Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Gravity FM

Risks and Retaliation Faced by Whistleblowers in Africa and Climate Whistleblowers, and the Need for Comprehensive National and Transnational Whistleblowing Protections.

Discussion with Gabriel Bourdon-Fattal, Jimmy Kande and Gemma-Maé Hartley of the sister organizations Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF) and Climate Whistleblowers on the indispensable role of insiders in exposing corruption, state capture, greenwashing and ecocide. The episode also features the stories of whistleblowers Bianca Goodson, Gradi Koko and Andrés Olarte. We discuss PPLAAF's and Climate Whistleblowers’ holistic model of support and the massive and varied risks and repercussions faced by whistleblowers. We also discuss the particular peril facing whistleblowers in Africa and those who expose environmental crimes. We discuss landmark disclosures exposing state capture, transnational money laundering, illicit resource trafficking, corporate surveillance and paramilitary collusion, environmental destruction and greenwashing across Africa, South America and Europe. We also discuss South Africa's Zondo Commission and PPLAAF's position paper on the draft Protected Disclosures Bill. We discuss the collusion between environmental auditors and multinationals such as TotalEnergies and Rio Tinto in providing deceptive IFC Performance Standard 6 biodiversity reports. We also discuss the shortcomings of international, national and regional laws including the EU Whistleblowing Directive and a model whistleblowing protection law. Additionally, we discuss the importance of whistleblowing to preserving our democracies and environment. Finally, we discuss how the technocratic carbon consensus is becoming a new form of green colonialism, creating sacrifice zones across Africa.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/71

Wrongful Convictions, Survivor Shaming and Moving from Retribution to Healing

Discussion with Jennifer Thompson, founder of Healing Justice, on the profound trauma caused by wrongful convictions and the transformative potential of restorative justice. We discuss systemic failures in the criminal justice system—including structural racism and sexism—that deny victims, survivors and defendants, and their families, justice. We discuss Jennifer’s personal journey to becoming a restorative justice practitioner and criminal justice reform advocate. We discuss wrongful convictions, best practices for collection of eyewitness identification and the need for corroborative evidence. We also discuss victim blaming and the secondary trauma caused to sexual assault survivors by the criminal justice system. Finally, we discuss the need for circles and creating space to sit with uncomfortable narratives and listen to each other, prioritizing empathy and belonging, to rebuild our national community.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/70

The Codification of Gender Apartheid, the Afghan and Iranian Resistance Movements and Global Gender-Based Violence Online and Offline

Discussion with Heather Barr on gender apartheid in Afghanistan and Iran and efforts to codify it as a crime against humanity in international law. We explore why codification matters, how to support these efforts, and why challenging gender apartheid is critical. We discuss the concerning normalization of the Taliban regime and the Afghan and Iranian resistance movements. We also discuss gender-based violence, including acid attacks, rape during war, and digital abuse. Finally, we discuss the global rollback of women’s rights, from attacks on reproductive healthcare to leadership disparities and discrimination against female leaders.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/69

Kamikaze Dolphins, Lettuce Triathlons and Calling the Right Place

Discussion with comedian and activist Jimmy Tingle on the political utility of comedy and its service in exposing hypocrisy, bringing people together but its insufficiency in bringing change without grassroots organization and movement building. We discuss Jimmy’s political campaign for Lt. Governor of Massachusetts, the pernicious problem of money in politics and the need for campaign finance reform. We discuss climate change and the need not only for mitigation but designing microgrids alongside existing infrastructure to limit land prints. We discuss the opioid crisis and the need for universal healthcare and a strong public education system. We discuss the executive encroachment of the Trump administration, its inhumane attacks on immigrants and the need for immigration reform. We also discuss how access and digestion of media is increasingly segmented and contributing to increased polarization and extremism and the need for compassion, community and coming to the table.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/68

Environmental and Labor Exploitation in the Coffee Industry and How Coffee Can Turn a New Shade with Agroforestry

Discussion with Etelle Higonnet on the environmental impacts of commercial monoculture coffee, including deforestation, loss of critical habitat, loss of biodiversity and amplification of climate change. We also discuss the structural inequities of the industry, with farmers earning the least in the value chain and the prevalence of child labor and forced labor in the industry. Additionally, we discuss the gaps in voluntary certification schemes and the need for both consumer activism, the EUDR and the Forest Act and the need for more regulatory oversight. We also discuss agroforestry and how coffee can be grown to provide food security to farmers as well as retain biodiversity and regenerate soil.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/67

