In Solidarity - by openDemocracy

The climate crisis is changing the way nations think about food, energy, resources, war and peace. Melting ice caps are opening up new trade routes fought over by the world's great powers, conflicts are waged over food and mineral resources, shifting climates are fuelling migration – and Donald Trump says it's all just a scam.Join Arthur Snell as he discusses his new book Elemental: the new geography of climate change and how we survive it. Spanning conflict in the Sahel, Russia's war in Ukraine, the US coveting Greenland, NEOM in Saudi Arabia, and China's energy push, Snell explores how the climate crisis is now in every part of our politics. But while there is much to concern us here, there's hope too. The world faces various futures, and it can adapt and respond to the realities of a changing climate.📕 Buy Elemental: The New Geography of Climate Change and How We Survive ithttps://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781035412945👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Chapters: 00:00 Introduction01:20 The Petro-State Panic: Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the End of Oil03:32 The Sahel Crisis: Climate Migration and Fragile States08:24 Uranium & Mercenaries: Russia vs. France in Africa10:25 The Arctic: Melting Ice, Shipping Routes, and Donald Trump16:21 Ukraine: Why Putin is Weaponizing Food and Farmland21:35 China’s Monopoly & Russia's Future as an "Economic Colony"28:18 The Surprising Winners: Morocco, Interconnectors, and Climate Hope32:41 OutroCredits: Presented by Sian NorrisAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"My ultimate vision... was to achieve by means of AI and technology, what Jeremy Bentham tried to do with his panopticon." — UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.When the state openly admits it wants its eyes on you at all times, how do citizens fight back?In this episode of In Solidarity, Matthew Linares sits down with Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group. We cut through the Silicon Valley PR to expose the terrifying reality of the modern surveillance state. From the aggressive rollout of facial recognition and predictive policing to the "revolving door" between Big Tech lobbyists and policymakers, we explore how our democratic infrastructure is being hollowed out for corporate profit.This isn't just a warning - it's an escape plan. Jim breaks down the illusion of corporate regulation, the realities of "enshittification," and the actionable steps you can take to reclaim your digital sovereignty today.Get involved offline. Find an Open Rights Group meetup near you: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/get-involved/👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:27 - The AI Panopticon00:04:18 - The Lobbyist Loop & The “Rip-Off”00:10:26 - “Enshittification” & The Illusion of Choice00:14:48 - Why relying on tech regulators is a “mug’s game”00:18:51 - Escaping the Matrix: Interoperability, analog meetups, and fighting backCredits: Presented by Matthew LinaresAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to escalate, the effects of the conflict are spiralling outwards across a world already whiplashed by cross-border violence, global tariffs, and the unravelling of regional alliances.There is much that we do not know: How will spiking energy prices affect developing economies in Asia and Africa? What are the long term impacts of the destabilisation of the Gulf, a region that has long served as a magnet for labour and capital from around the world? What does the conflict in Iran reveal about the latest chapter in the relationship between international finance capital and nation states?To talk through these questions, I interviewed analyst and columnist Mihir Sharma. Sharma is a principal research fellow at IPPR, and has been a Bloomberg Opinion columnist on global economics and politics for over a decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are British and European politicians obsessed with Denmark's immigration strategy? We uncover the dark reality of the "Danish Model" and how it punishes asylum seekers by design.Politicians across Europe - including the UK government - increasingly point to the so-called "Danish Model" as the ultimate solution for controlling borders, immigration, and asylum. But beyond the political talking points, what does this model actually look like on the ground?In this episode of In Solidarity, host Aman Sethi sits down with Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, the first-ever Danish Professor in Migration and Mobility Law. They break down the harsh reality of "indirect deterrence," how Europe's most liberal border became its strictest, and the secret history of the modern passport.Finally, they unpack the recent push by the UK and Denmark to bypass the European Court of Human Rights, and what that means for the future of global mobility. If you want to understand the reality behind the political rhetoric on border control, this is your essential briefing.Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen is the director of MOBILE, the Danish National Research Foundation's Center of Excellence on Global Mobility Law.👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Chapters: 00:00 The Cruelty of the "Danish Model" 01:59 What Actually is the Danish Asylum Strategy? 