What is to be done?: Love, rage and revolution
By Prof John Barry
What is to be done?: Love, rage and revolution Feb 28, 2023
An interview with Extinction Rebellion Activist and Writer Natasha Walter.
In this episode, Lou interviews Writer, Extinction Rebellion Activist, Feminist, and Founder of Women for Refugee Women, Natasha Walter. In this discussion, Natasha talks about the rich legacy of activism in her family, the importance and significance of feminism in the climate crisis, and how climate protest has been impacted by governmental decisions trying to criminalise and clamp down on campaigners. Natasha reflects on what first led her to become an activist and what she thinks needs to be done for the movement to evolve and engage more with marginalised and oppressed people, particularly ethnic minorities.
We hope you enjoy it.
Love, Rage, and Revolution.
An Interview with Extinction Rebellion Activist and Author Sue Hampton.
In this podcast Lou talks to Grandma, Extinction Rebellion Activist and Author of 43 books, Sue Hampton. Sue has been arrested on multiple occasions due to her activism and in this episode she discusses how her faith guides her and how her activism has impacted her work and life. She talks about the justice system, the history of Quakers as activists and dissidents and what she believes is needed to fight the crisis of our times, the climate crisis.
Sue is a peaceful and loving person to the core and her message and story is both humbling and inspiring.
We hope you enjoy and all proceeds towards Sue's latest book goes to Extinction Rebellion, you can order via Sue's website- https://www.suehamptonauthor.co.uk/.
Love, Rage and Revolution.
An interview with Climate Activist Chrispine Mchelenje.
An interview with Climate Activist Chrispine Mchelenje from Malawi.
What is to be done?
Chrispine speaks about how the crisis is impacting his country and how women and girls are the most adversely affected. He also talks about technological solutions, resources and collective action. In his words, we need to come together with one voice, one vision, one passion...
Love, Rage and Revolution.
An interview with Reverend Tim Hewes from Just Stop Oil
In this episode, Lou interviews the Reverend Tim Hewes, a climate activist with Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil. In this recording Tim talks about his faith, how he is a "fingertip" Christian, the support he has received from the Church and his thoughts on why he feels compelled to act on climate.
An Interview with Orla Quinn.
In this interview Lou interviews Orla Quinn and they talk about grassroots actions and campaigns that work, the importance of being self-sufficient, and the need for a love movement...
Enjoy!
Love, Rage, and Revolution.
An Interview with Jonah Kirabo
In this episode Lou speaks with a Climate Activist from Uganda called Jonah Kirabo. Jonah talks about the problems facing communities on the frontline of the crisis and what needs to be done to help fight the climate emergency from his perspective. He speaks about the importance of climate education, gender justice and how we need more people in power to open their hearts to the planetary emergency and not turn away from the suffering of those communities and countries on the frontline.
An Interview with Phoebe Plummer from Just Stop Oil
Lou is joined by Just Stop Oil Activist Phoebe Plummer to discuss how their life has changed since throwing paint on a Van Gogh and what they think needs to be done in a time of climate crisis.
Human rights and climate change
For something different to our usual discussions, for this episode we're publishing the recording of a session delivered as part of the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action's (SECA) recent free weekly public lecture series, also titled 'What is to be done?' This session was excellent, not just for the importance of the topic but because of how and by whom it was delivered. We were fortunate to have insights from Alyson Kilpatrick, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, as well as Belfast-based poet Niamh McNally.
Niamh completed her MA in Ulster University where she co-created and edited, The Paperclip. Since then, Niamh has been a facilitator in The Seamus Heaney Homeplace and her poetry can be seen in publications such as: The Tulsa Review, Tír na nÓg, Capsule Stories, The Galway Review, Snowflake Magazine, Aôthen Magazine and HOWL: New Irish Writing. Niamh’s poetry featured on the BBC and in the NI Human Rights Commission film ‘It Seems’, which focuses on the climate crisis. Her poem, 'If Stone Could Speak' was showcased by Bushmills as promotion for 'The Causeway Collection', and Niamh's most recent poetry film, 'Defining Hope', premiered at the Business in the Community 2021 Responsible Business Awards. This year, Niamh has spoken at UU's 'Writing for The Earth' Symposium, The John Hewitt Society's 'Tending Our Planet' Symposium, and has taken eco-poetry workshops in The Ulster Museum.
