In today’s episode we sit down and talk with Benedik Kern, about the asylum system in Germany and the EU. Our guest tells us about the work that his organization is doing organizing so-called “church asylums” and “citizen asylums”, wherein churches and individual citizens offer safe places for people avoiding the Dublin system to hide from authorities. The main topic of the discussion is the coming change in the EU asylum system. It entails the outsourcing of the entire asylum procedure outside the EU, to camps in bordering countries that are considered safe. With this, there will be no more asylum procedure within the EU borders per se, fundamentally changing the whole movement landscape. The new law first has to be voted in the EU parliament and then implemented by individual countries in their national legal system, thus taking some years to come into effect. We talk with Benedikt about ways we can fight the consolidation of Fortress Europe, and how this must necessarily entail at least regional cooperation between groups and movements.  

=====
Re(Sources):

Institute for Theology and Politics
https://www.itpol.de/ 

Church Asylum homepage
https://www.kirchenasyl.de

Citizens' asylum affinity group (in Münster , Germany)
https://buergerinnenasylmuenster.blackblogs.org/

Materials on the asylum situation (via PRO ASYL, an organization fighting for the rights of asylum seekers)
https://www.proasyl.de/thema/eu-asylpolitik/
https://www.proasyl.de/news/faq-zur-geplanten-reform-des-gemeinsamen-europaeischen-asylsystems-geas/
https://www.proasyl.de/en/news/ceas-breaches-of-core-legal-principles-are-going-to-become-the-new-normal/

Benedikt’s article on church asylum and an interview about its 40th anniversary in August 2023
https://www.buergergesellschaft.de/fileadmin/pdf/gastbeitrag_kern_210520.pdf
https://www.katholisch.de/artikel/46751-theologe-kirchenasyl-entscheidend-fuer-relevanz-der-kirchen

About the deportation of Moldavian workers from Germany
https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/warum-so-viele-moldawier-aus-berlin-abgeschoben-werden-5046916.html

Artwork by Saad Shahriar of postcolonial cafe and unrest radio
flickr: @unrestradio
apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/unrest-radio/id1659525221

Music: Comunitate, by Sofia Zadar
spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3F4Ec4iFdVp4Pmzhw2Zrd1
fb: @sofiazadar

Ep. 033 — Let the right ones in: the changing asylum system of Fortress Europe , w/ Benedikt [EN]

În episodul de astăzi stăm de vorba cu Cristina Praz, activistă în cadrul Centrului Filia, despre raportul intitulat „Hărțuirea sexuală și discriminarea de gen în spațiul universitar”, la întocmirea căruia a luat parte. În prima parte discutăm despre tema mai largă a hărțuirii sexuale și a discriminării de gen, atât în universități, cât și în viața de zi cu zi. Vorbim despre raport, cum a fost el formulat și mai apoi distribuit în universități și despre tăcerea sau lipsa totală de interes din partea acestora. În partea a doua discutăm despre metodele de combatare a hărțuirii, abuzul și discriminării propuse în cadrul raportului, prin campanii, cursuri sau workshopuri despre ce înseamnă și cum pot arăta acestea. Vorbim și despre problema reglementărilor interne, întrucât multe universități nu oferă nici măcar un formular standard de raportare a hărțuirii. În ultima parte extindem ideea combaterii, de la metodele birocratice și până la cursurile de auto-apărare.

=====

Centrul Filia
web: https://centrulfilia.ro/ 
fb: centrul.filia
ig: centrulfilia

C. Praz, A. Dârlău, T. Ciobanu, Hărțuirea sexuală și discriminarea de gen în spațiul universitar (2022).
https://centrulfilia.ro/new/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Raport-cercetare-Hartuirea-sexuala-in-universitati-RO.pdf

Centrul Filia, Ghid privind prevenirea și combaterea discriminarea de gen și hărțuirea sexuală în universități (2023).
https://centrulfilia.ro/new/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Ghid-privind-prevenirea-si-combaterea-discriminarii-de-gen-si-hartuirii-sexuale-in-universitati.pdf 

