Shows
The Fire These Times198/ A Liquid Convo About Venezuela w/ Laura VidalFor episode 198, Elia Ayoub is joined by Venezuelan researcher - and old friend - Laura Vidal to talk about, and around, Venezuela. We got into why Venezuelans flee the Maduro regime, how Venezuela(ns) is often covered, and the broader discourse battles that may or may not include people who still think Maduro is a passionate defenders of the Palestinians (pause for laughter).Laura was actually one of the first guests of TFTT back in the ancient year of 2020 when Elia was still learning how to use the Audacity sound editing software. The Fire These T...2025-06-0951 min
The Fire These Times197/ Our Region After Samir Kassir: Special 20 Years Commemoration w/ Ziad MajedIt's been 20 years since the Assad regime assassinated Samir Kassir, the Lebanese-Syrian-Palestinian historian, journalist and writer in Beirut on June 2nd 2005. Joining Elia Ayoub and Leila Al-Shami today is Lebanese-French political researcher and academic Ziad Majed, a friend and comrade of Kassir, to talk about his legacy in the two decades that have passed given how much has changed since for Lebanon, Palestine and of course Syria.This is a special cross-over episode between The Fire These Times (TFTT) and Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution (STIR). We are both part of the From The Periphery...2025-06-0229 min
The Fire These Times196/ The Wars Within the War on Gaza w/ Maram Humaid (Part 2)Palestinian journalist Maram Humaid joins us from Gaza to talk about the many layers of Israel’s genocide, the everyday of those trying to survive it. This is part 2 of the episode with Elia Ayoub and israa'. It is already available in full on Patreon for free.More:Maram’s articles on Al JazeeraGaza Mutual AidThis American Life episode with Maram’s daughter Banias “The Narrator, Episode 849” December 13, 2024Elia’s piece on Hauntologies: Why I Cannot Mourn GazaThe Fire These Times is a proud member of From The Pe...2025-05-2854 min
The Fire These Times195/ The Wars Within the War on Gaza w/ Maram Humaid (Part 1)Palestinian journalist Maram Humaid joins us from Gaza to talk about the many layers of Israel’s genocide, the everyday of those trying to survive it. This is part 1 of the episode with Elia Ayoub and israa'. It is already available in full on Patreon for free.More:Maram’s articles on Al JazeeraGaza Mutual AidThis American Life episode with Maram’s daughter Banias “The Narrator, Episode 849” December 13, 2024Elia’s piece on Hauntologies: Why I Cannot Mourn GazaThe Fire These Times is a proud memb...2025-05-2653 min
GRC EngineerThird-Party Risk Management from the Trenches w/ Blake, McKenna and Kristi | Experts PanelWant more? Subscribe to the GRC Engineer newsletter for exclusive content including a detailed transcript of this episode in next week's edition: https://grcengineer.com/subscribeIn this premiere episode of the GRC Engineering Podcast Experts Panel, host Ayoub Fandi brings together three seasoned Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) practitioners to discuss the real-world challenges and innovations in vendor security assessment.Our expert panelists:McKenna Yeakey (Netflix) - TPRM professional with previous experience at Splunk and SamsaraKristi Hoffmaster - TPRM practitioner with experience at OktaBlake Hoge (Airbnb) - TPRM professional with previous experiences at Instacart and SalesforceThey dive...2025-05-201h 07
The Fire These TimesIntroducing "Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution"We got a new podcast! We're happy to announce that Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution (STIR) is now out on Patreon and wherever you listen to podcasts. In this episode, Leila Al-Shami (Burning Country) and Elia Ayoub (The Fire These Times, Hauntologies) introduce themselves and the podcast.What is STIR about? From the Assad regime to the Arab Spring and beyond, we will dive into questions of reconstruction, prisoners, the forcibly disappeared, transitional justice, minority rights, women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental politics, culture and more.STIR is part of the From The Periphery Media Collective. To support all of ou...2025-05-1211 min
The Fire These Times191/ We Are the Children of the Children of WarElia Ayoub and Lebanese journalist Justin Salhani have one thing in common: their parents lived through the Lebanon wars (1975-1990). Claude Salhani was a well-known photojournalist United Press International and Reuters. The photo featured in this episode shows him in the middle, injured after an Israeli strike on Beirut in 1982. We also talked about a recent gallery of Claude’s photographs published by Al Jazeera.For this episode of The Fire These Times, and to close off our discussions on the Lebanon wars - check our the recent episode Elia did with Ayman Makarem on our sister pod...2025-05-0537 min