05:39 Does "Indirect Deterrence" Actually Stop Migration? 07:16 The Human Cost: Punishing Migrants to Send a Message 14:18 The Secret History of the Modern Passport 19:00 The UK and Denmark's Plot Against Human Rights LawCredits:Presented by Aman SethiAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are anti-rights movements infiltrating high schools? We uncover the deliberate, decades-old strategy the far-right is using to target young people, weaponise their insecurities, and build a pipeline of extremist power.In this episode of In Solidarity, openDemocracy’s Senior Investigations Reporter Sian Norris sits down with Jamie Vernaelde, Senior Researcher at Ipas. They dive deep into a chilling new report detailing how far-right and anti-rights movements are actively grooming the next generation. From exploiting economic and physical insecurities to pumping massive financial investments into youth pipelines, Jamie exposes the conservative playbook for molding young minds.More importantly, they discuss what the progressive movement is getting wrong about youth engagement and how we can fight back by giving young people the space and resources to lead.Read the full report here: https://www.ipas.org/resource/future-proofing-the-professionalization-of-an-anti-rights-youth-generation/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Aman SethiAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 How the Far-Right Targets Gen Z04:15 Why Young Women are Drifting to the Far-Right06:23 The 'Tradwife' Trend: A Pipeline to Radicalisation?08:13 Rebranding Extremism for Secular Youth11:36 The Wellness-to-Alt-Right Pipeline Explained13:07 Why Contraception is the Right’s Next Target15:12 Exposing the Dark Money Behind Anti-Rights Groups18:04 The Playbook to Weaponise the Courts20:08 Inside the Global War on Human Rights22:57 The 'Elite' Seduction: Recruiting on Campus24:39 Weaponising Victimhood: The Conservative Media Strategy28:13 The Left’s Blindspot: How Progressives Can Fight Back Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over 71,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the war began on Oct 7 2023, in what a UN inquiry has described as a “genocide”.  When a US-brokered ceasefire was declared in October last year, the world's attention moved on to the next crisis. Since then at least 463 Palestinians had been killed by Israel as of Jan 21 this year, of whom 100 were children, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency.Anywhere where else in the world, this would be an active conflict. In Palestine, this is what a ceasefire looks like.In this episode, we speak to Jamil Sawalmeh,  the Director of ActionAid Palestine on the situation on the ground in Gaza.https://palestine.actionaid.org/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Aman SethiAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:41 What is the situation on the ground like Gaza?07:04 The 'Yellow Line'10:40 A lack of fresh water14:00 The great displacement14:53 Returning to Palestine is impossible20:08 Reality of the Board Of Peace24:08 The local infrastructure28:12 What should the world be doing to help? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the US once claimed it was “defending Democracy” to justify attacking countries without pretext, the current administration has made no such excuses. Last week US security forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife from a compound in Caracas in an operation that killed 70 people.Maduro was presented in a courtroom in Manhattan, on charges of supposedly “importing tons of cocaine into the United States”, and his deputy Delcy Rodriguez was installed in his place as acting President.To make this all make sense, we speak with Laura Tedesco, a long time openDemocracy contributor and professor of political science and international relations at St. Louis university in Madrid. Prof. Tedesco is also the author of several books on democracy and politics in Latin America.Read Laura's Book, Latin America's Leaders: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781783601028https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Aman SethiAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Waring factions have dominated the headlines, but inside the Your Party conference the embers of hope for a different kind of politics were still burning. Investigative reporter Ethan Shone tells what the mood was like among the party members following months of public spats and PR disasters. