The People's Network for Land & Liberation: Finding Practical Paths To Economic & Social Justice [Full Uncut Conversation]

Synopsis:  Members of PNLL are experimenting with new ways of doing politics and economics in communities across the US, focusing on local solutions and shared resources.

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Description: People across the country are resisting authoritarianism in creative and powerful ways, and this is just the start. The folks at The People's Network for Land & Liberation (PNLL) say the forces that got us here are bigger than one bad leader; entire systems must be taken down. Building a brighter future requires a vision of economic and social justice — and lots of practice. Today on Laura Flanders & Friends, we look at some of those practical experiments and paths for radical change, and discuss why they’re just as important as resistance. The members of PNLL, a multiracial, multiethnic consortium of six community-based organizations, are doing politics and economics differently in real places across the U.S. right now. Joining us are Edget Betru, an attorney, activist and Coordinator of the People’s Network for Land & Liberation; David Cobb, PNLL staff person and Co-coordinator of the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network; and Blair Evans, Founder and Executive Director of Incite Focus, a production and training lab based in Idlewild, Michigan. Find out how to build for the future — even in the toughest circumstances. All that, plus a commentary from Laura on William Morris’s News From Nowhere.

“We've been colonized in our minds . . . Involving people in day-to-day produce, meeting their needs through a different way, through thinking, Hey, who in my neighborhood knows how to fix this? . . . It's really that shift in consciousness that needs to happen that's going to allow for this new economy to emerge.” - Edget Betru

“My mama and my mamaw and my papa who raised me taught me a lesson as a little boy, and that is, there's enough to go around as long as we share. That made sense to me when I was five years old. It makes sense to me now when I'm 63 years old. There's enough to go around as long as we share. It's just as simple as that.” - David Cobb

“We can make things that make things, we can design and build our own equipment that can then use locally sourced materials, hyper localizing the supply chain . . . We can stop feeding the monster that's consuming us and actually disconnect from that process and use what we have.” - Blair Evans

Guests:

• Edget Betru: Coordinator, People’s Network for Land & Liberation; Board Member, Community Movement Builders

• David Cobb: Staff, People’s Network for Land & Liberation; Manager, Butterfly Impact Fund; Co-Coordinator, U.S. Solidarity Economy Network

• Blair Evans: Coalition Member, People’s Network for Land & Liberation; Founder & Executive Director, Incite Focus; Designer & Trainer, Fab Lab

Watch on YouTube this episode that includes video clips referenced in this episode from Third World Newsreel; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast March 4, 2026.

Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. 

Music Credit:  'Thrum of Soil' by Bluedot Sessions, 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper

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RESOURCES:  

Full Episode Notes are located HERE.

*Recommended book:

“Beautiful Solutions: A Toolbox for Liberation”, Learn More Here*

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Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:

•  Jackson Rising: Creating the Mondragon of the South: Watch

•  Resisting Trump & Authoritarianism: The “Beautiful Solutions” Toolbox:  Watch / Listen

•  Community Wealth Building: An Economic Reset: Watch / Listen:  Full Uncut Conversation and Episode Cut

Related Articles and Resources:

•  Community Movement Builders’ Community Sea Moss Cooperative

•  Tale of the Tape:  An Expert Weighs In on the ‘Cop City’ Bodycam Footage, by Madeline Thigpen, February 15, 2023, Capital B

• Cooperation Jackson, The Build and Fight Educational Series

•  The Butterfly Effect Fund

•  Cooperation Vermont, Seeding the Alternatives for the Future

•  Cooperation Vermont Buys Former Rainbow Sweets Building, by Paul Fixx, February 4, 2025, The Hardwick Gazette

• Incite Focus, where ideas and imagination meet inspiration and innovation

•  Wellspring Cooperative, building a just and sustainable economy, one co-op at a time

•  U.S. Solidarity Economy Network (US SEN)

 

Laura Flanders and Friends Crew:  Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer;  Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O’Conner-Senior Consulting Producer.

 

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