RadioActive 4/24/08

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Topic: Immigration and it’s Roots in  Free Trade Policy and Inequality in El Salvador
The Peace Accords did not result in the slated economic forum to address inequalities in the country. Instead the government adopted structural adjustment measures, leading to privatization measure and increasing free trade.
The rate of poverty is great in El Salvador.   Free trade policy has increased the crush on small farmers and others. It is difficult for people to migrate to the US, but their impetus is poverty. Ironically, this is perpetuated by neo liberal policies directed and implemented by the United States.

Guests: Lorena Martinez, CRIPDES, the Association for the Development of El Salvador
Pedro Juan Hernandez,  Popular Resistance Movement  of October 12th, (MPR-12)
Katie Sharar, Annunciation  House, El Paso, TX; Casa Marianella, Austin, TX
Lilian- Cabanas, El Salvador

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 4/24/08

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Perhaps we need a new bumper sticker these days that asks “What would the Founders say?” Today’s technology places immense power in the hands of government. Even though they could not specifically foresee today’s technologies – like involuntary DNA collection – the Founders and drafters of our Constitution did their best to establish principles upon which a free society should be based. Some of those principles are under severe strain in today’s political/technologial environment, especially the Fourth Amendment.

WERU Special 4/23/08: Former Black Panthers Speaking in Maine

Producer/Host: Adam Lacher with production assistance from Jeffrey McCarter

Topic: Former Black Panthers Discuss U.S. Political Prisoners and Social and Ecological Justice

What are the ten points of the Black Panther platform? How is Common Ground Relief related to the Meg Perry Center in Portland, Maine? Who are the Angola 3?

Speakers: Robert King, to date the only free member of the imprisoned Panthers known as the “Angola 3”. Was exonerated after 29 years in solitary confinement; Malik Rahim, Louisiana Black Panther Party co-founder and co-founder of Common Ground relief just one week after Katrina hit.

**Also available is the speech in it’s entirety,divided into 3 sections that are each approximately one hour in length. Click on links below**

FMI: www.angola3.org , www.commongroundrelief.org

Voices 4/22/08

Executive Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Contributing Producer: Debbie Wildey

Topic: Earth Day Everyday (Part One): Two contrasting visions of Earth’s future and our potential role in these visions. An analysis and closer look at environmental solutions that are commonly espoused and why others are not.

What are ecological footprints and where can we find tools to measure our personal environmental impact?
How do we analyze green-tech solutions that are being marketed to us?
What is the difference between measuring a product’s carbon emissions vs. its complete life-cycle assessment?
What is the role of environmental offsets?
How can our diets impact the global environment and how can we work to understand their affects on the sustainability, biodiversity, and natural areas of Maine?

GUEST: Engineer and Volunteer Jim Merkel. He was recently Sustainability Coordinator at Dartmouth College and is the founder of the Global Living Project and author of Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth and the Spanish version Simplicidad Radical.

FMI:
The Global Living Project:  www.radicalsimplicity.org
Ecological Footprint Quiz :  www.myfootprint.org
ADA Vegetarian Position Paper and Food Guide: www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML.htm