Inform Your Resistance

Political Research Associates
  • 4.8 (27)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
Inform Your Resistance

We talk to experts about some of the most significant contemporary threats to democracy from the mainstream and Far Right so that you can inform your resistance in the fight for a just and inclusive democratic society.

  1. FEB 6

    Leading in Resistance: Three Decades of Fighting Authoritarian and Supremacist Forces, A Conversation with Tarso Luís Ramos

    In this episode, Koki interviews PRA’s former Executive Director Tarso Luís Ramos, who stepped down from his role in December 2024 after nearly two decades at the helm of the organization. With over 30 years of experience working, researching, and leading in the Fight the Right sector, Tarso has had an indelible impact in the social justice Left, informing the ongoing and evolving fight against White, Christian, patriarchal supremacy. In our conversation, he reflects on the fascinating ways that the terrain of contestation between Left and Right has shifted over three decades, what this evolution tells us about the possibilities and imperatives of this moment, and where he looks to for inspiration in an era of growing authoritarianism. Former PRA Executive Director, Tarso Luís Ramos has been researching and challenging the U.S. Right Wing for nearly 30 years. At PRA, Tarso launched major initiatives on antisemitism, misogyny, authoritarianism, White nationalism, and other threats to democracy. Ramos is a sought-after public speaker and his work has been featured in The Guardian, The New York Times, and Time Magazine, among other outlets. Before joining PRA in 2006, Ramos served as founding director of Western States Center’s racial justice program, and exposed and challenged corporate anti-environmental campaigns as director of the Wise Use Public Exposure Project. Resources: Nativist Bedfellows: The Christian Right Embraces Anti-Immigrant Politics by Tarso Luís Ramos and Pam Chamberlain for Political Research Associates Listen to “Nativist Bedfellows: The Christian Right Embrace Anti-Immigrant Politics” on Inform Your Resistance Season 3, Episode 2 One Year In: A Q&A with Tarso Luís Ramos on Trump’s first year in office by Tarso Luís Ramos and Kathryn Joyce for The Public Eye Multi-Racial Democracy, or Authoritarianism?: A Webinar Discussion and Excerpt by Tarso Luís Ramos at the 2018 Facing Race conference closing plenary Capitol Offenses: January 6th 2021 & The Ongoing Insurrection, PRA State of the Right Report by Steven Gardiner and Tarso Luís Ramos for Political Research Associates Press Release: Political Research Associates Welcomes New Executive Director Sylvia Broude

    52 min

  2. JAN 23

    Right-Wing Grievances in Progressive Clothing: Canada's Far Right, with Mariel Cooksey and Amy Mack

    In this episode, Koki speaks with researchers Mariel Cooksey and Amy Mack about the Far Right in Canada today. They discuss the evolution of the Far Right and its disparate movements, the current rise to prominence of the Far Right in provincial politics, and the discordance between a rich history of anti-democratic organizing and a profound global reputation for progressive liberalism. Is Canada as exceptional as it seems? Mariel Cooksey is the Executive Director of the Canadian Institute for Far Right Studies. Her research background focuses on Christianity and far-right extremism in the United States and Canada, with an emphasis on antisemitic and “Radical traditionalist” Catholic groups. She is currently researching the overlap between Gen Z internet culture, climate collapse, and accelerationism. Amy Mack is co-director of research at the Canadian Institute for Far-Right Studies. Her research focuses on the resurgence of ethno-nationalist and white supremacist movements in Canada, and their use of social media to build communities and circulate their ideologies. She is currently researching their narratives of white male victimhood, belonging, and entitlement. Episode resources The Canadian Institute for Far Right StudiesMeet the Radical Right-Wing Group Seizing Power in Canada’s Conservative Heartland by Jeremy Appel for JacobinA Fundamental Difference Between Danielle Smith's Bill of Rights and What's Come Before by Jason Markusoff for CBCMeet the Extreme, Far-Right BC Conservative Candidates Who Are Now Legislators Following BC’s Wild Election by Luke LeBrun for PressProgressWhy Are Gen Z Girls Attracted to the Tradwife Lifestyle? by Mariel Cooksey for Political Research AssociatesListen to “Why Are Gen Z Girls Attracted to the Tradwife Lifestyle?” on Inform Your Resistance Season 2: Episode 5

    48 min

  3. JAN 9

    How Solidarity Provides the Path of Resistance: A Conversation with Naomi Washington-Leapheart

