Mar/100
Our Indifferent Media
People aren't killed by the State in Wellington. Never. They are in Tehran, too often. It's an horrific reality that is alien from our day to day lives. We hide from news of murder and the destruction of human rights- and our media makes it easy. French Iranian Journalist Fariba Hachtroudi puts it down to indifference and distance and she's encouraging people to bypass traditional media and take control of the information around them.
Fariba is based in Wellington as the French writer in residence in Randell Writers Cottage. She's bringing an uncomfortable message about life in the religious dictatorship of Iran. Where people put their lives on the line for something so basic as the right to free speech. You don't see it on the news. But you can see it on Youtube, you can read about it on blogs, join a support group on Facebook. Fariba believes it's the online world and NGOs which will shine the harshest light on Iran. People talking to people, bypassing our indifferent media completely. Engaging people enough to create their own media. Through the power of the people they will be obliged to listen.
I don't think Wellingtonians are afflicted by antipathy so much as other New Zealanders. Our proximity to Parliament seems to make everyone political. Perhaps our coffee shop politics might be best directed towards acknowledging and denouncing the way some countries shatter basic human rights?
Fariba's message should not be missed.
French Iranian Journalist Fariba Hachtroudi
Nov/093
How to Win a Man
Finding a man in a City like Wellington can be the ultimate struggle. Would you believe me if I said I knew a girl who won a boyfriend of two years in a raffle? Raffling men worked so well for her in fact that she’s bringing this unique fundraiser to man-drought-stricken Wellington. Men in the City matches 33 lucky bachelors with classy Wellington ladies. Brook is the gal who has seen first hand how well these auctions can work and we caught up with her on C Zone this week. All comments about objectifying males aside- it’s a unique and courageous way to raise money that will hopefully ignite sparks left, right and centre.
We also had an awesome chat with Diana about the German Film Festival. Yen and I often talk about the glut of Film Festivals in our fair City- but there are so many interesting, important events running alongside this one- it’s a real stand out. Next week will mark the 20th anniversary since the Berlin Wall came down. Reunification has left a whole lot of powerful, compelling stories to be told (as anyone who’s seen The Lives of Others is sure to agree!) and the German Film Festival is a sure to be a hit. I’m just about to hit the opening now, can’t wait to see a couple of the films Diana mentioned.
This week is also Foster Care Awareness Week. There are some fairly amazing people out there who dedicate their lives to looking after kids who haven’t been treated right. It’s really a chance to say a big thanks Foster Families but in an awesome, positive spin- Child Youth and Family have also held an award ceremony for exceptional young people as part of the celebrations. We caught up with Debbie to find out more.
A charity raffle with a difference!
02:05 Diana about New Zealand's first German Film Festival
18:35 Debbie about Foster Care Awareness Week
29:14 Brook from Men in the City
Oct/090
Women active in all kinds of business
Laura and I interviewed a bunch of quite admirable women on our show this Tuesday.
First, we had award-winning local artist Jane Kellahan talk about an auction event coming up just over the weekend, Molly from Refugee Services tell us about organising a jazz fundraising event for refugees and Sally from Her Business Network who was just brimming with passion about fostering local women entrepreneurs.
It is truly a reflection of the many creative, multi-tasking, bustlingly busy women who live in Wellington. In fact, if you know of one whom you think particularly deserving, quickly scroll to 26:34 to find out how you can nominate her for the Wellington Women in Business Awards!
2:36 Jane Kellahan
14:30 Molly from Refugee Services
26:34 Sally, Her Business Network
Oct/090
More Reasons to Love Wellington
Yolanda and Jen on community happenings: The International Day of Climate Action from 350 Aotearoa and the ukulele world record breaking event. Plus Jen and Yolanda's favourites from Letterman's Top 10 List of reasons to visit NZ.
350.org Internation Climate Action Day
Oct/090
Monday Hearts Kiwi Music
Catch Community Zone Monday's Jen and Yolanda's recent interviews with NZ's finest musicians: Erin from Delgirl talks about their latest release Porchlight, the 2009 APRA Silver Scroll winner Lawrence Arabia, and Hopepa from Fat Freddy's Drop on their world tour and vinyl release.
