Podcast appearances and mentions of Ben Rawlence

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Best podcasts about Ben Rawlence

Latest podcast episodes about Ben Rawlence

Nature Revisited
Revisit: Ben Rawlence - The Treeline

Nature Revisited

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2024 36:46


Ben Rawlence is a British writer based in the Black Mountains of Wales where he is the founding director of Black Mountains College, an institution devoted to creative and adaptive thinking in the face of the climate and ecological emergency. His latest book “The Treeline: the last forest and the future of life on earth” explores the shifting frontier of the boreal forest and the mysterious workings of the forest upon which we rely for the air we breathe. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Ben talks about the boreal forest - which contains about one third of the the earth's trees - and the myriad repercussions its northern expansion is having on a local and global scale. [Originally published Oct 18, 2022. Ep 80] Book and Author info: blackmountainscollege.uk/the-treeline/ Listen to Nature Revisited on your favorite podcast apps or at https://noordenproductions.com Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdz4s9d7 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/5n7yx28t Support Nature Revisited https://noordenproductions.com/support Nature Revisited is produced by Stefan Van Norden and Charles Geoghegan. We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions - contact us at https://noordenproductions.com/contact

The Verb
Writing a Good Future

The Verb

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 44:11


What does a good life mean in 2023 and beyond? The Verb returns to the future for a look at stories for a fast-changing planet. This week we hear from some of the most talented storytellers in the world - who have looked at (both literally and metaphorically) the retreat of the glaciers and asked themselves “what can I do now as a writer to help make a good future?'.Ian McMillan is joined by Ben Rawlence, author of 'The Treeline: the last forest and the future of life on earth' (and co-founder of Black Mountains College), by Icelandic author Andri Snaer Magnason ('On Time and Water'), and by Lisa Merrick-Lawless co-founder of 'Purpose Disrupters' (who has 20 years experience in the language of advertising and communications).Ian also hears from John Marshall in America, who co-founded 'Potential Energy' - a coalition of creative, analytic and media agencies who want to shift the conversation on climate change. John reveals his international research into the language that really makes us think.We also share the best wild poems from our call-out in the summer, and road-test an 'eco' sting for radio broadcasts (inspired by 'EcoAudio' - a new certification for greener, sustainable audio productions that is now available for BBC programme-makers).Producer: Faith Lawrence

City Life Org
Ben Rawlence Wins The New York Public Library's 2023 Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism

City Life Org

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2023 4:06


This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2023/05/01/ben-rawlence-wins-the-new-york-public-librarys-2023-helen-bernstein-award-for-excellence-in-journalism/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/support

From What If to What Next
73 - What if education took place in nature?

From What If to What Next

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2023 43:10


If you were one of those kids in school who stared out of the window most of the time, this episode is for you. I'm joined by Kwesia X, aka City Girl in Nature (check out her many amazing videos), and by Ben Rawlence, author of three books, most recently The Treeline and founder and director of Black Mountains College. It's a beautiful and thought-provoking conversation. Just how different could our education system be, and how would the imagination flourish if we made those changes? Classrooms? So last year.

Planet: Critical
Creating the Leaders We Need | Owen Sheers

Planet: Critical

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2023 43:32


What if we educated young people in how to change the world?Black Mountains College is the world's first college dedicated to the climate crisis. The inaugural Bachelors, Sustainability: Arts, Ecology and Systems Change launches this September, aiming to educate young people in how to navigate the polycrisis, and how to steer us to safety. Set in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales, BMC focuses on the challenge of our times: how to build a fair and just society within safe planetary boundaries.Owen Sheers, the college co-founder joins me to discuss the college and its aims. Owen is a writer and professor in creative practice at Swansea University. Along with his co-founder, Ben Rawlence, they've put creativity and systems thinking at the heart of this educational experiment, firmly believing that unlocking the imagination of young people—along with teaching them the connectivity and complexity of the natural world—will give our future leaders the knowledge and ideas we need to implement to build a better world.“The climate crisis, the ecological crisis, is a wicked problem. You can't address it by following a single discipline, it's entirely interrelated, and our learning in the face of it has to be as well. This isn't going to work if we stay within our silos.”Planet: Critical investigates why the world is in crisis—and what to do about it. Support the project with a paid subscription.© Rachel Donald Get full access to Planet: Critical at www.planetcritical.com/subscribe