    In this episode, Naomi Washington Leapheart explores the role of community and solidarity in creating responsive and durable strategies of contestation—of resistance—in our contemporary political moment. As PRA's Strategic Partnerships Director, Naomi presents empowering stories of how we at PRA inform our resistance movements, and as a reverend and community organizer, she breaks down the philosophical concept of community organizing to present a vision and plan for self actualization, collectivized risk, and the possibility of triumph through solidarity. Naomi Washington Leapheart, PRA Strategic Partnerships Director, is a Black queer daughter of Detroit, and a minister, professor, and movement strategist. She has worked as a faith organizer and director for Power Interfaith, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and the Mayor's Office for Public Engagement in the City of Philadelphia. Naomi teaches emerging scholars of religion and theology at Villanova University, Arcadia University, and Harvard School for Divinity. Music was and is her first love. In her spare time, she delights in singing with an all volunteer choir whose mission is to bring audible comfort and kindness to the bedsides of people living in hospice care. Episode resources:  To hear Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart on other podcasts, check out this list. Q&A: Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence: An interview with Scot Nakagawa and Hardy Merriman by Naomi Washington LeapheartBook Review: Commune or Nothing! Lessons for Building Grassroots Power Toward Liberation and Democracy by Hialy GutierrezWhat Is Movement Infrastructure? How Movements Sustain Us Amid Rising Authoritarianism by Cloee CooperBook Review: Reverberations of October 7: Mobilization Against Genocide Undeterred by Peak Anti-Palestinian Repression by Palestine Legal by Habiba FarhFire Dreams: Making Black Feminist Liberation in the South: A conversation with Deon Haywood, Laura McTighe, and Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson by Kitana AnandaBook Excerpt: Three Way Fight: Revolutionary Politics and Antifascism by Xtn Alexander and Matthew N. LyonsRising Against Authoritarianism: Amplifying Voices for Immigrant Justice by Cloee CooperSynagogue Safety Beyond Higher Walls and Militarized Police: An Excerpt from Safety Through Solidarity by Ben Lorber and Shane Burley

    47 min

  4. 12/19/2024

    Strategizing for the 2025 Trump Regime Change with Steven Gardiner

    In this episode, PRA Principal Research Advisor Steven Gardiner provides astute analysis on what has led us to this moment in history—when Donald Trump and the Republican Party have so decisively won the presidency and both houses of congress. Steven shares likely scenarios that may play out in Trump’s first year back in office, the implications of his chaotic cabinet picks for the implementation of both mundane and reactionary policy, and, most importantly, on the opportunities available to resisting the fascistic capture of the U.S. state.  Steven Gardiner is Principal Research Advisor, and formerly Research Director, at Political Research Associates. He has been researching and writing in opposition to the politics of bigotry, violence, and authoritarianism since the early 1990s. In 2004, Gardiner received a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from Cornell University; since earning his doctorate, he has taught more than twenty different courses at eight universities in the United States, Pakistan, and the UAE. Episode resources PRA Statement on the 2024 National ElectionReligion Dispatches article: “Authoritarians Must Break Your Will to Resist — So What Can You Do About it?” by Steven GardinerReligion Dispatches article: “While Nixon Sought to Secretly ‘Screw’ Political Enemies Trump’s Dictatorial Desires Are Less Modest” by Steven GardinerReligion Dispatches article: “Loyalty and Chaos Play a Role in Trump’s Nominations, But This Schoolyard Tactic May Provide a Better Explanation” by Steven GardinerReligion Dispatches article: “Trump’s Cabinet (and Other) Picks Paint Picture of a Christian Nationalist ‘Kakistocracy’” by Annika Brockschmidt and Thomas LecaqueReligion Dispatches article: “Leading ‘Constitutional Sheriffs’ Org Announces ‘Full Support’ for Trump’s Mass Deportations” by Ethan Fauré

    52 min

  5. 12/05/2024

    From Palestine to Atlanta: The Institutional Policing of Dissent

    In this episode of Inform Your Resistance, Koki reads “From Palestine to Atlanta, Outside and Foreign: The Institutional Policing of Dissent” by Habiba Farh, as part of our ongoing From the Archives series. From the Archives features those must read and, now, must listen to pieces from PRA’s more than 40 years of publishing. This article was published in the Spring 2024 issue of The Public Eye magazine, and you can read the article here.

    18 min

  6. 11/21/2024

    HAF Way to Supremacy: Rebranding Hindu Supremacy as Minority Rights, a Conversation with Safa Ahmed and Pranay Somayajula

    This interview with Savera Coalition partners Safa Ahmed and Pranay Somayajula dives into an expose on the immensely influential Hindu American Foundation, or HAF, as a Hindu supremacist institution masquerading as a civil rights organization. We discuss HAF's reputation as a leader in civil rights and its true agenda to perpetuate caste discrimination and support for the authoritarian Indian Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP regime in the United States. We discuss HAF's roots in the Hindu supremacist or Hindutva movement and its recent, more explicit shift towards the broader U.S. multiracial far right. We conclude with a discussion of the Savera Coalition's goals and strategy in bringing it down.  Safa Ahmed is the Associate Director of Media & Communications for the Indian American Muslim Council. She has written on Hindu supremacy and human rights in India for Al Jazeera, The Diplomat, Jacobin, Progressive Magazine, and several others. Pranay Somayajula is an Indian-American writer and organizer, based in Washington, DC. He currently serves as Organizing and Advocacy Director for Hindus for Human Rights, an organization that was founded in 2019 to provide a Hindu voice of resistance to caste, Hindutva (Hindu nationalism), and all forms of bigotry and oppression. His writing has been featured in Jacobin, The Nation, and The Drift, as well as on his Substack blog, culture shock. He is also the host of Return to Bandung, a podcast that explores questions of imperialism, resistance, and internationalist solidarity throughout history and into the present day. Episode resources “HAF Way to Supremacy: How the Hindu American Foundation Rebrands Bigotry As Minority Rights,” Political Research Associates and Savera, 2024.“Hindu Supremacy and the Multiracial U.S. Far Right,” Savera, The Public Eye, 2024.“A Global Trail of Violence: India’s Hindu Supremacist Movement and Its Role in the Transnational Far Right,” Savera, The Public Eye, 2024. Edited excerpts from Savera’s report, “The Global VHP’s Trail of Violence.”

