All over the world, people are taking action to save the climate. All over the US, this Thanksgiving, people who have lived through climate disasters are giving thanks. Published on Nov 25, 2013
Photo credits: Greenpeace, NOAA.

All over the US, this Thanksgiving 2013, people who have lived through climate disasters are giving thanks.  And if we receive them they will stay with us forever. 

Speech by Mary Robinson, President, Mary Robinson Foundation  at the BSR Conference, November 2013 in San Francisco, California on climate justice.

Mary Robinson served as President of Ireland from 1990 through 1997 and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 through 2002. She is a member of the Elders and the Club of Madrid and the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Barack Obama.

"Guarda Bosques" (Forest Keepers) 45 min.

On April 15th 2011, when organized crime thugs teamed up with the logging industry and different government agencies to pillage precious and sacred forests at gun-point, the indigenous Purepecha community of Cheran, Michoacan, Mexico rose up with sticks, rocks, and bottle rockets against what can only be described as their local narco-government. Since then, they have taken the authorities offices, weapons, and pick-up trucks, ousted all political parties and all local and state police, and have re-established a traditional form of self-governance that includes its own council of elders, a community "police", known as a "ronda", and its own forest defense team, or forest keepers, known as the "Guarda Bosques."

El 15 de abril de 2011, después de que los matones del crimen organizado se habían unido con la industria maderera y distintas agencias del gobierno para saquear los bosques preciosos y sagrados con la fuerza de las armas, la comunidad indígena Purépecha de Cherán, Michoacán, México, se levantó con palos, piedras y cohetones contra lo que sólo se puede describir como su narco-gobierno. Desde entonces, han tomado control de las oficinas de las autoridades, sus armas y sus camionetas para luego echar fuera a todos los partidos políticos y todos los policías locales y estatales. Han re-establecido una forma de auto-gobernación tradicional que incluye su consejo de ancianos, su "policía" comunitaria, conocida como "la ronda," y su propio equipo para la defensa de los bosques, conocido como los "Guardabosques."

Two icons of the 60's civil rights era -- Bill Moyers and Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) -- meet to share experiences and revelations about the momentous March on Washington which they both attended 50 years ago. At 23, Lewis had just been named to lead the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and was the youngest and most defiant of the featured speakers.

Janice Taylor of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada addresses the practice of labeling behavior of children and the negative consequences of doing so. After growing up to a single mom in poverty and facing the challenges of difficult circumstances, Janice has turned her life experiences and education into a winning combination. She is pioneering the world of social networks with her creation of Just Be Friends Network Inc. with the aim to reduce the growing epidemic of bullying, cyber bullying and unhealthy relationships among children/youth ages 4-13.

TEDx Kelowna speech.

Uploaded on Apr 15, 2010

The Sanctuary for Independent Media welcomed Austin, TX-based folk musician Eliza Gilkyson and activist Rob Jensen on November 16, 2008.
The duo intertwined songs and speeches throughout the night to present a collection of beautiful music and radical discussion.

Empire, Economics and Ecology are the Three E's.

Part 2 of 4: In this clip, Eliza introduces her husband and shares with the audience the way in which Jensen's perspective has influenced her own beliefs and her songwriting. Jensen then begins his presentation on justice, sustainability and his idea of the "Three E's": empire, economics and ecology.

In this lecture, author and professor Robert Jensen explores the realities of pornography. His analysis is rooted in a framework of sexual violence rather than seeing it pornography as an issue of expression or "fantasy." Consequently, his insights place pornography in its appropriate context within patriarchy.

It's a similar analysis to the one presented in his book "Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity".

To purchase his book from Amazon click on the image, or visit your local bookstore. Thank you.

Published on Feb 2, 2013

Fair food, respecting agricultural workers here in the United State, is the focus of Lucas Benitez, Co-Director, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a group that has been very successful at getting Corporations and growers to sign a code of conduct with new  zero tolerance for slavery, sexual harrassment, and right to form their own health and safety conditions. Follow their actions on their YouTube channel here.

Mr. Benitez spoke at the Mary Robinson Speaker Series in November 2002.

Domingo Peas is the community leader of the Sharamentsa,
Achuar Territory, Ecuador, South America.  He talks about humans being required to respect the forest because here we have all the ecosystem. For the Ochoa, in the forest we have our power. Through our ancestors, we give positive energy for all the force that we have. In this sense we fight to defend ourselves because the forest is not just for the Ochoa, it is for all of humanity, for all of the countries that exist on this planet.

We have to do positive work for the new generation.

Interviewed by Barry Heidt of Sustainability Action Media (SAM) with the help of EarthSayers.tv and Pachamama Alliance in February, 2013.  English translation in progress.

Hilario Saant is a community leader in Kapawi Achuar Territory in Ecuador, South America.  He tells, firsthand, the story of his community around the issue of oil extraction and its destruction of community and the forest.  Interviewed by Barry Heidt of Sustainability Action Media with the help of EarthSayers.tv and the Pachamama Alliance in February 2013.   English translation in process.