The Fire These Times189/ Doikayt ('Hereness') Now! w/ Molly CrabappleFor episode 189 of The Fire These Times, Elia Ayoub is joined by friend of the pod Molly Crabapple to talk about the Jewish Labor Bund and how their concept of Doikayt (‘Hereness’) can help us build a better world than the hellscape being proposed by techno-dystopianism and end-time fascism. Molly’s upcoming book is called “here where we live is our country: the story of the jewish labor bund.” Speaking of end-time fascism, Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor will be joining Elia and Dana El Kurd on TFTT to talk about their essay “The rise of end times fascism...2025-04-2357 min
The Fire These Times188/ Revolutionary Aid in Sudan w/ Eiad HushamHow did Sudanese revolutionaries organize neighborhood and resistance committees to resist state and non-state violence? What are some of the principles underpinning their worldview? What can we learn from them?For episode 188 of The Fire These Times, Elia Ayoub is joined by Sudanese journalist Eiad Husham to talk about his piece "revolutionary aid in Sudan" for The New Internationalist and try and answer those questions.The Fire These Times is a proud member of From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. This episode was first released on the FTP Patreon page. Please consider supporting us directly there and yo...2025-04-2150 min
Localization Fireside ChatCan Multilingualism Solve Global Conflicts? | Kit Hall & Erisa Hysi | LFC Episode 100💡 How is Multilingualism transforming global citizenship?In this landmark 100th episode of the Localization Fireside Chat, Robin Ayoub hosts Kit Hall (Director at Language Connects Foundation, ACTFL) and Erisa Hysi (CEO & language advocate) to discuss the crucial role language learning plays in fostering cultural understanding, global communication, and resolving international conflicts. Discover how multilingualism bridges cultural gaps, ACTFL's impactful initiatives, and AI’s evolving role in language education.We cover: ✅ Why multilingualism is essential for global citizenship ✅ Initiatives by ACTFL and the Language Connects Foundation ✅ Real-world examples of language barriers in diplomacy ✅ AI’s supportive role in languag...2025-03-1146 min
The Fire These Times185/ What Ukraine Faces w/ Romeo KokriatskiFor episode 185, Elia Ayoub is joined by Ukrainian journalist and repeated guest Romeo Kokriatski to talk about the recent developments in Ukraine, especially in light of the Trump administration's open intentions to shift USA support from Ukraine to Russia, and what this means for Ukraine, Europe and the USA. As this episode is time-sensitive we are releasing it on Patreon and publicly at the same time. Comments are for Patreons only.The Fire These Times is a proud member of From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. Check out other projects in our media ecosystem: the (newly air...2025-03-0557 min
The Fire These TimesOur Plans for 2025What we hope to achieve this year.Mentioned:Our patreonAntidotezine Liz Artistry'sWebsite andInstagramThe monthly hangout is open to all Patreon supporters, guests and hosts.Join us!Hauntologies.net The email:ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com Elia'sBluesky andMastodonTFTT is onBluesky andIG, and we have awebsiteFTP is onBluesky andIG, and we have awebsiteThe Inconvenient Revolution is an upcoming podcast by Leila Al-Shami and Elia Ayoub on Syria. All episodes will be first available on ourPatreonThe M...2025-03-0413 min
The Fire These TimesTFTT x Obscuristan: Navalny, A Year LaterIn this special collab episode betweenObscuristan and The Fire These Times, Karena Avedissian and Anna are joined by Daniel Voskoboynik to discuss the life of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and what his death means for those of us not quite at the heart of the Russian empire.Obscuristan and The Fire These Times are proud members of From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. Check out other projects in our media ecosystem: the Mutual Aid Podcast, Politically Depressed, andAntidote Zine. To support FTP please head out toPatreon.Transcriptions: Transcriptions are done byAntidote Zine and will be published on The Fire These Times’ transcri...2025-02-251h 09
The Fire These TimesBlack History Month Special: Black Anarchism, Abolition and the Radical Tradition w/ William C. AndersonThis is a conversation withWilliam C. Anderson, author of the bookThe Nation on No Map (AK Press 2021) and co-author ofAs Black as Resistance (AK Press 2018). He’s also the co-founder ofOffshoot Journal and provides creative direction as a producer of theBlack Autonomy Podcast.The Fire These Times is a proud member of From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. Check out other projects in our media ecosystem: the Mutual Aid Podcast, Politically Depressed, Obscuristan, andAntidote Zine. To support FTP please head toPatreon.For more:William C Anderson has awebsiteElia Ayoub is onMastodon,IG,Bluesky, and he hasa newslett...2025-02-181h 42
The Fire These TimesHauntologies 3/ Lebanon's Lost Communist FutureElia Ayoub goes into his essay for hauntologies.net in which he asks: what does it mean to lose the future?
