Latest Episodes
We are proud to offer over 500 radio programs free of charge. We offer our program to radio stations and online listeners free of charge, so that these voices and stories of social justice can reach the broadest audience possible.
We depend on support from individuals like you to be able to produce our programs. If you listen regularly and like what you hear, please consider making a donation. Thank you!
Looking Back, Moving Forward: 2010 Year in Review
The earthquake in Haiti. The BP oil spill. A crumbling US economy and educational system. And domestic workers in New York receive a historic bill of rights. We look back at some stories we brought you in 2010, and look ahead to 2011.
read moreHow We Survive: The Currency of Giving [encore]
![How We Survive: The Currency of Giving [encore]](https://i0.wp.com/focmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/0110show.jpg?resize=184%2C184&ssl=1)
We look into how people are meeting each others’ needs, without charity, or even exchanging a dollar.
read moreStanding Up to Big Oil
From courtroom battles to government regulation, we take a look at how citizen groups around the world are holding oil companies accountable for environmental contamination and human rights abuses.
read moreChevron In Richmond
Over the past decade, the city and residents of Richmond have forced the Chevron to curb its environmental impact.
read moreChallenging Chevron in Nigeria
Freelance Producer Lynn Feinerman has more about the oil business in Nigeria, and about citizen efforts to hold companies accountable in the courtroom.
read moreHow Homelessness Became A Crime
So-called ‘quality of life’ policing may temporarily decrease crime, but it has harsh consequences for innocent people caught up in the frenzy of arrests. If it’s illegal to be on a city’s sidewalks, parks and plazas, where else can people go?
read moreSan Francisco Bans Sitting or Lying on Sidewalks
Making Contact’s Andrew Stelzer takes a look at a new San Francisco ordinance that bans sitting or lying on the street.
read morePaul Boden on SF’s Sit/Lie ordinance and the criminalization of the homelessness
An interview with Paul Boden, organizer with the Western Regional Advocacy Project, about San Franciscos’ Sit-Lie ordinance, & other policies across the country that criminalize the homeless and the poor.
read moreHow ‘Quality of Life’ turned Homeless New Yorkers into Criminals
Journalist Sam Lewis volunteered with the homeless led group ‘Picture the Homeless’ over the past two years, recording the voices of New Yorkers without a place to live. Lewis produced this story about how those without homes are criminalized, and how they’re organizing to change the city’s ways.
read moreFacing Race in the Tea Party Era
The 2010 midterm elections have activists taking stock. This week, we take you to the ‘Facing Race’ conference for an in-depth discussion about how race continues to impact education, jobs, healthcare and almost every social issue.
read moreHow We Survive: The Recession Generation
If you’re a young person looking for a job, it looks pretty dismal out there, and it may not brighten up anytime soon. On this edition of How We Survive, we look at how the economy is hitting the “millennial generation.”
read moreArizona’s SB 1070: The Battle for Immigrant’s Rights
Arizona’s SB 1070 put immigration enforcement in the national spotlight. On this edition, we look at the controversial law – its effects in Arizona and across the country, and how it has motivated immigrant communities to become politically active.
read moreThe Price of Nature: Buying Our Way Out of Climate Chaos?
At the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico, discussion centered on market-based solutions. On this edition, experts engage in a roundtable discussion about alternative ways to both understand and solve the climate crisis.
read moreThe Presumption of Guilt: Charles Ogletree on the Arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Harvard professor Ogletree speaks about his book, “The Presumption of Guilt: The Arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Race, Class and Crime in America.”
read moreThe New Face of Military Recruiting
Stretched by fighting two wars, the US military has stepped up efforts to recruit teenagers and young adults. Guest host Anna Sussman hosts a round table discussion about the new face of military recruiting, and counter-recruiting efforts taking place.
read moreCalifornia’s Prop 19: The End of the War on Marijuana?
Californians went to the polls this past November to vote on whether to legalize marijuana. On this edition, we look at the damage wrought by the failed war on marijuana, with a focus on the millions caught in the criminal justice system.
read moreRobert Fisk: The Terror of Power and the Power of Terror
Long time Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk speaks about the power of words in shaping public opinion and public policy, and the tragic consequences of a press corps that toes official line: in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine.
read moreWomen for Women in Juarez
In Ciudad Juárez, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, there have been nearly 500 known cases of femicide in under two decades. Joe Richey speaks to several women in Juarez about what it’s like to live in the most violent city in the world.
read moreNew ‘Femicide Law’ in Bolivia Put Forth to Curb Murder of Women
In Bolivia, violent crimes against young women have risen dramatically. But a new law that may pass by the end of 2010, would give a sentence of up to 30 years’ prison for the murder of women.
read moreProtagonists for Change: Women Against Violence in Latin America
In Latin America, sexism and impunity contribute to violence against women. But the region is also home to powerful female voices, and effective movements for the advancement of women.
read more
