Podcasts about Witness Against Torture

“We Are Guantanamo” – in other words – you and I -- all of us identifying as "American" are complicit – and insofar as the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp remains an active US military and illegal entity – it belongs to us.Since 2002, the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp has held 779 Muslim men accused of attacking the US on September 11 2001. Nearly all were innocent. 740 have been transferred someplace – 30 remain – 9 died there.I have been speaking with seven people who have tried to close Guantánamo since 2004. My conversation with Gabor Rona – former Legal Director of Human Rights First – will post next week. They were asked three questions:How did you first learn about GITMO, and why did you get involved?As far as you know, how are the detainees treated?How is Guantanamo a reflection of American Values?Other topics came up along the way.When you attempt this thought exercise -- you will also hear words from one of the former detainees, Mansoor Adayfi, who was born in Yemen and held without charge at Guantánamo from 2006 to 2016. You may remember Mansoor who in 2022 alleged that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis oversaw beatings and force-feedings of Guantánamo detainees. The seven testifiers:Martha Hennessy -- Kings Bay Plowshares 7 & Catholic WorkerDebra Sweet -- World Can't WaitHelen Schietinger -- a registered nurse and organizer of Witness Against Torture.Jon Krampner -- an American journalist and author of biographies, popular history and short stories.Gabor Rona -- formerly International Legal Director of Human Rights First / Presently Professor at Cardozo Law School.Jessica Murphy -- Peaceful TomorrowsChristopher H. Brandt -- Witness Against Torture / Fordham University professorCONTACT: Alan Winson barcrawlradio@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Late November, 2023 -- John C. Wester -- Archbishop of Sante Fe -- spoke at the Church of Our Savior at E. 38th Street and Park Avenue. About 200 were gathered to honor the 43rd anniversary of the death of Dorothy Day – and – to consider the abolition of nuclear weapons. At the United Nations that week the countries that signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons were meeting. The United States was not one of them.The day after Archbishop Wester spoke – I met with two people who have dedicated their lives to peace in our world -- Brian Terrell and granddaughter of Dorothy Day – Martha Hennessy. Both had been on BCR – Martha in connection with her KingsbayPlowshares 7 protest at the Trident Nuclear Submarine Base in Georgia for which she was incarcerated in a Federal Prison for over a year. And, I first met Brian Terrell in covering the Witness Against Torture protests in Washington D.C. of the continued U.S. detention of dozens of Muslim men in Guantanamo. And I have talked to Brian many times since about his work to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. When he is not protesting and getting arrested, Brian runs a goat farm in Malloy, Iowa.Alan Winson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Sahar Khamis and her guest Dr. Maha Hilal discussed important topics about the current human rights and social justice issues impacting Muslims, in general, and American Muslims, in particular. Dr. Maha Hilal is a Muslim Arab American and an expert on institutionalized Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and counternarrative work. Dr. Hilal is the author of the book Innocent Until Proven Muslim: Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and the Muslim Experience Since 9/11. Her writings have appeared in Vox, Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye, Newsweek, Business Insider, and Truthout, among others. Dr. Hilal is the founding Executive Director of Muslim Counterpublics Lab, an organization that works to disrupt and subvert dehumanizing narratives that are designed and deployed to justify state violence against Muslims. This includes serving as a founding steering committee member of the Guantanamo Survivors Fund, which provides small grants to the men transferred out of detention. Through her work at MCL, she also co-coordinates the For Us Not Amazon coalition that challenges the presence of Amazon in the greater Washington, DC area. She has worked at a number of human rights/social justice organizations including Institute for Policy Studies, the Government Accountability Project, and Center for Victims of Torture. Additionally, Dr. Hilal is an organizer with Witness Against Torture, an organization that organizes and advocates for the closure of Guantanamo Bay prison and an end to torture. Dr. Hilal earned her doctorate in May 2014 from the Department of Justice, Law and Society at American University in Washington, D.C. She received her Master's Degree in Counseling and her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her spare time, Dr. Hilal enjoys spending time with her family and practicing Arabic calligraphy. The episode was broadcast on June 30, 2023 US Arab Radio can be heard on wnzk 690 AM, WDMV 700 AM, and WPAT 930 AM. Please visit: www.facebook.com/USArabRadio/ Web site : arabradio.us/ Online Radio: www.radio.net/s/usarabradio Twitter : twitter.com/USArabRadio Instagram : www.instagram.com/usarabradio/ Youtube : US Arab Radio

Producer/Host: Amy Browne This week: With so much happening in the world right now, a coalition of local groups want to make sure Mainers don’t forget about prisoners still being held at Guantanamo. Mary Kate Small, one of the organizers, fills us in on what they have planned, which includes a protest at Augusta Armory on January 14th. FMI re the event: Mainers Join Call To Close Guantánamo FMI re the organizers: Frank Panopoulos, Witness Against Torture, Detainee AttorneyPeace Action Maine PAX Christi Maine Witness Against Torture About the host: Amy Browne started out at WERU as a volunteer news & public affairs producer in 2000, co-hosting/co-producing RadioActive with Meredith DeFrancesco. She joined the team of Voices producers a few years later, and has been WERU's News & Public Affairs Manager since January, 2006. In addition to RadioActive, Voices, Maine Currents and Maine: The Way Life Could Be, Amy also produced and hosted the WERU News Report for several years. She has produced segments for national programs including Free Speech Radio News, This Way Out, Making Contact, Workers Independent News, Pacifica PeaceWatch, and Live Wire News, and has contributed to Democracy Now and the WBAI News Report. She is the recipient of the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award from the Sierra Club of Maine, and Maine Association of Broadcasters awards for her work in 2017 and 2021. The post Around Town 1/5/23: Mainers Join Call to Close Guantánamo, Rally in Augusta January 14th first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

