International

On March 23, 2022 Arturo McFields, Nicaragua's ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) resigned and denounced the Ortega government in Nicaragua for acting as a dictatorship, imprisoning hundreds, and effectively shutting down civil society, during a meeting at the OAS. Local writer and educator Trish O'Kane joins us to give an update on what this means and the current state of Nicaragua along with some historical context.

From Trish's website:

An environmental educator who uses action-research to promote environmental and social justice, Dr. Trish O’Kane created the “Birding to Change the World” service learning course and program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while completing her doctorate. She believes in harnessing the power of passionate, knowledgeable and energetic students to help solve community and global problems.

Before studying the natural sciences, Trish worked as a human and civil rights investigative journalist for a decade in Central America and five years in the Deep South. In Guatemala she worked for the United Nations investigating massacres perpetrated by the Guatemalan military. In Alabama, she conducted research on white supremacist groups for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Trish has also taught writing in a women's prison. Author of "Guatemala: The People, Politics and Culture," she has written for major media including The New York Times.

For more information: trishokane.org

From VICII:

"Calling Putin names or speculating on the mental state of the President of the Russian Federation sheds little light on the devastating war in Ukraine. Labelling Putin a "thug" or "lunatic" or "a dictator interested in rebuilding the Soviet Empire" can only obfuscate what is actually happening as the world finds itself on the brink of WWIII. After all the din of name calling, this war in Europe's largest country is more than the designs of an evil leader of Russia.

As citizens of the world watch the split up of their planet into two competing and dangerous alliances, NATO v. the emerging agreements between Russia and China, join the Vermont Institute of Community and International Involvement for a community discussion on the shape of a new world order which is appearing amidst all the misguided personal attacks on Vladimir Putin, President of Russia."

For more information: vicii.org

Sandy Baird speaks with Eric Agnero about how the war the Ukraine is viewed in Africa.

From the participants:

Ashley Smith of the Tempest Collective will talk about why the US and the Western left must oppose and condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and why we must stand in solidarity with the resistance to Putin’s occupation, while at the same time opposing the militarism of the U.S. and NATO.

Charlotte Dennett, representing the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom and the author of the newly released book "Follow the Pipelines: Uncovering the Mystery of a Lost Spy and the Deadly Politics of the Great Game for Oil," will talk about how the Ukraine crisis is an example of the battle between petropowers that benefits the fossil fuel companies but has deadly consequences for average citizens.

Trey Cook, a freshman at the University of Vermont, and organizer for the Young Democratic Socialists of America, will talk about opposing all war but "class war."

John Reuwer, of World BEYOND War and Physicians for Social Responsibility, will share why any solutions to the crisis based on more war would only cause more misery. He will outline a number of nonviolent strategies that have a better chance of mitigating the trauma and delivering a more secure future.