AKC Podcast
S08 E03: Public Education in an Era of Planetary Emergency

AKC Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2023 41:40


Ben Rawlence, founder of Black Mountains College, discusses the role of education in preparing us to live in a new era of planetary emergency and climate crisis

Quakers Today
Faith Transformations

Quakers Today

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2023 20:44


In this episode of Quakers Today we ask, How has your view of Jesus God or religion changed since you were young?  Hayden Hobby was raised in an evangelical church. He reflects on leaving an abusive God and finding a new way of expressing faith. For Quakers today Hayden talks about the experience that led him to write the essay "Surviving Religious Trauma, How I left an Abusive God." Today he studies in a program taught jointly by Bethany Theological Seminary, and Earlham School of Religion. Calliope George, a young adult and lifelong Quaker, continues to find her place in Quaker meetings. She talks about community within her age group and beyond.  You will find the full video and other QuakerSpeak videos at the QuakerSpeak YouTube channel, or visit Quakerspeak.com You will also hear about a new book that explores forests around the world. In The Tree Line, The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth, Ben Rawlence connects with indigenous leaders who have been guardians of threatened wild spaces. He hopes his readers will learn how to think like a forest.  You will find a complete transcript of this episode over at QuakersToday.org. After this episode concludes we share voicemails from listeners who answered the question, How has your view of Jesus God or religion changed since you were young? Question for next month In the March 2023 issue of Friends Journal various writers will share their experiences, insights, and opinions about the many ways people found or failed to find community on-line during the COVID-19 Lockdown. They raise questions about the merits and limitations to virtual Quaker meetings for worship, and they highlight best practices that worked for some.  What about you? What are your thoughts and feelings about virtual on-line communities or worship? Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. 317 Quakers. +1 if calling from outside the USA. Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online.  Season One of Quakers Today is sponsored by Quaker Voluntary Service (QVS.)  Are you a young adult between 21 and 30 years old? Do you know a young adult who is looking for community and purpose-driven work? QVS is a year-long fellowship for young adults. Fellows work at nonprofits while building community and exploring Quakerism. Visit quakervoluntaryservice.org or find QVS on Instagram @quakervoluntaryservice.  Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at podcast@friendsjournal.org. Music from this episode comes from Epidemic Sound. You heard Timelapse by Phello, Sweeping Grounds by Major Tweaks, Pray by Gamma Skies, Final Wish by Dreem, and Smoky Smoky by John Runefelt.

On Point
Rebroadcast: How climate change is moving the world's forests north

On Point

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2023 47:14


Rebroadcast: Trees are on the move. Because of climate change, the world's forests are heading north. What does this mean for us and our survival? Ben Rawlence joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

Nature Revisited
Episode 80: Ben Rawlence - The Treeline

Nature Revisited

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2022 36:46


Ben Rawlence is a British writer based in the Black Mountains of Wales where he is the founding director of Black Mountains College, an institution devoted to creative and adaptive thinking in the face of the climate and ecological emergency. His latest book “The Treeline: the last forest and the future of life on earth” explores the shifting frontier of the boreal forest and the mysterious workings of the forest upon which we rely for the air we breathe. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Ben talks about the boreal forest - which contains about one third of the the earth's trees - and the myriad repercussions its northern expansion is having on a local and global scale. Book and Author info: https://blackmountainscollege.uk/the-treeline/ Listen to Nature Revisited on your favorite podcast apps or at https://noordenproductions.com/nature-revisited-podcast Support Nature Revisited: https://noordenproductions.com/support Nature Revisited is produced by Stefan van Norden and Charles Geoghegan. We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions - contact us at https://noordenproductions.com/contact

KPCW This Green Earth
This Green Earth | September 13, 2022

KPCW This Green Earth

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2022 51:47


Today on This Green Earth, Chris Cherniak and guest host Claire Wiley speak with (02:10) Walt Meier, Senior Research Scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center who shares the science behind studying Environmental Arctic Change and what the outlook is for Arctic sea ice.Then, (26:18) acclaimed author Ben Rawlence comes on the show to discuss his new book, The Treeline, which takes us along the critical frontier of our warming planet from Norway to Siberia, Alaska to Greenland, to meet the scientists, residents and trees confronting huge geological changes.

