Radical Australia

Joe Toscano and Kelly Whitworth

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EVERY TWO WEEKS

Listen in as host Joe Toscano yarns with a different guest each week about their experience in movements and campaigns for progressive social change.

6 NOV

Alexander Brown

Alexander Brown joins us on the blower from Wollongong this week. He got his radical history education and began his political activities in the 90's, around the time of Howard's election. Who hasn't heard that before! Alexander has had a strong connection with Japan and its radical activists in his life, ever since he went to high school there for a year. He taught English in Tokyo a little while ago and got to understand the country's radical groups and movement a bit better. His PhD was about radical politics in Tokyo. This was around the time of the Fukushima tragedy. Alexander loves the 'Gong through and through, but he started out life in Albury as a bookworm, a love that has been a great joy in his life. He has a little publishing company called Kembla Books and it was a pleasure speaking with him this week. Keep up your great community spirit, Alexander!alexanderbrown.online I kemblabooks.comAnti-nuclear demonstration in Tokyo, April Fools Day, 2012Alexander with anti-nuclear activists in Tokyo preparing a solidarity banner to send to Australia, 2012Defence Industry Conference speakout, Wollongong, April 2023
30 OCT

CUDL: Tahlia and Felix

Tahlia and Felix join us this week from CUDL: the Community Union Defence League. Since 2019 they have been handing out home-cooked meals to anyone who needs one on the steps of the State Library, every single Sunday from 3pm to 6pm. Call them on 0480 039 002 if you would like to help out or find out more. CUDL began life in Adelaide as support to a CFMEU worker, with the community raising thousands of dollars to pay most of their fine. They now have branches in a few states and areas around Australia and support workers' strikes and pickets. CUDL provides programs of solidarity and support within the capitalist system. They would also like to help other groups set themselves up for progressive activities. Tahlia and Felix were great guests and we had fun chatting with them. As young activists, they also shared with us what they have learned about homelessness in Melbourne on Sunday afternoons during their meal times. Keep up the great work, Tahlia and Felix, and look after yourselves and each other.Follow CUDL on Instagram to find out more: @cudlmelbourne or cudl.org.auTahlia (l) and Felix (r) in Studio One at 3CR.Tahlia and Felix post-chat outside 3CR.Tahlia and Felix back in Studio One at 3CR.
23 OCT

Em Collard

Em Collard is a super talented person who has already won two scholarships in their life to prestigious learning institutions. They have excelled in both sports and music, landing presently at Fitzroy Legal Service doing the important Night Service coordination while studying for their Juris Doctor. That's a law degree when you already have a degree - Em already has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music which they started attending when they were just 17 years old. Em played trumpet there and reckons there was a bit of sexism around, just like they encountered when they were a youth cricket gun. Em hails from Newcastle and was born in 1996. They co-produce The Sporting Record on 3CR, covering sports issues the hosts would generally like to see in the world. Well, they are doing it themselves and winning sports and non-sports fans alike with the issues they discuss, including justice issues in the game. The show is weekly and broadcasts on Thursdays at 3:30pm for the full hour. It's a great effort producing a weekly show of fresh news and we congratulate the team on their second year of broadcasting on 3CR. Em is non-binary as well and they explain what that means for them. All in all, they are a stand-up decent person and a great ornament to the 3CR Christmas tree. Thanks so much for joining us this week, Em. Keep up the great work!www.3cr.org.au/thesportingrecord www.fls.org.au/how-we-can-helpEm stands outside 3CR in front of this year's Radiothon poster: Sound on for Solidarity.
16 OCT

Alison Harcourt

What a treat to have pioneering mathematics and statistics whizz, Alison Harcourt, join us on the show this week with her son, Pierre. Alison is 95 years old this year and only recently retired from lecturing and tutoring, a day before her 90th birthday. She really is an Australian treasure. Alison's life started in Colac where her father was a doctor. She remembers the declaration of World War II on a sunny, Sunday morning. She spent some time at Colac High School and boarding school, which was pretty isolating, before beginning her academic life at the University of Melbourne. Then it was off to the London School of Economics where she was pretty much head-hunted to return home to partner with Professor Ron Henderson on Australia's first statistical study of poverty in Australia, out of which came the Henderson Poverty Line, a standard used by researchers for years to come. Alison never had a problem with mathematics, never any difficulty. Apparently, it runs in the family on the female side. Her life advice is to 'keep going, keep active' and 'keep in touch with others, as much as you can'. We hope you enjoy Alison's story and we thank her and Pierre for joining us on the show this week.Alison's t-shirt reads 'Never underestimate an old woman with a mathematics degree'. Choice.l to r: Joe Toscano, Alison, and son, Pierre, in the 3CR courtyard.https://australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/alison-harcourt-aohttps://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/research/labour/henderson-poverty-line
9 OCT