APRA Silver Scroll Winner Lawrence Arabia
Oct/090
Get Cultured
Community Zone Monday's Jen and Yolanda bring you the best of Wellington's thriving arts and culture scene.
In this podcast Ken Duncum, winner of the NZ Post Mansfield Literary Prize, Kirsty from City Gallery on the Yayoi Kusama Mirrored Years Exhibit, plus an interview with Miranda Harcourt and Stuart McKenzie about Biography of my Skin.
Yayoi Kusama
Oct/090
Olmecha Supreme
Dave from Community Zone Thursday catches up with the one and only Captain Imon Star from Olmecha Supreme. It's a family affair with his two wee kids!
Captain Imon Star
Oct/090
Converted to Mysticism
Last Saturday I got my palm read. I sat in the most beautiful cottage garden, drinking red wine, eating chocolates and heard a complete stranger sum up everything about me. Julian had been in on for Community Zone and his passion for the art (or science?) of palmistry got me curious.
Yenping was scribe and I now have four pages of hastily scribbled notes about my past and future. I’ll be wildly successful by 23 and won’t want for a thing past 27. Ace! Mum will also be pleased to note I may well become a famed hostess and/ or extremely shrewd with my money.
While fortune telling isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it was definitely interesting to see what my palm lines said about my personality. Independent, tick. Sensitive, tick. Loves the underdog, tick. Spirited, eclectic, broadminded- tick, tick, tick. It was wonderfully indulgent to spend an hour hearing someone say nice things about me. Julian comes highly recommended (from me) for people who have never had exposure to anything mystical. He’s great fun, knows heaps of Oscar Wilde quotes and only expects a koha for his work. Go on… Everyone wants to hear they’ve got one true love right?
Also on the programme were two fine young men from the Air Training Corp, the creative forces behind Fiesta sa Wellington and Lachlan popped back for a World March for Peace debrief.
1.55 Anita and Steve from Fiesta sa Wellington
11.10 Ben and Sam from ATC
19.02 Palm reading explained with Julian
33.35 Lachlan from World March for Peace
Oct/090
Grassroots Activism is Dead
Grassroots activism is dead right? Been swallowed up by a big pit of self loving, consuming, Gen X/ Y apathy… right? Us younguns have nothing worth fighting for, all the good battles have already been waged. Struggles for free love, nuclear free and feminism were sorted out by our parents (and their parents) right before they created this whole user pays debacle, ruined the environment and let capitalism take over democracy.
Or so I thought until a couple of weeks ago- when suddenly everyone started organising and attending events about Climate Change. It was awesome to catch up with Lizzie and Ruby- they’re part of an umbrella organisation which is a collective environmental of student groups at Victoria University. Proving students still have a heart and rebellious fighting spirit, they’ve organised huge marches under their new brand- 10- 20% Pure NZ.
It was also the two year anniversary of the State Terror Raids- Explosive Expression is an incredible, commemorative exhibition- over 60 NZ artists have come on board to help support those grassroots activists who were labelled as terrorists. Robin popped in to tell us more about creative resistance.
Also in was Tony from the Italian Film Festival and Sylvia who’s organising a unique Belly Dancing fundraising event.
350 kiwis form a human kiwi on Global Day of Action for Climate Change
00.05 Robin about Explosive Expression
13.30 Lizzie and Ruby talk student activism
20.00 Robert from the Italian Film Festival
31.35 Sylvia and Belly Dancing
Oct/090
2 pods in one post
There are times when Laura and I are both simultaneously hit by a change in our work schedules, new commitments in our daily lives and a spell of illness. In times like that, it does unfortunately take a little while for us to get our pods up.
I must mention a special highlight from our show on 6th October 2009, where we found out about the current search for New Zealand's favourite recipe. We learnt about a very healthy muffin recipe, which came with a hilarious rap composition. Check out the summer ragga-muffin rap song
On our show on 29/09/2009, we met with retiring composer Jack Body who spoke about Gong Crazy, chatted about Latin American cinema with Armando from Oye Latino and talked about Pirate of the Sea with Lisa from Sea Shepherd.
6/10/2009 show
On our show on 6/10/2009, we spoke with Kate about Phil Grabsky's classical music docos, Bridgetta from Eugene Onegin and Kathy about the search for New Zealand's favourite recipe.