Cultural Genocide, Ecocide and the Geopolitics of the CCP’s Water Industrial Complex

Discussion with Dr. Lobsang Sangay on the repressive occupation of the CCP in Tibet and the utilization of tightly controlled tourism to obfuscate it. We discuss the cultural genocide that has and is taking place, including the destruction of religious sites and compelling children to go to boarding school to Sinicize the next generation of Tibetans. We also discuss the CCP’s commission of ecocide in Tibet from its rapacious extraction of critical minerals and other elements. Additionally, we discuss the environmental, human rights and geopolitical issues concerning the CCP’s dams in Tibet, including building the world’s largest dam. We also discuss the impact of climate change on the Tibetan plateau, the Tibetan government in exile and how governments in exile can retain democratic structures.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/66

Extraction and Exploitation in the Global South under the Decarbonization Consensus and Theories and Praxis for a Just Transition

Discussion with Professor Miriam Lang and Mary Ann Manahan on how current energy transition efforts are framed under a colonialist narrative that continues and entrenches extraction, exploitation and interference in the Global South. We discuss how the Global North is utilizing emergency framing to create sacrifice zones across the Global South, rife with environmental destruction, resource depletion, land grabbing and human rights violations. We also discuss how renewable energy infrastructure mega projects in the Global South impede local resources while failing to alleviate energy poverty, and the deception and detrimental impact of creative carbon offset accounting. Additionally, we look at the continued internalization of externalities in the Global South, saddled with odious debt and subject to the corrupt ISDS system, creating economic vulnerability and democratic deficits. We also discuss grassroots ecological movements and how we can move from green colonialism to create an equitable and ecological transition.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/65

How a Community on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis Took its Story to the Screen and Forced a Land-Grabbing Corporation to Go Off Script

Discussion with writer and director Seán Devlin on his recent genre-busting films, which were made in partnership with typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors, who participated and ad-libbed in his films. We discuss how art can be interventionist and serve a frontline community’s needs, by allowing a community to direct the narrative. Additionally, we discuss how efforts to aid frontline communities, without buy-in or leadership from such communities can be exploitative and harmful. We also discuss climate change vulnerability, disaster capitalism, red-tagging and transgender rights in the Philippines.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/64

Perils to the Deep Sea From Bottom Trawling, Climate Change and Mining and the Need to Protect Its Stunning Biodiversity

Discussion with Matt Gianni from the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition on the critical importance of the deep sea to our air, climate, the marine food web, our food security and health. We discuss the biodiversity of the deep sea and our continual discovery of new extremophiles. We discuss the threat of bottom trawling, which indiscriminately catches a multitude of bycatch and disrupts nutrient flow. We discuss the looming threat of deep sea mining for critical minerals for the energy transition and the International Seabed Authority’s conflicting mandate to establish the industry while protecting the deep sea. We also discuss how mining companies are exploiting Pacific Island nations, which are the most vulnerable to climate change. Additionally, we discuss the growing schism between climate mitigation and biodiversity protection and the need to view these as one problem that demands an integrated, holistic solution.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/63

American Resistance and Repression, Identity and Intersectionality and the LGBTQI+ Rights Movement

Discussion with Professor Timothy Patrick McCarthy on American radicalism and the need for multivocality rather than metanarratives in analyzing history. We discuss the construction and interpellation of identities, their historical contingencies and intersectionality. We discuss the power dynamics of identity construction, in entrenching the status quo and serving to cleave mass mobilization and conversely in empowering marginalized groups. We discuss the need for origin myths in the context of the Stonewall uprising and its significance to the LGBTQI+ rights movement. We also discuss the AIDS epidemic as a health and housing crisis, the callousness and myopia of the Reagan administration’s lack of response and how the epidemic also led to solidarity and fostered community. Additionally, we discuss the movements for marriage equality and transgender rights. We also discuss polarization, disassociation, the need for active listening and brave communication.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/62

The History of Voting Rights in the United States, the Electoral College and the Value of the Vote

