This is an episode that Joey recorded a few months ago. We're releasing it now to take a bit of a break from our exploration of Israel-Palestine and because Solarpunk is how at least one of us, Joey, tries to create hope where none exists. 

This episode was recorded after the four of us - Joey, Ariel Kroon, Luka Dowell and Andre aka @HydroponicTrash took part in the Solarpunk conference. 

Solarpunk has an eye to a better future, but how do we get there? What is necessary for us to do, and how can we think differently, in order to make this better future possible? We focus on the relationship between speculative fiction, dual power, world-building, and political action.

Links:

• https://anarchosolarpunk.substack.com
• Hydroponic Trash on TikTok
• Solarpunk Now!
• Solarpunk Presents

In this remastered release, Joey Ayoub is joined by Sumaya Awad and Shireen Akram-Boshar. Awad is a co-editor of the book Palestine: A Socialist Introduction, and Akram-Boshar is a contributor to the same book. Originally released on May 20th 2021, this episode has been remastered and re-released. Many of the topics discussed - including the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, the growing solidarity movements around the globe, the Palestinian struggle for liberation - all resonate in today’s context. This episode serves as a reminder that the recent escalation in Palestine has origins well before Oct 7 and that calls to end Israel’s genocide are growing louder and louder. 

Recommendations:

Shireen:

• Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement Paperback by Angela Davis

• The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein

• Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire by Deepa Kumar

• A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution by Samar Yazbeck

Sumaya:

• The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

• Smiley’s People by John le Carré

Movies:

• Qafr Kassem by Borhan Alaouié

• The Feeling of Being Watched by Assia Boundaoui

Episode Credits

Host: Joey Ayoub

Producer: Ayman Makarem

Music: Rap and Revenge

Main theme design: Wenyi Geng

Sound editor: Ayman Makarem

Episode design: Joey Ayoub

In episode 146, Joey Ayoub and Dana El-Kurd talk to Sally Abed, Orly Noy and Amjad Iraqi. Abed is a member of the national leadership of Standing Together (עומדים ביחד نقف معًا), a grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in pursuit of peace, equality, and social and climate justice. Orly Noy is the chair of B'Tselem, arguably Israel's most well-known human rights NGO, and editor of the Hebrew-language news magazine Local Call. Amjad Iraqi is a member of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, an editor and writer at +972 Magazine, and previously an advocacy coordinator at Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel.

In this wide-ranging conversation, the hosts and guests spoke about the current state of Israel's political landscape, from its ongoing "Smotrichization" to the political crackdowns, from the normalization of genocidal rhetoric against Palestinians to the necessity of being "chronically optimistic" to push for change in Israel-Palestine. At a time when Netanyahu and the Israeli far-right have effectively taken over politics, and with so many self-described liberals joining in the calls for violence, principled left-wing voices seem all but gone in Israel. Finally, each guest shares their personal theory of change, offering a glimpse into their vision for the future. 

These episodes are intended to be evergreen conversations. If you're interested in resources dedicated to real-time information, you can follow us on Instagram where we amplify voices on the ground in Palestine-Israel.