  His week that was – Kevin Healy World Press Freedom Day – Journalist and activist Jacob Grech The work of the groups Witness Against Torture at Guantanamo Bay – Helen Schietinger, main coordinator of WAT Why nuclear submarines and missiles won't make us secure – Dr Margie Beavis vice president of MAPW and ICAN Ramadan: a month of violence for Palestinians and much more – Jessica Morrison executive officer for Australia Palestine Advocacy  Network

*Canadian Scholar Warns that America is Moving Toward Democracy Collapse & Rightwing Dictatorship; Thomas Homer-Dixon, executive director of the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University; Producer: Scott Harris. *After 20 Years Human Rights Groups Continue to Demand Closure of US Guantanamo Prison; Dr. Maha Hilal, an organizer with the group Witness Against Torture; Producer: Scott Harris. *Mine Workers Union Split with Senator Joe Manchin Over his Opposition to Biden's Build Back Better Bill; Phil Smith, the United Mine Workers of America's director of communications and government affairs; Producer: Melinda Tuhus.

Witness Against Torture Rallies at the White House to Mark 20 Years of Torture at the U.S. Guantanamo Detention Center... The U.S. Continues to Fail at Covid... OathKeepers Charged With Sedition for Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S.Capitol... Chantal James Critically Acclaimed Debut Novel... ' Plus More Headlines: DC Substitute Teachers Protest for Better Wages and Work Conditions... Supreme Court Sinks Biden's Covid Plan... Sinema and Manchin Still Won't Eliminate Jim Crow Filibuster... 80 Groups and MLK Family Plan Voting Rights March for Jan 17 in DC... With Dr. Margaret Flowers, Witness Against Torture, Chantal James, Marty Walsh and Jacqueline Pogue Lyons and more. CORRECTION: On this show we incorrectly identified the source of this quote referring to the Supreme Court striking down President Biden's covid mandate: "After letting Texas's blatantly unconstitutional abortion ban remain in effect, the Republican justices have now swept into action to kneecap the Biden administration's common-sense public health measure." The statement was made by Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice, not by the dissenting justices. We regret the error and always strive to be accurate. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people's voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. PATREON NOW HAS A ONE-TIME, ANNUAL DONATION FUNCTION! You can also give a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. Thank you!  

On this week's show, we speak with two people dedicated to shutting down Guantanamo Bay Detention Center and all detention centers that hold prisoners of the US empire. Khadija Mehter speaks with former Guantanamo detainee, Mansoor Adayfi, who was incarcerated for over 14 years without a trial or a charge, as well as Maha Hilal, co-director of Justice for Muslims Collective, an organizer with Witness Against Torture, and a council member of School of the Americas Watch. This is our last show for our Coronavirus & Class Struggle series on WBAI. We'll be taking a break from producing radio shows on WBAI for a few months as we figure out how to move forward in this tough media landscape. You can reach out to us through our social media platforms and check back here on Soundcloud for any future content we release. We'll see y'all soon and as always, in solidarity, The Working Class Heroes Collective

An important topic we have explored over several BCR programs is the work carried out by Witness Against Torture – who for 15 years have actively protested the incarceration of Muslim men from all over the world -- at Guantanamo, Cuba. Since 2002 almost 800 have been detained – most released and now 40 remain – uncharged with a crime. Some have been there going on 20 years in extremely ugly conditions.For this episode we talked with a former U.S. Army Captain who loyally served his country at the Guantanamo Prison, as a Muslim Chaplain. Then at the end of his deployment was wrongly arrested and accused of espionage and threatened with execution. James Yee’s story was documented in the popular press and this story is available in his book “For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

 Richard Srocynski  from Witness Against Torture on the ongoing campaign to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay.Sue Bolton speaking about Dutton’s secret detention centres.Jacob Grech discussing Julian Assange, Invasion Day, refugees and asylum seekers and the Renegade Solidarity Sound SystemBob Phelps  executive director GeneEthics Network on issues about chemicals and genetic engineeringBishop George Browning President of Australia Palestine Solidarity Network speaking about ongoing repression of Palestinians.

Nearly 2 decades after they were first imprisoned by the US afer 9/11, 40 men still remain in custody at Guantanamo Bay. Many have not been charged and others were cleared for release almost a decade ago. We discuss with Paul Rehm (kprehm@aol.com) of Upper Hudson Peace Action and Witness Against Torture the effort to convince Joe Biden to finally deliver on the pledge that both he and President Obama made to close down the prison. With Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Radio Network.

