Strength & Solidarity

While Strength&Solidarity is on a break we’re taking the chance to re-up some favourite episodes.Last April, in Episode 51, I talked with Negin Shiraghaei, founder of Azadi Network, about her work to build a network for Iranians in the diaspora – as a common space for advancing human rights and democracy at home. She talked about the complexity of the task, and the value of embracing lessons from failure.Here's the orginal show notes:In the quarter century since Iran’s Islamic revolution, thousands of Iranians have left their home to live in exile. Although they all have a country in common, that diaspora is hugely diverse – coming from different generations and with a wide range of origin stories, political allegiances and views about the change they would like to see in Iran. When in 2022 a young woman in Iran was beaten and killed by the morality police for wearing her hijab incorrectly, anger across the exile community suggested favorable  conditions for a diaspora movement for rights in Iran to emerge. But what form should such a movement take? The founder and co-director of Azadi Network, Negin Shiraghaei, reflects on the choices she and other organizers faced as they took up that challenge.And in the Coda, Turkish eco-activist Burcu Meltem Arik shares a poem by Nazim Hikmet reminding us of what nature can teach us about resilience. Music Credit: Ben Sığmazam by Özge Arslan, 2023Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.orgWe are now publishing our newsletter on Substack, if you would like to subscribe: https://substack.com/@strengthsolidarity⁠

Strength&Solidarity is taking a break and that gives us a chance to re-up some favourite episodes.Here’s Coda #3 in which US civil rights veteran  Charles Cobb Jr looks back to 1963 and a chance meeting between some young black activists in the segregated south and a future Kenyan Vice President.  That event went on to be celebrated in a song that became a favourite in the civil rights movement.And don’t forget there are nearly 50 codas for you to explore – young activist poets in Sudan’s brilliant but sadly defeated revolution; a young US lawyer recalling the profound connection he found in 1980s El Salvador; a human rights ED who took up his guitar and sang us a lovely Mercedes Sosa song – not to mention favourite poems, music and activities – from wild swimming to reading to the kids at bedtime. It’s a treasure trove for you to explore - take ten minutes out to decompress and experience someone-else’s world.

It can sometimes seem as though fighting for queer rights in a hostile society is an unwinnable project.  All too often, punitive laws, state violence, economic exclusion and social hostility are stacked against a community that is isolated and excluded. That’s certainly true in Tunisia and other North African countries. But in this episode, queer Tunisian activist Assala Mdawkhy tells host Akwe Amosu that creating safe spaces and building a movement for LGBTQI rights should be taken as indicators of staying power and eventual success. Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.orgWe are now publishing our newsletter on Substack, if you would like to subscribe: ⁠https://substack.com/@strengthsolidarity⁠

If you are one of the people feeling that things are not going to be all right, this one’s for you. Coda #46 comes from Bill McKibben, veteran climate change activist and founder of multiple campaigns and organisations – check out Strength&Solidarity Ep. 57.  He told us how hard it can be to stay optimistic, when the odds against success seem high.  The Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun is one of his go-to tracks for regaining his footing, so perhaps it’s no surprise that he is currently organising people to “rise up” for Sun Day, a day of action “for a sun-powered planet” next month, 21 September, We’ve started releasing the Coda as a separate show, not just part of the main Strength&Solidarity podcast. You will find both of them in our feed here, or on our Substack page, with transcripts, and related links. If you subscribe at https://substack.com/@strengthsolidarity, you will receive the “host’s note” accompanying each show.  Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.orgQuick LinksBio: Bill McKibben: https://billmckibben.com/Sun Day:  Day of action, 21 September 2025   :https://www.sunday.earth/Wikipedia:  The Beatle’s Abbey Road: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_RoadWikipediaL  Nina Simone’s O-o-h Child: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-o-h_Child

In this engaging conversation, Bill McKibben, a veteran climate justice organizer and co-founder of Third Act, advocates for the untapped potential of the over-60s in activism. He discusses how their life experiences empower them to tackle climate justice, democracy, and racial equity. With the rise of clean energy and local initiatives, McKibben highlights innovative strategies that are transforming perceptions of climate action. He emphasizes the need for cross-generational collaboration and reflects on the vital role of older activists in mentoring the next generation.

A young boy growing up in South Bend, Indiana, goes to the library every week with his mother and comes back with a brown grocery bag full of books. He doesn’t know it then, but it’s the start of a lifelong journey of involvement in the human rights movement. Listen to Chris Grove, executive director of ESCR-Net explain how books showed him a lineage of struggle he could join, and how they are still guiding him – and his young son. From now on we are releasing the Coda as a separate show, not just part of the main Strength&Solidarity podcast. You will find both of them in our feed here, or on our Substack page, with transcripts, and related links. If you subscribe at https://substack.com/@strengthsolidarity, you will receive the “host’s note” accompanying each show.  Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.orgMUSICAbdullah Ibrahim - Mannenberg (live)Abdullah Ibrahim - Ancient Africa (live)

Trine Christensen, a trauma-informed coach and former Secretary General of Amnesty Denmark, dives deep into the escalating crisis of burnout in the human rights sector. She discusses the psychological toll of vicarious trauma and moral injury, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic change and better mental health support. Trine shares her personal journey with burnout, advocating for a human-centered approach in advocacy. The conversation also highlights the critical balance between individual accountability and organizational support in fostering a healthier work culture.

