USA

Live 10: Migrant Detention Centers in the US

This Latitude Adjustment Podcast live discussion was with Amilcar Valencia, founder of El Refugio, an organization that offers supports to families of detainees at the Stewart Detention Center in the US state of Georgia. Like many migrant detention centers scattered across the US, the center in Stewart is the destination for people who have been taken into detention from across the US, and like most of these facilities it is run by a private for-profit corporation.

Amilcar spoke to us about his own experiences as an immigrant from El Salvador, the struggles that separated families have to endure when family members are detained, what has changed (and what hasn't) under the Trump administration, and what we can do to help bring about overdue changes to create a more humane immigration policy in the US.

Live 9: Wildfire Reporting and Indigenous Fire Management Practices

Our two panelists include a veteran environmental journalist, April Reese, and Stephan Cheney, an expert on indigenous wildfire prevention and management practices.

This year started out with biblical scale wildfires in Australia and appears to be ending with more apocalyptic fires raging across the Western United States. For this live event we welcome you to share your questions in comments as we host two guest panelists with a wealth of experience on this critical topic.

Beyond the burning of landscapes, what impacts are these wildfires having on ecosystems, economies, and on vulnerable populations?

What are “cultural burns”, who uses them, and what is their cultural and practical value?

April Reese is a former Latitude Adjustment Podcast Guest (episode 14) and a veteran environmental journalist with more than 20 years experience reporting across the US for publications such as The Guardian, Outside, Scientific American, Popular Science, Science, Nature, Audubon, National Geographic News, Smithsonian.com, Yale Environment 360, High Country News, and TheAtlantic.com, and Discover (where she was an editor). April also lived in and reported from Australia between 2016-17. April is currently based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Stephan Cheney is Lakota of the Kul Wicasa Oyate and first moved to Wiyot Territory (Northern California) to work as a wildlife firefighter and has more than six years experience in this field. Stephan also works for the Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples and is Based in Humboldt County, California.

Below you find an array of recommended education materials, action items, and links to the work and organizations of our guests.

Live 1: Live Juneteenth Chat with Episode 62 Guests in Minneapolis

The full recording of Latitude Adjustment Podcast's first live discussion, with previous guests Sam Abeler and Duck Washington in Minneapolis. This discussion was open to the public and facilitated by show host Eric Maddox and producer Laila Mokhiber.

You can catch the original interview with our guests on Episode 62: Police Violence and Voices from Minneapolis. The post for the podcast episode includes links to more than a dozen organizations that you can support, as well as a range of videos and supplemental educational materials.