Theta Project is a podcast about how progressive activism could work better. In each episode, I speak to someone who is doing work we can learn from — no matter in what field, and no matter their politics. The goal: through dialogue and debate, to get ideas and inspiration that progressives can use to confront the political Establishment and make real change.
An interview with Jojo Mehta, executive director and co-founder of Stop Ecocide International.
I speak to Miguel Duarte, the migrants rights activist who helped save 14,000 people... and faced 20 years in prison for it.
I speak to Miguel Duarte, the migrants rights activist who helped save 14,000 people... and faced 20 years in prison for it.
Miriam Meyer is a young activist who gets arrested regularly, for blocking roads with the climate action group Last Generation. In this candid interview, I speak to her about the fine line between pushing your proposals, and turning the public against you.
Miriam Meyer is a young activist who gets arrested regularly, for blocking roads with the climate action group Last Generation. In this candid interview, I speak to her about the fine line between pushing your proposals, and turning the public against you.
An interview with Chris Smalls, the leader of the first successful union drive in Amazon's history. From May 2020, and very relevant today.
An interview with Chris Smalls, the leader of the first successful union drive in Amazon's history. From May 2020, and very relevant today.
Vicky van der Togt is a central figure in the grassroots response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s the founder of the Zero COVID Alliance, and a sufferer of Long COVID herself.In this episode we hear about how grassroots groups are successfully filling the gaps where governments are failing on COVID. We talk about the Zero COVID strategy, COVID myth-busting, and Vicky’s own experience of the disease. And we examine how anyone can join the fight to work on this problem that’s affecting us all.About this showQuestions or comments? The email address is hello@thetaproject.co. And the show notes are available at www.thetaproject.coChapters00:00:00: Intro00:02:15: Vicky's COVID activism and how it all began00:05:36: The Zero Covid Strategy, and the challenges involved00:10:00: Grassroots wins against COVID (that I bet you hadn’t heard about)00:11:58: COVID myths busted00:13:32: How anyone can join the fight against the disease00:16:02: Why Vicky chooses activism over Netflix00:17:34: Book/documentary recommendations00:18:46: Outro
A dive into how grassroots groups are changing how we tackle COVID, with Vicky van der Togt, founder of the Zero Covid Alliance.
A dive into how grassroots groups are changing how we tackle COVID, with Vicky van der Togt, founder of the Zero Covid Alliance.
From its grassroots beginnings as a group built around the idea of reclaiming public space, Don’t Let Belgrade Drown has become a prominent force against the increasingly authoritarian, and as many say corrupt, regime of Serbian President Alexander Vucic.And they’ve done all this using with a variety of creative, peaceful protest tactics, that I think we can all learn from.In this edited version of a live interview for DiEM25 TV, Mika discusses how to build a movement, protesting in COVID times, making the jump from being a grassroots group to a political party competing in elections, and of course those creative tactics that Don’t Let Belgrade Drown has become known for.I found it fascinating talking to Mika. He’s warm, he's funny, and he’s very open about all the failures and lessons learned on his journey to becoming a significant political actor in his country.About Radomir and Don’t Let Belgrade DrownDon’t Let Belgrade D(r)own (Ne da(vi)mo Beograd) is a Serbian political movement that is gathering large numbers of people interested in improving the living and working conditions of all our citizens; improving, conserving, and lawfully using common and natural resources, building democratic institutions, sustainable urban development, urban and cultural policies and incorporating citizens into the development of their environment.About this showIf you want to get in touch, the email address is hello@thetaproject.co, and the show notes are available at www.thetaproject.coChapters00:00:00: Intro00:02:46: The challenge: the Belgrade Waterfront mega-project00:06:18: The value of satire00:08:03: The Establishment attacks00:10:50: From grassroots movement to political party: challenges and mechanics00:17:18: Creative protest tactics00:20:50: How to build a movement00:24:32: Protest in the COVID era00:27:53: Book recommendations00:28:36: Outro
An inspiring, hands-on interview with the activist Radomir Lazovic, one of the founders of Don't Let Belgrade Drown, a political movement that's making big waves (!) in Serbia.
An inspiring, hands-on interview with the activist Radomir Lazovic, one of the founders of Don't Let Belgrade Drown, a political movement that's making big waves (!) in Serbia.