David Boarder Giles

David Boarder Giles was born in Melbourne in the year of Reagan's election (1980), but his mother soon whisked him away to Disneyland and conservative California when he was 10. Boo. It took him a while to finally make his way back home. David witnessed many interesting cultural curios during his teenage years in the States, which probably informed his desire to eventually study anthropology and write his PhD about Food Not Bombs when he was an organiser in Seattle. The culmination of these efforts has resulted in a book titled 'A Mass Conspiracy to Feed People'. It features David with his arse hanging out of a dumpster as he dives for a still-good piece of cake. We love it. David has been a bit of a punk and musician, playing in ska bands and the like. He says that Americans have to decide early on how they are going to respond to the ever-present poverty in their country - ignore, blame or get active. David knows quite a bit about homelessness in America, particularly Seattle, and how the city has responded to the crisis over the years. Today he teaches at Deakin University on systems theory. That's the way all our different systems intermix and collide, from environmental, economical, cultural etc. It sounds pretty all-encompassing. David's scholar and writer of choice is David Graebar (RIP). Check out his writings, too. Thanks for joining us, David. Keep up the great work! David and his pink scarf outside 3CR.
25 SEPT

Jack Brady

Jack Brady has done nearly everything there is to do in life, or so we think. From joining the Air Force at 17, to becoming a trainee dive master, an anthropologist and an English teacher in China. Let's throw in a comedian for good measure. Jack was born in Upper Ferntree Gully in 1970, but soon after their parents upped sticks and moved all the way north to Tewantin in Queensland, on the doorstep of Noosa. After high school, Jack worked at Coles and saw heaps of British pop stars do their shopping there. At one stage of their life, they experienced 'The Bends' and suffered an acquired brain injury, taking many years to recover, some of it ongoing. Jack is a non-binary comedian with Aspergers whose PhD is titled 'You Can't Laugh at That'. However, they would very much like you to laugh at their show 'For Rent: Hot Comedy for a Rent Freeze'. It's on at Theory Bar on October 30. Check it out. Jack would also like to mention another group they hang out in - the Centre for Australian Comedic Action. They are into using comedy for social change, social justice, comedy that changes the world. Check them out as well. Thanks for joining us, Jack, and keep up with all the great offerings you make to our world.www.eventbrite.com.au/e/for-rent-tickets-1001891242677www.caca.au
11 SEPT

Tia Kasambalis

What a thrill to have the very talented Tia Kasambalis join us on the show this week. If you haven't heard of Tia, you have probably seen his artwork around the streets of Melbourne, in a newspaper, or maybe even on the telly sometime over the last few years. Tia is one of those talented artist-activists that make up the Workers Art Collective. Check it out. In the beginning, Tia was born in '91 Sydney. His family eventually moved down to Melbourne, Mt. Waverley, where he went to school and played state rugby for the 'church league'. Eventually, Tia got into tagging big time, which led to design at TAFE and RMIT. Tia's art practise focusses on union, refugee and migrant stories and portraiture. He is currently painting journalist Anthony Loewenstein for the Archibald next year. Can't wait to see that one! Tia was a happy guest and we really enjoyed chatting with him. He is a fabulous artist and we encourage you to follow his work. Thanks so much for being with us, Tia. Keep it up!@tia_kasswww.workersartcollective.comwww.sbs.com.au/news/article/faces-of-the-frontline-how-these-vulnerable-workers-survived-coronavirus-in-australia/c88bys363
4 SEPT

Rosie Heselev

What a gun - Rosie Heselev. At 30, she is the founder of Australia's first national prison newspaper, About Time. The paper is intended to be a narrative shift about prison and prisoners, with the hope of it eventually being completely produced by peers. It is off to a great start, having just released its second edition. Rosie got to learn quite a bit about prison and the conditions therein during COVID, mainly, when she worked on the Prison Advocacy Program at Fitzroy Legal Service. She also learnt a lot from her clients as a duty lawyer at the Neighbourhood Justice Centre. Rosie brings Main Character Energy and a joyous spirit with her and it was fascinating to learn about her family heritage and the formative years of her life. We hope you enjoy Rosie's story and that you reach out to the newspaper to grab copies and maybe help out. Keep up your fantastic work, Rosie.www.abouttime.org.au I @about.time.media

See All (377)

Listen in as host Joe Toscano yarns with a different guest each week about their experience in movements and campaigns for progressive social change.

Creator

Joe Toscano and Kelly Whitworth
Years Active

2015 - 2024
Episodes

377
Rating

Clean
Show Website

Radical Australia

Radical Australia

Episodes

Alexander Brown

CUDL: Tahlia and Felix

Em Collard

Alison Harcourt

David Boarder Giles

Jack Brady

Tia Kasambalis

Rosie Heselev

About

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