"Poetry! What is it good for?" is a BCR series focusing on the beautiful and reverberating poetry of our times -- produced by Chris Brandt of Fordham University, English Dept. -- and member of Witness Against Torture. For this BCR episode, Chris invited two members of the inspiring NYC activist performance group The Peace Poets, a "family born of Hip Hop, heart, and hope in New York City." In 2014 their song "I Can't Breathe" protesting the murder of Eric Garner by the NYPD went viral when actor, Samuel L. Jackson, recorded himself singing I Can’t Breathe.These are most talented and inspiring young men with a mission to expose social problems through poetry and music. This episode includes several examples of their work. Do not miss this one and check out The Peace Poets.This BCR episode was recorded at Gebhard's Beer Culture Bar. Contact us at barcrawlradio@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

While I was "witnessing" the actions of Witness Against Torture's to end the Guantanamo Prison in Cuba in January this year, I sat down with five W.A.T. members and asked about the experiences that led them to activism.00:00:00 - 00:17:45 -- Christopher Spicer -- Freelance writer and stay-at-home dad.00:18:00 - 00:29:50 -- Don Cunning -- Longtime member of W.A.T. and other pro-peace organizations.00:30:00 - 00:46:10 -- Manijeh Saba -- Recently acquitted in Federal Court for protesting on Supreme Court Steps in 2018.00:46:25 - 1:30:20 -- Marc Alvarado -- Organizer with the InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Columbia1:30:25 - 2:11:30 -- Chrissy Stonebraker-Martinez -- Co-Director of the InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Columbia Be sure to check-out BCR #77 in which Becky and I talked with Chrissy and four other W.A.T. members at the Dubliner Bar in D.C. at the end of their fast and week of protest.Let us know what you think of BCR at barcrawlradio@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This will be the second time BCR has covered the Witness Against Torture's [WAT] annual, week-long, January protests against the opening of the Guantanamo Prison at this time of year 18 years ago. We spoke with four members of WAT--two of whom were arrested during the final Fire Drill Fridays in the nation's capital the day before the recording.For this conversation with members of WAT, we talked more generally about our nation -- who we are in our present state -- and what we might be if the "American [USian] dream were fully realized.Our conversation -- on a particularly warm night in January -- was held on the porch of the Dubliner Bar. A giant window was opened to the street, so the sounds of the Capital reverberate along with the sounds of DCers drinking Guinness.Let us know what you think of our programming at barcrawlradio@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last week I -- Alan Winson -- spent a few days with a committed group of people. They regularly protest and get arrested in a nearly impossible attempt to end the horrors of Gitmo -- the U.S. prison in Cuba which, after over 18 years, incarcerates 40 Muslim men accused of 9/11 terrorism. Most of these men are innocent and have been exonerated; yet, they remain in an isolated hell in Guantanamo. The court trials they demand are beyond them -- maybe forever -- because evidence of being tortured are being destroyed by our government. The members of Witness Against Torture are special humans. In this episode of BCR, Becky and I talked about their ongoing -- and our limited -- commitment to a cause which is right and noble.Next week, for BCR #78 we talked with members of WAT about why they protest and the world for which they work.Email: barcrawlradio@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Kings Bay Plowshares 7 [KBP7] have been found guilty by a Federal Grand Jury in Brunswick, Georgia this month for trespassing and destroying property on the Trident Submarine Naval Base in St Marys. The conversation with defendants Martha Hennessy and Carmen Trotta took place in the library of the Catholic Worker's Maryhouse in the Bowery section of Manhattan. They were joined by Anthony Donovan, a member of Witness Against Torture, who attended the four day trial. In the end, the KBP7 defendants were not allowed to make their strong case against nuclear armament -- due to what Carmen described as a "controlled" courtroom by Judge Lisa Godbey Wood.See more on what happened in the court room ...Video of statements made after the verdict ... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective. I'm Glen Ford, along with my co-host Nellie Bailey. Coming up: Why are Muslims always part of the story when a mass shooting occurs, even when a white American is the perpetrator? We'll discuss that question. And, Black women from across the Diaspora have produced an important book on Gender Studies in Africa A bill that would require all students in the California state university system to pass a course in Ethnic Studies before graduating has been put on hold after meeting fierce opposition. Dr. Gilda Ochoa, a professor of Chicano/Latino Studies at Pomona College, was a key player in pushing for the legislation. Ochoa and her brother Enrique wrote an article calling for passage of the Ethnic Studies bill. She's not happy that it's been sidelined.  Most mass shootings in the United States are committed by white men. But Dr. Maha Hilal, co-director of the Justice for Muslims Collective, and an organizer with Witness Against Torture, says even when the perpetrators of mass murder are white, Muslims are somehow brought into the discussion. Dr. Hilal wrote an article for Truthout, titled “Leave Muslims Out of This. Let's Discuss White Violence on It's Own Terms.”  Cheryl Rodriquez is co-editor of a fascinating new book, titled “TransAtlantic Feminism: Women and Gender Studies in Africa.” Roderiguez's co-editors are drawn from a range of countries in the African Diaspora, including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, and Uganda. She says Black people are always seen as “the enemy” in the U.S. 

Welcome to the radio magazine that brings you news, commentary and analysis from a Black Left perspective. I’m Glen Ford, along with my co-host Nellie Bailey. Coming up: Why are Muslims always part of the story when a mass shooting occurs, even when a white American is the perpetrator? We’ll discuss that question. And, Black women from across the Diaspora have produced an important book on Gender Studies in Africa A bill that would require all students in the California state university system to pass a course in Ethnic Studies before graduating has been put on hold after meeting fierce opposition. Dr. Gilda Ochoa, a professor of Chicano/Latino Studies at Pomona College, was a key player in pushing for the legislation. Ochoa and her brother Enrique wrote an article calling for passage of the Ethnic Studies bill. She’s not happy that it’s been sidelined.  Most mass shootings in the United States are committed by white men. But Dr. Maha Hilal, co-director of the Justice for Muslims Collective, and an organizer with Witness Against Torture, says even when the perpetrators of mass murder are white, Muslims are somehow brought into the discussion. Dr. Hilal wrote an article for Truthout, titled “Leave Muslims Out of This. Let’s Discuss White Violence on It’s Own Terms.”  Cheryl Rodriquez is co-editor of a fascinating new book, titled “TransAtlantic Feminism: Women and Gender Studies in Africa.” Roderiguez’s co-editors are drawn from a range of countries in the African Diaspora, including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, and Uganda. She says Black people are always seen as “the enemy” in the U.S. 