Future Imperfect
Why are our trees going north?

Future Imperfect

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2022 38:43


Ben Rawlence joins Jason to explain how the tree-line is moving, what that means for us, and what we can do about it. Produced by: Natt TapleyAudio: Pete Dennis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wonderspace
Episode 75: feat. Ben Rawlence [S6:E6]

Wonderspace

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2022 19:45


On Wonderspace this week we orbit with Ben Rawlence. Ben is a journalist and activist and has written for The New York Times and The Guardian. He is also the founding director of Black Mountains College in Wales which is an institution devoted to creative and adaptive thinking in the face of the climate and ecological emergency. His latest book The Treeline has been described as a spellbinding blend of nature, travel and science writing. For more info: www.blackmountainscollege.uk To view the episode page with a summary of the interview, links to social media and projects mentioned, go to https://ourwonder.space/episodes/_75 View the video orbit here: To listen to the previous 74 Wonderspace editions go to https://ourwonder.space/episodes -------------- More about Wonderspace: https://ourwonder.space Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBUt53ifgsf4Hu9tQTWjEmA/videos Facebook: http://facebook.com/ourwonderspace Instagram: http://instagram.com/ourwonderspace Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourwonderspace --------------- Music: https://theade.me Re-wonder: https://asknature.org

On Point
How climate change is moving the world's forests north

On Point

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2022 47:25


Trees are on the move. Because of climate change, the world's forests are heading north. What does this mean for us and our survival? Ben Rawlence joins Meghna Chakrabarti.

On Jimmy's Farm
The Moving Forest with Ben Rawlence

On Jimmy's Farm

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2022 36:34


If you are listening to this in the UK, the spot where you are standing was almost certainly once forest. Ben Rawlence joins Jimmy to talk about the Arctic treeline, and how climate change is causing our forests to creep north, and what it means for our own survival.We always hear about planting more trees, but we don't hear so much about the importance of where we plant them. Scientists are only just beginning to understand the astonishing significance of these northern forests for all life on Earth, and Ben tells Jimmy what he's found in his research around the world.You can read more about about Ben's book, The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth, here.On Jimmy's Farm: A Podcast from History Hit. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Outside Mindset
The Treeline With Author Ben Rawlence

Your Outside Mindset

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2022 38:14


Ben Rawlence The Treeline Ben Rawlence City of Thorns Ben Rawlence Radio Congo Ben Rawlence on TwitterBlack Mountains College  websiteBlack Mountains College on TwitterVerla Fortier Optimize Your Heart Rate: Balance Your Mind and Body With Green Space Verla Fortier Take Back Your Outside MindsetVerla Fortier Take Back Your Outside Mindset Workbook Interview with Ben  Rawlence: Recording  Time Stamps5:00  Radical hope and clear eyed awareness.2 degrees means awful things  but also opportunity  to reconsider  our  ways, and embrace our roles as guardians of nature - re- entangle with nature.8:12 New  ways of looking and seeing. Ancient and some modern with  huge datasets  re  future impacts. Biochemical research on trees, we have characterized so few.9:15  See forest as a garden and laboratory, change in perspective, "timber is the least valuable thing in the forest." Travel writing, Adventures with Characters.Seven Chapters, Seven Species, Seven Stops Around the World in the Boreal 10:15  Wales The Yew Tree in Ben's back yard. Simple questions: Why is that tree in that place?How long has it been here?Ice Age, reminders of the patterns vegetation on earth and time scale of 2000 or 8000 years. Long time scales. 13:43  Scotland story here is deforestation. Treeless landscape.  Aventure to find small patch of old pines. 15:34 Norway - Finmark, top of Europe. Different story  of "afforestation." Birch used to be in the valleys, now it is zooming up into the tundra. Lapland nomads way of life hunting reindeer disappearing as trees move in -- taking over grassland, lichen, and trapping snow to produce soil. 18:21 Russia - immense forest, half of the boreal forest is in Siberia. Most northernly forest in the world. Larch is frozen 260 days a year. Prevents injury to itself in the freezing process by freezing solid like glass. Here trees are not moving at all. 21:00 Alaska -  Spruce trees are galloping north. Species that live off the trees, the beaver....Continued on Treesmendus.com