The film explored is Maher Abi Samra's 'We Were Communists' (2011). It will be part of our upcoming movie club on the patreon.
The Hauntologies Podcast is a production of From The Periphery and part of The Fire These Times podcast. A newsletter version exists at hauntologies.net. To support us, please head out to Patreon.com/fromtheperiphery to subscribe. You are free to republish and translate the text and audio as long as you c...2025-02-0449 min
The Fire These TimesHauntologies 2/ This Moment. Or, Why I Cannot Mourn GazaElia Ayoub reads from his Hauntologies.net piece "This Moment. Or, Why I Cannot Mourn Gaza" which is available for free.
The Hauntologies Podcast is a production of From The Periphery and part of The Fire These Times podcast. A newsletter version exists at hauntologies.net. To support us, please head out to Patreon.com/fromtheperiphery to subscribe. You are free to republish and translate the text and audio as long as you credit us with the appropriate patreon link.
For More:
Elia is on Bluesky, Mastodon and I...2025-01-2008 min
Localization Fireside Chat🌟Why MemoQ Is Outselling Trados in Key Markets! conversation with CRO Mugais Jahangir 🌟Join me, Robin Ayoub, as I sit down with Mugais Jahangir, Chief Revenue Officer at MemoQ, to discuss the secrets behind their SaaS sales strategies, consultative selling, and how AI is reshaping the translation management software industry. If you're curious about how MemoQ is carving out a unique position in the market, this episode is a must-watch! 🚀 👇 Chapter List 👇 0:00 Introduction: Welcome to Episode 92! 2:35 Mugais Jahangir’s journey to MemoQ and software sales background 4:09 The power of consultative selling in SaaS 6:55 Building the right team: MemoQ’s approach to customization 8:47 MemoQ’s strategies for enterprises vs. industry players 11:01 MemoQ Days: Fostering globa...2025-01-1535 min
Knack 4 BusinessFrom the Ashes of Beirut to the Boardroom, Robin Ayoub's Journey of ResilienceSend us a textResilience and Adaptability: Transforming Your Business JourneyWelcome to the Knack 4 Business podcast! Whether you're a startup or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode has something for everyone.Join us as we chat with Robin Ayoub from Lionbridge, who shares his inspiring journey from a challenging childhood in war-torn Beirut to becoming a top executive in Canada’s language industry.Robin highlights the power of resilience, adaptability, and lifelong learning in achieving success. He explores the transformative role of AI in the la...2025-01-1441 min
The Fire These TimesHauntologies 1/ Merry Christmas HomsElia Ayoub reads from his newsletter piece "Merry Christmas Homs: Tribute to Bassel Shehadeh's Last City" which is available for free. It is a reference to a short film directed by Bassel during Christmas 2011 in Homs under heavy shelling by the Assad regime. You can watch it on YouTube.
Trigger warning: this audio features some sounds from the original film, including airstrikes. They come right after Elia says 'at times getting closer' at around 1:25 seconds. Skip to 1:59 to avoid them.