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by James BattershillAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela— Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve normalised the idea that the world is ending, that society is tearing itself apart, that our countries — wherever we live — are falling apart. But what does that really look like? What does it feel like? What emerges in the aftermath?In this episode host Aman Sethi speaks to Renata Salecl,  a Slovenian philosopher, sociologist and political theorist to decode how the experiences of post-socialist countries can help us understand the crisis gripping the West.A Passion For Ignorance - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9780691240992The Spoils of Freedom - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9780415073585On Anxiety - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9780415312769The Tyranny of Choice - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781846681868https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Aman SethiStory production by Ayodeji RotinwaAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:30 Post socialist societies07:22 The modern respect for cunning08:45 Lessons from pop culture10:16 The (mis)use of fake news13:53 On accelerationism16:11 The dissolution of societies18:53 Times when nothing and everything changes20:50 Those that enjoy life the wrong way22:24 Neoliberal collapse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year, Labour overwhelmingly voted in favour of an amendment that would end the criminalisation of women and pregnant people seeking abortions outside the 1967 Abortion Act exemptions. As the debate went through the Lords, we sat down with MSI Reproductive Choices’ Louise McCudden to discuss why we need decriminalisation now - and what this win means amid a global backlash against abortion rights. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Sian NorrisStory production by Ayodeji RotinwaAudio engineering by James BattershillTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:07 What is the current legal state of abortion across the UK?05:13 The women being imprisoned for abortion10:16 The late-term abortion argument13:10 Imported tactics from the US16:21 The case for optimism19:02 Anti-abortion's international bankroll23:17 The future of the pro-abortion movement Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can we learn about the future of consumer rights from the merger between Microsoft and Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard?When Labour came into power in 2024, they accused regulators like Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) of inhibiting growth and appointed influential figures from the business world into key positions and advisory roles. This includes a former Amazon boss being made the head of the CMA, or as one lawyer observed “A monopolist had been appointed to lead the anti-monopoly watchdog”.In today’s episode Ethan Shone tells us what we can expect from a government that has put growth and prosperity for business ahead of the rights of everyday consumers. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by James BattershillStory production by Ayodeji RotinwaAudio engineering by James BattershillSpecial thanks to Indra WarnesTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:28 Why do regulatory bodies matter?04:35 Who is influencing the CMA now?07:25 Why are Labour taking this 'anti-consumer' approach?10:15 Who should we be paying attention to?14:09 What can we expect from Labour based on this trajectory? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did Western media manufacture consent for Israel's ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza?In the last two years since Hamas' attack on Israel, and the latter's bombardment of the territories of Palestine it partially occupies, mainstream media particularly in the U.S. and Europe have broken their own rules of fairness, accuracy, conflict of interest, objectivity and so-called "neutrality" in their coverage of Israel's actions. They have often repeated the Israeli government's statements as fact without critical context or analysis; for example the fact that Israel was considered to be imposing apartheid on Palestinians long before October 7th. They have underreported or omitted major events from coverage including attacks on aid flotilla for Palestinians or Israeli declarations of intent to commit genocide. In some cases it has been discovered that some news organisations hired former soldiers of Israeli Defence Forces, as reporters without disclosing this affiliation to their audience. Lila Hassan, an independent investigative journalist and educator who has worked closely with many outlets in the West in the last two years and prior - and has seen the media's role in shaping this conflict firsthand, joins us today to discuss how we got here and the real world harms of the media failing at delivering the one sacred thing required of journalists: the truth. Follow Lila:https://www.instagram.com/bylilahassan/https://lila-hassan.com/—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Ayodeji RotinwaEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaClips from Boston Globe, Al Jazeera, SJS news—Chapters:00:00 Introduction05:45 We MUST say genocide07:06 The tipping point11:25 The forbidden words14:44 Societal understanding vs Journalism20:02 The perception of language23:28 Western media betrays itself27:30 Conflicts of interest in reporting31:12 Misrepresentation from the media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In early September, Nepal witnessed massive protests under the banner of GenZ protests to demonstrate against what they viewed as a hopelessly corrupt and sclerotic regime. The immediate trigger was a government ban on social media apps, but as the protestors themselves have made clear – their grievances run much deeper. The protests in Nepal bear parallels to similar uprisings in Sri Lanka in 2022 and Bangladesh last year. On this episode, journalists Roman Gautam and Aman Sethi discuss if we are witnessing a South Asian version of the Arab Spring.http://www.himalmag.com—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:56 A week after revolution06:38 How widespread were the protests?07:55 The South Asian spring12:40 Discord democracy18:56 Respect for elders23:42 What's next for Nepal? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world is rightly horrified by how US President Trump is deporting people, including minors, without due process. Something similar is underway in India, but worse and under the radar. Even since the border skirmishes between India and Pakistan this year, Indian authorities have been rounding up Muslim citizens and deporting them on the spurious grounds that they either Pakistani or Bangladeshi infiltrators.Abhishek Saha is an Indian journalist and author of No Land's People. He joins us on the show to discuss the devastating impact of India's forced deportations.Read No Land's People: https://harpercollins.co.in/product/no-lands-people/—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:44 What's happening in India?05:02 Why Bangladesh?07:05 The global pushback against migration12:39 Punishing inherited people14:42 Who determines what people are 'undesirable'17:50 Identifying outsiders21:48 Abusing bureaucracy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Labour marked a year in government, Fawcett Society's Penny East asks: what has Labour done for women? And what needs to happen next? —https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Sian NorrisEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—00:00 Introduction01:50 The positive impacts of the Labour government04:38 Third party sexual harassment and the so-called 'Banter ban'07:35 The online backlash against feminism09:10 Decriminalisation of abortion10:05 Unfulfilled promises12:28 Traumatic failures around maternity care14:30 Labour's attitudes towards poverty and welfare16:56 Financial vulnerability and abuse19:03 Halving violence against women and girls22:09 The online safety bill25:39 Legislation is lagging behind31:55 What does solidarity mean to you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patriarchy refuses to die. In every country of the world, women are oppressed by male violence, patriarchal religions, and ideas of the family. But women are resisting, as Rahila Gupta explains, in a fascinating analysis that takes us from Riyadh and Russia, to Rojava. Buy Planet Patriarchy: Global Tales of Feminism and Oppression: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781805262879—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by Sian NorrisEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:30 Why write Planet Patriarchy now?03:37 The violence of patriarchy09:47 Family can be a form of violence11:32 The women-led revolution in Rojava16:56 The privilege of non-violence21:07 Rojava's fragile future22:31 What does solidarity mean to you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content warning: This episode discusses sexual assault, rape and trauma.When our investigative reporter Sian Norris heard worrying claims about a Silicon Valley-style start-up targeting rape survivors at universities in Bristol, she knew she needed to uncover what exactly was going on.Over the next six months, Sian interviewed more than a dozen people on and off the record, sent multiple FOI requests and reviewed countless social media posts. Working with a Lucy H Watson, a student at Bristol university, Sian uncovered the concerns raised by students, universities and the police about Enough's approach, that sexual violence experts have issues with its methodologies, and that one of the organisation’s co-founders has links to a former beauty queen who described sexual assault as a “multi-billion-dollar industry”.Read Sian and Lucy’s investigation: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/enough-bristol-diy-rape-kits-bristol-university-start-up-katie-white-tom-allchurch/Lucy has set up a Student-led Instagram account raising awareness about Enough and their self-swab kits:https://www.instagram.com/enoughofenoughbristol/—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/Credits:Presented by James BattershillEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 CONTENT WARNING00:12 Introduction02:17 What is Enough?03:56 Investigating Enough05:07 The US connection06:55 Have rape self-swab kits ever been used in a criminal prosecution?08:42 Experiences of Enough 'in the wild'11:12 A lack of sensitivity12:47 How unique is Enough's solution?16:16 Visibility for victims19:23 Is there evidence of Enough's 'assault prevention' claims?20:52 Using the vulnerable as test users22:38 Is there any harm in using the kits as a backup?24:41 What data is collected and how is it protected?27:46 How is the company organised?28:38 Concerns over how Enough was pitching itself to Universities29:48 How revolutionary is Enough really?32:16 The shocking belligerence of Enough33:20 What does solidarity mean to Lucy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first episode of our new mini-series exploring the financial interests of political parties in England and Wales. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has banked almost £5m from wealthy donors since 2023, including those with links to fossil fuels, the financial services industry and tax havens. It has also received significant financial investment from the general public in the form of party memberships. There seems to be a tension between the party’s desire to be seen as a grassroots, ‘by the people, for the people’ movement and its efforts to court the very billionaires its supporters believe they are rallying against. openDemocracy’s investigations reporter, Ethan Shone, examines this contradiction, discusses what Reform’s future might look like and asks whether the UK media is right to dedicate so much time to the party. Read Ethan’s investigation: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/reform-uk-funders-nigel-farage-5-million-donations-fossil-fuels-tax-havens/—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics.Support the show by visiting https://opendemocracy.net/donatehttps://insolidaritypodcast.substack.com/Credits:Presented by James BattershillEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction02:44 How was this data sourced?04:25 What's the cut-off for reporting?05:20 How does Reform's income compare to Labour and The Conservatives?08:47 Off-shore benefactors for political parties11:22 The people of note who back Reform13:22 Backers shifting from Conservatives to Reform14:34 George Cottrell - an unofficial aide?17:49 The phantom punishments19:22 What's Reform's future looking like?23:48 Should we even be talking about Reform? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 17 June 2025 UK Parliament voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, reversing a Victorian-era law. The amendment will prevent women from being prosecuted for ending a pregnancy after 24 weeks or without approval from two doctors.We spoke to our senior investigative reporter Sian Norris, author of Bodies Under Siege: How the Far-Right Attack on Reproductive Rights Went Global. Get Bodies Under Siege by Sian Norris: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781839764738Read Sian’s full piece on this vote: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/mps-vote-decriminalise-abortion-important-increasing-prosecutions-global-backlash-us/—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics.Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by James BattershillEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction00:55 A huge achievement for women's reproductive rights01:55 'Isn't abortion already legal in the UK?'07:19 The 24 week question09:44 Telemedicine13:24 What does this mean on a global level?14:51 What happens next?17:22 On to the next fight! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year, openDemocracy explored how successive governments had cracked down on protest rights. Now, with Just Stop Oil activists facing lengthy sentences for "conspiring" to commit protest offences, the impact of these laws is being felt more than ever. We sat down with human rights lawyer Katy Watts to discuss the sentencing, and how she and the NGO Liberty won a legal challenge against the government's new protest laws. https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/—https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics.Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Sian NorrisEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction01:16 Long sentences for protestors03:21 Protestors new-found reluctance05:41 Broadening definitions of what is criminal08:30 A framework for authoritarians09:50 What inspired the clamp down on protest?12:10 Holding the government to account in court16:04 Labour defending Conservative policies18:28 What happens to those arrested unlawfully?19:35 Neutering protests21:12 These protest laws target everyone24:56 Concerns about Labour's approach to protest27:37 What does solidarity mean to you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boomers ruined everything, Millennials are work-shy and Gen Z can’t comprehend anything that isn’t a TikTok dance. Generational language defines the way we think about broad cohorts of society, but is this way of viewing the world dividing us further at a time when solidarity has never been more important?Tom Nicholas, a writer, filmmaker and YouTuber, joins us to discuss his latest film Boomers: The Rise of Gerontocracy, generational language and whether Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z are really that different to each other or are just one generation shaped by the financial crisis.—Watch Boomers: The Rise of Gerontocracy - https://go.nebula.tv/boomersSubscribe to Tom Nicholas on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Tom_NicholasGet the openDemocracy newsletter - https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics.Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction03:00 Is generational discourse useful?08:20 Shrinking generations11:07 The long shadow of the financial crisis13:47 How is generational language shaping politics?15:47 What makes boomers different from other generations?18:01 Is it time to redefine generations?20:56 The Covid generation22:55 Intergenerational solidarity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on In Solidarity, we're in discussion with openDemocracy's senior investigative reporter and feminist activist, Sian Norris. Sian joins us on the podcast to reveal how recent laws are quietly dismantling the right to protest in the UK.Drawing on six months of in-depth reporting, Sian breaks down the true impact of the Public Order Act 2023 and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. These laws allow protests to be stopped before they even begin, based on little more than suspicion.What does this mean for democracy, and who is being targeted? From activists to everyday citizens, no one is exempt. This is a must-listen for anyone concerned about the increasingly authoritarian political climate in the UK -- and around the world.https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/conservative-labour-protest-ban-climate-gaza-just-stop-oil-extinction-rebellion-black-lives-matter/—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics.Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Carla AbreuEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction01:51 Why investigate protest?04:56 What are the PCSC and POA?10:28 What's a 'serious disruption'?11:53 Who do these rules target?16:49 We're all 'arrestables' now19:42 Are all protests targeted equally?22:52 Targeting BLM and XR25:56 How does the party of free speech justify suppressing protest?29:25 The carol service crackdown32:28 Why don't Labour 'undo' this? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a young woman in 1980s Iran, Nasrin Parvaz was arrested, imprisoned and tortured by the Iranian regime. In this moving interview, she shares her experience of torture and incarceration, reflects on the successive women's revolutions in Iran, questions the West's ideas of regime change, and offers a powerful call for global sisterhood.http://www.nasrinparvaz.org/web/tag/https-www-victorinapress-com-product-one-womans-struggle-in-iran-a-prison-memoir/Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy Senior Investigations reporter Sian Norris, author of Bodies Under Siege. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Presented by Sian NorrisEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. opendemocracy.net/newslettersIn Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction01:19 Being a female prisoner in Iran during the 80s04:33 Stolen Trauma05:59 A friend still imprisoned09:11 Those who paved the way12:32 The resistance lives on16:35 What's next for Iran's women?18:16 Global Sisterhood20:40 Hubris of the west23:27 Torture's global supporters25:57 Hopes for the future of Iran28:00 What does solidarity mean to you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many years, politicians have sold the public a simple story: The answer to undocumented immigration is a strong, fortified border. This story has a seductive, common-sense reasoning — but it is also wrong. Decades of research has shown that people determined to move, find a way to move. And when States respond with border controls, people turn to smugglers to circumvent these controls; and on and on this cycle goes with increasingly militarised borders on the one hand, and increasingly desperate people on the other. But politicians don’t want to engage with this research, when it is much more politically palatable to spend billions buying shiny technology from private corporations to prop the myth of strong borders. Our guests today have published research that shows the UK government has spent over 3.5 billion pounds in public money to support a sprawling, almost entirely privatised, apparatus to stop desperately vulnerable people from using small boats to cross the English channel and apply for asylum in the United Kingdom.Listen in to learn moreThis research was part of the collaborative Channel Crossings project who are Dr Arshad Isakjee, Dr Thom Davies and Dr Tesfalem Yemane, Dr Lucy Mayblin and Dr Joe Turner. We would like to thank Corporate Watch and Tipping Point UK in supporting this work. Here is a link to the initial report: https://channelcrossings.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/border-security-contracts-briefing.-april-2025.docx-1-1.pdfTo find out more about the border security economy see here https://corporatewatch.org/category/companies/ and here https://www.tni.org/en/publication/financing-border-wars—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by James Battershill, Ayodeji Rotinwa & Carla AbreuTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction03:30 The manufactured border crisis06:30 How to understand borders11:20 The economic migrant 'myth'15:09 The Borders industrial complex18:08 Technological underpinnings22:20 Investigating surveillance contracts25:09 Companies profiting from war and refugees28:25 We're all complicit Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Community organisers around the world have long argued that to change a country, canvas a community. But is that really true? In this episode, we catch up with someone who literally wrote the book on the subject. Our guest George Goehl started organising in a soup kitchen in Southern Indiana 30 years ago in the Clinton era and continues to do so in the time of Trump. Listen in to understand how to fight effectively for change and why immigration is such a divisive issue. The Fundamentals Of Organizing - George Goehl —Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction01:18 How to George get into community organising05:37 The state of rural America08:12 Can community organising go national?11:45 Recharging for the fight ahead12:45 The public opinion of migration16:30 AD - The World Unspun podcast17:55 Progressive meekness21:31 Meaning making23:37 How progressive are Democrats really?25:54 Political vs Community organising28:55 Tangible change34:01 Tales from the doorsteps36:55 What does solidarity mean to you? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The already fraught relationship between the United States and South Africa has been put under even more strain with Donald Trump's decision to cut foreign aid, not to mention South Africa's case against Israel at the ICJ.Menzi Ndhlovu, a political economist and risk analyst at Signal Risk a risk analysis consultancy focused on Africa, joins us to discuss this critical moment for South Africa.—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy’s Africa Editor, Ayodeji Rotinwa. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela00:00 Introduction02:51 South Africa's support for Palestine09:19 The street that caused a geopolitical issue14:06 How the ANC has changed16:26 Trump's issues with South Africa22:10 Musk's issues with South Africa24:10 Is the US trying to bring South Africa to heel?28:00 How can South Africa appease the US?31:30 Is there an upside to the rift with the US?34:28 South Africa's moral quandary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danny Sriskandarajah is the author of Power to the People: Use your voice, change the worldSriskandarajah discusses the shift from a positive phase of civic engagement to a reversal over the past decade, emphasising the importance of community networks beyond state and market fixations. He highlights the role of civil society in nurturing democracy and the need for international solidarity. Sriskandarajah shares personal experiences from his childhood in Sri Lanka and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, underscoring the power of collective action and the interconnectedness of global issues.—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by Nandini Archer, James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimmy The Giant is a popular YouTuber who did what many would consider to be beyond the pale - he changed his mind about politics. Jimmy went from heading down the right wing pipeline of self improvement gurus to U-turning and becoming, dare we say, ‘woke’. In today’s episode Aman Sethi talks to Jimmy about how and why he changed his mind about the political landscape and together they examine the changing online landscape that is making it all too easy for mainly young men to slip gradually into the world of alt-right politics. Jimmy the Giant: @JimmyTheGiant—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by Nandini Archer, James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaFeaturing audio clips from CSPAN, Jimmy The Giant and Rebel News. 00:00 Introduction03:32 Jimmy's history08:30 The rightward turning point13:22 The popularity of Elon Musk15:17 The need for hope17:23 Ad - The World Unspun Podcast18:48 Disillusion in young men24:11 How do we get people thinking about the world again?27:47 Are algorithms actually the problem?30:13 Understanding online culture Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Borders patrolled by AI-powered robotic dogs once seemed like something purely in the realm of dystopian sci-fi novels. But the border industrial complex is working hard to make them a part of our (still dystopian) reality. Petra Molnar, author of The Walls Have Eyes: Surviving Migration in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, joins us to discuss the militarization of border technologies, the racial politics of migration and the complexities of being both a refugee and an economic migrant.Petra is a lawyer and anthropologist specializing in migration and human rights. She is the co-creator of the Migration and Technology Monitor, a collective of civil society, journalists, academics, and filmmakers interrogating technological experiments on people crossing borders.—In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by Nandini Archer, James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaFeaturing audio clips from NowThis, TVO Today and ParliamentTV00:00 Introduction01:39 Why Petra you write The Walls Have Eyes?07:00 The theatre of surveillance08:55 The history of the politics of migration11:47 Racial politics and migration14:37 AI's roll in policing borders18:43 How do we decide who is 'worthy' or migrating?20:09 Is Trump creating a new type of migrants?22:00 Defining a refugee in the modern age24:08 Petra's experiences in Israel and Palestine27:28 The death of physical borders29:19 How can we resist? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something strange is happening in Germany. Last year, the Alternative for Germany or AFD, as it scored, became the first far right party to win a state election in Germany since World War Two. Then in February this year, the AfD came second in Germany's national elections, with 20% of the votes.The AFD isn't just another populist right wing party. Members of the party have consistently downplayed the horrors of Nazi Germany. What is happening?Georg Diez, journalist, writer, and author of a Tipping Points: From the promises of the 90s to the crises of the present joins us to discuss how he believes we're witnessing the birth of a new form of far-right politics and should prepare ourselves accordingly.