projectsavetheworld's podcast
Episode 422 Arctic Trees

projectsavetheworld's podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2022 59:55


Ben Rawlence is a British writer whose recent book, The Treeline, recounts his tour of the world around the Arctic circle, as he visited indigenous people living in all the northernmost countries. Their lives are being affected adversely by global warming, which is allowing trees to grow farther in the north than before. Different countries are forested with different predominant species, but the effects are generally negative, for the trees exacerbate the warming. Even caribou cannot survive in some of their former habitat. Rawlence has created a college in England that offers programs on topics relating to the environment and climate. For the video, audio podcast, transcript and comment column: https://tosavetheworld.ca/episode-422-arctic-trees. Then share your own thoughts about this topic on the comment column below the video.

Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry
Ben Rawlence, Author of The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth

Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2022 33:24


We're at a last-gasp inflection point for the climate. Humans have so polluted the world that our entire climate is changing. We talk a lot about the human cost of this change, but what about the changes for other species? In his new book The Treeline: The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth, Ben Rawlence explores the northward migration of trees, and what it means for all of us. He joins us this week to discuss. About The Treeline: In the tradition of Elizabeth Kolbert and Barry Lopez, a powerful, poetic and deeply absorbing account of the “lung” at the top of the world. For the last fifty years, the trees of the boreal forest have been moving north. Ben Rawlence's The Treeline takes us along this critical frontier of our warming planet from Norway to Siberia, Alaska to Greenland, Canada to Sweden to meet the scientists, residents and trees confronting huge geological changes. Only the hardest species survive at these latitudes including the ice-loving Dahurian larch of Siberia, the antiseptic Spruce that purifies our atmosphere, the Downy birch conquering Scandinavia, the healing Balsam poplar that Native Americans use as a cure-all and the noble Scots Pine that lives longer when surrounded by its family. It is a journey of wonder and awe at the incredible creativity and resilience of these species and the mysterious workings of the forest upon which we rely for the air we breathe. Blending reportage with the latest science, The Treeline is a story of what might soon be the last forest left and what that means for the future of all life on earth. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/alyssa-milano-sorry-not-sorry/message

5x15
Ben Rawlence on The Treeline

5x15

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2022 15:37


Ben Rawlence has written for publications including the Guardian, London Review of Books, New York Times, New York Times Book Review and the New Yorker. While working for Human Rights Watch in the Horn of Africa he became fascinated by the Dadaab refugee camp, which became the subject of his acclaimed 2016 book, City of Thorns. His new book, THE TREELINE, is a powerful and beautifully written blend of reportage, nature, travel and science writing. Telling the story of our changing climate through six species of tree, it documents the devastating effects of human activity – and offers reasons for hope. 5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each. Learn more about 5x15 events: 5x15stories.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/5x15stories Facebook: www.facebook.com/5x15stories Instagram: www.instagram.com/5x15stories

Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast
The march of the Arctic trees and what it reveals about the climate crisis

Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 19:09


The Arctic Treeline circles the world in an almost unbroken ring, almost like a green halo. But as the climate warms the trees are marching towards the pole at an unprecedented speed, turning the white Arctic green. It's not the same story across the Arctic, but as writer Ben Rawlence discovered during his visits between 2018-2020, strange things are happening wherever you look in the boreal forest, and it's threatening ancient ways of life.

