rabble radio

On April 17, 2024 a pro-Palestine protest encampment was built at Columbia University where students called on their school to disclose and divest their investments in companies linked to Israel and its war on Gaza. This inspired a movement in universities across North America –and the globe– for students to create their own on-campus encampments.  After months of peaceful protest, the encampments...

This week on rabble radio, Nick Seebruch sits down with Deblekha Guin, the executive director of Access to Media Education Society. The two discuss the work the organization does to educate and empower youth through storytelling, artistic collaboration and peer facilitation.  In 1996, Deblekha (she/her) founded Access to Media Education Society (AMES), a non-profit that supports directly impacted...

This week on rabble radio, Libby Davies sits down with Avi Lewis to talk about a lifetime of activism and his plans to run in the next federal election. Avi Lewis is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, educator, and activist. Lewis is also the co-founder of  The Leap , a grassroots climate organization launched to upend our collective response to the crises of climate, inequality and racism. Lewi...

"Unions are not just a place for rank and file issues – they are also political." This week, labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga sits down with Ala' Qadi to discuss how student unions and labour issues intersect with the crisis in Palestine.  Ala' Qadi is the second vice chair of the Coalition of Racialized Workers at Ontario Public Service Employee Union (OPSEU). He is also a steward of Algon...

On Tuesday, June 25, more than 300 people rallied outside SickKids Hospital in Toronto to call on the employer to end their decades-long pension holiday. Today, Leonora Foster, patient service aid and president of the CUPE local at the hospital joins rabble labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga to talk about the need for a new pension plan for SickKids employees.  Leonora Foster is a patient ser...

This week on rabble radio, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was 'Off the Hill: Pride in Canada – The fight continues.'  Our panel featured  NDP MP Blake Desjarlais; rabble columnist Charlotte Dalwood; podcaster Shawn Dearn; professor Fritz Pino; and activist Martine Roy.  About our guests MP Blake Desjarlais (he/him) was born in ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧ...

This week on rabble radio, rabble editor Nick Seebruch joins Josh Bizjak, executive director of the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation, to talk about the history of the organization and current research projects and initiatives.  Josh Bizjak was the founding director of development at the Broadbent Institute until joining the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation in January 2021, as the executive dir...

It's June, listeners! And in Canada and the US, June marks the start of Pride Season. Pride is when 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and allies gather in solidarity to celebrate queer identity and visibility, to commemorate the history of resistance to discrimination and violence, and to come together to fight current issues facing queer people.  This week on rabble radio, we're re-releasing an episode from...

Under the Rachel Notley NDP government in Alberta in 2015, and in response to public outcry over excessive compensation and benefits for public sector senior executives, the Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act (PSCTA) was introduced. With the Act came "sunshine lists" which outlined the compensation of all public sector workers whose earnings exceeded a certain threshold. In a blogpost by...

This week on rabble radio, we're sharing a clip from our most recent Courage My Friends podcast series episode, hosted on Needs No Introduction. In this episode, host Resh Budhu sits down with professor and researcher Dr. Chandni Desai and professor, author and policy analyst Dr. Muhannad Ayyash. The three discuss the destruction of Gaza's educational systems and the role of scholasticide within g...

This week on rabble radio, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was 'Off the Hill: The myths and realities of Canada's labour shortage'  Our panel featured MP Matthew Green, economist Jim Stanford, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour Laura Walton and researcher and policy analyst at the CCPA, Véronique Sioufi.  About our guests MP...

It's Asian Heritage Month in Canada – and this month, we're very excited to bring you a two-part discussion on the history of Asian labour in Canada.  This week's episode is a continuation from last week's conversation in which rabble labour reporter Kiah Lucero, and Patricia Chong and Karine Ng from the Ontario and BC branches of the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance discussed the history of the All...