Discussion with Professor Alex Keyssar on the origins of democracy and the history of the right to vote in the United States. We discuss the lack of an affirmative right to vote under the U.S. Constitution, amendments prohibiting abridgement and voter suppression. We also discuss the value of the vote in the context of gerrymandering, party mechanics, the impact of different voting systems and the influence of money in politics. Additionally, we discuss the history and distortive impact of the Electoral College in Presidential elections.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/61

Circular Economy, Community Buy-In and Compassionate Leadership

Discussion with Hon. Maria Kamma-Aliferi, Mayor of Tilos and Jenny Giannopoulou on the need for and implementation of a circular economy. We also discuss renewable energy infrastructure, the Greek energy pricing system, sewerage infrastructure, freshwater conservation and navigating different levels of government bureaucracy. Additionally, we discuss the need for environmental literacy and community buy-in. We also discuss refugees, the need for compassionate leadership and how immigration can be a revitalization for the community.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/60

Exposing, Investigating and Inoculating Against Hate

Discussion with Lisa Borden and Susan Corke from the Southern Poverty Law Center on hate and extremism groups throughout the United States. We discuss rising right radicalism, including religious and white nationalist groups and their means and methods. We also discuss "parental right groups" and their anti-inclusive stance and disruption of public school governance. Additionally, we discuss the school-to-prison pipeline, continuing systemic racism and disenfranchisement and how to help inoculate youth against radicalization. We also discuss the benefits of establishing a national human rights institution.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/59

A Celebration of Civics and Connection Amidst Crises and Consternation

Discussion with Shannon A. Mullen on her recent book In Other Words, Leadership: How a Young Mother’s Weekly Letters to Her Governor Helped Both Women Brave the First Pandemic Year which looks at agency, representative democracy, socioeconomic and environmental crises within a portrait of leadership. The book is based on the true story of Ashira Knapp’s exchange of letters with Maine Governor Janet Mills during the pandemic. We discuss civics, representative democracy, leadership, reigniting our agency, reconnecting over polarity, what defines a crisis and media responsibility.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/58

How Grassroots Movements for Climate and Environmental Justice Are Critical to Surviving the Climate Crisis

Discussion with Vivek Maru on the importance of community paralegals in extending access to the law, enforcing rights and aiding in structural change. We discuss the Customary Land Rights Act in Sierra Leone, the Community Land Act in Kenya and environmental justice action in Myanmar. We also discuss environmental injustice within the United States, the need for cumulative impact in any environmental assessment and the importance of having both expert input on legislation as well as the lived experience of affected communities. Additionally, we discuss the importance of prior informed consent and moving from extractive to regenerative practices. We also discuss climate justice as an integral pathway toward climate mitigation and adaptation.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/57

Climate Change, Subterfuge and Building a Broad Climate Coalition

Discussion with Dr. Michael Mann on the subterfuge tactics by the fossil industry to prevent systemic and structural decarbonization. We discuss how the fossil fuel industry promotes doomsday theories to engender apathy and deny agency. We also discuss how the fossil fuel industry fosters division between different social groups to prevent a climate alliance and needed structural change. Additionally, we discuss how the focus on individual accountability and hypocrisy shaming can impede and deflect from needed structural change. We also discuss pertinent issues in carbon offset accounting, the circular economy and what the paleoclimate record can tell us about the state of and projections for climate change.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/56

Cattle Ranching, Palm Oil Plantations and Other Agrobusiness Drivers of Deforestation, Fraud and Violence Against Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples, Bolsonaro's Crimes and the Need for Due Diligence and Accountability in Financing and Supply Chains

Discussion with Gabriella Bianchini on the importance of the Amazonian biome to the local environment and our planet and the current threats to the rainforest. We discuss the history of deforestation in Brazil's Amazon, including the ecocide under Bolsonaro and the current agrobusiness drivers, with a focus on cattle ranching and palm oil plantations. We also discuss land grabbing and violence against local communities and indigenous peoples and threats to and murder of environmental defenders. Additionally, we discuss how companies and financial institutions in the Global North are trading with and financing Amazonian destruction and violent land grabbing and legislative efforts to require accountability for failing to undertake due diligence in supply chains and investment.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/55

Neocolonialism, Democratic Deficits and Regulatory Chill of the Investor State Dispute Settlement Mechanism