    1h 2m
  7. U.S. Imperialism Comes Home to Roost: A Conversation with Ramah Kudaimi

    11/07/2024

    U.S. Imperialism Comes Home to Roost: A Conversation with Ramah Kudaimi

    Koki talks with Ramah Kudaimi about U.S. imperialism and state violence, and its reverberations both domestically and abroad. From the global war on terror, to genocide in Palestine, to anti-Muslim policing and surveillance in our communities, we discuss the ways that imperial power, capitalist interests, and far-right organizing intersect in ways that compound harm and entrench systems of oppression.  We discuss the ways in corporations profit not only from war and militarism, but specifically from Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry and violence. Ramah unpacks the concept of “terror capitalism” or the idea that corporations reap massive profits from labeling entire communities as “terrorists,” who then become the test subjects for technologies of warfare (both at home and abroad) that line the pockets of large corporations and continue the war long after ground troops have come home.  We also discuss the modes of resistance available to us and our movements to counter these forces. Ramah Kudaimi works at the Action Center on Race and the Economy as the campaign director of the Crescendo Project, which focuses on researching and campaigning against corporate complicity in Islamophobia and anti Muslim bigotry. Episode Resources How Big Tech Sells War on Our Communities“DHS Open for Business: How Tech Corporations Bring the War on Terror to Our Neighborhoods,” a report from Action Center on Race & the Economy, LittleSis, MediaJustice, and the Surveillance, Tech, and Immigration Policing Project at the Immigration Defense Project, 2022. Banking on Solidarity CitiBank campaignGenocide Gentry, a dataset and analysis of weapons company executives and board members with connections to educational and cultural institutionsShattering Justice, an online visual timeline on the War on Terror in the U.S.

    43 min
  8. You Might Think They're Absurd but They're Quite Serious: Frederick Clarkson on The New Apostolic Reformation

    10/24/2024

    You Might Think They're Absurd but They're Quite Serious: Frederick Clarkson on The New Apostolic Reformation

    This episode with guest-host Jack Gieseking features an in-depth discussion with Frederick Clarkson about the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a significant and influential movement within the Christian Right. Clarkson explains the background and history of NAR, as well as its contemporary political significance. The conversation also touches on the relationship between NAR the January 6th 2021 Capitol insurrection, NAR’s relationship with Israel, and their strategy to build their voting block and flip districts, as well as the broader and far-reaching implications NAR has for democracy and religious freedom. Clarkson emphasizes the importance of understanding this movement, given its significant impact on politics and society. He calls for increased awareness and study of the NAR among all of us who care about fighting rising fascism. The discussion concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to educate themselves about the NAR and develop a common vocabulary to facilitate meaningful conversations about its influence and implications. Episode Resources -The Insurgence: Sheriffs is a podcast series that uncovers how a national network of far-right sheriffs is mobilizing to create a White Christian republic, one county at a time. The series features first-hand accounts from people across the country who have come up against the sometimes-fatal consequences from the unchecked power of county sheriffs and their growing alignment with the new Far Right. The Insurgence: Sheriffs is created and hosted by investigative reporter and PRA Research Director Cloee Cooper, and co-executive produced by Political Research Associates and Cuentero Productions. -Christian Right Denialism is More Dangerous Than Ever: A Reporter’s Guide to the New Apostolic Reformation, by Frederick Clarkson and André Gagné, Religion Dispatches, 2022. -Christian Nationalists Dream of Taking Over America. This Movement Is Actually Doing It by Kiera Butler, Mother Jones, 2024. -Packed with Threats of Political Violence, Media Largely Ignore the NAR’s ‘Million Women’ Rally in DC, by Frederick Clarkson, Religion Dispatches, 2024. -Where’s Wallnau? A NAR Apostle Takes Aim at Swing Counties in ‘The Battle for the Mountain of Government’, by Frederick Clarkson, Religion Dispatches, 2024. Episode Keywords New Apostolic Reformation, Christian Right, Christian Right leaders, Project 2025, Project 19

    41 min
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4.8
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About

We talk to experts about some of the most significant contemporary threats to democracy from the mainstream and Far Right so that you can inform your resistance in the fight for a just and inclusive democratic society.

Information

  • Creator
    Political Research Associates
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Inform Your Resistance

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