Colectiva Riposta
https://www.instagram.com/colectiva.riposta/ 
 
Arta: Alis Balogh

Muzica: The government as an abusive boyfriend, by Sophia Zadar
https://youtu.be/i3JW1M_VesI 
https://www.youtube.com/@SofiaZadar 
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3F4Ec4iFdVp4Pmzhw2Zrd1

Ep. 034 — Lumea academică și hărțuitorii ei, cu Cristina [RO]

For most, the protests in Bangladesh that crippled the authoritarian government came out of nowhere. Upon closer inspection, they are the logical conclusion to more than a decade of poverty, shock doctrine, and increased religious radicalization. We invited Saad Shahriar, our comrade and the main host of Unrest Radio, to do a joint episode and have a closer look at the facts on the ground. In the first part we discussed the history of post-independence Bangladesh, its history and the main political forces and actors. Then we turn briefly to the more recent wave of protests, like the textile garment workers’ strikes at the end of last year. Finally, we move to the current wave of student-led protests and activism, the brutal government crackdowns and the general silence of the Western media about the events.

The episode was recorded at the end of July, before the Prime Minister resigned on August 5th, leading to a collapse of the government. Facts and events are unraveling fast, and much may change in the upcoming days or even hours.

=====
Re(Sources):

Timeline of student protests:
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/timeline-student-protests-3668996

Bangladesh PM Hasina ousted, army announces formation of interim government
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf5Z8GT0AH0

Art by: Debashish Chakrabarty
instagram: @debashish.chakrabarty

Music: Jhornar Moto Chonchol (ঝর্ণার মত চঞ্চল) a Tribute to Kazi Nazrul Islam (কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম) by Dreek (দৃক); Lyrics: Rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. 
spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7cvpKBUE9F3GVLEuZxZECM?si=7144497a8ee64b54

Follow Saad and unrest radio
(https://linktr.ee/unrestradio)
flickr: @unrestradio
apple podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/unre…io/id1659525221

Ep. 035 — The Bangladesh uprising , w/ Saad Shahriar of Unrest Radio [EN]

It can be hard to imagine life in Gaza outside of the constant terror, the bombings, and the continuous tragedy of the Palestinians. It’s hard to even imagine anything about Gaza at all, bombed as we are by constant propaganda and fear mongering. So we sat down with Muath, who lived there for most of his childhood and adult life, and he painted for us a picture of a place where life exists, like everywhere else, with daily tragedy, resistance, and, of course, with humour. 

The episode was recorded in Arabic, and then translated and read in English by our comrade Ghassan, who also did the art for the episode. Timestamps for the two versions below.

In the first part of the conversation, Muath talks about his own family history and how it ties into the plight of the Palestinian people and the ongoing genocide. In the second part we talk about day to day life in Gaza, its struggles, and some of the misconceptions associated with it, even by people in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Finally, in the third part we discussed resistance and solidarity, and what anyone can do to help, even in the slightest, in the face of the overwhelming tragedy.


Timestamps:
Arabic original: 4:10
English translation: 20:50


=====

Some Palestine Solidarity groups in Germany
Students for Palestine Bonn: @stud4palbonn
Students for Palestine Berlin: @studentsforpalestine_fu
Jüdische Stimme für gerechten Frieden in Nahost (Jewish Voices for Peace): @juedischestimme

Palestine Solidarity groups in Romania
Cluj: @palestinesolidarity_cj
Timisoara: @palestinesolidarity.tm 
Brasov: @palestinesolidarity_brasov 

(ex) Student encampments in Romania
Cluj Students for Palestine: @clujstudents.forpalestine
Bucharest Students for Palestine: @buchareststudents.forpalestine  


Art and translation by: Ghassan


Follow Saad and unrest radio
(linktr.ee/unrestradio)
flickr: @unrestradio
apple podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/unrest-radio/id1659525221

Ep. 036 — Gaza: Tragedy and Resistance, w/ Muath [AR/EN] Collaboration with Unrest Radio

In today’s episode we talk with activist Sinan from the organization Climaximo about organizing during and against accelerating climate change. We start the conversation by describing some of the principle that our political work is based upon, in particular that the real risk of climate collapse is underrepresented and that the capitalist class will always resist any meaningful structural change. Then we talk about Climaximo, their mode of organizing and plans for the future. Sinan explains to us how they operate under the assumption of a state of climate emergency and their effort to frame climate change as a war waged by the capitalist class against the rest of the world. We finish with some book recommendations and a call to get organized.