Discussion with Lisa Sachs on the regulatory chill and democratic deficit of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism (ISDS). We discuss the structural issues of ISDS, including conflict of interest, lack of transparency and lack of accountability as well as its neocolonial origins and entrenchment. We also discuss the proliferation of bilateral and multilateral investment treaties, the expanding investor protections of international investment law, treaty shopping and how ISDS is distorting the investment climate in favor of fossil fuels. Additionally, we discuss the fragmentation of international law and the need to have holistic international jurisprudence and governance.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/54

Palestinian Human Rights Defenders, SLAPP Suits, Anti-Boycott Laws and Human Rights Abuses in Israel and the OPT

Discussion with Maria LaHood on the curtailment and criminalization of advocacy on behalf of Palestinian human rights and criticism of Israeli government policies and their conflation with antisemitism. We discuss SLAPP suits, prevention of academic freedom and debate and anti-boycott laws and their effect on chilling speech. We also discuss the importance of the right to boycott for our democracy and the increasing criminalization of dissent in the U.S. Additionally, we discuss human rights abuses and war crimes in the OPT.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/53

Regulatory Capture, Lobbying, Astroturfing, Greenwashing and the Failure to Clean up LA’s Toxic Secret

Discussion with Daniel Hirsch, Denise Duffield and Melissa Bumstead on the history and current contamination of the nuclear experiment and rocket testing site, Santa Susana Field Lab, above Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. We discuss how the responsible parties- NASA, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Boeing have failed to clean up the site, the tactics they have utilized to not do so and the current status of the cleanup. We discuss Boeing’s litigation against cleaning up to background levels, Boeing’s greenwashing campaign to limit its clean up by restricting the land use to a conservation zone and its astroturfing efforts to legitimize its greenwashing campaign. We also discuss the Department of Toxic Substances Control, its failure to hold polluters to account and the wider problems regulatory capture and lobbying present to our democracy.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/52

The Nexus Between Environmental Health and Social Justice

Discussion with Dr. Jimena Díaz Leiva on the health and environmental impact of fracking, forever chemicals, flame retardants and glyphosate. We discuss how trade secrets are being utilized to protect against disclosure of all toxic chemicals in fracking, the exemptions the industry obtained from environmental laws and how the First Amendment is being utilized against mandated government health warnings for glyphosate. We also discuss the tobacco and chemical industries’ deception respecting flame retardants and how CEH worked to ban flame retardants in children’s products, mattresses and upholstered furniture in CA. Additionally, we discuss the nexus between environmental health and social justice and the importance of fostering community partnerships and citizen science.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/51

Drafting and Establishing the 5th International Crime Against Peace

Discussion with Darryl Robinson and Kate Mackintosh on the history of ecocide and the gravity and culpability elements necessary for it to be the fifth international crime against peace. We also discuss the process of establishing ecocide as an international crime, including the process of its adoption by the International Criminal Court. We discuss the differences between the definitions of the independent expert panel of international criminal and environmental jurists and the Promise Institute’s expert working group, which advised the panel. We also discuss the problem of intersecting international criminal and environmental law. Additionally, we discuss salient issues of the ICC, including lack of jurisdiction over corporate actors, lack of dominant state parties and selectivity.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/50

Adam Hochschild's Ghosts of Rapacity and Resistance

Discussion with Adam Hochschild on the historical movements and moments throughout Adam’s books. We discuss the First World War, the Spanish Civil War, the turmoil and anti-immigrant and anti-labour purges in the United States during and after the First World War, apartheid, the Stalinist purges and the Russian people’s attempt to reconcile with this rapacity, the British emancipation movement and King Leopold II’s genocide in the Congo.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/49

The Noxious Nexus of Environmental Destruction, Corruption, Conflict and Human Rights Abuse

Discussion with Patrick Alley on the intersectionality of environmental destruction, human rights abuse, conflict and corruption. We discuss how our banks and institutional funds finance deforestation while concomitantly publicly rallying against it. We discuss greenwashing by the fossil fuels industry and its influence on COP26. We also discuss the intimidation, attacks and murder of frontline environmental defenders. Additionally, we discuss the environmental destruction, corruption and human rights abuses of the palm oil industry in Papa New Guinea.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/48

