Cooper UNion

In this episode of Cooper Union, Sarah, a community organizer and researcher in Utrecht, and Morten, a longtime human rights advocate from Denmark, discuss UCLG's new Global Charter-Agenda for Human Rights in the City, just adopted by 250,000 cities worldwide. They unpack the charter's 37 rights across seven clusters, from essential services and the right to food to digital rights, climate justice, and feminist municipalism. Sarah shares grassroots research from Utrecht, while Morten reflects on decades building the human rights-based approach, from Vienna to Guangzhou to today, arguing that real change starts locally, with everyday people as human rights actors.Subscribe and follow to join future conversations with voices from across civil society, academia, diplomacy, social movements, and international institutions.* * *FOLLOW & CONNECT🌐 Website | 🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | ▶️ YouTube | 🦋 BlueSky | 💼 LinkedIn | 📸 InstagramFor collaboration, guest suggestions, or media inquiries: [email protected]* * *SUPPORTCooper UNion is an independent project. If you would like to support the podcast and help us continue creating accessible global conversations, you can support us through Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cooperunion* * *Music CreditsMusic provided by: Johnny Helm https://www.johnnyhelm.com/* * *DisclaimerThe views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or affiliated organizations.

In this episode of Cooper Union, recorded at the UN Human Rights Council's 62nd session in Geneva, Salma of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) offers an insider look at the Council on its 20th anniversary. She reflects on two decades of progress — from setting international standards to responding to atrocities in Sudan — while candidly addressing key challenges: budget crises, threats to civil society participation, geopolitical pushback on gender rights, and the landmark US non-cooperation with the Universal Periodic Review. Salma also highlights historic wins, including the first-ever UN resolution explicitly naming reproductive violence, and makes a powerful case for why civil society is the oxygen that keeps global human rights alive.Subscribe and follow to join future conversations with voices from across civil society, academia, diplomacy, social movements, and international institutions.* * *FOLLOW & CONNECT🌐 Website | 🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | ▶️ YouTube | 🦋 BlueSky | 💼 LinkedIn | 📸 InstagramFor collaboration, guest suggestions, or media inquiries: [email protected]* * *SUPPORTCooper UNion is an independent project. If you would like to support the podcast and help us continue creating accessible global conversations, you can support us through Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cooperunion* * *Music CreditsMusic provided by: Johnny Helm https://www.johnnyhelm.com/* * *DisclaimerThe views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or affiliated organizations.

In this episode of Cooper UNion, Joshua Cooper speaks with Jackie Cabasso and John Burroughs — long-time nuclear disarmament advocates working through the Western States Legal Foundation, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, and global networks calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons. The conversation explores why nuclear abolition is not only an international security issue but also a human rights concern, highlighting the role of cities, communities, and civil society in demanding a safer future. From the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to today’s rising nuclear risks, military spending, artificial intelligence, and international legal efforts, this episode reflects on decades of advocacy and the urgent need for renewed action toward a world free of nuclear weapons.Subscribe and follow to join future conversations with voices from across civil society, academia, diplomacy, social movements, and international institutions.* * *FOLLOW & CONNECT🌐 Website | 🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | ▶️ YouTube | 🦋 BlueSky | 💼 LinkedIn | 📸 InstagramFor collaboration, guest suggestions, or media inquiries: [email protected]* * *SUPPORTCooper UNion is an independent project. If you would like to support the podcast and help us continue creating accessible global conversations, you can support us through Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cooperunion* * *Music CreditsMusic provided by: Johnny Helm https://www.johnnyhelm.com/* * *DisclaimerThe views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or affiliated organizations.

In this episode of Cooper UNion, Joshua Cooper speaks with Dwayne Mamo, Documentation and Communications Manager at the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and General Editor of The Indigenous World, about one of the most important annual publications documenting the realities of Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Recorded during the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the conversation explores how Indigenous communities defend their rights, lands, cultures, and self-determination amid growing global challenges — from shrinking civic space and threats to human rights defenders to climate change. Dwayne reflects on why Indigenous-led documentation, data, and storytelling remain powerful tools for justice and accountability.Subscribe and follow to join future conversations with voices from across civil society, academia, diplomacy, social movements, and international institutions.* * *FOLLOW & CONNECT🌐 Website | 🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | ▶️ YouTube | 🦋 BlueSky | 💼 LinkedIn | 📸 InstagramFor collaboration, guest suggestions, or media inquiries: [email protected]* * *SUPPORTCooper UNion is an independent project. If you would like to support the podcast and help us continue creating accessible global conversations, you can support us through Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cooperunion* * *Music CreditsMusic provided by: Johnny Helm https://www.johnnyhelm.com/* * *DisclaimerThe views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or affiliated organizations.

