In Solidarity - by openDemocracy

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In Solidarity is an openDemocracy podcast about people, power and politics, co-hosted by our editors based in London, Abuja and Montevideo and featuring guests from the around the world. Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. APR 24

    The Climate Wars: How Superpowers Are Carving Up the Earth

    The climate crisis is changing the way nations think about food, energy, resources, war and peace. Melting ice caps are opening up new trade routes fought over by the world's great powers, conflicts are waged over food and mineral resources, shifting climates are fuelling migration – and Donald Trump says it's all just a scam. Join Arthur Snell as he discusses his new book Elemental: the new geography of climate change and how we survive it. Spanning conflict in the Sahel, Russia's war in Ukraine, the US coveting Greenland, NEOM in Saudi Arabia, and China's energy push, Snell explores how the climate crisis is now in every part of our politics. But while there is much to concern us here, there's hope too. The world faces various futures, and it can adapt and respond to the realities of a changing climate. 📕 Buy Elemental: The New Geography of Climate Change and How We Survive it https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781035412945 👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/  ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Chapters:  00:00 Introduction 01:20 The Petro-State Panic: Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the End of Oil 03:32 The Sahel Crisis: Climate Migration and Fragile States 08:24 Uranium & Mercenaries: Russia vs. France in Africa 10:25 The Arctic: Melting Ice, Shipping Routes, and Donald Trump 16:21 Ukraine: Why Putin is Weaponizing Food and Farmland 21:35 China’s Monopoly & Russia's Future as an "Economic Colony" 28:18 The Surprising Winners: Morocco, Interconnectors, and Climate Hope 32:41 Outro Credits: Presented by Sian Norris Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  2. MAR 27

    The AI Panopticon: How Big Tech and the State are Watching You

    "My ultimate vision... was to achieve by means of AI and technology, what Jeremy Bentham tried to do with his panopticon." — UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. When the state openly admits it wants its eyes on you at all times, how do citizens fight back? In this episode of In Solidarity, Matthew Linares sits down with Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group. We cut through the Silicon Valley PR to expose the terrifying reality of the modern surveillance state. From the aggressive rollout of facial recognition and predictive policing to the "revolving door" between Big Tech lobbyists and policymakers, we explore how our democratic infrastructure is being hollowed out for corporate profit. This isn't just a warning - it's an escape plan. Jim breaks down the illusion of corporate regulation, the realities of "enshittification," and the actionable steps you can take to reclaim your digital sovereignty today. Get involved offline. Find an Open Rights Group meetup near you: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/get-involved/ 👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/  ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:27 - The AI Panopticon 00:04:18 - The Lobbyist Loop & The “Rip-Off” 00:10:26 - “Enshittification” & The Illusion of Choice 00:14:48 - Why relying on tech regulators is a “mug’s game” 00:18:51 - Escaping the Matrix: Interoperability, analog meetups, and fighting back Credits: Presented by Matthew Linares Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min

  3. MAR 13

    Iran, Oil, Inflation, Unrest: The Global Fallout of the US-Israeli War in the Gulf

    As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to escalate, the effects of the conflict are spiralling outwards across a world already whiplashed by cross-border violence, global tariffs, and the unravelling of regional alliances. There is much that we do not know: How will spiking energy prices affect developing economies in Asia and Africa? What are the long term impacts of the destabilisation of the Gulf, a region that has long served as a magnet for labour and capital from around the world? What does the conflict in Iran reveal about the latest chapter in the relationship between international finance capital and nation states? To talk through these questions, I interviewed analyst and columnist Mihir Sharma. Sharma is a principal research fellow at IPPR, and has been a Bloomberg Opinion columnist on global economics and politics for over a decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min

  4. MAR 5

    The "Danish Model" of Asylum Explained: Cruelty by Design?

    Why are British and European politicians obsessed with Denmark's immigration strategy? We uncover the dark reality of the "Danish Model" and how it punishes asylum seekers by design. Politicians across Europe - including the UK government - increasingly point to the so-called "Danish Model" as the ultimate solution for controlling borders, immigration, and asylum. But beyond the political talking points, what does this model actually look like on the ground? In this episode of In Solidarity, host Aman Sethi sits down with Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, the first-ever Danish Professor in Migration and Mobility Law. They break down the harsh reality of "indirect deterrence," how Europe's most liberal border became its strictest, and the secret history of the modern passport. Finally, they unpack the recent push by the UK and Denmark to bypass the European Court of Human Rights, and what that means for the future of global mobility. If you want to understand the reality behind the political rhetoric on border control, this is your essential briefing. Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen is the director of MOBILE, the Danish National Research Foundation's Center of Excellence on Global Mobility Law. 👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/  ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Chapters:  00:00 The Cruelty of the "Danish Model"  01:59 What Actually is the Danish Asylum Strategy?  05:39 Does "Indirect Deterrence" Actually Stop Migration?  07:16 The Human Cost: Punishing Migrants to Send a Message  14:18 The Secret History of the Modern Passport  19:00 The UK and Denmark's Plot Against Human Rights Law Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min