Democratic Resistance in Hong Kong

Discussion with Alex Yong-Kang Chow and Brian Leung on China’s increasing control over Hong Kong and its breaches of the Sino-British Declaration. We discuss the student democratic protests in 2014 and 2019 and the arrest and trials of the protestors. We discuss the enactment and use of the National Security Law to target free speech and the free press. We discuss the ransacking and closure of the June 4th Museum and the prohibition of the Tiananmen Square vigil and attendant arrest of its organizers. We also discuss the Greater Bay Area initiative and the integration of Hong Kong into the mainland, the recent “elections” of the Legislative Council, the utility of Magnitsky sanctions and China’s use of soft power.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/47

Abandoned Australians, Cultural Restitution and Human Rights Accountability

Discussion with Geoffrey Robertson QC on how Australia’s COVID response, including its border closure to citizens abroad, has violated human rights and Geoffrey’s petition on behalf of abandoned Australians before the Human Rights Committee. We also discuss the lack of constitutional rights in Australia and the need for a bill of rights. Additionally, we discuss the secret, political trial of barrister Bernard Collaery. We also discuss cultural restitution and the case of the British Museum’s refusal to return the Parthenon sculptures to Greece. Additionally, we discuss the importance of social and economic rights, corporate accountability for human rights, the Magnitsky Act and its adoption by numerous states as a way to target human rights violators.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/46

Cobalt, Chocolate, Blood and Corporate Impunity

Discussion with Terry Collingsworth on forced child labor in cobalt mines in the DRC and his Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) case against American tech companies which knowingly benefit from the cheap cobalt mined by children. We discuss the legal issues in the case as well as the facts on the ground in the DRC, including the environmental impact of cobalt mining and the maiming and killing of child miners that are lured to extremely hazardous and toxic work in the mines. We also follow from our 2017 episode with Terry, “Chained to Chocolate”, to discuss Terry’s continuing case against Nestlé and other confectionary companies for the knowing use of child slave labor on their cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. We discuss Terry’s TVPRA case and the increase in child enslavement since the filing of the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) case against Nestlé et. al. as well as the pending ATS decision before the United States Supreme Court. We also discuss whether the decision will gut the ATS by exempting corporations from liability under it and the future of ATS claims.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/45

Expanding the Rights Rubric: Adding Rights and Rights Holders for a Good Society

Discussion with Sushma Raman on The Coming Good Society: Why New Realities Demand New Rights, her book with William F. Schulz. We discuss the need for specific rights to redress the needs of LGBTQIA+ communities and why adding new rights reinforces rather than dilutes traditional human rights. We also discuss the risks posed to our rights by technological advancement, including algorithmic decision-making and CRISPR and how to address these from a rights perspective. Additionally, we discuss the need to view corruption as a human rights violation per se. We also discuss the need to ascribe rights to non-humans, including the environment, AI and a tiered approach to animal rights.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/44

Chevron’s Carious Crusade Against Steven Donziger, SLAPP Suits and the Defense of Climate Necessity

Discussion with Lauren Regan on corporate SLAPP suits and in particular the oil and gas industry’s utilization of RICO against grassroots environmental activists. We also discuss the miscarriages of justice in Chevron’s RICO action against attorney Steven Donziger and the criminal contempt case against Steven, whom Lauren is defending on the criminal contempt charge. Additionally, we discuss Lauren’s defense of the “Valve Turners”, their reasoning behind civil disobedience and Lauren’s establishment in Washington and Minnesota of the climate necessity defense. Finally, we discuss police misconduct and crowd control by private security firms, including at Standing Rock and the way forward for attorneys in supporting and advocating for grassroots activists.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/43

The Need for a Unified, Holistic Approach to Environmental, Animal and Human Health

Discussion with Professor Dr. Christine Kreuder Johnson on anthropogenic ecosystem drivers of disease emergence in wildlife and spillover into the human population. We discuss how habitat destruction, including from changing land use patterns and industrial and agricultural intensification and effects of climate change have contributed to epidemics of zoonotic infections. We also discuss how biodiversity loss leads to disease emergence and transmission of zoonotic viruses. Additionally, we discuss the importance of providing access to better living conditions and healthcare for people at the frontlines of zoonotic infection for proper disease detection and prevention of pandemics. Finally, we discuss the imperative for a unified approach to environmental, animal and human health policies in order to avoid future pandemics.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/42

