Archive for June, 2013

Episode 30: Welcome to Australia – Changing Attitudes on Refugees

Posted: June 18, 2013 in Uncategorized
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Image fromWelcome to Australia.

You can download this episode on Media Fire here (44MB).

This time we bring you a refugee-themed episode for Refugee Week. We start the episode by discussing Australia excising itself from the migration zone, drawing on the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Melissa Phillips and Bianca Hall. We also discuss the similarities between the two major parties on the issue of refugees, some different ideas on refugees from minor parties at the Now That’s a Party event, the Gillard government’s asylum seeker policy adviser quits, problems with ASIO’s security assessments and a recent case where this has affected a family, and finally a positive story on Australian’s attitudes towards refugees! The main focus of this episode is giving people advice on effectively changing attitudes refugees, mainly drawing on Amnesty International’s Activist Resources. We encourage people to bust myths on refugees and get the facts out to people who need to know them, as well as promoting Amnesty’s pro-asylum seeker pledge.

We also cover some creative ways to make change on refugees and other issues, including through: apps, computer games, board games, comedy and music. Other stuff covered is: Nick guest hosting the punk show Burn the Airwaves (6 June 2013 episode), Worldwide Vegan Activism (features Nick, as well as Marcus and Ruth from The Species Barrier podcast), Gary Francione’s commentary on talking to non-vegans about veganism, shock jock Howard Sattler gets fired, the activist well-being group Plan to Thrive, Noam Chomsky’s recent interview on anarchism, Reaction Podcast’s review of our show, and we critique arguments in favour of restricting migration to Australia for environmental reasons, instead arguing in favour of welcoming people coming to Australia – whether they are fleeing persecution or coming here for economic reasons. We finish by promoting the Walk Together event, which has this message – find an event near you here.

Clips:

ABC News ‘Parliament Excises Mainland from Migration Zone’, Sleater Kinney ‘Off With Your Head’, Scrubs (Season 6, episode 7), Wil Wagna ‘I Don’t Want to Live Here Anymore’, Aamer Rahman ‘Politics’, Bill Hicks ‘Sleep and the Message’, The Herd ‘77%’, Monty Python and the Holy Grail ‘Dennis the Constitutional Peasant’, Howard Sattler “mash up” from interviews with Nick on humane slaughter and horse meat, Sam Wainwright and Scott Ludlam from the Now That’s a Party event, True Blood ‘Season 3, Episode 6’, Bill Hicks ‘Australia’, Billy Bragg ‘Economic Migrants’, Anti-Flag ‘Underground Network’.

Episode 29: Melbourne Street Medic Collective on Occupy, Democracy, Anarchism and Activism

Posted: June 6, 2013 in Uncategorized
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Image from Melbourne Street Medic Collective.

You can listen to or download part 1 of this episode on Archive.org here (38MB) and part 2 on Archive.org here (33MB) or Media Fire here (33MB).

This episode has been released in two parts. Part 1 of this episode has a discussion with Coggo, CJ Wallace and Jazz from the almighty Melbourne Street Medic Collective. We cover the history of the collective, what they’re doing now, experiences with Occupy and police repression, creating alternative institutions to the state, working with other street medics to make their work relevant for activists and activist burnout. Other issues covered on the episode include: travelling, the gift economy, computer use, viewing protest marches as just one of many possible tactics, graffiti for refugees and we encourage people to support Bradley Manning.

Part 2 of the episode has the second part of our interview with Melbourne Street Collective. In this part of the interview, the issues covered include: Occupy Sandy, Occupy and democracy, creating coalitions with different groups around Australia and beyond, and small-scale affinity groups reporting to larger spokescouncils, as a way to ensure greater democracy and put anarchism into practice. In part 2 of this episode, we also encourage people to organise a flash mob in their city, with the help of Reproductive Choice Australia, and we discuss some feedback and additional stories on our 28th episode ‘Beyond Same-Sex Marriage’, including: the word “queer”, hippies, the same-sex marriage campaign attempting to “normalise” queer relationships, “couples privilege” and the French government pledges tougher penalties for homophobia.

Book Recommendation (from part 2):

Chomsky on Anarchism by Noam Chomsky.

Clips (part 1):

Frank Turner ‘The Road’, The Checkout ‘Foxtel’, Star Fucking Hipsters ‘Dumpster to the Grave’ and ‘Death or Fight’, The Checkout ‘Access vs Ownership’, 5E Community ‘I’m Your Medic’, Part 1 of interview with Melbourne Street Medic Collective, Promoe ‘These Walls Don’t Lie’, Coggo’s speech at the #FreeBrad Rally in Melbourne, The Desaparecidos ‘Anonymous’.

Clips (part 2):

Rap News ’#Occupy2012’, Foeknawledge ‘Knowledge is Key’, Peep Show (Series 1, episode 5), Good Riddance ‘Defusing the Popular Struggle’, Part 2 of our interview with Melbourne Street Medic Collective, Bob Dylan ‘Maggie’s Farm’, The Simpsons ‘Super-liminal Recruiting’, Frenzal Rhomb ‘I Went Out With a Hippy & Now I Love Everyone Except for Her’, Peep Show (Series 3, episode 2), The Soviettes ‘Multiply and Divide’.