RedneckGoneGreen

Asset-based community development (ABCD) is a grassroots approach to community building that focuses on identifying and leveraging local strengths and resources rather than deficits. It emphasizes the inherent capacities, skills, and assets within a community, including its people, organizations, and natural features. ABCD encourages residents to take an active role in shaping their community's future by collaborating, sharing knowledge, and mobilizing resources to address challenges and pursue opportunities. Join us as we discuss ABCD with April Doner, Steward at the ABCD Institute at DePaul University.

We will be discussing both the student occupation at Cal Poly Humboldt in support of a CeaseFire in Gaza, as well as the upcoming Decolonizing Economics Summit happening online May 1st-3rd. The Summit is focused on collaborative ways in which individuals and institutions can create the infrastructure and practices to address economic disparities (often requiring us to protect or restore the land and water), redistribute wealth towards marginalized communities, and invest in the solidarity economy. Register here: https://opencollective.com/ussen/events/decolonizing-economics-2024-earth-day-to-may-day-eb1b6039

The Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC) stands as a beacon for those seeking alternatives to mainstream living arrangements, and advocates for the creation of intentional communities worldwide. With a rich history rooted in the communal living movements of the 1960s and 1970s, the FIC has evolved into a hub of resources, support, and networking opportunities for individuals and groups exploring cooperative living models. Join us as we speak to FIC's co-director to discuss his involvement in the community, its successes and failures, and what role intentional communities play in the sustainable future we aspire to.

Suren Moodliar will join us on Redneck Gone Green. Suren is an acclaimed author, activist, and a strategist, and he will be sharing his thoughts on two critical emerging global political formations: The Global Tapestry of Alternatives and Progressive International.

President of The Democracy Collaborative, Joe Guinan joins Redneck Gone Green. Joe's work focuses on political economy and economic system change. He co-authored (with Martin O’Neill) The Case for Community Wealth Building and People Get Ready! Preparing for a Corbyn Government (with Christine Berry). People Get Ready was named one of The Guardian’s best politics books of 2019.

The Redneck is joined by Mchelle Eddlman McCormick (Cooperation Vermont) and Kali Akuno (Cooperation Jackson). We discuss the exciting possibility of converting Goddard College into a Just Transition Campus.

Folks have often heard me quote Toni Cade Bambara, who famously said “the role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.” A true artist does much more that make things beautiful, although The Redneck certainly does want more beauty in the world. Really, an artist’s role is to illuminate our world. It is not merely to entertain us, but to challenge us to imagine what might be. Tom Nielson does that, and much more. He was born and raised on a family farm, and spent his early years with his hands in the soil. And it shows. The Redneck is joined in this episode by Tom Neilson. Tom comes from a rural background with deep farming roots. He is a musician, an activist, a spoken word artist, and a baseball player. I know Tom personally, and I promise you will want to watch this one.

Consumerism has long been heralded as the hallmark of modern society, shaping our perceptions, desires, and ultimately, our identities. Over the past century, corporations have orchestrated a relentless campaign aimed at convincing the public that products are the key element of stability and contentment in our lives. They have convinced most Americans that the key to happiness and self-actualization lies in buying the right things. The rise of consumerism was not an organic development, but a well thought out strategy to undermine democracy at the highest levels of society. Join us as we discuss the individuals primarily responsible for turning active citizens into passive consumers and how their hatred for the public led from an unethical pursuit of profit to the hunt for political power.

The Redneck interviews comedian Lee Camp, who is probably the funniest Leftist in the US. I met him during the Occupy Wall Street Movement and he has been cracking me up ever since. Humor has been a dynamic force in shaping social change, acting as a catalyst for dialogue, challenging societal norms, and fostering empathy. Through satire, parody, and comedy, humorists have the unique ability to illuminate injustice, critique power structures, and mobilize communities towards collective action. Join Lee and David for a very special episode of Redneck Gone Green.

Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson joins Redneck Gone Green. We will be discussing the Jackson-Kush Plan, their current activities, and the recent Neighborhood Economics conference.

Join us live on Tues, Feb 27 at 3pm pacific, 6pm eastern. I will be interviewing Kali Young (Wellbeing Economy Alliance) and Philip Clayton (Institute for Ecological Civilization). We will be talking about the California Just Economy Summit.

In a world consumed by consumerism, The Church of Stop Shopping presents a compelling and unconventional challenge to the status quo. Reverend Billy is a performance artist and activist known for his charismatic and satirical sermons against mindless consumerism. Savitri Durkee is the Theatrical Director. They are a dynamic partnership that co-founded the controlled mayhem. Join us in discussion of what they're doing to confront the commodification of everyday life with passion and joy.

Redneck Gone Green are joined by Cheri Honkala and Shamako Noble, leaders of the Poor People’s Army (aka Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign). We discuss their plans to march at the Democratic and Republican Party conventions, their housing takeovers and food distribution programs, and their commitment to political education.

We will discuss how serious, practical revolutionaries can engage in electoral politics without compromising our vision or values.

On Tues, Jan 30 Redneck Gone Green will discuss the ongoing Genocide in Gaza, the rising Jewish resistance to the Netanyahu regime in Israel, and the recent ruling of the International Court of Justice. We will be joined by Margaret Kimberley, Executive Editor of the Black Agenda Report. We will discuss her powerful essay titled Muslim and Arab-American Voters Show Black People How to Exercise Political Power. https://blackagendareport.com/muslim-and-arab-american-voters-show-black-people-how-exercise-political-power

This week on Redneck Gone Green David will interview John Thompson Parker, who is running for Congress in Los Angeles County on the Peace & Freedom Party ballot line. We will discuss his own campaign, as well as the growing Left Unity Slate, a collaborative effort between the Green Party and the Peace & Freedom Party in California.