Reading Envy
Reading Envy 198: Mood Reading with Robin Gustafson

Reading Envy

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2020


Jenny hosts a new guest in the Reading Envy Pub and we chat mood reading, new releases, the line between gothic and horror, and more. Robin talks about a book club she's been in that's older than a typical college student, and because we are both academic librarians facing reopening in a pandemic, we talk a little baseball. If you aren't interested or just can't with COVID-19 in your podcasts, skip from 2:15-7:00.Download or listen via this link: Reading Envy 198: Mood Reading Subscribe to the podcast via this link: FeedburnerOr subscribe via Apple Podcasts by clicking: SubscribeOr listen through TuneIn Or listen on Google Play Or listen via StitcherOr listen through Spotify New! Listen through Google Podcasts Books discussed: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-GarciaFair Play by Tove Jansson, translated by Thomas TealThe Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist by Adriane TomineUtopia Avenue by David MitchellThe Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri Other mentions:Go, Went, Gone by Jenny ErpenbeckThe Book CougarsConvenience Store Woman by Sayaka MurataBeverly ClearyJudy BlumeMoby Dick by Herman MelvilleBreasts and Eggs by Mieko KawakamiMexican Gothic playlistGods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-GarciaWuthering Heights by Emily BronteJane Eyre by Charlotte BronteLumberjanes by Noelle StevensonNimona by Noelle StevensonThe Fire Never Goes Out by Noelle StevensonFun Home by Alison BechdelToday is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli LustThe Complete Persepolis by Marjane SatrapiEl Deafo by Cece BellCloud Atlas by David MitchellThe Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David MitchellSlade House by David MitchellThe Bone Clocks by David MitchellCity of Thorns by Ben RawlenceVideo of KlovharunTOVE (film trailer, 2020)The Summer Book by Tove JanssonLetters from Tove by Tove JanssonThe Book of Longings by Sue Monk KiddReal Life by Brandon TaylorThe Prettiest Star by Carter SickelsThe Mussel Feast by Brigit VanderbekeStephen Florida by Gabe Habash Related episodes:Episode 185 - The Loyal Swineherd (Odyssey readalong)Episode 194 - Squirreling Books Away with AndrewEpisode 197 - Surly Magnificence with Lauren  Stalk us online:Robin at GoodreadsRobin on TwitterRobin is @robinlgustafson on Instagram Jenny at GoodreadsJenny on TwitterJenny is @readingenvy on Instagram and Litsy

How To Fix...
...Refugee Camps

How To Fix...

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2017 22:04


Right now, there are 65.6 million people around the world who have been forcibly displaced. That’s roughly equivalent to the population of Britain. Of those, 22.5 million are refugees. Of those, less than 200,000 were resettled last year in another country. So what about the rest? Well, many of them are in camps. We think of the refugee camp as a temporary structure. A place of tents and well-meaning aid workers in white t-shirts handing out food and medicine. And at first, they can be. But as the weeks turn into months and the months into years and the years into decades, and refugees still can’t go home, they are left in limbo. The aid often dries up. The camps become dangerous. Solutions are thin on the ground. In this week’s show, Steve Bloomfield and Stephanie Boland are joined by: · Kilian Kleinschmidt, former director of the Zaatari refuge camp · Ben Rawlence, author of City of Thorns Get in touch Steve: https://twitter.com/BloomfieldSJ Steph: https://twitter.com/stephanieboland Further reading Here’s a review of Ben’s brilliant book, City of Thorns: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/books/review/city-of-thorns-by-ben-rawlence.html Here’s a profile of Kilian Kleinschmidt from his time as the director of Zaatari: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/25/world/middleeast/kilian-kleinschmidt-calm-boss-at-center-of-a-syrian-refugee-camps-chaos.html

britain refugees thorns refugee camps zaatari ben rawlence steve bloomfield kilian kleinschmidt
Token Skeptic Podcast
Token Skeptic Special Episode – The Perth Writers Festival Interviews