It's Asian Heritage Month in Canada – and this month, we're very excited to bring you a two-part discussion on the history of Asian labour in Canada.  Over the next two weeks, we're sharing a conversation between rabble's own labour reporter Kiah Lucero, and Patricia Chong and Karine Ng from the Ontario and BC branches of the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance. The three discuss the history of the All...

rabble editor Nick Seebruch sits down with Alex Stratas from Climate Justice uOttawa to talk about the work they do fighting for climate justice on and off campus.  Climate Justice uOttawa is a student run, grassroot organization aimed towards achieving climate justice within the uOttawa community and beyond. Their mission includes encouraging universities to fully divest from organizations which...

This week on rabble radio, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was ' Off the Hill: Dissecting the 2024 federal budget. '  Our panel featured economist at the Centre for Future Work Jim Stanford, senior economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives David Macdonald, and writer and policy researcher Chuka Ejeckam. Co-hosted by Robin...

This week on rabble radio, rabble editor Nick Seebruch sits down with executive director of the Institute for Change Leaders, Mike Perry. The two discuss the training the ICL offers organizers, activists and campaigners as well as the importance of building relationships and storytelling when organizing.  A lawyer and social worker by profession, Mike Perry is the Institute for Change Leader's exe...

This week on rabble radio, Dr. Lisa Everitt joins Kiah Lucero to talk about the emotional labour and burnout that teachers and education assistants in Canada are facing. The two also discuss the "HEARTcare" plan – a research project aimed at improving educator well-being.  About our guest and the HEARTcare project Dr. Lisa Everitt has worked as an executive staff officer with the Alberta Teachers...

This week on rabble radio, and ahead of International Transgender Day of Visibility this weekend, rabble's Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Madison Edward-Wright sits down with the former research director at JusticeTrans, Alexis.  The two discuss the reports, events and plans JusticeTrans is working on to help Two Spirit, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming communities in Canada....

This week on rabble radio, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was 'Off the Hill: We want gender equality and affirmative action, not lip service.'  Our panel featured social entrepreneur pk mutch and professor Nadia Abu-Zahra in discussion and analysis. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libby Davies.  About our guests pk mutch is an award-winn...

This week on rabble radio, rabble editor Nick Seebruch sits down with 2SLGBTQIA+ advocate Fae Johnstone to talk about the recent attempted political moves across provinces to take away trans rights – and how organizations like Momentum are fighting back. Fae Johnstone, MSW, is the executive director of Wisdom2Action, a progressive consulting firm and social enterprise, as well as the (part-time) e...

This week on rabble radio, rabble's Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow sits down with Sarah Jama, Independent MPP for Hamilton Centre. The two discuss Jama's removal from the NDP caucus due to her "early" calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and how Jama's activism influences her politics.   A bit about our guest  Sarah Jama is an Independent Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Centre. Jam...

This week on rabble radio, Kiah Lucero sits down with Brandi Morin to talk about her coverage of two top stories from the past year. The first: Imperial Oil's massive Kearl Mine tailings leak in Treaty 8 Territory; and the second: the brutal displacement of an Indigenous homeless camp in Edmonton – and her ensuing arrest.  Brandi Morin is an award-winning Cree/Iroquois/French journalist from Treat...

This week on rabble radio, we feature a segment from our most recent Off the Hill political panel. This month, our theme was 'Off the Hill: How whiteness impacts federal policy.'  Our panel featured poet and activist El Jones; social responsibility and equity communications consultant Beisan Zubi; and assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Work, Fritz Pino. Co-hosted by Robin Browne and Libb...

This month, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that an Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Children, Youth, and Families (Bill C-92), which Parliament passed in 2019, is constitutional and not beyond Parliament's jurisdiction as was claimed by the attorney general of Quebec in an appeal from 2022.  Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution affirms and recognizes Indigenous peoples' rig...

This week, rabble labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga sits down with Cathy Holtslander, the director of research and policy for the National Farmers Union (NFU). The two discuss the meaning of seed sovereignty and how the NFU are taking action through the Farmers' Seed Act.    Cathy Holtslander is the director of research and policy for the National Farmers Union. She has been advocating for s...