Subvrt

An interview with Miguel Duarte

In this interview, donelive for DiEM TV in April 2022, Miguel shares his fascinating story with me. We talk about how he got involved with sea rescue, the tension between changing the system and providing services, and the establishment's dirty tricks campaign against him and his colleagues. And we also explore why the attacks on Miguel ultimately failed, and how as long as the migration crisis persists, activists will be stepping up to address it.

There are some fascinating, timeless insights here that are worth hearing for thinking radicals everywhere.

Mentioned in the podcast

Subvrt is a podcast for thinking radicals, hosted by Mehran Khalili. It features interviews with people who confront power, and tips and tactics on how to make change happen. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, Spotify or RSS. And sign up to get the weekly Subvrt newsletter, so you don't miss a thing.

An interview with Miriam Meyer

Just want some edited highlights from our chat?Click here.

About this episode

We're entering a difficult winter here in Europe, with a cost of living crisis and an escalating war in Ukraine. Analysts are predicting a season of activism and civil unrest.

So now is a good time to look at the kinds of protest tactics that force you to pick a side.

My guest is Miriam Meyer, a young German activist with the environmental group Last Generation. She's been getting arrested full time for blocking busy German motorways.

In this interview, done live for DiEM TV in June 2022, we discuss how the group has organised for impact just a few months. And we debate those controversial tactics: does stopping people from getting to work really help your cause?

Miriam gave some thoughtful answers in this interview that we can all learn from. I hope you'll get value out of it for your own activist projects.

Subvrt is a podcast for thinking radicals, hosted by Mehran Khalili. It features interviews with people who confront power, and tips and tactics on how to make change happen. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, Spotify or RSS. And sign up to get the weekly Subvrt newsletter, so you don't miss a thing.

An interview with Chris Smalls

Chris Smalls is known today as the man who took on Amazon and won. He's the leader ofthe first successful union drive in Amazon's history.

He's inspired workers the world over. He's campaigned with Bernie Sanders. Time Magazine asks: "Is Chris Smalls the future of labor?"

But back when I spoke to him for this interview in May 2020, in a live show for the political movement DiEM25, Chris was the ex-Amazon employee who exposed the corporations unsafe practices on COVID. He was just starting to organize against the company.

This interview is especially interesting given Chris's meteoric rise since it was recorded. It offers a look inside the mind of a real David to a corporate Goliath,  someone who took on a problem and flipped it into an opportunity.

I hope you'll enjoy it.

Subvrt is a podcast for thinking radicals, hosted by Mehran Khalili. It features interviews with people who confront power, and tips and tactics on how to make change happen. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, Spotify or RSS. And sign up to get the weekly Subvrt newsletter, so you don't miss a thing.

An interview with Vicky van de Togt

I spoke toVicky van der Togt, founder of the Zero Covid Alliance and a central figure in this grassroots mobilisation, to learn more about how it works, the victories they’ve had so far, and how anyone can get involved. We also talk about the Zero COVID strategy, COVID myth-busting, and Vicky’s own experience of the disease.

It was a fascinating chat – despite the audio issues – and I hope you’ll find it as eye-opening as I did.

This interview was originally recorded live for DiEM TV.

Subvrt is a podcast for thinking radicals, hosted by Mehran Khalili. It features interviews with people who confront power, and tactics to make change happen. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, Spotify or RSS.

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An interview with Radomir Lazovic

This interview wasoriginally recorded live for DiEM TV.

Subvrt is a podcast for thinking radicals, hosted by Mehran Khalili. It features interviews with people who confront power, and tactics to make change happen. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, Spotify or RSS.

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An interview with Antonis Bougias

I spoke toAntonis Bougias, a key person in the Golden Dawn Watch grassroots journalism project in Greece, to find out.

We talk 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.

Subvrt is a podcast for thinking radicals, hosted by Mehran Khalili. It features interviews with people who confront power, and tactics to make change happen. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, Spotify or RSS.

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An interview with Asteris Masouras

With global news curatorAsteris Masouras, I debate what online activism is getting right and how it could improve. Among other topics, we discuss: Twitter’s value as a platform for activism, when to call a fascist a fascist, and deplatforming and censorship as political weapons.

Asteris 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.

Subvrt is a podcast for thinking radicals, hosted by Mehran Khalili. It features interviews with people who confront power, and tactics to make change happen. Subscribe on iTunes, Google, Spotify or RSS.

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