Block & Build

Block & Build

A weekly show examining the current balance of political forces in the United States from a movement perspective. Host and Convergence Magazine Publisher, Cayden Mak, guides listeners in an exploration of what’s happening in politics and what we can do about it – not simply as individuals acting alone, but as people coming together into a larger movement. The show examines a political strategy termed “Block & Build” as a point of view that impacts the way we approach both politics and everyday life. This is the flagship podcast of the progressive trend in the broad anti-fascist front – listeners are invited to join Cayden in discovering the routes we can take to not just defeat the authoritarian far Right, but build the influence of progressive and Left political ideas that are overwhelmingly popular, so we can come out of this year’s battles stronger, instead of depleted. Many commentators struggle to zoom out; missing the forest for the trees and leading to more conversations that merely circle the drain of status quo horse-race politics. Instead, I want to identify the places we do have power and opportunities to shape the landscape for progress. The show features a rotating cast of some of the best minds in organizing today as they discuss what it means to evolve strategy and thinking to advance the governing power of the Left.

  1. OCT 11

    One Year of Anguish and Grief

    This week has been a difficult one for many of us. Looking back on the past year, it’s hard not to feel deep frustration, grief, and anguish over the way that the US has enabled Israel’s genocide in Gaza and further intensification of violence and expansion beyond Gaza to include the West Bank and Lebanon. It’s also impossible to ignore the ways that both Israel’s campaign and movement organizing has shifted the political landscape in indelible ways. More people in the US have been galvanized to act in solidarity with Palestinians and started asking pointed questions about our government’s blank-check support for Benjamin Netanyahu’s authoritarian government. Foreign policy, war, and peace have become important to this year’s Presidential election in a way that it simply hasn’t been in recent memory. Joining today's panel to discuss how we move forward after this difficult year where public opinion is on our side, but institutional power refuses to budge are: Eman Abdelhadi – (@emanabdelhadi) academic, activist, and writer Rebecca Vilkomerson – Jewish Voice for Peace, coauthor of the new book Solidarity is the Political Version of Love: Lessons from Jewish Anti-Zionist Organizing Samer Araabi – Arab Resource & Organizing Center Shane Burley – (@shaneburley) author and filmmaker, coauthor of the new book Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism Additional Resources Friday Palestinian Solidarity Announcements - Webinar Registration Friday Palestinian Solidarity YouTube Playlist "Black-Palestinian Solidarity in Moments of Crisis and Beyond" by Nashwa Bawbab, In These Times "U.S. Jewish Institutions Are Purging Their Staffs of Anti-Zionists" by Shane Burley, In These Times Support this show and other like it by becoming a member at convergencemag.com/donate.

    56 min
5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

A weekly show examining the current balance of political forces in the United States from a movement perspective. Host and Convergence Magazine Publisher, Cayden Mak, guides listeners in an exploration of what’s happening in politics and what we can do about it – not simply as individuals acting alone, but as people coming together into a larger movement. The show examines a political strategy termed “Block & Build” as a point of view that impacts the way we approach both politics and everyday life. This is the flagship podcast of the progressive trend in the broad anti-fascist front – listeners are invited to join Cayden in discovering the routes we can take to not just defeat the authoritarian far Right, but build the influence of progressive and Left political ideas that are overwhelmingly popular, so we can come out of this year’s battles stronger, instead of depleted. Many commentators struggle to zoom out; missing the forest for the trees and leading to more conversations that merely circle the drain of status quo horse-race politics. Instead, I want to identify the places we do have power and opportunities to shape the landscape for progress. The show features a rotating cast of some of the best minds in organizing today as they discuss what it means to evolve strategy and thinking to advance the governing power of the Left.

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