Regulatory Gaps and Conflicts in the Fertility Industry

Discussion on regulatory gaps and issues in the fertility industry with Professors Naomi Cahn and June Carbone. We discuss the marketing of egg freezing, brokerage of egg donation and surrogacy and issues surrounding informed consent, vulnerability and inequality in the fertility industry. Additionally, we discuss clinic mislabeling mishaps and mistaken implantation, the legal recognition of parental rights and the ownership of embryos when there is conflict over termination and/or implantation. We also discuss disclosure with respect to donors and how to balance the privacy rights of donors and intended parents with the rights of children to know their genealogy.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/41

The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, Little Gitmo and Corporate SLAPP Suits

Discussion on the terrorization of activists and the criminalization of dissent with Rachel Meeropol. We discuss the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, how it may operate to violate the First Amendment and its chilling effect on activism. We also discuss corporate SLAPP suits including Energy Transfer Partner’s suit to bring a RICO claim against environmental activists at Standing Rock and the entire EarthFirst! environmental movement. Additionally, we discuss Communication Management Units, their clandestine opening in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act, their draconian communication limitations and their use as political prisons. We also discuss the federal government’s detention and egregious treatment of immigrants with minor infractions suspected and later cleared of terrorism charges based solely on racial and religious profiling. Finally, we discuss the Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook and the impact of the recent Supreme Court decision in Ziglar v. Abbasi which denied personal liability for federal officials for constitutional violations and the need for remedial legislation.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/40

Ag-Gag Laws and the First Amendment, Carious CAFOS and the Endangerment of the Endangered Species Act

Discussion with Cristina Stella on the advent and continuance of Ag-gag laws that criminalize undercover reporting at animal enterprises and their violation of First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. We also discuss the First Amendment violation of “food censorship” laws that prohibit meat and milk alternatives from using “milk” and “meat” in the name of their products. We discuss humane washing cases and the conditions of animals in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Additionally, we discuss the impact CAFOs have on our public health, the environment and the quality of life of surrounding populations. We also discuss the exemptions CAFOs have obtained from environmental regulations and the current roll-backs to the Endangered Species Act and the pending litigation challenging these.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/39

Democratizing the Colonial Space of International Law

Discussion with Rachel López on the colonial development of international law and its continuing hierarchical structure. We also discuss the duty to refrain from assisting states in committing grave crimes and its interrelation with the responsibility to protect people from grave crimes under international law. Additionally, we discuss the concept of “gravity” as the counterweight to sovereignty, its development under international law and its ability to be manipulated with its continued malleable counters. We also discuss the problems of humanitarian intervention, both in terms of its selective enforcement, its ability to be used for the opportunistic aims of great powers and its unintended consequences. Finally, we discuss how to democratize the current hierarchical structure of international law and how international law can both support and be supported by grassroots social justice movements.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/38

U.S. and European Complicity in the Yemeni Conflict

Discussion with Radhya Al-Mutawakel on the war crimes committed in Yemen by all parties, including the indiscriminate bombing and shelling of civilian sites and civilians and the destruction of religious and cultural heritage. We discuss U.S., U.K. and other Western countries’ participation in the conflict through arm sales to the Saudi and Emirati coalition and logistical support. Additionally, we discuss the plague of landmines, the economic blockades and the public health crisis in Yemen, including from starvation and epidemics of cholera and diphtheria. We discuss arbitrary detention, forced disappearances, the recruitment of children into the war and the war’s impact upon women.  We also discuss U.S. drone strikes, the civilian deaths and injuries they cause and their futility in serving counter-terrorism.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/37

Incarceration Rates and Sentencing Policies Throughout the United States

Discussion with Nazgol Ghandnoosh on the high rates of incarceration and state differentials of incarceration throughout the United States and their causes, including the “war on drugs”. We discuss racial disparity in arrests and sentences, private prisons and legislative and executive encroachment on the judicial function by the imposition of mandatory sentences. We also discuss the impact of prosecutorial power and plea bargains. Additionally, we discuss the collateral effects of convictions, including disenfranchisement, denial of housing and other benefits and discrimination in employment. We also discuss alternatives to incarceration, including LEAD programs and restorative justice and the need for a criminal justice system focused on rehabilitation rather than retribution.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/36

Loss of Biodiversity, Pollution, Climate Change and Human Rights Abuses from Deforestation