Martha Hennessy & Carmen Trotta & the Catholic Worker MovementWe spoke with two of the "stars" of the anti-nuclear proliferation movement -- Martha Hennessy and Carmen Trotta. They are members of the Catholic Worker Movement founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, committed to voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken.Martha and Carmen are under house arrest for trespassing onto the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in St. Mary’s Georgia on April 4, 2018. Their team of seven entered the Strategic Weapons Facility—Atlantic Administration Building where the Trident nuclear missiles are stored. Their charges carry a maximum penalty of over 20 years in a federal prison. For more information -- Kings Bay Plowshare 7Becky and I were joined on the Gebhard's Beer Culture Porch by Antony Donovan of Witness Against Torture and members of the Michigan Catholic Worker Movement.Any questions or comments we might use on upcoming episode? Let us know what you think of BCR programming -- barcrawlradio@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

BCR #46 EXTRAFollowing is a talk by Brian Terrel at the Catholic Worker's Maryhouse (June 7, 2019--Lower Eastside, Manhattan, NYC) on the efficacy of arrest to engender peace and positive social change. Brian is a long-time member of the Catholic Worker Movement and writes for the National Catholic Reporter and The Catholic Worker. He is a leader in several peace activist groups – including Voices for Creative Nonviolence and Witness Against Torture. When not protesting, marching, fasting for peace or getting arrested for his civil disobedience, Brian lives and works on his farm in Maloy, Iowa with his wife BetsyRecently. Brian walked 100 miles in Georgia in support of several activists who had trespassed on to the Kings Bay Naval Station in Georgia and who are now facing serious federal charges – Becky and I had a conversation with two of these brave peace activists and Catholic Workers -- Carmen Trotta and Martha Hennessy on BCR #46. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In her book Solidarity in Practice: Moral Protest and the US Security State (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Chandra Russo explores how solidarity activists contest the practices of the US security state both within its borders and abroad. Russo follows three social movement organizations (The School of the Americas Watch, the Migrant Trail Walk, and Witness Against Torture) that combine high-risk tactics with the practice of solidarity witnessing. She explores how, through their involvement, solidarity activists put into question Human Rights violations perpetrated by the United States government while going themselves through a process of self-transformation. This book should be of interest for those wanting to know more about how some Americans question the atrocities that their government does, as well as scholars interested in the complexities of solidarity mobilization. Felipe G. Santos is a PhD candidate at the Central European University. His research is focused on how activists care for each other and how care practices within social movements mobilize and radicalize heavily aggrieved collectives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book Solidarity in Practice: Moral Protest and the US Security State (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Chandra Russo explores how solidarity activists contest the practices of the US security state both within its borders and abroad. Russo follows three social movement organizations (The School of the Americas Watch, the Migrant Trail Walk, and Witness Against Torture) that combine high-risk tactics with the practice of solidarity witnessing. She explores how, through their involvement, solidarity activists put into question Human Rights violations perpetrated by the United States government while going themselves through a process of self-transformation. This book should be of interest for those wanting to know more about how some Americans question the atrocities that their government does, as well as scholars interested in the complexities of solidarity mobilization. Felipe G. Santos is a PhD candidate at the Central European University. His research is focused on how activists care for each other and how care practices within social movements mobilize and radicalize heavily aggrieved collectives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book Solidarity in Practice: Moral Protest and the US Security State (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Chandra Russo explores how solidarity activists contest the practices of the US security state both within its borders and abroad. Russo follows three social movement organizations (The School of the Americas Watch, the Migrant Trail Walk, and Witness Against Torture) that combine high-risk tactics with the practice of solidarity witnessing. She explores how, through their involvement, solidarity activists put into question Human Rights violations perpetrated by the United States government while going themselves through a process of self-transformation. This book should be of interest for those wanting to know more about how some Americans question the atrocities that their government does, as well as scholars interested in the complexities of solidarity mobilization. Felipe G. Santos is a PhD candidate at the Central European University. His research is focused on how activists care for each other and how care practices within social movements mobilize and radicalize heavily aggrieved collectives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book Solidarity in Practice: Moral Protest and the US Security State (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Chandra Russo explores how solidarity activists contest the practices of the US security state both within its borders and abroad. Russo follows three social movement organizations (The School of the Americas Watch, the Migrant Trail Walk, and Witness Against Torture) that combine high-risk tactics with the practice of solidarity witnessing. She explores how, through their involvement, solidarity activists put into question Human Rights violations perpetrated by the United States government while going themselves through a process of self-transformation. This book should be of interest for those wanting to know more about how some Americans question the atrocities that their government does, as well as scholars interested in the complexities of solidarity mobilization. Felipe G. Santos is a PhD candidate at the Central European University. His research is focused on how activists care for each other and how care practices within social movements mobilize and radicalize heavily aggrieved collectives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book Solidarity in Practice: Moral Protest and the US Security State (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Chandra Russo explores how solidarity activists contest the practices of the US security state both within its borders and abroad. Russo follows three social movement organizations (The School of the Americas Watch, the Migrant Trail Walk, and Witness Against Torture) that combine high-risk tactics with the practice of solidarity witnessing. She explores how, through their involvement, solidarity activists put into question Human Rights violations perpetrated by the United States government while going themselves through a process of self-transformation. This book should be of interest for those wanting to know more about how some Americans question the atrocities that their government does, as well as scholars interested in the complexities of solidarity mobilization. Felipe G. Santos is a PhD candidate at the Central European University. His research is focused on how activists care for each other and how care practices within social movements mobilize and radicalize heavily aggrieved collectives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her book Solidarity in Practice: Moral Protest and the US Security State (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Chandra Russo explores how solidarity activists contest the practices of the US security state both within its borders and abroad. Russo follows three social movement organizations (The School of the Americas Watch, the Migrant Trail Walk, and Witness Against Torture) that combine high-risk tactics with the practice of solidarity witnessing. She explores how, through their involvement, solidarity activists put into question Human Rights violations perpetrated by the United States government while going themselves through a process of self-transformation. This book should be of interest for those wanting to know more about how some Americans question the atrocities that their government does, as well as scholars interested in the complexities of solidarity mobilization. Felipe G. Santos is a PhD candidate at the Central European University. His research is focused on how activists care for each other and how care practices within social movements mobilize and radicalize heavily aggrieved collectives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Singing at Code Pink House. Yelling at the White