Young Podcast

Topics range from human rights, community activism, social justice, and international governance structures with each episode centered on innovative ways to approach the Global Political Economy.

Published each month, these talks will be available here for public access, supporting intellectual discourse, and welcoming all members of the Occidental College communities to engage with challenging the political and economic status quo.

Season 6, Episode 1: The Venal Origins of Underdevelopment in Spanish America with Dr. Jenny Guardado

Join us in a discussion about the Venal Origins of Underdevelopment in Spanish America with Dr. Jenny Guardado

Season 5, Episode 5: Authoritarianism and Struggles for Change in the Arab World with Dr. Hesham Sallam

Join us in a discussion about authoritarianism and struggles for change in the Arab World with guest, Dr. Hesham Sallam of Stanford University. 

Season 5, Episode 4: The Role of Human Rights Watch in Israel/Palestine with Omar Shakir

Gain invaluable insights into the critical role of Human Rights Watch in the conflict involving Israel and Palestine as we engage with Regional Director Omar Shakir, exploring their efforts to document human rights violations and advocate for justice in the region.

Season 5, Episode 3: India-Israel Alliance: Fueling the Palestinian Crisis with Azad Essa

Unravel the complex dynamics of the (in-) formal alliance between the states and nations of India and Israel and its impact on Palestinian crises with South African journalist Azad Essa of the Middle East Eye, as we examine the geopolitical implications and the quest for a just resolution.

Season 5, Episode 2 (Part 1): Professor Movindri Reddy: Hegemonic Horizons

Prepare to challenge your perspectives in a thought-provoking discussion with our very own Professor Movindri Reddy as we explore the strategic objectives of contemporary India and its far-reaching implications in regional, transnational, and international landscapes.

Season 5, Episode 1: Professor Syeda ShahBano Ijaz: Democracy and Development in the Global South

Embark on an insightful journey with DWA Professor Syeda ShahBano ljaz, as we examine the intricate relationship between democracy and development in the Global South, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Season 4, Episode 3: Professor Crawford: Transitional Justice Institutions & 'Otherwise" Possibilities of Democratic Engagement

Unlock new horizons in the pursuit of justice and civic and democratic participation with Professor Claire Crawford of Critical Theory & Social Justice as we transcend traditional institutions of transitional justice, while re-imagining pathways for societal healing and inclusive governance.

Season 4, Episode 2: Dr. Stuart Soroka: From Likes to Votes

Uncover the intricate relationship between social media engagement and electoral outcomes with Dr. Stuart Soroka of UCLA, as we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of digital politics and its impact on democratic processes.

Season 4, Episode 1: Erica Marat on the War against Ukraine and the Legacies of Russian Colonialism

Immerse yourself in a compelling discussion with Dr. Erica Marat of the National Defense University, as we examine the ongoing war against Ukraine through the lens of Russian colonialism, shedding light on the historical legacies and their profound implications.

Season 3, Episode 4: LGBT Rights at the UN with Sahar Moazami

Join us in conversation with Sahar Moazami, a UN program officer for Outright Action International at the UN, as they detail mechanisms for state accountability and how to promote LGBT rights on a global scale. 

Season 3, Episode 3: Art as Social Change with President Harry J. Elam Jr.

In this engaging interview, President Elam details his career in the theatrical arts, deconstructing how art can be used as a mechanism for social change and communal empowerment.

Season 3, Episode 2: Media & the United Nations with Stéphane Dujarric

Stéphane Dujarric, the current Spokesperson for the Secretary-General at the United Nations, discusses the role of the media in international politics and his career at the United Nations.

Season 3, Episode 1: LA Environmental Policy

Join us for a discussion with Megan Ross, a climate advisor for the Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Sustainability and the Natural Resources Defense Council, as she explains local environmental policy and activism in Los Angeles.

Season 2, Episode 4: Global Political Economy of Kleptocracy

Professor Igor Logvinenko speaks with Professor Nikhil Kalyanpur of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Professor Kalyanpur is one of the leading scholars on the global political economy of kleptocracy, law and global governance.

Season 2, Episode 3: Art and Memorialization as Truth-telling

Our final episode of 2021 features the voices of Emma Boast, Gail Kennard, and Hilary Malson–urban planning, art, and memorialization exper–who will highlight the crucial roles that art and memorialization, public space, and our built environment play in truth-telling processes and uplifting narratives that have been and continue to be suppressed.

Season 2, Episode 2: Truth-telling in the U.S. with Dr. David Fakunle and Mr. Allan-Charles Chipman

Dr. Favid Fakunle and Mr. Allan-Charles Chipman join the Young Podcast to discuss current truth-telling processes in the U.S. and provide their thoughts on the future of truth-telling.

Season 2, Episode 1: Truth-telling 101 with Ashley Quarcoo, Virgnie Ladisch, and Cristián Correa

Expert academics and practitioners, Ashley Quarcoo, Virginie Ladisch, and Cristián Correa discuss how truth-telling opens paths for reckoning with histories that continue to plague societies struggling with past wrongs -- from genocide to slavery to ongoing systemic violence -- and how truth-telling processes can help the U.S. reckon with its history of structural racism and ethnic discrimination.

Season 1, Episode 7: Environmental Activism with Carolina Caycedo

Carolina Caycedo, a London-born Colombian artist, whose work contributes to the construction of environmental historical memory, human rights, and environmental justice.

Seaon 1, Episode 6: International Relations & Human Rights with Cynthia Rothschild 

Cynthia Rothschild, the current faculty director of Oxy-at-the-U.N program, discusses her UN advocacy and policy work, which has included LGBTI issues, women's rights, religious fundamentalisms, and HIV & AIDS.

Season 1, Episode 5: International Security & Social Movements with Professor Phillip Ayoub

Professor Phillip Ayoub, a current faculty member in the Diplomacy & World Affairs Department at Occidental College and fellow at the Hertie Center for International Security discusses his work on sexuality and gender, norm diffusion, and the study of social movements.

Season 1 Episode 4: Global Political Economy in the Age of COVID with Igor Logvinenko

Professor Igor Logvinenko, an Associate Professor of Diplomacy and World Affairs and an affiliate of the John Parke Young Initiative at Occidental College, discusses his work in the field of Global Political Economy in Russian and Eurasian Politics.

Season 1, Episode 3: Global Political Economy in the Age of COVID with Kim Todd

Kim Todd, the current manager of international programs and events for the Northern California World Trade Center in Sacramento, discusses her work coordinating professional international exchanges through the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.

Season 1, Episode 2: Art as Activism with Alberto Lule

Alberto Lule, a current undergraduate art student at UCLA, discusses his recent collaborations with Oxy Arts and his work around deconstructing conceptions of the United States’ prison industrial complex, immigration, drug addiction, and mental health.

Season 1, Episode 1: Art as Activism with the Cornerstone Theater Company

Members of the local Cornerstone Theatre Company discuss their pioneering model of theater that utilizes community-based, peer-to-peer engagement methods to drive social change in communities across the nation.