Making Contact

Making Contact – October 15, 2004

ElectionWatch ’04 – Systems Failure A healthy democracy depends not only on the leaders whom voters choose to elect, but also the systems used to cast votes. When election systems fail, so does democracy. On this edition, we take a look at the disenfranchisement of African Americans in Florida, the debate over electronic voting machines, … Continued


Making Contact

Making Contact – October 1, 2004

Unauthorized Disclosure – Blowing the Whistle on Government Crimes Working for the United States Defense Department in the 1960s, Daniel Ellsberg photocopied classified documents about the war in Vietnam. The public disclosure of this information eventually helped bring down a president and end a war. On this edition, we hear from former federal employees who … Continued


Making Contact

Making Contact – September 10, 2004

The Struggle for Food Food. For some it’s as simple as going to a supermarket. But there are issues today that have a direct impact on the way we eat. Both the local landscape and the global economy hold sway over food availability. On this week’s edition we hear from people delivering fresh organic food … Continued


Making Contact

Making Contact – September 3, 2004

Election Watch ’04: Working Hard for Change As the November 2004 election approaches, presidential candidates are staking out their positions on issues facing working people and their families. On this edition, we explore the economic anxieties driving voters – such as access to health insurance, affordable childcare, and livable wages.


Making Contact

Making Contact – August 27, 2004

Documenting Torture: Holding the United States Accountable Until the 60 Minutes II report late April 2004, very few people in the United States had even heard of Abu Ghraib. On this edition, we trace the seeds of the prison scandal to 9/11 and previous to that time. We hear from survivors of torture, human rights … Continued


Making Contact

Making Contact – August 20, 2004

Patagonian Winds of Resistance In the midst of a shattered economy in Argentina, US-based Meridian Gold acquired a gold deposit in Patagonia worth an estimated one billion dollars. This mining project, however, could damage the natural environment and the local community’s way of life. On this edition of Making Contact Pauline Bartolone traveled to the … Continued


Making Contact

Making Contact – August 13, 2004

Courage Under Fire: Resistance to War Resistance to the status quo is a common theme among social, political, and environmental movements. But resistance during war can increase the stakes, sometimes with dire consequences. On this edition of Making Contact, we’ll take a look at resistance in Rwanda during the nationwide call for genocide in 1994, … Continued


Making Contact

Making Contact – August 6, 2004

ElectionWatch ’04 – Systems Failure A healthy democracy depends not only on the leaders whom voters choose to elect, but also the systems used to cast votes. When election systems fail, so does democracy. On this edition, we take a look at the disenfranchisement of African Americans in Florida, the debate over electronic voting machines, … Continued


Making Contact

Making Contact – July 30, 2004

Transgender Bender: Moving Beyond the Binary System Until the 1950s in the United States, in a binary system that included only male or female, gender was simply a matter of plumbing. Now gender is more commonly understood to be more complex-and sometimes separate from the body. On this edition, we take a look at a … Continued


Making Contact

Making Contact – July 23, 2004

Native Lands: The Struggle for Sovereignty Broken treaties, contested land, reservations, loss of resources. Land sovereignty is a key issue for indigenous peoples. On this edition, we take a look at the Mapuche people in Argentina, the Shuswap Nation in the British Columbia province of Canada, and the Oglala Sioux in the state of South … Continued