Discussion with Etelle Higonnet on the state of deforestation around the world with a particular focus on commodity agriculture and soy and palm oil in particular. We discuss the contribution to climate change and the loss of biodiversity from clearing wild forests for monoculture plantations. We also discuss the public health impact from polluted water and air for surrounding populations, in particular the haze from Indonesian forest clearing, as well as the egregious labor rights violations of the deforestation industry. We also discuss “paper tigers”, lack of political will and the effectiveness of public campaigns and pro-active and informed public and consumer choices.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/35

Family Separation, Mandatory Detention and Denaturalization

Discussion with Paromita Shah on the effective criminalization of immigration and the right to asylum through mandatory detention and unlawful entry and unlawful re-entry prosecutions. We discuss family detainment and separation at the border and the deportation of undocumented parents of US citizen minors. Additionally, we discuss the recent Supreme Court decision of Dimaya, due process in immigration court and Attorney General Sessions’s use of self-referral to make radical changes in our immigration jurisprudence. We also discuss Operation Janus, the De-naturalization Task Force and the intersection of immigration and criminal law.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/34

Religious and Racial Discrimination in the American South and the Escalation of Immigration Detention

Discussion with Azadeh Shahshahani on the work of Project South, which cultivates strong social movements in the Southern United States and supports social justice movements in the Global South. We discuss religious and racial discrimination as well as police collaboration with ICE and the denial of utilities to undocumented persons as well as lawful residents without social security numbers in the southern United States. We also discuss the escalation of immigration detention and a recent report, by a coalition of organizations including Project South, detailing the deplorable conditions at detention centres in Georgia. Additionally, we discuss shadow prisons, the effective criminalization of immigration infractions and attendant forced labour and corporate profit.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/33

The U.S. Visit by the Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

Discussion with Professor Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, on the observations and conclusions from his country visit to the United States in December 2017.  We discuss the political nature of poverty, its inextricable link to rising inequality in the United States and the overt and covert disenfranchisement of the extremely poor. We also discuss punitive policies towards the poor, including Jane Crow laws and the criminalization of homelessness and the prevalence of caricatured, pejorative narratives of the poor that perpetuate inequality. Additionally, we discuss the effective denial of constitutional rights to those in poverty, including through the criminal justice system.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/32

The Prevalence of Human Trafficking in the United States and the Legal Framework for Bringing Justice to Human Trafficking Survivors.

Discussion with Martina Vandenberg on the work of the Human Trafficking Legal Center and the prevalence and characteristics of human trafficking in the United States. We discuss the international and legal framework, whether the United States is meeting its international obligations and consider particular issues relating to diplomatic immunity when human trafficking is committed by diplomats in the United States. We also discuss prosecutions under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the application of its mandatory restitution provisions. Additionally, we discuss U.S. government awareness programs such as the Blue Campaign and their effectiveness and the best legislative and litigation strategies for eliminating this egregious crime.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/31

How Israel Exploits Palestinian Land and Expels the Palestinian Population

Discussion with Amit Gilutz on the human rights work of B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, including its citizenship journalism project. We discuss the human rights impact of the separation barrier and the demarcation of the Palestinian peoples into separate Occupied Territories. We also discuss the Israeli manufactured water and sewerage crisis in the Gaza Strip and the continued exploitation of resources and expulsion of Palestinian communities in the West Bank. In addition, we discuss the dual system of law in the West Bank, the application of military law to Palestinians, the continued use of administrative detention and collective punishment and the lack of accountability for Israel as an occupying power. Additionally, we discuss the need for international pressure upon Israel to end the occupation.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/30

LGBTI Rights and Freedom of Expression in Serbia

Discussion with Goran Miletić on LGBTI rights in Serbia. We discuss the most recent Pride Parade in Serbia, its previous unconstitutional ban by the government and security issues. We also discuss recent anti-discrimination and hate speech legislation and their weak implementation in the context of a homophobic Balkan culture. We additionally discuss how recent restrictions on freedom of expression impact the LGBTI community and the need for international solidarity.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/29

The Roma, Cultural Relativism, Autonomy and Community Empowerment

Discussion with Danilo Ćurčić on the discrimination and segregation faced by the Roma in Serbia, in particular with respect to employment and housing, including forced evictions from informal Roma settlements. We discuss the need to move away from the discourse of providing humanitarian assistance to the enforcement of human and constitutional rights. We also discuss the conflict in addressing human rights violations within the Roma community while respecting the community’s autonomy and explore issues with the discourse of cultural relativism. Additionally, we discuss the need for community empowerment for the Roma across Europe.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/28

Asylum, Criminal Justice and Media Freedom

Discussion with Nikola Kovačević on the right of asylum in Serbia, the limited acceptance rate and the “ping-pong” currently being played by European countries with refugees. We also discuss criminal justice issues, including the right to counsel, pre-trial detention, the independence of the judiciary and overcrowding and other problems of prison conditions. Additionally, we discuss the impact of recent media privatization and the government’s increasing hostility towards critical investigative journalism. Finally, we discuss government criticism of human rights activists and instilling a vibrant civic culture respecting civil and political rights during prolonged economic turmoil.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/27

Exonerating the innocent in northern California

Discussion with Northern California Innocence Project's (NCIP) Linda Starr and Todd Fries on the causes of wrongful conviction in California, including but not limited to problems with eyewitness testimony, preservation of evidence, coerced confessions, paid informants, ineffective assistance of counsel and prosecutorial and police misconduct and mistakes. We discuss policy reform to ameliorate and eradicate the main causes of wrongful convictions. We also discuss the death penalty, parole and compensation for wrongful convictions. Additionally, we discuss the case work and policy advocacy of NCIP and its transformative justice retreats.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/26

The Refugee Situation in Serbia Following Border Closures on the Balkan Route, the Work of Refugee Aid Serbia and Disrupting Hostile Discourse on Displaced Persons

Discussion with Felix Thomson on the refugee situation in Serbia and how it has changed since border closures along the Balkan route severely restricted access to Northern and Western Europe. We discuss the treatment of refugees in Serbia, the issue of unaccompanied children, sexual exploitation, smuggling and current legal avenues still available to enter countries in Northern and Western Europe. We also discuss the contemporary hostile discourse concerning displaced persons in Europe and the need to foster engagement between the local and refugee populations. Additionally, we discuss the humanitarian and educational work of Refugee Aid Serbia and its social engagement work, including the Routes Festivals and its upcoming documentary, The Odyssey Project, that seeks to disrupt the current hostile discourse towards displaced persons and produce a more emphatic, welcoming approach.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/25

The Double Standard in U.S. Labor Laws That Fails to Protect Children Working in Agriculture

Discussion with Zama Neff on the double standard in U.S. Federal and State labor laws which allows for children at younger ages to work in agriculture and provides them less protections in their working conditions. We discuss the type of agricultural work children are employed in, the effects of the long and strenuous work on their education and the potential for chronic injury resulting from their use of dangerous machinery and pesticide exposure. We also discuss the particular hazard faced by children employed in tobacco farming. Additionally, we discuss the demographic of child laborers and the problems undocumented migrant workers may face with enforcement of current labor laws. We further discuss American agricultural exceptionalism and the failure to close the gap for children working in agriculture and provide them equal protections. Finally, we discuss how we can close the gap legally as well as practically by affecting company behavior through consumer action.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/24

Holding the IFC Accountable for Aiding and Abetting Murder and Terrorization of Honduran Farmers and Financing the Pollution of the Kutch Coast in India

Discussion with Marco Simons on Doe v. IFC in which the IFC is alleged to have knowingly profited from financing the murder and terrorization of Honduran farmers by Dinant, a land grabbing palm corporation. We also discuss Jam v. IFC and the IFC's alleged negligence and failure to abide by its own internal procedures in financing a coal power plant in Gujarat, India, that has resulted in dire environmental consequences and impeded the local community's traditional way of life. Additionally, we look at the structure and mandate of the IFC and its lack of accountability. We also discuss the legal and policy issues concerning the IFC's claim of immunity in these matters and the importance of holding our international organizations accountable.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/23

Selection Bias, Confirmation Bias and the Feedback Loop of Predictive Policing Algorithms, the Black Box Problem of Proprietary Algorithms and Lack of Accountability

Discussion with Kristian Lum and William Isaac on how machine learning algorithms work and how seemingly neutral police data can perpetuate systemic and institutional prejudices and produce predictive systems that predict police enforcement rather than future crime. We explore the creation and conclusions of their Oakland case study on the bias of police data sets and how selection bias can produce confirmation bias and a feedback loop, leading to over-policing of communities already overexposed to police activity. We also discuss the lack of transparency and accountability of the current proprietary predictive models and best practices for input data and implementation of predictive systems into future police work.

For More Info: https://thegravity.fm/#/episode/22