Token Skeptic Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2017 141:13


comes to town and it was a great chance to interview a range of talented authors taking part in the festivities. My interviews are with: Ben Rawlence - his book City of Thorns is about Northern Kenya - the home of the world’s largest refugee camp, with half a million people. Opening Night speaker at the Perth International Arts Festival. Candice Fox - her first novel, Hades, won the Ned Kelly Award for best debut in 2014 from the Australian Crime Writers Association; she has since gone onto numerous books on crime and punishment. Hannah Kent - is the best-selling author of Burial Rites and the newly released The Good People - stories of culture, crime and history. Garth Nix -  is an award-winning sci-fi fantasy author with several series of fantasy and fiction; I asked him about his new book "Frogkisser" ahead of his appearances at the festival. Amy Stewart - an author of nonfiction books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world, including New York Times bestsellers with The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Bugs and Wicked Plants. However, her range has extended to the tales of a trio of turn-of-the-century sisters turned detectives, with the latest being Lady Cop Makes Trouble - the second book in an ongoing series. Chinelo Okparanta - this Nigerian-American author  writes stories of women and children, family life, migration, war and love; she first started with short stories, with the collection Happiness, Like Water and then her most recent novel Under the Udula Trees. Inua Ellams - London-based playwright and poet Inua Ellams' work explores the themes of identity, displacement and destiny – areas of life he’s intimately familiar with. Dan Box - the National Crime Reporter for The Australian and creator of crime podcast Bowraville. Marwa Al-Sabouni - Syrian architect Marwa al-Sabouni is battling to heal her home city of Homs, having remained there as bombs destroyed much of what she knew and loved. Her ideas to mend the city are now laid out in a visionary memoir, The Battle For Home. She is presenting the closing night address. Clementine Ford - Australian feminist columnist and author of the best selling book Fight Like A Girl. Lindy West - is a Seattle-based writer, editor and performer who’s work has appeared in a number of well-known publications - and the author of Shrill: Notes From A Loud Woman. Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa - a Perth performance poet, she’s a workshop facilitator, actor, artist and humanitarian. Her questions about notions of Australian national identity, got her to the finals of the national Australia poetry slam. Nathan Hill - short story author and author of The Nix; a tale of estrangement and displacement in both families and national politics. Adrian Todd Zuniga - creator of Literary Death Match -  touted as Def Poetry Jam meets American Idol, this competition sees four authors perform a short excerpt of their most electric work before a panel of judges. Omar Musa -  a Malaysian-Australian rapper and poet from Queanbeyan, Australia. He is the winner of the Australian Poetry Slam and the Indian Ocean Poetry Slam and has released three hip-hop albums, two poetry books, and received a standing ovation at TEDx. ************ A quick note about supporting the podcasts! Check out  – and consider  Thanks to RTRFM for their support, especially producer Peter Barr. Theme songs “Cosgrove” by Pogo, from and “Leap Second” by Milton Mermikides, of  Additional ambient music from Jukedeck – create your own at .  – they include: Steven, Andrew, Dr T, Paul, Gerry, Josh, Kathy, Linley, Gold, Iggy, Lukas, Finch and Andrew. Thanks to everyone who contributes and please consider joining to help continue these shows at  Please leave positive comments and reviews on iTunes and consider supporting the show via visiting  – and I’d love to get your feedback via tokenskeptic@gmail.com. 

2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival

Dadaab Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya has existed for 25 years. Originally created for 90,000 Somalian refugees it now contains over 350,000 people, including 10,000 third-generation inhabitants. Over a period of four years, Ben Rawlence explored this extraordinary 'temporary' city, getting close to the realities of life for its inhabitants. In this event recorded live at the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival, he discusses City of Thorns, a book that takes us beyond the shock headlines, offering testament to the frailty and resilience of humanity.

Rift Valley Institute
Dadaab: City of Thorns

Rift Valley Institute

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2016 45:15


To charity workers, Dadaab refugee camp is a humanitarian crisis. To the Kenyan government it is an economic burden and a ‘breeding ground for terrorists’. To the Western media, it is a dangerous no-go area. But to its half a million residents seeking sanctuary, it is their last resort. In May, the Kenyan government announced the closure of the world’s largest refugee camp by November 2016. It subsequently disbanded the Department of Refugee Affairs, the agency tasked with overseeing the camp. In August, the Kenyan government stated that they would hold back its earlier decision to close the camp until peace was restored in Somalia. Although no one can give an assurance of when this will be, 2018 is the year quoted for the withdrawal of troops from Somalia. With this crisis being overshadowed by the European refugee and migrant crisis, the question remains: What next for the inhabitants of Dadaab? On 8 September, the Rift Valley Forum and Amnesty International hosted a panel discussion with representatives from the UNHCR, the Kenyan government and civil society actors working on refugee issues. Ben Rawlence, the author of City of Thorns—an account of daily life inside Dadaab through the stories of nine individuals—joined the panel giving his perspective based on his experience as a researcher in Dadaab.