House.INTRODUCTION to the series. The U.S. Guantanamo Prison on the Cuban island was opened in 2002 and has held many hundreds of Muslim men accused of terrorism following the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. Most were innocent of any crime and hundreds were released. Forty remain in a limbo -- beyond judicial recognition.This four-part series follows the week-long activities of the civil disobedience organization "Witness Against Torture" - a collection of unique individuals who put their bodies in danger to raise awareness about the horrific conditions of the 40 men who remain at "Gitmo."BCR's “Is this who we are?” podcast series reflects on the actions, arguments, and emotions of the WAT protesters who gathered for a week in 2019 in Washington. D.C. I lived with the WAT members in the First Lutheran Trinity Church Hostel on E and 4th Streets – and followed their actions and talked with them. For me - it was a formative experience.In the end – WAT members held little hope that Guantanamo Prison would close in the near future. They accepted that neither the news media nor those on the DC’s streets where they demonstrated and got arrested knew what they were doing – and yet they persisted in marching and fasting through those cold, windy, wet days. To a great extent this series is about that hopeless struggle, and what buoyed them and what makes them important citizens of this flawed democracy.“Is this Who We Are?” podcast series culminated in Bar Crawl Radio podcast #29 – recorded at the Iron Horse Tap Room on E and 7th Streets. We talked with several of the Witness Against Torture protesters who reflected on their experiences of the week.______________________________________________________Witness Against Torture or WAT was formed in 2005 when 25 Americans attempted to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the years following, WAT has demonstrated to shut down Guantánamo. Each year since then – These dogged civil protestors have carried out dozens of nonviolent actions to build awareness about the mental and physical torture of these men and to establish human ties with the prisoners at Guantánamo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Arrests at the Supreme Court.Guantanamo or Gitmo has held many hundreds of men accused of terrorism against the U.S. in connection with the 9/11 2001 attacks – most were innocent of any crime – several dozen remain at the prison on the Cuban island. They have been imprisoned for 17 years in limbo -- beyond judicial recognition.“Is this who we are?” is a podcast series reflecting the actions, arguments, and emotions of the WAT protesters who gathered for a week in 2019 in Washington. D.C. My name is Alan Winson. I lived with the WAT members in the First Lutheran Trinity Church Hostel on E and 4th Streets – and followed their actions and talked with them. For me - it was a formative experience.In the end – WAT members held little hope that Guantanamo Prison would close in the near future. They accepted that neither the news media nor those on the DC’s streets where they demonstrated and got arrested knew what they were doing – and yet they persisted in marching and fasting through those cold, windy, wet days. To a great extent this series is about that hopeless struggle, and what buoyed them and what makes them important citizens of this flawed democracy.“Is this Who We Are?” podcast series culminated in Bar Crawl Radio podcast #29 – recorded at the Iron Horse Tap Room on E and 7th Streets. We talked with several of the Witness Against Torture protesters who reflected on their experiences of the week.______________________________________________________Witness Against Torture or WAT was formed in 2005 when 25 Americans attempted to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the years following, WAT has demonstrated to shut down Guantánamo. Each year since then – These dogged civil protestors have carried out dozens of nonviolent actions to build awareness about the mental and physical torture of these men and to establish human ties with the prisoners at Guantánamo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Arrests at McConnell's Office.Guantanamo or Gitmo has held many hundreds of men accused of terrorism against the U.S. in connection with the 9/11 2001 attacks – most were innocent of any crime – several dozen remain at the prison on the Cuban island. They have been imprisoned for 17 years in limbo -- beyond judicial recognition.“Is this who we are?” is a podcast series reflecting the actions, arguments, and emotions of the WAT protesters who gathered for a week in 2019 in Washington. D.C. My name is Alan Winson. I lived with the WAT members in the First Lutheran Trinity Church Hostel on E and 4th Streets – and followed their actions and talked with them. For me - it was a formative experience.In the end – WAT members held little hope that Guantanamo Prison would close in the near future. They accepted that neither the news media nor those on the DC’s streets where they demonstrated and got arrested knew what they were doing – and yet they persisted in marching and fasting through those cold, windy, wet days. To a great extent this series is about that hopeless struggle, and what buoyed them and what makes them important citizens of this flawed democracy.“Is this Who We Are?” podcast series culminated in Bar Crawl Radio podcast #29 – recorded at the Iron Horse Tap Room on E and 7th Streets. We talked with several of the Witness Against Torture protesters who reflected on their experiences of the week.________________________________________________Witness Against Torture or WAT was formed in 2005 when 25 Americans attempted to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the years following, WAT has demonstrated to shut down Guantánamo. Each year since then – These dogged civil protestors have carried out dozens of nonviolent actions to build awareness about the mental and physical torture of these men and to establish human ties with the prisoners at Guantánamo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A long march to the White House. An anti-WAT protestor. And the fast ends.Guantanamo or Gitmo has held many hundreds of men accused of terrorism against the U.S. in connection with the 9/11 2001 attacks – most were innocent of any crime – several dozen remain at the prison on the Cuban island. They have been imprisoned for 17 years in limbo -- beyond judicial recognition.“Is this who we are?” is a podcast series reflecting the actions, arguments, and emotions of the WAT protesters who gathered for a week in 2019 in Washington. D.C. My name is Alan Winson. I lived with the WAT members in the First Lutheran Trinity Church Hostel on E and 4th Streets – and followed their actions and talked with them. For me - it was a formative experience.In the end – WAT members held little hope that Guantanamo Prison would close in the near future. They accepted that neither the news media nor those on the DC’s streets where they demonstrated and got arrested knew what they were doing – and yet they persisted in marching and fasting through those cold, windy, wet days. To a great extent this series is about that hopeless struggle, and what buoyed them and what makes them important citizens of this flawed democracy.“Is this Who We Are?” podcast series culminated in Bar Crawl Radio podcast #29 – recorded at the Iron Horse Tap Room on E and 7th Streets. We talked with several of the Witness Against Torture protesters who reflected on their experiences of the week.________________________________________________________Witness Against Torture or WAT was formed in 2005 when 25 Americans attempted to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the years following, WAT has demonstrated to shut down Guantánamo. Each year since then – These dogged civil protestors have carried out dozens of nonviolent actions to build awareness about the mental and physical torture of these men and to establish human ties with the prisoners at Guantánamo. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I -- Alan -- met Chris Brandt when I interviewed him for "UWS Neighbors" -- a show featured on UWS Radio. We spoke about the work he was doing for the "Medicine Show" Theater in Manhattan. As he was leaving the studio, he turned and said, "You want to know what I'm really interested in -- torture." And that started Becky and I on an adventure that took us to Washington, D.C. and a most important conversation with members of This is a dedicated, spirited, inspired and inspiring group who detest what our country is doing to Muslim men in Guantanamo Bay Prison on the island of Cuba. WAT members have conducted civil disobedience, fasted, and risked arrest since 2005 to end the incarceration of 40 men in a judicial limbo.I spent a week with WAT, recording their efforts to raise awareness about Gitmo and the January 11th anniversary of its creation in 2002. Following the posting of this episode -- BCR #29 -- four extra programs will be posted with the sounds and stories of what happen during that week of protests and arrests in our capital. Be sure to check out the four-part BCR Extra -- "Is This Who We Are?" See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