=====
Re(Sources):
Climaximo
web: https://www.climaximo.pt/ 
fb: /climaximopt
ig: @climaximopt

Naomi Klein, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate, Simon & Schuster (2014)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21913812-this-changes-everything 

Rob Nixon, Slow Violence and The Environmentalism of The Poor, Harvard University Press (2010).
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429440-slow-violence-and-the-environmentalism-of-the-poor 

Bill McGuire, Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant’s Guide, Icon Books (2022).
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61336424-hothouse-earth 

Andreas Malm and the Zetkin Collective, White Skin, Black Fuel: On The Danger of Fossil Fascism, Verso (2021).
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56708410-white-skin-black-fuel 

Artwork by Alis Balogh
Music:  Capitalism is Toxic
song: https://youtu.be/cMPt6AA6NOY

Ep. 037 – Organizing against climate collapse, w/ Climaximo

Ajay Singh Chaudhary returns to This Is Hell! to talk about his Baffler Magazine article, "Sick and Tired: Against Resilience," an excerpt from, The Exhausted of the Earth: Politics in a Burning World (Repeater Books). 

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access weekly bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Best of 2024: Against Resilience / Ajay Singh Chaudhary

In today’s episode we talk about the recent rebel offensive in Syria which has managed to topple the dictator Bashar al-Assad. First, we give a brief summary about Assad’s rule and the civil war since 2011 in Syria, mentioning the different local factions and foreign powers involved. Then we talk about the democratic-confederalist kurdish liberation movement in the North and Eastern parts of the country, its repression by Turkey and the fate of the project in the context of the regime change in Syria. We end by listing some media and other resources from where we personally get our news about Syria and Rojava, mentioning what biases each outlet has.

=====

Re(Sources):
Unsorted sources
https://medyanews.net
https://syria.liveuamap.com/
https://syria.liveuamap.com/en/time/06.12.2024

https://kongra-star.org/eng/about-us/
https://anfenglish.com/news
https://rojavainformationcenter.org/
https://medyanews.net/
https://www.freeocalan.org/about
https://internationalistcommune.com

https://twitter.com/starrcongress
https://twitter.com/SDF_Syria
https://twitter.com/MazloumAbdi


https://twitter.com/RojavaNetwork
https://twitter.com/Vigil4Ocalan
https://twitter.com/RevistaLegerin
https://twitter.com/RojavaNetwork/status/1868790045290926469
https://twitter.com/YpgInt

journalists to follow
https://twitter.com/vvanwilgenburg
https://twitter.com/fgeerdink
https://twitter.com/jamesstout
https://twitter.com/MattBroomfield1

Artwork from https://www.flickr.com/people/kurdishstruggle/, edited by Grecu.

LS. 005 – The Syrian revolution and the fate of Rojava w/ the Lenesx gang [EN]

În episodul de azi vorbim cu Beti Pataki despre fermentare. Pornim discuția cu o introducere despre ce înseamnă fermentarea, pe care invitata noastră îl descrie ca o colaborare cu niște micro-organisme pentru a produce o schimbare, o revoluție. Vorbim și despre natura DIY, experimentală și accesibilă a fermentării. În a doua parte analizăm felurile în care capitalismul a format modul în care ne raportăm la producția, conservarea și consumul de hrană. În acest context explorăm fermentarea și foraging-ul ca practici anti-capitaliste.  În încheiere, Beti ne oferă câteva rețete accesibile cu care putem începe să experimentăm fiecare.   