These are stressful times for human rights activists where every day, a new development may cause despondency or rage. Feminist activist and campaigner Francoise Girard explains why you really need some seventeenth century music in your life.Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org We are now publishing our newsletter on Substack, if youwould like to subscribe: ⁠https://substack.com/@strengthsolidarity⁠Contactus at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org We are now publishing our newsletter on Substack, if youwould like to subscribe: ⁠https://substack.com/@strengthsolidarity⁠

The United States has gone, in less than six months, from being seen by many as a defender of democracy and human rights, to being the latest – and most powerful - administration to embrace authoritarianism.  Amid a head-spinning flood of presidential orders and harsh policies - towards women, immigrants, the poor, the disabled and the sick, it’s hard to know where to focus. In this episode, veteran Turkish journalist and human rights activist Murat Celikkan tells host Akwe Amosu what he has been paying attention to, and reflects on how Turkey’s human rights  movement has been trying to strengthen its own work.And in the Coda, why a dose of Baroque music might ease your mind. Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org We are now publishing our newsletter on Substack, if youwould like to subscribe: ⁠https://substack.com/@strengthsolidarity⁠Quick LinksInterviewBio: Murat Celikkan: https://hakikatadalethafiza.org/en/teamLitHub: Murat Celikkan: Another Turkish Journalist in Prison for ‘Unspecified Reasons’ https://lithub.com/murat-celikkan-another-turkish-journalist-in-prison-for-unspecified-reasons/StrengthandSolidarity.org: Murat Celikkan reads Ariel Dorfman: https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcast/rebuilding-a-movements-culture-after-crisis/Hafiza Merkezi: https://hakikatadalethafiza.org/en/en/why-hafiza-merkeziChatham House: The future of the Trukish opposition after Imamoglu’s arrest https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/05/future-turkish-opposition-after-imamoglus-arrestHRW: Turkey Events of o2024 https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/turkiyeWikipedia: Gezi Park protests https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gezi_Park_protestsWikipedia: Saturday mothers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_MothersCodaFrancoise Girard: https://www.fmus.org/aboutFeminism Makes Us Smarter (FMUS): https://www.fmus.org/Wikipedia: Baroque Music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_musicFMUS podcast: https://www.fmus.org/fmus-podcastMusic credits:Juditha triumphans, RV 644: Air "Veni, veni me sequere fida" by Antonio Vivaldi, performed by Lea Desandre, Jupiter Ensemble, Thomas DunfordJuditha triumphans, RV 644: “Air Armatae face et anguibus” by Antonio Vivaldi, performed by Jupiter EnsembleAriodante, HWV 33, Act 2: Aria. "Se l'inganno sortisce felice" (Polinesso) by George Frideric Handel, performed by·Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Alan Curtis, Il Complesso Barocco“Forêts paisibles” from Les Indes Galantes by Jean-Philippe Rameau, performed by Les Arts FlorissantsStrength&Solidarity podcast:Episodes 1-50 shows and transcripts:Episodes 51 onwards, shows and transcripts

What are the big takeaways from five years of conversation between 200 human rights leaders from nearly 70 countries?  How did activism and solidarity get sidelined as vehicle for human rights work, in favour of the multilateral review bodies and government advocacy? Why do many younger leaders avoid creating organisations? And what do activists from the US civil rights movement or South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement have to teach today’s activists?   These and other questions get an airing as the moderators of The Symposium on Strength and Solidarity for Human Rights, look back over the project and reflect on its final meeting.Although the Symposium is ending, this podcast will continue. We’re grateful to have you along! Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org We are now publishing our newsletter on Substack, if you would like to subscribe:⁠https://substack.com/@strengthsolidarity⁠Quick LinksClick here to read the Episode 54 Transcript.The Symposium website and biosAbout Symposium Moderators:Chris Stone, Blavatnik School of Government, University of OxfordSamson Itodo, YIAGA AfricaAlberto Vasquez, Mad ThinkingEmilie Palamy Pradichit, ManushyaNani Jansen Reventlow: Systemic JusticeStrength&Solidarity podcast:Episodes 1-50 shows and transcriptsEpisodes 51 onwards, shows and transcriptsThe Symposium Reader: The Symposium on Strength and Solidarity for Human Rights: A Reader