Making Contact

Americans eat out more than any other people. But the workers who put food on our restaurant tables are struggling to feed themselves and their families. On this edition, Saru Jayaraman, co-director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and author of "Behind the Kitchen Door" makes the case for bringing justice to restaurants and how ordinary diners can help.

Our world is generating more and more nuclear waste, but have no permanent place to dispose of it. But the nation of Finland has a plan. They're building an underground cave, to hold thousands of tones of nuclear waste, for at least 100 thousand years. On this edition, we hear excerpts of the film, “Into Eternity”, which explores the logistical and philosophical quandries around the construction of something that if it works, might very well outlast the entire human race. Special thanks to Specialty Studios

We bring you voices from Pakistan of families destroyed by drone strikes. And, we hear from Medea Benjamin and other activists working to build a global movement against this controversial military technology, which accelerated after 9/11.

Some call it “Paradise”, but Hawaii isn’t just a tourist getaway. Look beyond the resorts, and you’ll find a history of opposition to US occupation. From sacred sites, to indigenous language, Hawaiians are fighting hard to protect their traditions, and their future. On this edition we hear excerpts from the 2012 film by Catherine Bauknight “Hawaii: A Voice for Sovereignty,” which explores the history of Hawaii - from the beginning of the US occupation up to statehood and the present day.

It’s not just about Roe v Wade and the Supreme Court. Local institutions can create restrictions that prevent women from exercising reproductive health choices, even with the law on their side. From Albuquerque to Portland to New York City, obstacles are surfacing in pharmacies, state legislatures, city councils and even medical schools.

Renowned biologist Sandra Steingraber has made fighting environmentally induced cancers her lifes work. Steingraber’s book, Living Downstream, has been turned into a movie chronicling a year in her life trying to create a world free of cancer causing toxics. On this edition, we hear excerpts of the documentary film, Living Downstream. Special thanks to The People’s Picture Company for allowing us to excerpt the film ‘Living Downstream’.

We profile women of La Via Campesina, the global peasant movement celebrating 20 years of grassroots activism, for sustainable farming, land rights and social justice. Canadian Nettie Wiebe fights to keep seeds in the hands of small farmers. From the US, Dina Hoff takes on climate change and trade agreements. Elizabeth Mpufo of Zimbabwe raises issues facing women. And Japan’s Ayumi Kinezuka shares the effects of the Fukishima nuclear disaster on her organic farm. This show was produced by the Women Rising Radio Project.

At overcrowded and underfunded public schools across the country high suspension rates are exacerbating existing achievement gaps. Often, chaos in the classroom is to blame, keeping students from concentrating on their classes. On this edition we’ll hear excerpts from Russell Long’s film “Room to Breathe” which takes us to a middle school in San Francisco, California, that began teaching mindfulness in the hopes of giving students the skills they need to focus on learning.

Before 2001, there was another 9/11. In 1973, a military coup backed by the United States, overthrew the Chilean government and ushered in seventeen years of brutal dictatorship. In the first of a two part series; we hear stories of the Chilean 9/11.That day marked the end of one of Latin America’s longest democratic traditions, and brought on almost two decades of murder, disappearances, repression, and fear. This program was produced by the Freedom Archives

Before 2001, there was another 9/11. In 1973, a military coup backed by the United States, overthrew the Chilean government and ushered in seventeen years of brutal dictatorship. In the first of a two part series; we hear stories of the Chilean 9/11.That day marked the end of one of Latin America’s longest democratic traditions, and brought on almost two decades of murder, disappearances, repression, and fear. This program was produced by the Freedom Archives