Follow:
The pod @WITBDpod
SECA @Centre_SECA
Niamh @NiamhyMcNally
Louise @LouSolasHaven
Calum @calum_mcgeown
Privilege
What is privilege, what forms does it take and why is it so important to reflect on? In this episode, John, Louise and Calum are joined by SECA colleague and PhD researcher, Niamh Small, for this wide ranging discussion, including some thoughts on privilege as it exists within academia and the environmental movement.
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The pod @WITBDpod
SECA @Centre_SECA
Niamh @niamhsmall05
Louise @LouSolasHaven
John @ProfJohnBarry
Calum @calum_mcgeown
Climate activism
What does or can climate activism achieve? What's the link between throwing paint over bank buildings and the demand for radical climate action? Is there one? Where's democracy in all this?
In this episode, Calum and Louise are again joined by Seán Fearon to discuss these questions and more. Thoughts on, insights from and conversations about activism are the common threads running through all these episodes. It's a theme we'll continue to come back to. But we felt that there was a lot still to say after our previous chat with Seán on episode 4, 'Is capitalism violent?'
This episode is a bit longer than usual. And in many ways we barely scratched the surface! We hope you can stick it out, because it's a BIG conversation that we need to be having much more often.
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@WITBDpod
@Centre_SECA
@Sean_Fearon
@LouSolasHaven
@calum_mcgeown
Is capitalism violent?
Louise and Calum are joined by Seán Fearon, SECA colleague and comrade, to discuss a big and timely question: is capitalism an inherently violent socioeconomic system? And if it is, then how might this inform how we organise emancipatory movements against it?
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The pod @WITBDpod
Seán @Sean_Fearon
Louise @LouSolasHaven
Calum @calum_mcgeown
Resisting extractivism (on and beyond the island of Ireland)
Louise and Calum are joined again by Lynda Sullivan and V’cenza Cirefice to talk about ongoing anti-extractivist struggles on the island of Ireland, and beyond. Though this can be listened to as an independent episode, Lynda and V’cenza joined us for a conversation on ecofeminism and anti-extractivism in episode 2 that would make a useful primer for this discussion.
With Ireland, North and South, consistently ranking in the top 10 countries with policies most attractive to the mining industry, communities across the island have found themselves on the frontline of anti-extractivist activism. While speaking about their own involvement in these campaigns and organising across Ireland with Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) network, Lynda and V’cenza help us understand how this social and ecological injustice is symptomatic of a global capitalist system of exploitation and extraction.
Resources:
@CAIM_network
https://yestolifenotomining.org/
https://makingrelativesireland.wordpress.com/
https://www.wecaninternational.org/
Follow:
Lynda @LyndaMSullivan
V'cenza @cenza_v
Louise @LouSolasHaven
Calum @calum_mcgeown
Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action @Centre_SECA
Ecofeminism and anti-extractivism
In this episode, Louise and Calum are joined by V’cenza Cirefice and Lynda Sullivan to speak about two big and important topics: ecofeminism and anti-extractivism. Besides doing research on and writing about these issues, V'cenza and Lynda are both dedicated activists with a ton of experience that can help us understand what they mean in the real world of anti-extractivist resistance.
This is the first of two episodes with V’cenza and Lynda, the second of which will focus on their experiences of activism in Ireland and beyond. Enjoy!
Follow:
Lynda @LyndaMSullivan
V'cenza @cenza_v
Louise @LouSolasHaven
Calum @calum_mcgeown
Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action @Centre_SECA
What is to be done?: love, rage and revolution
So, welcome to the inaugural Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action at Queen's University Belfast podcast! In this episode, co-hosts, Louise Taylor, Calum McGeown and John Barry introduce themselves and what they will be doing in the podcast - warning! There is some honesty about our planetary crisis and bad language throughout ... but also lots of humour and big slices of craic... enjoy...