The Writing Life
Life in the World's Largest Refugee Camp with Ben Rawlence - NNF16

The Writing Life

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2016 60:27


With 350,000 inhabitants, Dadaab Refugee Camp is the largest in the world. Ben Rawlence reads from City of Thorns, a unique account of his four years spent getting to know this extraordinary place. 'Timely, disturbing and compelling' - The Guardian Part of the City of Literature programme at Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2016.

Shakespeare and Company
Ben Rawlence on City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World's Largest Refugee Camp

Shakespeare and Company

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2016 64:57


At a time when the plight of refugees is making the front pages on a daily basis, join us for an evening with author and researcher Ben Rawlence who will be discussing his essential new book City of Thorns.

WorldAffairs
Ben Rawlence: City of Thorns: Life in a Refugee Camp

WorldAffairs

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2016 59:01


Refugee camps spring up around the world in response to the needs of displaced populations. Always intended to be temporary, these camps often become long term homes for their residents. From the outside, they're seen as a humanitarian crisis by aid workers and a security challenge by host governments. What does life look like for those who call a refugee camp home? Journalist Ben Rawlence spent years documenting life in Dadaab, a group of refugee camps in northern Kenya. The camps make up a small city of almost half a million people, mostly Somalis who fled civil war and violence. How does this population address the challenges of education, employment, healthcare and meeting other basic needs? Why has this camp, and others like it, become a more permanent settlement for so many? Rawlence will share the stories of a few of Dadaab’s citizens, exploring both individual lives and the wider political forces that have kept them from returning home. Speaker Ben Rawlence is an author and journalist. Karen Ferguson, Executive Director, Northern California, International Rescue Committee, moderates the conversation. For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/media-library/event/1551

Global Affairs Live
Life on Hold: The World's Largest Refugee Camp

Global Affairs Live

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2016 52:09


In the middle of an ongoing refugee crisis, activist and author Ben Rawlence provides an inside look at the world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab.

Start the Week
Migration and Citizenship

Start the Week

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2016 41:53


On Start the Week Andrew Marr explores the question of citizenship. While immigration issues dominate political debate, little attention is paid to the big increase in the number of people becoming British. The academic Thom Brooks and the Eurosceptic MEP Daniel Hannan look at the relationship between the two and the challenges for modern UK citizenship. Ben Rawlence spent four years reporting the stories of those who are stateless, living in the largest refugee camp in the world, while Frances Stonor Saunders explores the increasing complexity of today's border regimes and the obsession with the verified self. Producer: Katy Hickman.

british united kingdom migration citizenship ben rawlence frances stonor saunders thom brooks
Open Society Foundations Podcast
City of Thorns: A Conversation with Ben Rawlence

Open Society Foundations Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2016 92:27


Human rights activist and writer Ben Rawlence speaks about his new book, City of Thorns, which deals with daily life and the struggle for survival in the world’s largest refugee camp. Speakers: Howard French, Ben Rawlence. (Recorded: Jan 06, 2016)

The Book Review
Inside The New York Times Book Review: ‘City of Thorns’

The Book Review

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2016 35:42


This week, Ben Rawlence discusses “City of Thorns”; Alexandra Alter has news from the literary world; Janice Y. K. Lee talks about “The Expatriates”; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Pamela Paul is the host.

Open Society Foundations Podcast
Higher Education for Refugees in the Horn of Africa

Open Society Foundations Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2015 69:59


Open Society Fellow Ben Rawlence discusses how best to promote a broad-based culture of education and opportunity among refugee populations. Speakers: Martha Loerke, Ben Rawlence. (Recorded: Oct. 29, 2014)