=====
Re(Surse) 

Katz, S.E.,. Wild fermentation: The flavor, nutrition, and craft of live-culture foods. Chelsea Green Publishing (2016). 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/134879652-wild-fermentation 

Katz, S.E.,The art of fermentation: an in-depth exploration of essential concepts and processes from around the world. Chelsea green publishing (2012). 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13598307-the-art-of-fermentation 

Redzepi, R. and Zilber, D. Foundations of Flavor: The Noma Guide to Fermentation: Including Step-By-Step Information on Making and Cooking With: Koji, Kombuchas, Shoyus, Misos, Vineg. Artisan Publishers (2018). 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37590384-foundations-of-flavor 

Pascal Baudar, 
ig: https://www.instagram.com/pascalbaudar/ 
books: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14356817.Pascal_Baudar 

Mona Petre, Ierburi uitate, Ed. Nemira (2021).
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59240079-ierburi-uitate 

Plante sălbatice comestibile. (Grup Fb) 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1838992219748794 

Enciclopedia plantelor sălbatice comestibile
Vol.1: Anca Corduban, Mona Petre, Simona Grossman, Leurda. Allium ursinum, Ed. Aska (2023)
https://shop.aska.ro/produs/leurda-allium-ursinum/ 
Vol.2: Simona Grossman, Mona Petre, Urzica. Urtica dioica, Ed. Aska (2024)
https://shop.aska.ro/produs/urzica-urtica-dioica/ 

Keywords de căutat mai departe: compostare bokashi, agricultura regenerativă
Matt Powers - Regenerative Soil & Permaculture (Yt channel)
https://www.youtube.com/@MattPowersSoil 
Dr. Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web School (Yt channel)
https://www.youtube.com/@soilfoodwebschool 

Plants for a future (portal with info about plant species). 
https://pfaf.org/user/ 

Cultivă Orașul, o inițiativă de agricultură urbană, auto-organizată și autonomă din Cluj. 
ig: https://www.instagram.com/cultiva_orasul/ 
fb: https://www.facebook.com/cultivaorasul 


Artwork by Deni
ig: @scrijelit.psd

Muzica: Dead End, by Bezna Minții
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPYFdSRP_rI

Ep. 038 – Fermentare și foraging: reînvățarea unor moduri non-capitaliste de a trăi, cu Beti [RO]

In today’s episode we talk with Alexis Daloumis about his documentary Belkî Sibê. The doc shows his experiences fighting in the International Freedom Battalion during 2017 as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS, and the socio-political changes in the liberated areas. We talk with Alexis about the actual real way that the revolution is being implemented on the ground, from what he could tell as an outsider.  In the second part we focus on the filming and editing process of the documentary.  

=====
Re(Sources):

Belki Sibe (2023)
http://belkisibe.com/ 
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29341560/ 

Alexis Daloumis
https://www.instagram.com/alexisdaloumis/ 
https://linktr.ee/alexisdaloumis 

International Freedom Battalion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Freedom_Battalion 

Rojava Information Center (RIC)
https://rojavainformationcenter.org/ 

 
Art by Grecu

Music
Le Daye, by Alexandros Miaris feat. Beshwar Kordy: 
https://youtu.be/EI8GG2Ux4jU 
https://www.alexandrosmiaris.com/ 
Punx for Rojava, by Adrestia 
https://youtu.be/MeUdfT1AGYU   
https://adrestia.bandcamp.com/ 


Ep. 039 – Belkî Sibê: Fighting for the Rojava revolution, w/ Alexis [EN]

In today’s episode we talk with Mixael from the Four Thieves Vinegar Collective about fighting against the medical-industrial complex by creating your own DIY medicine. In the first part we discuss US patent law that permits for-profit pharmaceutical companies to put huge precise-tags on life-saving medicines, like insulin and hepatitis C treatment. Millions of people die yearly as a consequence. We then learn about the tools developed by Four Thieves that help anyone with a very basic knowledge of chemistry produce these medications with a fraction of the cost. We end the episode by discussing some of the broader social impacts of these tools, touching on aspects of safety, legality and freedom of choice. 

=====
Re(Sources):

Four Thieves Vinegar Collective
https://fourthievesvinegar.org/media/ 

Mixael’s talk at DEFCON 32
https://youtu.be/5rQklSmI_F0 

Artwork: Four Thieves, tweaked by us

Music: Mass Cisteria, by Zimbru
https://youtu.be/Q26yzrvu7Qg 
ig/fb: zimbrumusic
linktr.ee/zimbrumusic


Ep. 040 – The right to repair our bodies & making DIY medicine, w/ FourThievesVinegarCollective [EN]

Lene radicală, lene intersecțională, lene antiautoritară. Podcastul de stânga pe care îl poți asculta când nu ai chef de nimic.

New tracks tagged #Radical Politics