Tibet Fest: Compassion Is Your Best Weapon
Yes, and...
“Even the most selfish person should find compassion very, very attractive,” expresses Sonam Nyatsatsang, the festival producer of Tibet Fest, with a smile. He is joined by Sontri Jorkhang, a volunteer for the festival and our youngest guest this season. They describe the Tibetan culture of compassion and what it looks like in their everyday lives.
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Indigenous People Festival: Gathering Together
Yes, and...
“I don’t have trouble knowing who I am. I am Tlingit,” states LaVerne Wise who describes herself as the “Director of Happiness” at Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB). LaVerne works with our second guest, Brad Angerman, the Director of Communications at SIHB. They both represent the Tlingit tribe in Southeast Alaska and discuss personal stories about identity, contemporary representation within the Indigenous People Festival.
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CroatiaFest: Icons of Seattle
Yes, and...
“We are everywhere; we’re just under the radar,” expresses John Morovich, board member of CroatiaFest. His mother and our second guest, Cathryn Morovich, is the festival co-producer. Together, they offer personal stories and the history of Croats in Seattle, highlighting many hidden innovations located across the city. Representing two generations and a deep family connection to the festival, they carry pride, passion and knowledge of Croatian culture with a mission to embody it throughout CroatiaFest
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Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration: Dual Identities
Yes, and...
“What does it mean to be Chinese? What does it mean to be American? Where is the balance?” asks Vivian Huang, Marketing Chair for the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month Celebration. Along with her, Peter Tsai, the festival producer, speaks to the history of API communities in Seattle and how the festival emerged alongside the official designation of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) in May.
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BrasilFest: New Ideas Embedded in Roots
Yes, and...
“Come ready to participate!” proclaims dancer, Lena Silverman, who grew up in Seattle and within BrasilFest. She is joined by Eduardo Mendonça, festival co-producer of BrasilFest. They represent two distinct generations and the contrasting experiences of immigrating from Brazil to the U.S. as an adult and growing up as a first-generation mixed race Brazilian youth in Seattle. Lena and Eduardo speak to the history and impact of the festival and their personal challenges with identity and social justice.
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Intergenerational Collaboration: Let Us Walk in Our Own Shoes
Yes, and...
This youth-focused episode highlights the advocacy efforts and leadership experience of Mariam Bayo, Zion Thomas, Karishma Vahora and Khatami Chau. They share their opinions on how adults can successfully invite youth to collaborate, offering advice on mentorship with integrity through self-reflection, patience, and listening.
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Intention vs. Impact: The Culture of Activism in Seattle
Yes, and...
Activists Angelica Chazaro, Matt Remle, Rashad Barber and Kelsen Caldwell share their different methods and fields of activism, ranging from community-based organizing to working within non-profits. They challenge the notion of scarcity and the battle for resources, acknowledging money is not the only valuable form of resource, but community collaboration can take an effort farther than imagined.
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Revitalization Equals Erasure: Gentrifying Seattle
Yes, and...
Jess Ramirez, LC and Kalisto Zenda Nanen discuss gentrification as a lived experience that cannot be wrapped up into a single definition. The effects are intersectional and felt through generations of limited opportunities, erasing one’s sense of place, ownership and belonging. Presenting the question, “Who is making the sacrifice for your convenience?” they encourage people to think of the larger community and how individual decisions can deeply affect their neighbors.
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Homeless in Seattle: It Could Easily Be You
Yes, and...
ChrisTiana ObeySumner, Michelle Jenkins and Katie Wilson have an honest and powerful conversation about their experience, and offer insight on barriers that drive someone into homelessness and keeps them there. With the intention to build a holistic, compassionate and humanistic point of view, their conversation challenges the stereotypes often associated to being homeless. They advocate for an individual and political approach that focuses on prevention versus intervention.
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Juntémonos: Where Are Latinx in Seattle?
Yes, and...
Monserrat Padilla, Rocio Carranza and Jake Prendez embody different shapes of activism within the Seattle Latinx community and outlining towns. From opening cultural centers that support and bring together community to political efforts in defense of Dreamers and being a resource for those terrorized by ICE, these three individuals support and defend their Latinx community in ways typically not highlighted in the news.
info_outlineWelcome to the introduction episode where Steve Sneed, Managing Artistic Director of Cultural Programs at Seattle Center, and Gabriela Ayala-Cañizares, producer and podcast host, share how this project began. They also explain why each episode is not only focused around expanding the understanding of any given topic, but also braving into more solution-based conversations on the social issues that impact Seattle. There is also a preview of the topics explored in this season and the weekly release schedule.