Listen In -- Human Interest Stories

No matter where I travel in the world, everyone debates the benefits of disadvantages of their own style of government and their economic system.  In the United States there has been some debate recently over their  Capitalistic system because of the bank bailouts where the government gave large amounts of money to private corporations that could no longer stay competitive. Was the government wrong to help badly run banks stay in business?  or did they prove that banks should not be run as strictly free market enterprises?  We have already heard the opinions of political leaders and bank executives, but today we will get some answers from the people who work within the Free Market system. Chet and Luke are two computer programmers who give us their views on the economic system in general and how they feel about it personally.  Listen in as we discuss Capitalism, pro and con. Learn More: Capitalism Socialism The Tragedy of the Commons Music for this episode comes from the track “Gothic” by Zero Project: zero-

Last time, we heard about the largest power in Salt Lake City, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or Mormons. This week we will hear more from these ex-members including a little more about their political power and strategies. They start training their members as early as age 3 to think and behave in the Mormon way while discouraging too much independent thinking. We will also hear about another area where the church has made a large impact: People around the world often know about the church when there is a natural disaster. Mormons have become a standard presence when people have been harmed by the forces of nature and need money, food, clothing or housing. They use their structure and organization to quickly organize large relief efforts whenever and wherever they are needed. And please listen all the way to the end to hear a lighter view of Mormon history with a reading of Mark Twain’s essay which gives us a nineteenth century view on the “new” religion.   The Church of Jesus Christ of Latt

During a visit to the Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah I asked people for stories about their experiences with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Surprisingly, the Mormons (as they are also known) was the only religious group I had met where the representatives and even leaders refused to discuss their church. After I left the area, I got some answers from ex-Mormons. The answers were not always clear and sometimes conflicted, but the collection of stories was well worth sharing. Most people have heard about the Mormons because of their missionary work and because of their large donations that carried California’s Proposition 8 to success. These stories talk about these topics but also tell us a lot about the organization and structure that makes their techniques and positions more clear. They talked about the large set of beliefs that range from extremely practical to extremely mystic. They also told us that the Mormon church gives an impressive level of services to its members when they

Dr. Oscar Alvarez Gila comes from the Universidad del Pais Vasco in Spain where he specializes in Basque migration to North and South America.  He has just arrived at the University of Nevada at Reno, the only University with a Basque Studies program in the United States.  He tells us that this is a mixed society – highly visible through their traditional dress and festivals, but mostly invisible to the larger American society.  Their traditions are party old, partly new, partly Basque and partly American. Dr. Gila is now writing a book about Basque American migration, trying to fit personal stories into a very unique identity, both common to and different from the immigrant experience in this country.  You can write to him at oscar.alvarez@ehu.es and get more information about him at http://ehu.academia.edu/OscarAlvarezGila. This episode features Basque musicians Jose Iturbi and Maurice Ravel. IMAGE www.pyrenees-basques.com, used under Creative Commons license A production of Septic Radio. -- http://septic

Lobsang Wangyal uses his position as an independent photojournalist to help educate the world about the reality of Tibet.  In addition to his writings and images, Wangyal also works on artistic and cultural events within the Tibetan community.  Art projects help connect the people with their culture and even demonstrate their quest for freedom. According to Wangyal, "Tibetan artists through their art form show that... they want to go back to their own country, which is now occupied by China…. They display all this through their media." Now he is planning a new event called "Sing For Tibet" to keep the issue high in the public view.  This is an international performance, to be held on October 10, 2010 in Brussels and New York.  There are no celebrities or speeches planned – the audience will perform the "Sing For Tibet" song together, without any kind of amplification.  Wangyal hopes that people in Europe and the United States who say they care about the Tibet will take this chance to come out and show the wo

In the United States, we talk about -World Music- but does the phrase have the same meaning in other countries? We can be guilty of putting all African music into one category, but a World Music radio program in South Africa teaches us about the variety that is possible. Kechil Kirkham tells us how she fell into her radio show and ended up exploring the diversity of African music… then started a whole new show that went in the direction of science.  We should all try to learn a lesson from her flexibility. It has been said that America exports its music around the world.  But one band in Croatia wants to export it back.  And they want to improve on it in the process.  Gruhak comes from a small Croatian town, but figuratively traveled to United Kingdom and United States – plus backwards about 30 years – to find their calling.  They specialize in covering classic rock musicians that still find fans today.  They also take their interest one step further and try to recreate that unique sound for a whole new gene

When Jeff Andrysick and his wife Jody found out that the gas company was going to drill near their farm, they dropped everything to find out more. Then they bought a video camera and made a movie that would tell everyone in their area what they learned. You can hear about them and their film in a previous episode of Listen In or by visiting allfrackedup.com. Another farmer, Carl Arnold, was concerned when he heard about the gas companies’ plans. He went out of his way to talk to many people who had either worked on the process of hydraulic fracturing or live in the areas where it is being done. He learned so much along the way that he could only tell us a small amount in the time we had. His story covers the history of the new horizontal gas wells, the experience of people who live near them and the legislation and regulations that have come along the way. For their part, the gas companies have taken a lot of time and energy to tell the public about how these new wells can be a positive part of rural New Yor

