Democracy Watch News

Cat and Kirsten describe and answer questions about Seattle's Mutual Aid Kitchens that provide free quality food to needy people in several neighborhoods.  Their philosophy is that high quality food should be free for people without the means to afford it. They accomplish that with donations and volunteers. They believe that quality food access should be on a level with water and housing. Food is...

Dean Edwards reports on hybrid warfare as is happening in Ukraine. Disinformation and misinformation terms are explained.   He also recommends these resources for self governance: John Locke's writing, Second Treatise on Civil Government. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Two-Treatises-of-Government and Locke a very short introduction from Oxford University Press   For some information on nonviolen...

12-16-21 Staff reports from Democracy Watch News. Dean Edwards provides more information about the News Services' design and the aspiration of becoming a comprehensive world news provider. #DemocracyWatchNews#GlobalNewsProviders Mark Taylor-Canfield reports on the current recall election for Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant. He lists her legislative successes and details the large amount...

This discussion describes the concerns around 11-04-2021 shortly after the military coup took place in Khartoum and throughout Sudan. Adil is a journalist from that region. He says that a national government is difficult if not impossible because there are 5 major armies, many ethnic groups, and a tradition of being organized by localized tribal groups. He says that outside influences from Egypt,...

Dean Edwards begins by sharing his experience of listening to Sudanese voices in Twitter spaces.  https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/spaces . We must match the tone of our reporting with the tragedies that have plagued Sudan for so long. His related article in LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6862638962700374016 .    Next, from Toronto Babajide Alao who works wi...

Monday, May 03, 2021 was World Press Freedom Day. It is an annual event held on May 03 each year.   In 1993, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 3 May as World Press Freedom Day following a recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of the violations of press freedom. This year the events went on for one wee...

An introduction by Dean Edwards, International Coordinating Editor for Democracy Watch news followed by a presentation by Numairy a BBC journalist and Dr. Mohammed Hassan El Mahdi an internal medicine Resident in Sudan. Numairy starts with a review of the deadly Sudanese revolution from 2018. Chaos in the last 5 years. Then Mohammed provides additional information on the revolution and the current...

Dean Edwards, International Coordinating Editor and executive producer does a follow-up on the Progressive movement. Then he talks about Sudan. People on the streets there are largely dissatisfied with both the coup and the ousted government. Then he talks about Populism in Sudan. Populism is a communications strategy with three steps. 1. Identify and build relationships with your audience to allo...

Sally Gellert in New Jersey reports on the Ecologic program broadcast over Free Speech Radio WBIA in New York City. She is a co-host. They cover environmental issues both locally and globally, for example; electrification, people versus fossil fuels in Washington D.C., and the global climate summit in Glasgow Scotland.  https://wbai.org https://ukcop26.org     John Harvey in Pittsburg reports on t...

This week we have three reports. First Dean Edwards, our International Coordinating Editor discusses the history and proper usage of the term "progressive" which grew out of the greater reconstruction period to address the need for good governance. This encompassed  the concentration of State powers, corporate governance, transparency, and public health and safety. Next, John Harvey, our Chief Inf...

Carpenter Arthur Esparza provides another update. Workers are now out on strike. Workers are organizing independently from their own union claiming that Carpenters Union local 30 and Associated General Contractors of Washington (AGC) are not representing their best interests . They want a stronger contract that keeps up with inflation, equity with other trades, and a democratic Union with leadersh...

On this, the 10th Anniversary of Occupy Wallstreet we republish our podcast of the 5th Anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement, this archival episode of Democracycast was recorded live on September 17, 2016. Dean Edwards introduces Sanna Camera and Aisha Dabo from Dakar, Senegal. Jo Ellen Kaiser moderates as John Harvey, Jan Weinberg and Sally Gellett report from Zuccotti Park in New...

Carpenter Arthur Esparza provides an update. The membership voted to reject the proposed contract. A new proposal will be considered, perhaps, in two weeks. Workers are organizing independently from their own union claiming that Carpenters Union local 30 and Associated General Contractors of Washington (AGC) are not representing their best interests . They want a stronger contract that keeps up wi...