1) Another inappropriate developement for the Great Ocean Road area which needs to be stopped- Russell Doppelly, local environmentalist 2) New segment for Tuesday Hometime- monthly comment on world affairs by social and political activist Joan Coxsedge 3) Part 2  of the interview with Si Aguilar and Lo Cardosa looking at politics in Brazil 4) Dr Tim Anderson commenting on the west's plan for Venezuela 5) The history of Guantanamo Bay concentration camp and activism to close it down- Brian Terrell, Witness Against Torture

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and Walter Smolarek are joined by David Ewing of the US-China People’s Friendship Association; by political analyst Ajit Singh; and by Patrick Lawrence, the author of Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century. In our first hour we take an in-depth look at Xi Jinping’s big speech at the opening of the Chinese Communist Party’s Congress. The address, an event which happens once every five years, lays out his vision for the future of China at home and abroad. Will China be able to break apart the U.S.-dominated world order? Can the country manage growing inequality as it seeks to continue its rapid growth? The massive, classified CIA torture report produced during the Obama administration is back in the news, this time because of a controversy over a copy of the report the CIA claimed it had destroyed, but has now been found. Jeremy Varon of Witness Against Torture joins the show, and Loud & Clear co-host John Kiriakou returns to take part in the discussion. Huge demonstrations are once again taking place across Catalonia, this time in outrage over the arrest of top pro-independence leaders as the Spanish central government threatens to dissolve the Catalan regional government. John Wight, host of Radio Sputnik's Hard Facts, discusses these developments. A new report claims that during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State a major nuclear deal involving a Russian firm was approved despite evidence of corruption. Dan Kovalik, human rights and labor lawyer, joins the show. Ousted Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is in court seeking to have her impeachment overturned after evidence emerged that her opponents engaged in vote buying. Journalist Victor Fraga discusses whether Rousseff could once again be President, and Michel Temer could be ousted.