In this episode of Cooper UNion, Joshua Cooper speaks with Viro Xulue, human and Indigenous rights advisor to the Drehu Customary Council, about Indigenous rights, decolonization, and self-determination in Kanaky/New Caledonia. The conversation explores the Kanak people’s struggle for recognition, justice, and cultural survival, including Indigenous identity, youth leadership, and dialogue during political transition. Viro reflects on international human rights mechanisms, Pacific solidarity, and the right of communities to shape their own futures.Subscribe and follow to join future conversations with voices from across civil society, academia, diplomacy, social movements, and international institutions.* * *FOLLOW & CONNECT🌐 Website | 🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | ▶️ YouTube | 🦋 BlueSky | 💼 LinkedIn | 📸 InstagramFor collaboration, guest suggestions, or media inquiries: [email protected]* * *SUPPORTCooper UNion is an independent project. If you would like to support the podcast and help us continue creating accessible global conversations, you can support us through Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cooperunion* * *Music CreditsMusic provided by: Johnny Helm https://www.johnnyhelm.com/* * *DisclaimerThe views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or affiliated organizations.

What if destroying nature became an international crime? In this episode of Cooper UNion, Joshua Cooper speaks with Lauren Banham, Anna Maddrick, and Rodrigo Lledó about the growing global movement to recognize ecocide — severe and widespread environmental destruction — as a crime under international law. The conversation traces the origins of the concept, its connection to human rights, climate justice, Indigenous Peoples’ protection of the Earth, and efforts to transform international legal systems. Together, they explore how recognizing ecocide could create stronger accountability, protect ecosystems and communities, and reshape humanity’s relationship with the natural world.Subscribe and follow to join future conversations with voices from across civil society, academia, diplomacy, social movements, and international institutions.* * *FOLLOW & CONNECT🌐 Website | 🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | ▶️ YouTube | 🦋 BlueSky | 💼 LinkedIn | 📸 InstagramFor collaboration, guest suggestions, or media inquiries: [email protected]* * *SUPPORTCooper UNion is an independent project. If you would like to support the podcast and help us continue creating accessible global conversations, you can support us through Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cooperunion* * *Music CreditsMusic provided by: Johnny Helm https://www.johnnyhelm.com/* * *DisclaimerThe views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or affiliated organizations.

In this episode of Cooper UNion, recorded during the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Joshua Cooper speaks with Dr. Richard Grounds about the power of Indigenous languages as a foundation of identity, knowledge, culture, and human rights. The conversation explores how languages carry ancestral wisdom — from relationships with the land and stars to ceremonies, histories, and ways of understanding the world — while also confronting the ongoing impacts of colonization and language loss. Dr. Grounds shares the story of Indigenous language revitalization, the importance of intergenerational transmission, and the global movement to protect linguistic diversity.* * *FOLLOW and CONNECT🌐 Website | 🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | ▶️ YouTube | 🦋 BlueSky | 💼 LinkedIn | 📸 InstagramFor collaboration, guest suggestions, or media inquiries: [email protected]* * *SUPPORTCooper UNion is an independent project. If you would like to support the podcast and help us continue creating accessible global conversations, you can support us through Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cooperunion* * *Music CreditsMusic provided by: Johnny Helm https://www.johnnyhelm.com/* * *DisclaimerThe views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or affiliated organizations.#CooperUNion #IndigenousLanguages #IndigenousRights #HumanRights #UNPFII #CulturalRights #SelfDetermination

Welcome to Cooper UNion — a peacecast exploring the future of global cooperation, human rights, sustainable development, and the people working to shape a more just and connected world. Hosted by Joshua Cooper, Cooper UNion brings together activists, researchers, UN practitioners, policymakers, artists, and grassroots voices for thoughtful and accessible conversations on the defining challenges of our time — from civic space and climate justice to peacebuilding, multilateralism, democracy, and the future of international cooperation. In this trailer episode, we introduce the vision behind the podcast, why independent global dialogue matters today, and the kinds of conversations we hope to create through this platform.Cooper UNion is grounded in the belief that meaningful change begins with listening, connection, and solidarity across borders and communities. Through informal yet substantive conversations, we aim to bridge expert analysis with lived experience and create space for critical, globally connected storytelling.Subscribe and follow to join future conversations with voices from across civil society, academia, diplomacy, social movements, and international institutions.* * *FOLLOW & CONNECT🌐 Website | 🎧 Spotify | 🍎 Apple Podcasts | ▶️ YouTube | 🦋 BlueSky | 💼 LinkedIn | 📸 InstagramFor collaboration, guest suggestions, or media inquiries: [email protected]* * *SUPPORTCooper UNion is an independent project. If you would like to support the podcast and help us continue creating accessible global conversations, you can support us through Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/cooperunion* * *Music CreditsMusic provided by: Johnny Helm https://www.johnnyhelm.com/* * *DisclaimerThe views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or affiliated organizations.#Podcast #HumanRights #UnitedNations #CivilSociety #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateJustice #CooperUNion