Making Contact
Frequencies of Change Media
“Making Contact” digs into the story beneath the story—contextualizing the narratives that shape our culture. Produced by Frequencies of Change Media (FoC Media), the award-winning radio show and podcast examines the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground, building a more just world through narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the environment, labor, economics, health, governance, and arts and culture.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 4, 2013 • 29min
Idle No More
In the winter of 2012, flash mob round dances, demonstrations, hunger strikes, and blockades swept Canada. What began as a protest against new laws seen as curtailing environmental protections and infringing indigenous sovereignty, quickly grew into a movement for indigenous rights and environmental justice. On this edition, Sylvia McAdam, one of the founders of Idle No More, tells the story of the movement.
May 28, 2013 • 29min
Capitalism Makes us Crazy: Dr Gabor Mate on Illness & Addiction
What’s the connection between the increase in chronic diseases, mental illness and drug addiction in our society today? On this edition, Dr. Gabor Mate talks about the relationship between mind and body health – and what the rise of capitalism has done to destroy both.
May 21, 2013 • 29min
Partners in the Struggle
What does it mean to be an ally in a political movement? From white Americans in the civil rights era, to Israelis in Palestine, to Latino-Americans working with the undocumented…a roundtable discussion on the do’s and don’ts of how to be an effective ally.
May 14, 2013 • 29min
Cracking the Codes: Dr. Shakti Butler on the System of Racial Inequity
How do we talk about race and racism in this country? Not as deeply as we should, according to filmmaker and educator Dr. Shakti Butler. On this edition, we hear excerpts from Dr. Butler’s film “Cracking the Codes”, and speak with her about using the medium of film to start conversations around the thorny issues of racial inequity.
May 7, 2013 • 29min
Permission to Speak: Political Prisoners in Burma
As Burma transitions from dictatorship to democracy, hundreds of political prisoners have been freed after decades behind bars. On this edition, we hear from some of these freed political prisoners as they struggle to rebuild their lives, and test the emerging democracy.
Apr 30, 2013 • 29min
Manufacturing Terror: The Media's Anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim Problem
After the Boston Marathon bombing, journalists scrambled to identify those responsible for the attack, and their motive. Rolling news and online message boards were filled with speculation, many pointing the finger at Muslims and Arabs. Does the media reinforce anti-Arab and anti-Muslim stereotypes?
Apr 23, 2013 • 29min
Undocumented and Undaunted: DREAMer Artists Speak Out
The struggles of undocumented youth in the US often fly under the radar of the mainstream media. But with the tools of creative expression and the power of social media, a new generation of young immigrants is making sure their voices are heard. From musical theater to political posters to videos on the web, young undocumented artists speak their truth.
Special thanks to the Left Tilt Fund and the Berwick-Degel Family Foundation.
Apr 16, 2013 • 29min
Arundhati Roy Jungles of Resistance
Renowned Indian author Arundhati Roy says her country’s government has declared war on its own people. Her outspokenness earned her an invitation to spend time with Maoist rebels. On this edition, Arundhati Roy takes us into the jungles of India, as she reads excerpts from her new book ‘Walking with the Comrades’.
Special thanks to the Center for Place Culture and Politics at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center.
Apr 8, 2013 • 29min
Surviving Ex-Gay Therapy
The growth of the ex-gay movement in the last two decades gave rise to hundreds of therapy programs aiming to change people’s sexual orientation. Many were explicitly religious, and claimed to be able to “pray away the gay”. But there’s a growing movement, led by survivors of ex-gay therapy, to disprove and ban these harmful practices for good. On this edition, stories of recovery from conversion therapy, and becoming ex- ex-gay.
Apr 3, 2013 • 29min
Taxes are for suckers
Imagine paying almost nothing in taxes—sounds great doesn’t it? Some of America’s biggest companies are doing just that and making millions or even billions in profits, thanks to loopholes and political influence… On this edition, why does big business pay lower tax rates than the rest of us? And how activists have brought the issue into the spotlight.
