Tag Archives: Free Speech

Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle- Authoritarians Rule Turkey -/- Uninformed Democracy – May 22, 2016

First, the normalized violence and growing authoritarianism in Turkey. What does it mean for the country, the region and European Union? We speak with Fatima Muge Gocek author of Denial of Violence. [ dur: 28 mins. ]

Then, why do people seem to know so little about politics? And what does that mean for democracy? We speak with Arthur Lupia author of Uninformed: Why People Know So Little About Politics and What We Can Do About It. [ dur: 30 mins. ]

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This program is produced with generous contribution from Ankine Aghassian, Melissa Chiprin, Tim Page, Mike Hurst and Sudd Dongre.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle-Art an act of Resistance-/-Memory Entrepreneurs-November 15th, 2015

First we look at art as an act of resistance and as a weapon to counter oppression and violence. [ dur: 28 mins. ]

  • Mark LeVine is a professor of history at the University of California, Irvine and author of “Overthrowing Geography, Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam” and “Impossible Peace” .

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle panel, how the politics of memory and memory entrepreneur are trying to shape what and how we remember the past as a means of shaping the future. [ dur: 30 mins. ]

  • Douglas Becker is a professor of international relations at the University of Southern California and author of the chapter Memories and Trauma as Elements of Identity in Foreign Policymaking.
  • Dovile Budryte is a professor of political science at Georgia Gwinnett College in Atlanta. She is the author of “Taming Nationalism: Political Community Building in the Post-soviet Baltic States” and co-editor of the collected volume “Memory and Trauma in International Relations: Theories, Cases and Debates“.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle-Free-Speech-in-USA-/-Tortured-Dec. 13th, 2014

First, we continue to trace the birth of free speech in the US, a country that for decades prosecuted dissenters. What caused the radical turn around by the Supreme Court to support free speech? [ dur: 29 mins. ]

  • Thomas Healy is Professor of Law at Seton Hall Law School. Author of The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind–and Changed the History of Free Speech in America

Then, the senate’s report on CIA torture detailed the intelligence agencies inhumane interrogation techniques, which included rectal hydration, water-boarding and beatings. Members of the Bush administration who had sanctioned the torture, continue defending the program despite international condemnation. Our next two panel discussions explore the realities of torture, both from the individuals’ experiences of being tortured and the broader legal and societal questions..

  • Murad Aldin Amayreh is an Independent Film Producer and Director. He produced and directed the recently released documentary, The Tortured: Stories of Survival.
  • Hector Aristizabal is one of the interviewees in the film, who was tortured in Colombia. He has a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, founded ImaginAction to help people tap the transformative power of theatre in programs throughout the US, Latin America, Europe and globally. He is the co-author of, The Blessing Next to the Wound: A Story of Art, Activism, and Transformation.

Also joining the conversation:

  • Pamela Merchant is the former President and Executive Director of the Center for Justice and Accountability. Under her leadership, CJA has grown from an organization devoted solely to human rights litigation in the U.S. to one that also engages in human rights litigation in foreign jurisdictions, such as Spain and Cambodia. CJA now represents over 200 clients from 21 countries and has tripled its operating budget. Ms. Merchant has testified before Congress on accountability for human rights abusers and other human rights issues. Ms. Merchant received degrees from Georgetown University and Boston College School of Law
  • Gerald Gray is a social worker and psychotherapist who works with torture victims and who has initiated numerous institutes to assist them. He founded Center for Justice and Accountabilityin 1998. Currently, he is on the advisory board at the Institute for Redress & Recovery, Santa Clara University School of Law.
  • Stephen Rohde is a constitutional lawyer, founder and current Vice-Chair of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, Chair of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and a Vice President of Death Penalty Focus. He is the author of, Webster’s New World American Words of Freedomand Freedom of Assembly.

 

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Scholars’ Circle-Free-Speech-in-USA-/-Influencers-of-American-Congress-Dec. 7th, 2014

First, after years of allowing censorship and criminal prosecution of dissent, what caused the radical turnaround by the Supreme Court to then support free speech and dissent? Part one of a two part discussion with Thomas Healy.

  • Thomas Healy is Professor of Law at Seton Hall Law School. Author of The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind–and Changed the History of Free Speech in America

Then, we know that the wealthy have more influence than other americans, but just how unrepresentative is the American Congress and the state legislatures?