For our 23rd episode, Jackrabbit will be interviewing David to dig into his vision for the future. "What can be done?" is the question that he is hoping to answer with the Redneck Gone Green podcast and he'll get into how we get there from here. What it looks like and what possible strategies we can use to create the world we deserve. David Cobb is a “people’s lawyer” who has sued corporate polluters, lobbied elected officials, run for political office himself, and been arrested for non-violent civil disobedience. He believes we can– and must – provoke and win a peaceful revolution if we are to survive. David currently serves as Co-Coordinator of the US Solidarity Economy Network. He also serves on the Steering Committee of the Green Eco-Socialist Network, the Board of Directors of the Solidarity Research Center, an advisor to the California Progressive Alliance, and is a leader of the California Public Banking Alliance. David ran for Attorney General of Texas in 2002, pledging to revoke the charters of corporations that routinely violate the law. In 2004 he was the Green Party nominee for President of the United States, and his demands for recounts in multiple states helped to launch the election integrity movement that ended the advance of electronic (black box) voting systems. In 2010 he helped to co-found Move To Amend and co-authored a proposed constitutional amendment to abolish the illegitimate court-created doctrines of corporate constitutional rights and money equals speech. In 2016 he served as campaign manager for the Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka presidential campaign

Our guest for the January 9, 2024 episode of Redneck Gone Green will be Terry Bouricius, a long-time democracy advocate. Terry will be making the case for sortition, a method of randomly selecting individuals for public office or participation in decision-making processes, ensuring a representative and unbiased distribution of responsibilities. It involves randomly choosing individuals from a pool, rather than relying on elections or appointments based on merit or popularity. So, please join us and let us know what you would do if you were lucky enough to get the call. Let's save democracy together!

The solidarity economy embodies a true paradigm shift away from a profit-driven economic system toward community-oriented and sustainable practices. At its core, the solidarity economy promotes cooperation, equity, and collective well-being, fostering a sense of shared responsibility that extends beyond individual gain. Matthew is an active leader in state, national, and global initiatives to build a more resilient and democratic world. He is co-director of the Solidarity Research Center, serves on the Board of Director of the US Solidarity Economy Network, and is a co-founder of the VA Solidarity Economy Network. He is a consultant for participatory budgeting and supporting worker cooperative development in the South. His teaching explores the intersection of social movements and urban spaces.

We are witnessing ongoing genocide in Palestine, fascism rising across the globe, a US Presidential election where the Republican Party nominee is a full-fledged fascist and the Democratic Party nominee is a corporate neoliberal. And at the same moment We are witnessing an amazing upsurge of militancy by organized labor, connections and collaborations between organizations and movements devoted to racial justice, gender equality and social change. Dr, Harriet Fraad has an extensive social change background, which you can see below my signature. As an unapologetic Marxist and practicing mental health counselor and psychotherapist, she is uniquely qualified to discuss this profound historic moment. She was a founding member of the “Second Wave” feminist movement in the US, and the founder of the journal Rethinking Marxism. She publishes regularly in Truthout, Alternet, and The Journal of Psychohistory. She appears regularly on Economic Update on WBAI, KBBK in California.

Our guest for the Dec 12, 2023 episode of Redneck Gone Green will be Zac Henson, an auto mechanic in Alabama who holds a Phd in Geography from University of California-Berkeley. We will be discussing the Automotive Free Clinic and how it is a building block for a "Post-apocalyptic Utopia." An auto mechanic and a community organizer walk into a bar… and decide that auto repair should be free. That’s basically what happened with The Automotive Free Clinic, but the mechanic and the organizer were both Zac.

For our 18th episode, we'll be talking with Wafic Faour, a Palestinian-American living in Vermont. We’ll discuss his work with Vermonters for Justice in Palestine, the horrific shooting of the three young Palestinians in Burlington, and what folks can do to show up for justice.

In 2015, Barcelona EnComu’s Ada Colau - a housing rights activist - won her election to become mayor of Barcelona, Spain’s 2nd largest city. Barcelona En Comú’s guiding document was drawn up through citizen participation and its policy priorities included radicalizing democracy, stopping evictions, fighting touristification, returning the city’s water company to the people, and reducing economic inequalities between neighborhoods. Join us as we speak with Kate Shea-Baird member of the Barcelona EnComu executive committee that governed from 2015 to 2023 as we talk to her about what happened when the people took the power. Read more about Municipalism: https://www.shareable.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/win-the-city-guide.pdf https://wagingnonviolence.org/2023/05/lessons-barcelona-en-comu-ada-colau/

We've got a special treat for you this week. I'll be interviewing Jackrabbit, the executive producer for the Redneck Gone Green show. You know him as the handsome fella who comes onto the show from time to time to share his wisdom with us. This will be a valuable episode to hear from an organizer and activist who has a rich perspective on life in general and politic in particular. I met Jackrabbit at Zuccotti Park where the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) moment was growing in strength every day. I was impressed with his focus on converting grassroots energy into political power. I guess I must have made an impression on him as well since we're still friends today...lol From being homeless in Philadelphia to protesting the DNC in Atlanta. He's hitchhiked to a street fight with the police at the San Francisco federal building to the wild-west of mid-90s Burning Man. He co-founded a theatre company and was active in the campaigns for Bernie Sanders in 2016 and 2020. Please join us for a fascinating discussion with a good friend.

Join us Tuesday at 6p ET/3p PT as we talk to Sean Dougherty Green party candidate for congress in California's 19th. We'll be discussing the latest developments in the national Green party as Cornell West has left to run as an independent and Jill Stein has once again taken up the mantle for the party. We'll also take some time to cover the ongoing horror unfolding in Gaza.