—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by Nandini Archer, James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaFeaturing audio clips from CSPAN, Diem 24, Institute For Policy Studies00:00 Introduction01:23 What's going on in Germany?05:30 The global financial crisis and the rise of the far-right08:12 Right-wing extremism in modern Germany12:01 Is fascism the right word?15:27 What hope do we have for the future? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do the Ukrainians at the heart of the conflict with Russia feel about being used as a bargaining chip by countries like the United States? In this episode we speak to Volydomyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, academic, and editor of Ukraine World. Volydomyr lives in Kyiv and is also the host of the Explaining Ukraine podcast.—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by Nandini Archer, James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaFeaturing audio clips from CSPAN Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rising global far right is violent, racist and misogynistic – and depends on exploiting women. While many of us associate attacks on women’s bodily autonomy with ultra-religious groups, openDemocracy’s Sian Norris argues that the stripping away of abortion rights is a political issue, rooted in fascistic ideas about women and men. Her book, Bodies Under Siege: How the Far-Right Attack on Reproductive Rights Went Global, explains how organisations and individuals obsessed with stopping the “great replacement” are fuelling the assault on reproductive rights, and their success relies on recruiting, and exploiting, women.—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by Nandini Archer, James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaFeaturing audio clips from CSPAN Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have we all been looking at Donald Trump’s success in the wrong way? Jeff Sharlet, journalist and author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, makes a compelling case for examining his rise not as a political figure, but as a religious one. After all, Trump himself would surely be the first to suggest that he is divine.Do the president’s most ardent supporters truly believe that he is an ‘imperfect vessel’ chosen by God? Join us as we discuss.—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by Nandini Archer, James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaFeaturing audio clips from CSPAN00:00 Introduction01:04 Why did Jeff write 'The Undertow?'04:45 Trump the 'imperfect vessel'06:06 Actually listening to Trump10:01 The people who follow Trump14:33 The appeal of Trump to people of colour18:16 Where do we go from here? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since al-Assad’s regime fell from power in December 2024, much of the reporting on Syria has focussed on geopolitics in the region. More concern has been paid to the reactions of neighbouring nations than the ordinary Syrians whose lives have been uprooted by years of violence. But Syria is so much more than a strategic stronghold to be fought over by nations in the Global North. We spoke with Waseem Albahri, a Syrian cultural heritage specialist who works to preserve heritage sites in conflict zones, about the challenges of reclaiming a country’s history after it’s been held hostage by a regime that was quite literally re-writing the history books.—Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by Nandini Archer, James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaFeaturing audio clips from Aljazera, Middle East Eye, Wall Street Journal and France24 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump 2.0: Is This the Inauguration of A New Era of the Strongman?Professor Wendy Brown is an American political theorist, UPS Foundation Professor in the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and an author. Professor Brown’s bibliography includes what we refer to as ‘the Trump trilogy' - three books that span the political career of President Donald Trump. Given Trump’s return to the White House we felt it was the perfect time to speak to her about how a new blueprint for authoritarian leaders seems to be materialising before us. —Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. It’s hosted by openDemocracy editor-in-chief Aman Sethi, an award-winning journalist and author of A Free Man. Support the show by visiting openDemocracy.net/donate.Credits:Presented by Aman SethiEdited and produced by Nandini Archer, James Battershill & Ayodeji RotinwaTheme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward AbelaFeaturing audio clips from CSPAN00:50 How surprising was Trump's victory?04:00 Why do Democrats find economic populism so hard?06:34 Do pundits overlook Trump's populism?11:30 Is chaos part of the plan?13:37 The destruction of institutions21:49 Profound unfreedom25:30 Is Dehli a window into the future of the US? 27:12 Charisma and demagoguery  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.