welcoming emotion.

We discuss the role of anger in social movements, and why true self-care isn’t just a beach vacation—it’s about reconnecting with our senses. Cristel also reflects on the tension between grassroots activism and institutional change, and emphasizing joy, pleasure, and human connection in the fight for justice.

Cristel Montenegro is a social psychologist, researcher, and systemic psychotherapist specializing in trauma healing, community empowerment, and emotional well-being. She coordinates the Community Care Project on Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast and is the founder of Enraizar, providing accessible mental health services for women and communities engaged in social transformation.

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.

Learn more about Burn brightly, but don’t burn out in the Beautiful Trouble toolbox, the inspiration for our podcast.

Connect with us via Instagram @troublemakers.podcast