Making Contact

Victims and perpetrators sitting down face to face…it can help heal their wounds, and our society. Incarcerating our way out of crime clearly hasn’t worked, and it’s costing us billions. Meanwhile, school suspensions are reaching record highs. Now, Institutions across US are finally starting to consider problem solving methods other than punishment. Restorative justice is gaining ground–in the schools, and behind bars. Featuring: Paul Jacobsen, Rosa Parks elementary school principal Mekaylah Porter, Marilyn, Rosa Parks elementary students Yari Sandel, restorative justice coordinator Helen Parker, San Francisco’s restorative practices department coach Sonya Shah, Insight Prison Project Justice Program Director Nancy Potts, mother of son killed by drunk driver Chris Scezech, drunk driver Radha Stern, mother of murder victim Sam Johnson, San Quentin prison inmate

More than a decade after the start of the second Gulf War, the United States has embarked on a bombing campaign targeting Islamic State forces inside Iraq and Syria. It’s the third U.S. military action inside Iraq in as many decades. But the reasons for the new war keep shifting, from protecting ethnic and religious minorities, to preventing terrorist attacks on the U.S. As independent producer Reese Erlich reports from Northern Iraq, this latest conflict, and the future of the region is tightly connected to the oil industry and international politics. Featuring: Antonia Juhasz, author The Bush Agenda, The Tyranny of Oil, and Black Tide Fauzi Ali and Aiwa Majdal, Yazidi refugees Chenar Rozbyani, photographer Richard Nabb, oil company advisor Kemal Afaraci assistant district manager Tak Tak oil field Shirin Jabar, demonstrator at KDP rally.

In her new book: “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate”, Naomi Klein argues that while it’s too late to stop climate change, we can save our civilization. But it’s going to take radical steps that will transform the way humans interact with the world. Business as usual is no longer an option. On this edition, Naomi Klein speaks about her new book, and points out signs of hope as the global movement to counter climate change matures. Featuring: Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate

It’s election season! But since the 2013 Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act, many states have pushed changes to voter laws that raise disturbing connections to the past. On this week’s show, we’ll hear about hard fought battles for voting rights and the implications of new laws. Featuring: Reverend Tyrone Edwards, civil rights historian in Plaquemines Parish Louisiana Tyrone Brooks, Georgia State Representative Clifford Kuhn, Professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill JT Johnson, civil rights organizer Allen Secher, rabbi Jerel James, Tamia Adkinson, docents at Civil Rights Museum of St. Augustine August Tinson, testified in U.S. vs Fox (1962) Gary May, professor of history at the University of Delaware and the author of Bending Towards Justice: The Voting Rights Act and the Transformation of American Democracy.

Heroes to many, traitors to some. The internet has put whistleblowers in the public eye, and the government’s crosshairs. With increased access to classified information, and the ability to spread it, the world’s biggest institutions are running scared and cracking down. On this week’s show, we hear about the whistleblowers we don’t see on the nightly news. They’re not named Manning or Snowden, they’re ordinary people who report wrongdoing at their place of employment, and pay the consequences. Featuring: Eileen Chubb, founder of Compassion in Care and The Whistler Felix Smith, former US Department of Fish & Wildlife biologist Gary Santolo, wildlife biologist and toxicologist Lloyd Carter, former environmental reporter Stephen Kohn, National Whistleblowers Center director

What do our voices say about us? On this edition we explore voice and identity. We’ll hear from someone who nearly lost their voice as well as the challenges that come with ordering a pizza with a speech generating device. Featuring: Mya Byrne, singer-songwriter Kathe Perez, creator of EVA app Samuel Sennott, assistant professor of special education at Portland University Bob Segalman, author “Against the Current, My Life with Cerebral Palsy” April Bryant, UC Berkeley student Hannah Simpson, Nika Jewell, Tela Love, 13th Philadelphia Transgender Health Conference, attendees.

Making Contact partnered with the 2014 National Poetry Slam to produce this special open mic highlighting the power of thoughtful, truth telling, community focused poetry. [one_half]Featuring Poets: Chris Cuadrado Lindsay Stone Jared Paul Caitlin Clark Queen T More information, photos and the full 3 hour open mic at: Making Contact

One in three women will have an abortion in her lifetime, yet in pop culture accurate portrayals of real people s stories are rare. In this show we hear about representations of abortion and reproductive decision-making in popular culture, and why those stories really matter.

Who's watching you? Nowadays it seems everyone wants to get their hands on our personal data. From the FBI to the welfare department, to some of the country's biggest retailers. On this edition, we take a closer look at the world of surveillance. Featuring Hasan Elahi, artist and Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Charles Duhigg, New York Times journalist and author of “The Power of Habit” Jodie Berger, public benefits lawyer John Gilliom, Professor of Political Science at Ohio University Kaaryn Gustafson, welfare lawyer and University of Connecticut teacher

More than 150,000 people sign up for the US military every year. Their reasons for joining vary widely, from those hoping for financial help through college, to others looking to follow in the footsteps of parents or grandparents. In recent years getting into the military has gotten harder, with criminal records and low academic scores proving the biggest barriers. As hard as getting into the military might be, getting out may be harder still. On this edition of Making Contact we’ll hear radio adaptations of Michelle Mason’s film, “Breaking Ranks,” produced by Screen Siren Pictures and the National Film Board of Canada and of “Deserter” by Rick Rowley, from Big Noise Films and PM Press. Featuring: Jeremy Hinzman, Kyle Snyder, Joshua Key, Ryan Johnson, Brandon Hughey, US military personnel who refused to return to Iraq. Sergeant Brian Jensen, military recruiter.