Ed Kinane is based in Syracuse, New York, and has been a big part of efforts to oppose drone piloting at Hancock Air Base for the past 10 years. His amazing array of work over the past decades has included teaching math and biology in a one-room Quaker school in rural Kenya, hitchiking Africa and North America, providing protective accompaniment to targeted activists in Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti, and Sri Lanka, serving as chair of Peace Brigades International's Sri Lanka Project and a member of PBI's national coordinating committee and a member of School of the Americas Watch national board, twice serving time in federal prisons. Ed Kinane spent Shock and Awe in Baghdad with Voices for Creative Nonviolence and has worked with Witness Against Torture. He's been on delegations to Afghanistan, Iran, and Palestine. He's spoken around the U.S., and spent a week at Standing Rock. But his focus now is on the Upstate Drone Action at Hancock. See http://www.upstatedroneaction.org

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Alexander Mercouris, the editor-in-chief of The Duran. The zig-zags continue in U.S.-Turkish relations. CIA director Mike Pompeo arrived in Ankara yesterday after President Trump and Turkish leader Erdogan spoke over the phone, vowing to combat Daesh in Syria. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives in Washington today as he continues his frantic efforts to ingratiate himself with the Trump administration. Will he promise the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. as a means of maintaining the Japan-U.S. relationship? Writer and analyst Patrick Lawrence joins Brian to discuss. Is the Trump administration on the verge of issuing an executive order that would put Daesh detainees in Guantanamo Bay? The notorious torture center may now start expanding again. Jeremy Varon, professor and member of the activist group Witness Against Torture, joins the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Jeremy Varon of Witness Against Torture and Raha Wala of Human Rights First to discuss the decision of the United States to send 15 Guantanamo detainees to the United Arab Emirates.The transfer is the largest such move under the Obama administration, but what will happen to the 61 prisoners still remaining at the Guantanamo detention center, and why did President Obama not fulfil his promise to close the facility? Is Guantanamo a step closer to closing or will the number of prisoners increase under the next president?Milwaukee was the scene of an uprising over the last few days after the police killing of 23 year old Sylville Smith on Saturday. But Milwaukee is far from a unique case. Black communities around the country are resisting as daily harassment and deprivation push people into the streets. Eugene Puryear, host of Radio Sputnik's By Any Means Necessary, joins the show.Hillary Clinton has been on an offensive to capture blue collar votes in swing states for her campaign for the White House. As she attempts to show herself to be the candidate for the working-class, the hypocrisy is deafening. Jeff Bigelow, a public sector worker's union representative, and Walter Smolarek, producer of Loud & Clear and co-author of an upcoming book on the Clintons, discuss why Clinton is far from a representative of workers around the country.

The Next System Project: Life in the United States After Capitalism by MFlowers We speak with Joe Guinan and Dana Brown of the Next System Project about their ambitious work to draw from new economic institutions that are being used in the United States and around the world to build real alternatives that solve the crises of economic, racial and environmental injustice. They just completed a series of teach-ins across the country. They share with us what they’ve learned so far and what exciting new initiatives are developing out of the teach-ins. Relevant articles and websites: Wealth Belongs to All of Us, Not just the Rich by Dariel Garner The Next System Project Winter 2015 two-pager: NSP two pager Winter 2015 2016 The Next System Report #1: NSPReport1_Digital1 Democracy Collaborative The Next System The Next System Teach-ins     Guests: Joe Guinan is a Senior Fellow at The Democracy Collaborative and Executive Director of the Next System Project. Having first worked with Gar Alperovitz and The Democracy Collaborative ten years earlier, he returned in 2012 to help design, launch and implement the Collaborative’s work on alternative political-economic systems. A former journalist, he was previously a program director at the Aspen Institute and a fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and has served as a consultant to the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. With a decade of experience in international economics, trade policy, global agriculture, and food security, he has been a frequently cited expert on globalization and economic development in major news media, including the New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, BBC News, and Al-Jazeera. Born in England with dual Irish and British citizenship, he grew up in British labor movement circles and was educated at Balliol College, Oxford. He writes regularly for progressive outlets in the UK, including open Democracy and the journal Renewal, and is a member of the editorial collective of New Left Project.   Dana Brown joined the Democracy Collaborative in September 2015 for the launch of the Next System Teach-Ins program. She is an activist, popular educator and human rights advocate that has worked throughout the US, Latin America and the Middle East supporting communities organized in resistance to neoliberal economic reforms and military intervention. A board member of Peace Brigades International, she maintains a foot in international solidarity, assisting projects to protect human rights defenders from Colombia to Kenya, while thrilled to be based in the US working to change our political economy for the benefit of the 99%. Dana holds a B.A. in Sociology from Cornell University and a Masters in International Relations and Peace Studies from the Universidad del Salvador (Argentina). She is a founding member of Witness Against Torture, a movement to shut down the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and end the use of torture and indefinite detention at all US-run facilities. She is delighted to be the first Mississippian and third tango dancer to join the Democracy Collaborative staff.

Activists gear up for President Obama's final State of the Union Address. Topics include Witness Against Torture, the Trans Pacific Partnership Treaty, the Black Radical Tradition Conference in Philadelphia and "Y'All Qaeda" in Oregon. Other Headlines: Activists like Moms Demands Action on Sensible Gun Laws enjoy a victory. Services announced for Dr. Frances Cress Welsing. Town Hall on Cove Point. Texas state trooper Brian Encinia charged with perjury yesterday in connection to the traffic stop last summer of Sandra Bland. DC Black Lives Matter activists end 2015 with a New Year's Eve demonstration that blocked streets in the Chinatown-Gallery Place neighborhood to protest no indictments in the shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland and in the death of Sandra Bland. Plus, Side-Eye on Election 2016 with Amy Alexander and Jamila Bey, "Pressure Points" exhibit at the District of Columbia Arts Center and "On the Ground" receives as grant from the Diverse City Fund. Voices: Protesters at December 2015 Moms Demand Action rally, Black Lives Matter protesters in DC December 31, 2015, Deirdre Darden, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing Kevin Zeese and members of Witness Against Torture. https://onthegroundshow.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/OTG-JAN7-2016.mp3