When Jeff Andrysick and his wife Jody found out that the gas company was going to drill near their farm, they dropped everything to find out more.Then they bought a video camera and made a movie that would tell everyone in their area what they learned. The gas company planned to drill horizontally into the ground and fracture the shale to release natural gas.  This hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) technique would harm their farm’s water supply, the air quality and even the peace and quiet of their small town.  People in Pennsylvania whose land was similarly fractured reported heavy trucks and machinery constantly running through their towns and dangerous chemicals suddenly appearing in the water supply, sometimes making it undrinkable.  The gas company had never warned them of any of this.  In fact, they won’t even release the names of the chemicals that they use, making it impossible to defend against them. Jeff and Jody Andrysick hope that the film shows people another side of the natural gas story than

West Bank Checkpoint Image: Chris Yunker This episode of Listen In starts with a history of the creation of Israel and the conflicts that led to the wall.   Mohammad Ethman is a human rights activist in Palestine and working for peace in his country with the organization Stop The Wall. He sees Israel’s security wall as a major barrier because it was built across Palestinian land, keeping people from living their basic daily life. He sees it as a physical and symbolic barrier to the peace process as well. So to him and other locals it deserved the name "Apartheid Wall." Residents have objected not only to the fact that the wall keeps them from living their daily lives but also that it was built on Palestinian land beyond the actual geographic demarcations that separate Israel and Palestine. It has become a de-facto annexation of land by Israel. His outspoken opposition to the wall even got him arrested by Israel. Amnesty International took up his case. Their position is that a person should not be arrested fo

The refugee situation in Bhutan comes out of tension between the rulers and the southern Bhutanese.  Starting in 1990, the government expelled over 80,000 of their residents – namely ethnic Nepalese.  The actual number could be more than 100,000.  Bhutan’s position is that they were not legal residents and a public safety danger.  The refugees say they were discriminated against because they were would oppose the King as the country moves to a constitutional monarchy.  These exiled Bhutanese mostly ended up at one of seven main refugee camps in Nepal.  Over 20.000 have taken an offer from the United States to resettle there.  Over the next few years, a total of 60,000 are expected.  They are grateful for the opportunity to go to school, work, and become citizens of a new country.  In return, they hope to contribute positively to American society.Thanks to Meg Dhimal for telling septic radio about his experiences in Bhutan and Nepal, Barbara Clarihew for arranging this discussion, and Peter Newbegin for shari

The small farm is a standard figure in India’s agricultural history, but the image is changing from the hard working successful farmer to one who can't get out of debt. The large number of farmer suicides tell a tragic story with more than 150,000 in the last 10 years. The government tried to help by redefining the term "farmer" to reduce the number. But what are the reasons? To start, excess food supply has decreased crop values. Also, lenders no longer give easy unsecured loans, taking away short term liquidity options. The Green Revolution gets mixed reviews. Chemical fertilizers raise the cost of farming while neo-liberal trade policies have lowered selling prices. But what about the modern high-tech seeds that were supposed to lead to higher yields and wealth? Companies and researchers call Genetically Engineered (GE) seeds the future of Indian agriculture. But some independent groups place part -- if not most -- of the blame for farmer suicides on these same GE seeds. The Indian government has mostly a

The "Owl and Panther" project, funded by the Hopi Foundation, takes on the problems that are unique to children of torture survivors. Some refugees have come to the United States to get away from torture. Their children are not used to a new country and have trouble telling others about what they lived through. Marge Pellegrino tells us how they use different forms of art to treat the trauma of growing up with torture in their family. Parents escaping Central America started bringing their children to this program in 1995 and now they serve communities from around the world including Somalia, Nepal and Bhutan. The National Coalition of Arts Therapies reports that psychiatric patients have been noted throughout history to have an almost irresistible urge to create art. They consider art therapy as an effective treatment for mental health, rehabilitation and education. It is based on the assumption that visual symbols and images are the most accessible and natural form of communication to the human experience.

Most people think of art as a luxury, but in this episode we learn about two different projects that use art as a basic tool in their work. We will hear about different art forms from writing to painting and why people have turned to artwork to solve serious problems in their communities. The first is a group called  "The Decimation of Public Education." This is an art exhibit featuring work by students, parents and concerned artists that show lawmakers how public funding cuts have hurt the community. Amy Hines is collecting art that tells people about education and how politicians should do something about its apparent destruction. Anyone who wants to donate art of their own can reach her at yamshines@gmail.com. If you are near the California state capital you can see the art for yourself as it still on display for a little while longer at Bistro 33 in Davis California at 226 F St (http://www.bistro33.com/bistro33_davis/). The other project, "Owl and Panther," takes on the problems that are unique to childr

In many places around the world people can't get cleanings or dental care when they should.  Luckily, groups of dentists take time out of their schedules to visit remote areas, creating smiles where there were none before.  Listen to the stories of a group of American and Canadian dentists who traveled around Guatemala helping those in need.  Also, hear about the problems of neglected infectious disease in a special report from Voice Of America (voanews.com).  Dentistry for all (Dentistryforall.org), Project IxCanaan (ixcanaan.com,).  Music by ddmmy (http://www.sectionz.com/artist.asp?SZID=18187).   A production of Septic Radio.

In this episode of "Listen In" we go to a village in Guatemala called El Remate and hear about the women's center and medical clinic. We focus on the medical clinic and a diabetes clinic held here and compare it to medicine around Guatemala and other countries. We hear from local people and visitors, including a group of University students who came here to put on the diabetes clinic and ended up learning much more. Information on the Guatemalan center is found at http://ixcanaan.com. Music was provided by Maze and can be heard at http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/-Maze-.   A Septic Radio production.