  5. FEB 27

    The Secret Pipeline: How the Far-Right is Radicalising Gen Z

    Are anti-rights movements infiltrating high schools? We uncover the deliberate, decades-old strategy the far-right is using to target young people, weaponise their insecurities, and build a pipeline of extremist power. In this episode of In Solidarity, openDemocracy’s Senior Investigations Reporter Sian Norris sits down with Jamie Vernaelde, Senior Researcher at Ipas. They dive deep into a chilling new report detailing how far-right and anti-rights movements are actively grooming the next generation. From exploiting economic and physical insecurities to pumping massive financial investments into youth pipelines, Jamie exposes the conservative playbook for molding young minds. More importantly, they discuss what the progressive movement is getting wrong about youth engagement and how we can fight back by giving young people the space and resources to lead. Read the full report here: https://www.ipas.org/resource/future-proofing-the-professionalization-of-an-anti-rights-youth-generation/ https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela — Chapters: 00:00 How the Far-Right Targets Gen Z 04:15 Why Young Women are Drifting to the Far-Right 06:23 The 'Tradwife' Trend: A Pipeline to Radicalisation? 08:13 Rebranding Extremism for Secular Youth 11:36 The Wellness-to-Alt-Right Pipeline Explained 13:07 Why Contraception is the Right’s Next Target 15:12 Exposing the Dark Money Behind Anti-Rights Groups 18:04 The Playbook to Weaponise the Courts 20:08 Inside the Global War on Human Rights 22:57 The 'Elite' Seduction: Recruiting on Campus 24:39 Weaponising Victimhood: The Conservative Media Strategy 28:13 The Left’s Blindspot: How Progressives Can Fight Back Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min

  6. FEB 19

    Gaza's Illusionary Ceasefire

    Over 71,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the war began on Oct 7 2023, in what a UN inquiry has described as a “genocide”.  When a US-brokered ceasefire was declared in October last year, the world's attention moved on to the next crisis. Since then at least 463 Palestinians had been killed by Israel as of Jan 21 this year, of whom 100 were children, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency. Anywhere where else in the world, this would be an active conflict. In Palestine, this is what a ceasefire looks like. In this episode, we speak to Jamil Sawalmeh,  the Director of ActionAid Palestine on the situation on the ground in Gaza. https://palestine.actionaid.org/ https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela — Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:41 What is the situation on the ground like Gaza? 07:04 The 'Yellow Line' 10:40 A lack of fresh water 14:00 The great displacement 14:53 Returning to Palestine is impossible 20:08 Reality of the Board Of Peace 24:08 The local infrastructure 28:12 What should the world be doing to help? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min

  7. JAN 9

    After Maduro: Storm Warnings in Venezuela

    If the US once claimed it was “defending Democracy” to justify attacking countries without pretext, the current administration has made no such excuses.   Last week US security forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife from a compound in Caracas in an operation that killed 70 people. Maduro was presented in a courtroom in Manhattan, on charges of supposedly “importing tons of cocaine into the United States”, and his deputy Delcy Rodriguez was installed in his place as acting President. To make this all make sense, we speak with Laura Tedesco, a long time openDemocracy contributor and professor of political science and international relations at St. Louis university in Madrid. Prof. Tedesco is also the author of several books on democracy and politics in Latin America. Read Laura's Book, Latin America's Leaders: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781783601028 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min

  8. 12/05/2025

    Democracy from the ashes: Inside the Your Party conference

    Waring factions have dominated the headlines, but inside the Your Party conference the embers of hope for a different kind of politics were still burning.  Investigative reporter Ethan Shone tells what the mood was like among the party members following months of public spats and PR disasters.  https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by James Battershill Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela — Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    21 min
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About

In Solidarity is an openDemocracy podcast about people, power and politics, co-hosted by our editors based in London, Abuja and Montevideo and featuring guests from the around the world. Get our independent journalism delivered direct to your inbox, join the openDemocracy Newsletter today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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