I Don't Know Anything - The Podcast

Please be aware that this episode has been recorded on the 7th of September, and the situation may not be completely the same anymore. Today I am joined by Aliaksei Babets, he is a researcher from Belarus and he just finished his masters in cultural studies at the University of Helsinki. In this episode, Aliaksei talks about elections, police brutality, and women at the forefront of the protests. Interestingly, Aliaksei discusses the influence of Russia on Belarus, stating that actually Belarus is a frontrunner of changing the constitution and Russia is following behind. Get a rare glimpse of what's going inside of Belarus, as most of the journalists either need to flee or get caught. Where to find us: https://www.instagram.com/idontknowanythingpodcast

In this week's podcast, I invited Luis Alvarado Bruzual to talk about the crises in Venezuela. Not only does he explain all the political changes that have happened in Venezuela since the 90s, he also shares his personal experiences of his life in Venezuela. He talks about not having food in the supermarket, his brother leaving the country and also the protests that have been happening. With being the founder of the Vayalo Foundation, an organisation that focuses on youth empowerment and sustainable development, Luis gives us a rare insight on what young people are doing on the ground to give Venezuela a better future. Where to find Luis: https://www.instagram.com/soyluisalvarado/ His organisation: https://www.instagram.com/fundacionvayalo/ and https://fundacionvayalocom.wordpress.com/ Where to find us: https://www.instagram.com/idontknowanythingpodcast Resources Luis mentions: http://soyluisalvarado.blogspot.com/ https://www.caracaschronicles.com/ https://www.unocha.org/venezuela https://www.oxfam.org/en/tags/venezuela

In this week's episode, we talk with Zouhir Al-Shimale, a Syrian journalist and lawyer that got quite a bit experience in the journalist world. In this episode, he will go talk us through the developments of the whole conflict in Syria and why the uprising in 2011 started in the first place. In an easy to understand way, Zouhir explains us why the Assad regime is one of the most authoritarian regimes and why there needs to be a change. He also talks about foreign actors in Syria, the current peace process, but also the different narratives that play a role in the conflict. As a journalist, Zouhir gives us a rare insight of how certain news outlets only publish certain stories. It teaches us a lesson to always be critical when reading news and to understand that every news media follows a different narrative and interest in the conflict. Where you can find Zouhir: https://twitter.com/zouhiralshimale Where you can find us: https://www.instagram.com/idontknowanythingpodcast/ Resources Zouhir mentions and recommends: If you want to help out: https://molhamteam.com/en The first book Zouhir talks about: https://www.amazon.com/Syria-After-Uprisings-Political-Resilience/dp/1608469247 The other book Zouhir talks about: https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/embed?asin=B0764CDH15&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_MTKsFbE987JQG Good movies to watch: FOR SAMA - Documentary www.forsamafilm.com The Cave - National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaZkwBWuN2A News and twitter recommendations: https://www.aljumhuriya.net/en https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister https://twitter.com/Elizrael https://twitter.com/putintintin1 https://twitter.com/joeyayoub https://twitter.com/LeilaShami

In this week's episode, Ala Hassan, a Kurdish Iraqi who grew up in Britain, will explain us everything about who the Kurds are and what they are fighting for. As a active member in his community (founder of the Queen Mary Kurdish society and Kurdish Intersociety Platform), he gives us a rare insight of how it feels to grow up Britain with a mixed identity, and also how he experienced the war in Iraq. Ala also touches upon racism in the Middle East and continues the conversation about the importance of including women in society. He highlights the role that women played in the fight against ISIS, but also the new feminist democratic structure that is being built in the Syrian region Rojava. Where to find us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idontknowanythingpodcast/ Instagram Ala Hassan: https://www.instagram.com/ala.firas/ Resources Ala talked about: http://www.kurdishprogress.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thekurdishpage/ https://www.instagram.com/kurdakad_uk/ https://www.instagram.com/kip_uk/ https://ahvalnews.com/ https://anfenglishmobile.com/ https://www.rudaw.net/english Documentaries Ala recommends: On Syrian Kurdistan: Syria's Female Guerilla Fighters (War Documentary) | Real Stories ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEQEidgcMhU) BBC Our World - ROJAVA : SYRIA'S SECRET REVOLUTION (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKhjJfH0ra4) Her War: Women vs. ISIS (RT Documentary) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqI0a4VgEs8 ) How the Kurds became a key player in Syria's war ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaKwjvxukvg ) Why Turkey is invading Syria ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUeXaPaKF50 ) On Turkish Kurdistan BAKUR: Inside the PKK (Kurdish Militant Documentary) | Real Stories (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1et3O5ngqRU) The complex history of Turkey and the Kurds, explained | The Fact Checker ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O5PEwU8bg4 ) On Iranian Kurdistan Female Fighters of Kurdistan (Part 1/3) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_0kg8VlxkE ) On Iraqi Kurdistan Independence and the Iraqi Kurds | Al Jazeera World ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RS97hwLmhA ) The Fight For a Kurdish State I VICE on HBO ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1YWSmzYlkA&bpctr=1596500891 ) Peshmerga vs. the Islamic State: The Road to Mosul (Full Length) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbsesrAMjTw )

In this week's episode, we talk with Rawan Khalfalla, a young Libyan peace builder that will tell us about the Libyan Revolution in 2011, all the wars that have happened after that, and about the inclusion of young people and women in the peace talks. With a gender perspective through her work on Women, Peace and Security, Rawan gives us a unique insight in the country. Find Rawan online at https://twitter.com/rawankmk and https://instagram.com/bookquet_r Find us on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/idontknowanythingpodcast/ Where to donate to help out the hundreds of thousands internally displaced people in Libya: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-homes-of-displaced-families-in-tripoli?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR0UjgdzfJ3MMft8n9h9DiM2sueTQR_rNkh5Je_AzoDnyBEGda_jS6yde_w Resources Rawan talked about: https://instagram.com/waraqfoundation https://mylifeasahumanandasalibyan.blogspot.com/ https://togetherwebuildit.org

In this week's episode, we will hear from Maaz Salih, a Sudanese living in London who has worked for the UN in Sudan, and is currently working for the NHS while simultaneously studying MA Human Rights Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies. We talk about what has been going on in Sudan, the progress it has made, what it's like being a refugee and how sanctions affect a country. This was definitely a very insightful and also a positive change from last week's episode. A question to think about after listening to this is, if we as Western countries are responsible for the current refugee crisis due to our colonial legacies we left behind? Follow https://www.instagram.com/idontknowanythingpodcast/ for any extra content and links to resources that are being shared in the episode.

In this episode, Emma interviews Tarek Ali Ahmad, a Lebanese journalist at Arab News and Human Rights Law student at SOAS, University of London, on everything that's going on in Lebanon. They talk about the protests, the impact of Covid-19 on Lebanon, the current economic crisis it's facing, and even some geopolitics of the region. All this in an easy explained manner that any person with 0 knowledge on Lebanon can understand. Tune in to find out more!

In this episode, our host Emma Cirpka will introduce the I Don't Know Anything podcast by explaining who she is and what the idea behind the podcast is. She will also give a glimpse of who our first guest and topic will be in the first episode!