 On this week’s Past Present podcast, Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, and Neil Young discuss Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s philanthropic gift, the history of baby names, and “prayer shaming.” Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan announced they would donate 99 percent of their Facebook shares to charity, totaling some $45 billion. Some observers have been critical of the couple's decision. Niki pointed to Napster founder Sean Parker’s manifesto, “Philanthropy for Hackers” as a precursor to this debate. Natalia mentioned that books like Matthew Bishop’s Philanthrocapitalism have applauded the way billionaires are devoting themselves more to charitable giving and thereby reshaping the world. We recommend reading the history of philanthropy blog, HistPhil, for more. As a starting point, check out Benjamin Soskis’s essay on the Ford Foundation and the Gospel of Wealth.The most popular baby names of 2015 have been released, and gender-neutral options and names inspired by Instagram filters have made the list. Natalia reminded us that the bestseller Freakonomics has a chapter devoted to the economic consequences of what parents name their children. Niki shared the baby name generator that allows you to see what your name would be if you had been born at different points in history.In the wake of the San Bernardino shooting, the New York Daily News devoted its cover page to attacking Republican politicians who offered “thoughts and prayers” instead of political solutions to the nation’s gun crisis. Conservatives lashed back, decrying the rise of liberal “prayer shaming.” But Neil argued against the false dichotomy of a religious right and secular left in this debate, pointing out many liberals had offered their prayers while several Christian conservatives had criticized the thoughtless habit of extending “thoughts and prayers” on social media. In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:Natalia discussed Witness Against Torture’s viral video, Thanksgiving at Guantanamo.Neil recommended the hit BBC television show, The Great British Bake Off. Niki shared Mason B. Williams’s essay in the Atlantic, “The Crumbling Monuments of the Age of Marble.”  

The Justice And Accountability Campaign issued a message concerning the upcoming parole hearing for Eddie Africa who is among the political prisoners that belong to the late John Africa's MOVE Organization.“This week 10/5/15 Thru 10/9/15 has been deemed Eddie Africa solidarity week . We are asking people to do something simple but effective we are asking people to help us flood the phone lines of The Pa Parole Board And Demand Parole for Our Brother Eddie Africa.” Read more.On Oct 2, an update was posted on the case of Palestinian political prisoner Amer Jubran. In part the post reads,“Members of the Amer Jubran Defense Campaign have recently received trial documents revealing severe human rights violations at every stage in the arrest, trial, and sentencing of Amer Jubran and his co-defendants. Most importantly, the documents show that the defendants were forced to sign prefabricated confessions under torture from agents of the General Intelligence Directorate.” Read more.No Separate Justice  will hold its monthly vigil on October 5, 2015 at 6:00PM EST at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) which is located at 150 Park Row, New York, NY.“Please join the No Separate Justice Campaign and Witness Against Torture for a vigil outside the Metropolitan Correction Center (MCC) in New York City on Monday, October 5, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.  The event will have presentations by organizers, advocates, and attorneys addressing abuses in the United States' domestic and overseas detention systems.” Read more. Political Prisoner Birthdays:Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin Sunday, Oct 4, 2015 Jamil Al-Amin #99974-555 USP Canaan Post Office Box 300 Waymart, Pennsylvania 18472 David Gilbert Tuesday, Oct 6, 2015 David Gilbert #83-A-6158 Auburn Correctional Facility Post Office Box 618 Auburn, New York 13021 Michael Davis Africa Tuesday, Oct 6, 2015 Michael Davis Africa #AM-4973 SCI Graterford Post Office Box 244 Graterford, Pennsylvania 19426-0244 Malik Smith Thursday, Oct 8, 2015 Meral Smith* Golden Grove Prison RR 1 Box 9955 Kingshill, St Croix Virgin Islands 00850 *Card addressed to Malik (Smith).If you want truth and facts vs lies and fiction, support independent media.http://tinyurl.com/fundblackmedia

The Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA's torture program was released last week and it demonstrates both that the US used torture methods during interrogation which led to deaths in some cases and that torture was ineffective in obtaining necessary information. The Obama administration worked to suppress and censor the report; and following its release Obama announced that there will be no investigation of those involved in the program. The United Nations disagrees and UN Rapporteur Ben Emmerson is calling for prosecution up to the highest level of office. In addition, the UN has criticized the use of solitary confinement in the US as a domestic form of torture and suggests that it be banned. To discuss the report and the implications of this lack of accountability, we speak with Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights and Jeremy Varon of Witness Against Torture. For more information, visitwww.ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.

King Downing joins Clearing the FOG for the full hour to discuss the criminal justice system, from police encounters with citizens through mass incarceration. Jean Casella of Solitary Watch joins the program to discuss the extreme form of incarceration, solitary confinement, which is very common in the Untied States, Anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 people are held in solitary confinement on any given day in the US. Downing and Zeese discuss the Stop and Frisk program in New York which is a form of racial profiling.  There is a trial challenging the practice currently underway. Last week, two police officers described how they were ordered to target young black men ages 14 to 21. We also discuss police encounters that have resulted in the killings of young black men by undercover police.  We end the show discussing the 166 people remaining at Guantanamo Bay, 86 of whom have been cleared for release three years ago but remain incarcerated.  At least two dozen inmates at the prison are in the seventh week of a hunger strike to protest prison conditions. Witness Against Torture is holding emergency actions this week in solidarity with the Guantanamo prisoners. For more information, visit ClearingtheFOGRadio.org.