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Why We Owe: David Graeber on the Origins of Debt

From unpaid bills to entire governments facing bankruptcy, debt is never far from our minds or the news. It’s deeply embedded in our lives: our language, culture, even major religions. It’s also at the heart of many of our most pressing political debates. But have you ever thought about where debt comes from? On this edition of Making Contact we hear from Anthropologist David Graeber, author of “Debt: The First 5,000 Years.” Graeber...

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Alice Wong investigates interdependence between the disability and caregiver communities
Jun11

Alice Wong investigates interdependence between the disability and caregiver communities

I am a disabled person who uses personal assistance for almost every aspect of my activities of daily living. If I did not have paid and unpaid personal assistance (including family members), my life chances and opportunities would look drastically different. Without the usage of Medicaid-funded personal assistance programs such as IHSS (In Home Supportive Services) in California and family support, I know I would have to enter a...

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Returning Home: From War Fighter to Student

What is it like to be a student who has fought in a war? Producers at The Stanford Storytelling Project’s podcast, State of the Human asked six Stanford students and recent alumni, all veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to tell their stories about “Returning Home.” Featuring: Dustin Barfield, Chris Clark, Josh Francis, Annie Hsieh, Russ Toll, and William Treseder, military veterans Heidi Toll, wife of veteran...

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The Controversial Nicaragua Canal

Officially opening in 1914, the Panama Canal connected the Atlantic and Pacific creating a short-cut for ships. It was the biggest infrastructure project of its time. But originally the United States wanted to build the canal in Nicaragua. The plans shifted largely after French engineer Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla convinced U.S. lawmakers otherwise. Well now the Nicaragua canal plans are back on the table. Nicaragua plans to build a...

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Coffee: Trouble Brewing? (see list for free coffee below)
Mar24

Coffee: Trouble Brewing? (see list for free coffee below)

It’s the second most-traded commodity in the world after oil but how much do you think about your cup of coffee? From coffee farmers in Colombia to the trash produced by your single-cup coffee machine, Making Contact and Green Grid Radio team up to count the costs of your morning cup o’joe. Featuring: Jairo Martinez, Mariana Cruz, Suzana Angarita, coffee farmers Jeff Goldman, former executive director Fairtrade Resource Network Jeff...

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Women Rising 27: Ann Lopez on the reality of farm workers in the US and Mexico
Mar03

Women Rising 27: Ann Lopez on the reality of farm workers in the US and Mexico

Download We follow Dr. Ann Aurelia Lopez as she shows us the reality of farm workers’ lives in the United States and Mexico. Dr. Lopez founded the Center for Farmworker Families in Watsonville, California. Featuring:    Dr. Ann Aurelia Lopez, founder and director of the Center for Farmworker Families  Women farmworkers Host: Sandina Robbins Producers: Lynn Feinerman, Antonio Ortiz More information Women Rising Radio Center for...

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