I'm thrilled to share a heartfelt podcast conversation I had recently with my dear friend, Libby Davies. Libby has been a mentor and hero to me for decades - I've learned so much from her about the dynamics of pushing for change through powerful inside-outside alliances.
In this interview, she and I dive into my lifelong journey in left politics and activism and the influence of my family's history on my thinking. We go all the way back to my grandfather's involvement in the Jewish Labour Bund and the tensions between Bundists and Zionists more than a century ago that still shape our thinking today.
We talk about my work with The Leap, the perennial frustrations with our diminished and disappointing public broadcaster the CBC (aka "yelling at the radio"), and my growing involvement with the Jewish Faculty Network. It's all about tackling the intersecting crises of imperialism, inequality, and racism during a worldwide ecological catastrophe. In other words, a light and frothy chat about this and that!
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I also talk about moving to Vancouver to teach at UBC and the opportunities and challenges city-living poses for raising a neurodivergent kid.
Libby has lived at the intersections of multi-issue social change for decades - a trailblazer herself, she's the author of "Outside In: a Political Memoir" and served as the MP for Vancouver East for nearly two decades. Our conversation is grounded in our mutual respect and our shared commitment to listening to and amplifying social movements while striving to make change through the democratic tools we have.
Tune in, share with a friend, and let’s keep connecting for change.