Strength & Solidarity

Indonesian human rights defender Fatia Maulidiyanti spent over two years fighting criminal defamation charges brought by a government minister, charges that could have landed her in jail.  But when life gets complicated, Fatia has her own private refuge to which she can retreat and recharge.https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcasts/Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org

With North Korea becoming ever more repressive and closed to the outside world, what is the best path to change? For some, aggressive advocacy for human rights is needed; for others, especially an older generation of North Koreans who have found their way to the south, unification of the two Koreas should be the priority.  Still others, particularly the younger generation of South Koreans, doubt the value of devoting a lot of energy and resources to changing the status quo.   Hanna Song, Executive Director of the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, reflects on what underlies the differing views and ambivalence and argues that it’s critical to understand and listen to those who have escaped from North Korea. And in the Coda, a Zimbabwean human rights lawyer relies on soccer to keep things cordial. Music by Oliver Mtukudzi. https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcasts/ Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org

Things can get tense between lawyers, police and judges when human rights cases are being litigated.  But veteran human rights lawyer Arnold Tsunga has a tried and tested strategy for keeping things cordial.Music by Oliver Mtukudzi.https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcasts/Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org

Hossam Bagat, Executive Director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, and Nabil Rajab, a foundational figure in the Bahraini human rights movement, discuss the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where thousands have perished amid ongoing conflict. They explore global responses and citizens' protests, alongside Egypt's complex role in the situation. The conversation delves into challenges facing human rights advocates due to geopolitical tensions and debates whether to reform or dismantle the global human rights system, highlighting the urgent need for innovative approaches.

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Strength & Solidarity Season 6 will start in November. Meanwhile we’re repeating some of our favourite shows from past seasons. This week we're revisiting episode 37, first released, November 9, 2023. Original Episode Description from November 2023: Uganda has become one of Africa’s frontlines in the battle for LGBT rights. In 2014 a law was passed criminalizing same-sex conduct but it was nullified by the courts on a technicality. This year that same legislation was revived, passed again in parliament and signed into law by President Museveni. The penalties it prescribes include the death penalty and the queer community is vulnerable and anxious. Uganda lawyer Nicholas Opiyo talks about a litigation effort underway to nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 and shines a light on the role of actors behind the scenes, including US Pentecostal activists. And in the Coda, a young Mexican disability leader finds inspiration and joy in a film about a brilliant generation of activists. For a list of supplemental readings and additional information about this episode’s content, visit https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcasts/ Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org

Strength & Solidarity Season 6 will start in November. Meanwhile we’re repeating some of our favourite shows from past seasons. This week we're revisiting episode 39, first released, December 21, 2023. Original Episode Description from December 2023: The ⁠Universal Declaration of Human Rights⁠ (UDHR) turned 75 on the 10 December 2023. Passed by the UN General Assembly in the wake of two brutal world wars, it expressed an aspiration for a new world, one in which every human being’s rights would be acknowledged and respected, and international law would regulate the actions of states and hold them accountable for violations. That vision is as powerful today as it was then and it has sometimes, and in some places, been realized. But the failures are many. Despite their pledge, governments have repeatedly abandoned principle to pursue their own interests, leaving ordinary people – sometimes an individual, sometimes millions – without protection from brutal mistreatment or immiseration and lacking any recourse. Why does the the global human rights system fail? And can it be made to work? A group of moderators from the Symposium on Strength and Solidarity for Human Rights get round a table to argue it out. For a list of supplemental readings and additional information about this episode’s content, visit ⁠https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcasts/⁠ Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org

Strength & Solidarity Season 6 will start in November. Meanwhile we’re repeating some of our favourite shows from past seasons, starting with episode 40,  first released,  January 11, 2024. Original Episode Description from January 2024: It is now three months since the October 7 brutal attack by Hamas on targets in Israel which triggered the Israeli bombardment of Gaza in which a reported 21,000 people have so far been killed. In the US, as much as widespread condemnation was expressed after the Hamas attack, the subsequent death toll in Gaza and suffering of surviving civilians have shattered whatever remained of a consensus on Israel. Polls show rising public criticism of Israel’s actions, and of the Biden Administration for continuing to supply Israel with arms. Week after week there are protests, and present in large numbers among the diverse crowds are Jews carrying signs that say, “Not in my name.” One of several organisations mobilising those protests is Jewish Voice for Peace. JVP’s Executive Director Stefanie Fox explains how they have built their movement against the grain of mainstream US politics. And in the Coda, a human rights lawyer talks about her artistic practice and how it connects with her work supporting communities to seek justice. For a list of supplemental readings and additional information about this episode’s content, visit: https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcasts/ Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org

Podcast explores Kenya's grassroots movement against government tax proposals, highlighting the power of citizen activism and the historical context of resistance against colonial rule. The episode delves into the challenges faced by the Social Justice Centres movement, including fundraising issues and internal conflicts. It also touches on the importance of storytelling and resilience in driving social change.

Although women were, and still are, deeply involved in Burma’s fight against  military rule, their contributions were often invisible.. Activist and advocate Debbie  Stothard recalls that when she started paying attention, she discovered that “the auntie making our tea in the kitchen was a former resistance fighter.” She began getting women to write down their stories, with remarkable results.https://strengthandsolidarity.org/podcasts/Contact us at pod@strengthandsolidarity.org