  • Thomas Hayes, is Professor of Political Science at University of Connecticut.
  • Martin Gilens, is Professor of Politics, Princeton University. Author of  Affluence and Influence: Economic Inequality and Political Power in America
  • Patrick Flavin, is Professor of Political Science at Baylor University.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- Nov. 17th, 2013

First, after years of allowing censorship and criminal prosecution of dissent, what caused the radical turnaround by the Supreme Court to then support free speech and dissent? Part one of a two part discussion with Thomas Healy author of, The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind ” and Changed the History. [ dur:  27 mins. ]

  • Thomas Healy is professor of law at Seton Hall Law School. He is the author of, The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind — and Changed the History of Free Speech in America. And the law review publications, Brandenburg in a Time of Terror, and The Rise of Unnecessary Constitutional Rulings

Then, we know that the wealthy have more influence than other americans, but just how unrepresentative is the American Congress and the state legislatures? [ dur: 31 mins. ]

  • Thomas Hayes is Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Connecticut. His publications include, Responsiveness in an Era of Inequality: The Case of the U.S. Senate, and Do Citizens Link Attitudes with Preferences? Economic Inequality and Government Spending in the New Gilded Age
  • Martin Gilens is Professor of Politics at Princeton University. He is the author of Affluence & Influence: Economic Inequality and Political Power in America, and Why Americans Hate Welfare: Race, Media and the Politics of Antipoverty Policy.
  • Patrick Flavin is professor of political science at Baylor University. His publications include, Income Inequality and Policy Representation in the American States, Does Higher Voter Turnout Among the Poor Lead to More Equal Policy Representation? and How Citizens and Legislators Prioritize Spheres of Representation.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – Sept. 23rd, 2012

Chauncey Bailey was the first journalist killed in the US doing his job since the 1970’s. We’ll look at the reasons behind his assassination. Thomas Peele is the author of Killing the Messenger: A Story of Radical Faith, Racist Backlash and the Assassination of a Journalist. [ Dur: 24 mins. ]

Then on the Scholars’ Circle, we look at the multiple issues behind the latest round of protests in the Middle East. [ Dur: 27 mins. ]

  • Prof. Dipak Gupta, Political Science ,UC San Diego . Author of  Who Are The Terrorist? ( The Roots of Terrorism );
  • Roger Petersen, Political Science, MIT. Author of Understanding Ethnic Violence: Fear, Hatred, and Resentment in Twentieth-Century Eastern Europe.
  • Hamoud Salhi, Prof. Political Science, CSU Dominguez Hills. Host of SWANA Region Radio on KPFK – Los Angeles.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle July 22nd, 2012

An hour-long special on music and politics.
First, we speak with Serj Tankian, multiplatinum selling musician and lead singer of System of A Down. Latest Album Harakiri. [dur. 15 mins.]

Then, we find out about the banned, censored, oppressed, and jailed musicians all over the world. [ dur. 15 mins. ]

With:

  • Ole Reitov is the Programme Manager for Freemuse.
  • Michael O’Rielly is Senior Campaign Director for Individuals at Risk program at Amnesty International

Finally, on the Scholars’ Circle we discuss at how music effects political change, and how politics effects music. [ dur. 28 mins. ]

With:

  • Josh Kun is Associate Professor of communication and journalism, and  director of The Popular Music Project at USC Annenberg’s The Norman Lear Center. He is the author of Audiotopia: Music, Race and America, and co-editor of the book series, Refiguring American Music.
  • Mark Levine is professor of Middle Eastern history at the University of California, Irvine, and distinguished visiting professor at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University in Sweden. He writes a weekly column for al-Jazeera International and, has published numerous books including, “Why They Don’t Hate Us: Lifting the Veil on the Axis of Evil,” and “Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance and the Story of Islam’s Generation-X.” His forthcoming book is about the revolutions in the Arab world, “The Five Year Old Who Toppled a Pharaoh.”
  • Dick Flacks is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at University of California–Santa Barabara. He is the author of Making History: The American Left and the American Mind, and Playing for Change: Music and Musicians in the Service of Social Movements. He also produces a music show.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – Nature of organizing societies and hate speech politics – July 15th, 2012

What does nature teach us about organizing societies, governments and businesses? [dur: 28mins. ]

  • Rafe Sagarin (1971-2015) was a research scientist with the Institute of the Environment at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ and the Program Manager for Oceans at Biosphere 2, where he was working to transform Biosphere 2’s ocean biome into a living model of the Gulf of California. He is the author of, Learning from the Octopus: How Secrets From Nature Can Help Us Fight Terrorism Attacks, Natural Disasters and Disease.

What are the effects of incivility, vilification and hate speech? What are the effects of political incivility and vilification on pubic policy and political participation? On democracy? How do they compare to hate speech? Where are the legal lines drawn? [ dur: 29mins. ]

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

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