Workers in Seattle are organizing independently from their own union claiming that the Carpenters Union local 30 and The Associated General Contractors of Washington (AGC) are not representing their best interests. They want a stronger contract that keeps up with inflation and equity with other trades. And, a democratic Union, leadership accountability and less cronyism. Recorded 2021-08-05  Durat...

A program featured on KMUZ community radio in Salem Oregon's show Willamette Wakeup on 10-29-2020 that provides an update on the Beachie Creek Fire and recovery that occurred in August & September of 2020. Melanie Zermer talks with Brian Nicholas Marion County's Public Works Director. A little over 1000 properties were affected. He describes all of the support services, recovery, cleanup, and rebu...

Democracy cast podcast features Grace Rachmany to talk about local economies, economic sharing systems, the function of money, ecovillages, and cryptocurrencies. Hosted by Dean, we also hear questions from Mark, Sally, Terrance, John in a very interactive international press conference interview. Recorded 04-01-21. Duration: 54:13 Check out www.voiceofhumanity.one to hear more from Grace and learn...

 Part 2. Taylor-Canfield interviews Greg Palast on voter rights, voter suppression, censorship, and the voting policy bills currently in debate. Recorded 2021-06-03. Duration 00:33:33   Greg Palast is known for his investigative reports for The Guardian and Democracy Now and author of several New York Times bestsellers including The Best Democracy Money Can Buy. Catch Palast's reports at GregPalas...

Mark Taylor-Canfield interviews Greg Palast on voter rights, voter suppression, censorship, and the voting policy bills currently in debate. Recorded 06-03-2021.  Duration 37:31 Greg Palast is known for his investigative reports for The Guardian and Democracy Now and author of several New York Times bestsellers including The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.   Catch Palast's reports at GregPalast.com...

Democracy Watch News Executive Director Mark Taylor-Canfield is an accomplished musician and composer. When he's not writing articles or appearing as a guest on a national media program (Jeff Santos Show), Mark plays rock and roll in Seattle with his band The Revel Saints (He's the vocalist and plays electric guitar). In this episode of Democracycast, MTC explains what it's like being an independe...

Democracy Watch News Executive Director Mark Taylor-Canfield presents information about social networking platforms and the overwhelming influence of computer technology on our daily lives. When to post? How to post? Social anxiety associated with peer pressure and information overload, etc. Also heard on this podcast are Sally Gellert, Dean Edwards, and Michael Buell.   #socialNetworking#technolo...

Democracy Watch News Executive Director Mark Taylor-Canfield's presentation on the rights of journalists based on guidelines developed by the Committee To Protect Journalists and a Reuters foundation. MTC discusses his experiences as a reporter dealing with law enforcement and legal cases, federal civil rights lawsuits, subpoenas, etc. He offers advice and some commentary on issues most journalist...

David Stasavage is the Dean for the Social Sciences and the Julius Silver Professor in NYU's Department of Politics and an Affiliated Professor in NYU's School of Law. He is the author of The Decline and Rise of Democracy: A Global History from Antiquity to Today , published by Princeton University Press in June 2020. This book provides a new understanding of early democracy in multiple world regi...

John Harvey is one of the key enthusiasts of the evolving creation of virtual realities. He has authored this podcast. Because of COVID 19 the in person Burning Man could not be held. Using an Oculus Quest 2 headset he participated in the 2020 virtual Burning Man and details that transformative experience. The Oculus Quest 2 headset has 6 degrees of freedom and two hand interface controllers that...

This in-depth report from Seattle was recorded on July 30, 2020. Mark Taylor-Canfield continues his coverage of social unrest following the police killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Manuel Ellis, Elijah McClain, and many other people of color.  Duration 21:02   Trump sent federal police to Seattle and Portland to help local police suppress daily protests against racism and police brutality....

Democracy Watch News Executive Director Mark Taylor-Canfield reports from Seattle on the  Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) and Mayor Jenny Durkan's Executive Order directing police to raid the site and arrest protesters who refuse to leave the area. She then imposed a 10 day moratorium on protests in Cal Anderson Park and the surrounding area near the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct...