Youth and protest. These are words that go together well.

Older folks protest too. Many have been doing it for years. Michael Polanyi was in his twenties when he committed his first act of public disobedience. I recall walking into a room back then, seeing Michael getting his blood drawn. It would end up getting tossed on an outer wall of the Canadian Department of War, in protest against low-level jet fighter training in Labrador, over indigenous Innu land.

Fast forward. Michael is now sixty, and still protesting. Just the other day, worried about wildfires sweeping across Canada – thousands of them, devastating splendid forests; sending colossal volumes of CO2 into Earth’s atmosphere – Michael hopped into a car, drove over to a big highway outside Ottawa, and …

Well, listen to Michael tell the story in today’s podcast. Click ‘play’ above, or go here.

Michael Polanyi studied engineering, physics, political science and ecology at various Canadian universities. He was an assistant professor of health studies at the University of Regina. He’s particularly interested in participatory action research, where people design and implement research on matters that affect them.

Climate protest in Ottawa

Canadian musicians hungry for air play (fame and fortune, if they’re lucky) head down to the USA.

Marcel Soulodre did. A native of St. Boniface, Manitoba, Winnipeg’s Francophone sister city, Marcel spent a few years in Louisiana and toured the States extensively. Then, in search of deeper roots, he moved to lovely Strasbourg, France, on the German border. Johnny Cash is huge in this part of the world, and Marcel Soulodre channels Johnny Cash very well.

Here’s a story about Marcel – aka M. Soul. Click on the ‘play’ button on top, or go here.

And check out Marcel’s tour dates here.

M. Soul wows Epfig crowd (David Kattenburg)

Are you disenchanted with politics? Do politicians turn you off?

You’re not the only one. Vote for me, they shout, promising the moon and stars. They slag other politicians, yelling at each other in their chambers. Some of them take money from powerful corporations. When they’re through with politics, into some corporate law firm or directors board they go.

Sure, most politicians are honest and conscientious, but their congresses and parliaments are poorly equipped to solve huge, complex challenges like climate change, that require unity, consensus, imagination and courage.

Courtesy Citizens’ Assembly, Dublin

On the other hand, citizens’ assemblies, made up of ordinary people from all walks of life, are much better suited to problem-solving in dark times.

I spoke about citizens’ assemblies with Ansel Herz, Communications Director for an organization that promotes them — DemocracyNext. Listen to our conversation. Click on the play button on top, or go here.

Thanks to Dan Weisenberger for his wonderful guitar instrumentals.