The Radical Bureaucrat Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo
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- Government
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Bureaucracy is that strangely modern form of government where lots of folks at their desk (french “bureau”) follow rules that they might not necessarily understand, and thus reinforce a system that they typically don’t like. Bureaucrats rule without really having much power–or without realizing how much power they have…
A few of these bureaucrats, however, work to change their institutions so that they are more human, more perfect, and more just. This is a podcast devoted to exploring their methods, understanding their values, and telling their stories.
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S3:E3 - For What It's Worth
Sam and Abram talk about their inability to articulate, the role of art, and they make room for some other voices as we unpack 200 days of atrocities in Palestine. Here are the other voices:
Steven Stills and Buffalo Springfield, creators of the musical theme for our episode, "For What it's Worth"
Amy Goodman, Anchor on Democracy Now
Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health
Naledi Pandor, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor Emeritus of Linguistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Beth Miller, Political Director, Jewish Voice for Peace
Eva Borgwardt, National Spokesperson, IfNotNow
Naomi Klein, Journalist, Author, and Activist
Jose Andrés, Founder and Exec Director/Chef, World Central Kitchen -
S3:E2--Unpacking and Making Sense of Palestine
Sam and Abram unpack what they have been carrying about Palestine, the hopelessness and confusion of it all, and what we are feeling as we face each day's new cycle
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S3:E1--Seeking Authentic Dialogue, Building Beloved Community
We begin a four part series about breaking silence without damaging relationships and striving to create productive dialogue about current events (like the occupation of Palestine). This episode focuses on the core values we try to sustain while creating these conversations: Humility, Community, and Justice.
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BONUS: NYC Schools Chancellor Carranza Steps Down
We talk about the historic transition happening at the very top of the largest public school system in the nation. Chancellor Carranza has been a controversial figure at a pivotal moment in the history of NYC, and Sadye Campoamor and Zakiyah Ansari help us to make sense of this moment.
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S2:E20--Renato Rosaldo
Renato Rosaldo is a world-renown anthropologist and the author of four books of poetry. He is also Sam's dad! On this episode he discusses grief and grieving, in the time of COVID-19 and after the death of his wife, and Sam's mother, in 1981. He ends by reading from his book, "The Day of Shelly's Death."
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S2:E19—Tema Okun, @TemaOkun
S2:E19—Tema Okun, @TemaOkun by Abram Guerra and Sam Rosaldo
Customer Reviews
Succinct Presentation
Abram & Sam will awaken your activist spirit as a government institutional professional, parent of kids in public schools, and listeners who are curious about tax funded agencies that welcome progressive change. Good intro podcast...waiting for more topics!
*Season 2, episode 20 on grief and grieving touch me personally. It helps listeners realize that there is no shortcut or precise way to grieve the loss of a love one. The importance of therapeutic guidance & creative action can open the floodgates of emotions one needs to release and continue a whole, loving life after loss. I discovered recently how storytelling via stage or film production aids me in walking through grief in balance with joy.
Asking the right questions
Abram and Sam in just a few episodes highlight some really important questions one must ask when working in any “system or bureaucracy” and trying to be a positive change agent. Thought provoking, filled with fun and interesting semantics and history lessons, and overall a honest dialogue. Both are brilliant minds in pursuit of identifying ways to create more a equitable and just society; the endless but essential pursuit for us all. Excited to see where this season goes!
A podcast for people who care about how society works
I love the first two episodes and am excited for more! Sam and Abram are so good at breaking down concepts and asking the meaningful questions that we all need to be asking as we debate the role of government and the strength of democracy. I loved learning the etymology of the word bureaucrat and listening to the conversation about the difference between a reformer and a revolutionary. This show is a brilliant concept.