What do you do, when your country is holding the biggest trial of a Nazi party since Nuremberg, and the media can't be trusted to cover it properly? I speak to Antonis Bougias of the Golden Dawn Watch grassroots journalism project in Greece, to find out.
What do you do, when your country is holding the biggest trial of a Nazi party since Nuremberg, and the media can't be trusted to cover it properly? I speak to Antonis Bougias of the Golden Dawn Watch grassroots journalism project in Greece, to find out.
Antonis Bougias is a key person in the project Golden Dawn Watch, which has a single goal: to cover the ongoing trial of Greece’s neo-nazi party Golden Dawn.In this episode I talk to Antonis about the rise and fall of Golden Dawn, the project and the media failures that made it necessary, how to measure impact, and the challenge of trying to remain impartial in the face of neo-nazi ideology.Antonis gives us some great insight into an unconventional but effective digital activism project. The far-right is gaining power across the world, so the story of how he and his colleagues are tackling them in Greece, is increasingly relevant for all of us.About AntonisAntonis Bougias is a digital marketing expert, grassroots journalist, and activist. Based in Athens, he tweets under the handle @ypopto_mousi.Show linksGolden Dawn WatchAntonis Bougias on TwitterRelevant articles:After murder, defections and poll defeat: the sun sets on Greece’s Golden Dawn (The Guardian, September 21, 2019)"Golden Dawn: the rise and fall of Greece’s neo-Nazis” (The Guardian, March 3, 2020)Greece: Far-right activists in violent clashes to 'defend Europe' against migrants (Info Migrants, March 9, 2020)Examples of groups that are successfully tackling the far-right:NSU WatchHope Not HateUnicorn RiotBooks that Antonis recommended:Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil PostmanTwitter and Tear Gas by Zeynep TufeckiChapters00:00:00: Intro00:02:26: The rise of the Golden Dawn party00:04:46: The fall of Golden Dawn, and the failure of the media00:09:36: How Golden Dawn Watch was born, and how it works00:14:27: Measuring the project's impact00:16:50: The challenges of staying impartial00:19:51: Far-right ideology, and violence, in Greece today00:21:02: An activist guide to tackling the far-right00:24:45: What drives Antonis' activism00:26:14: Book recommendations00:27:15: Outro
A debate with news curator Asteris Masouras on what online activism today is getting right – and how it could improve.
A debate with news curator Asteris Masouras on what online activism today is getting right – and how it could improve.
In this episode I speak to Asteris Masouras, a global news curator and journalist, about what online activism is getting right -- and how it could improve.We kicked off our conversation with a deep dive into what global news curation actually is, before moving to Twitter’s value as a platform for activism, when to call a fascist a fascist, and deplatforming and censorship as political weapons, among other topics.I learned a lot from my chat with Asteris, and I hope you will too.About AsterisAsteris has been curating global breaking news on Twitter since 2007, where he follows stories ranging from the protests of social justice movements worldwide, to mainstream politics and conflicts around the globe.He was included in the Independent’s 2011 list of “The most influential non-celebrity users of Twitter”, and was an editor at Reportedly, a real-time news experiment sponsored by Pierre Omidyar’s First Look Media.Asteris is also an editor for Global Voices Online, and a co-founder and editor of Global Voices in Greek.Show linksAsteris Masouras on TwitterOpen Source Intelligence2011 Indignants movement (Greece)Steve Bannon and the New Yorker FestivalSteve Bannon’s “The Movement”The Trial of Greece’s Golden Dawn PartyTwo Greek towns protest migrant transfers (November 2019)George Lakoff’s Truth SandwichDaniel Dale on Twitter (CNN reporter, fact-checking the president and other politicians)Books that Asteris recommended:Open Sources 2.0We The Media by Dan GillmorChapters00:00:00: Intro00:01:38: A primer on global news curation00:02:08: Verifying sources00:04:08: Twitter's value as an activism platform00:09:06: Is online grassroots activism making a difference?00:10:02: Challenges for climate change activism00:11:46: Deplatforming and censorship00:16:16: When to call a fascist a fascist, and other labels00:25:26: Two sides watching different movies00:28:05: Lakoff’s “Truth Sandwich” approach to fact-checking00:30:54: Grassroots protest as a model for change00:33:59: Book recommendations00:35:19: OutroMore infoFor more information on Theta Project, visit www.thetaproject.coMusic: “Aerosol” by Mehran Khalili
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