As this is time sensitive, it is released on the public feed shortly after the...2024-12-2611 min
The Fire These Times181/ Don't Despair, We Got This w/ Margaret KilljoyFor episode 181, Elia Ayoub is joined by Margaret Killjoy to talk about her piece "The Sky is Falling; We've Got This" published on her newsletter. We recorded this shortly after Trump was announced as the winner of the US elections and many people were feeling despair, understandably so.Check out Margaret's new book and first novel "The Sapling Cage" with Feminist Press!The Fire These Times is a proud member of From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. Check out other projects in our media ecosystem: From The Periphery Podcast, The Mutual Aid Podcast, Politically Depressed, Obscuristan, and A...2024-12-201h 05
Localization Fireside ChatTariffs, Tech and Trade Wars: Is AI Canada's last hope?Welcome to Episode #90 of the Localization Fireside Chat! In this episode, Robin Ayoub sits down with Atif Malik, founder and Chief AI Officer of Zarori, a top AI startup based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Together, they dive deep into the transformative power of AI, its applications in healthcare, the challenges faced by Canadian startups, and the potential of AI to redefine industries. Atif shares his journey from a technology consultant to the founder of Zarori and offers a behind-the-scenes look at how AI is revolutionizing healthcare while addressing key challenges such as data privacy and security. Don’t miss th...2024-12-1148 min
The Fire These Times178/ Roundtable on SyriaA lot has happened over the last week in Syria, so we figured we'd gather together, as members of From the Periphery, to discuss the latest developments and provide a historical and political background to help understand the current moment. We discuss a broad range of topics starting with an overview of the what's happened in the last week or so, including: the origins of the Syrian revolution, the counter-revolutionary war, the abuses and crimes of the Assad regime, foreign interventions and regional factors, descriptions of groups such as HTS (Hayat Tahrir al Sham) and SNA (Syria National Army...2024-12-031h 30
Real Life Mortgage SolutionsDecoding Alternative and B-Lending Options with Mike Ayoub of Home TrustIn this episode, Len Lane, founder of Brokers for Life Inc., sits down with Mike Ayub from Home Trust to discuss the ins and outs of alternative lending. With over 30 years in the business, Home Trust specializes in serving clients who don’t fit traditional A-lender criteria, such as self-employed individuals and those with unique income sources. Mike dives into the competitive rates that Home Trust offers, sometimes even lower than A lenders, and highlights their popular products like stated income mortgages and rental property loans. He also shares insights on Alberta’s booming rental market and stresses the impo...2024-11-2624 min
The Fire These TimesRerun/ Commoning in Lebanon’s Palestinian Refugee Camps w/ Yafa El MasriIn this rerun of episode 131, Elia is joined by Dr Yafa El Masri to talk about her paper “72 Years of Homemaking in Waiting Zones: Lebanon’s “Permanently Temporary” Palestinian Refugee Camps” which she presented at the 2022 Pluriverse of Eco-social Justice summer school in Coimbra, Portugal, where we met.
Dr El Masri spoke from first hand experience of commoning in "permanently temporary" spaces as she is herself a Palestinian refugee who was born and raised in Borj El Brajneh refugee camp in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Mentions and Recommendations:
A Paradise Built in Hell: Th...2024-11-221h 20
The Fire These Times176/ American Neocons, Christian Zionists & Israeli Fascism w/ Atalia OmerFor episode 176, Dana El Kurd is joined by Atalia Omer, professor of Religion, Conflict and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame to discuss her work on the convergences between American neoconservatism, Christian Zionism, and Israeli politics, as well as how attacking Palestine is being used to advance right-wing politics around the world. Omer discusses the impact of American right-wing politics on knowledge production and the study of Palestine, the Israeli Kahanist far right, and broader trends of Israeli violence.The Fire These Times (TFTT) is part of the From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. To sup...2024-11-151h 01
Localization Fireside Chat5 CEO's unite in Celebrating the 90th year anniversary of the Translation Bureau of Canada🎉 Celebrating 90 Years of the Translation Bureau: Insights from Past & Present CEOs 🎉 Join us in this special episode of Localization Fireside Chat as we commemorate the 90th anniversary of Canada’s Translation Bureau! Hosted by Robin Ayoub, this exclusive panel brings together five past and current CEOs—Donna Achimov (2011-2016), Stéphan Déry (2017-2019), Lucie Séguin (2019-2022), Dominic Laporte (2023-2024), and the current CEO, Jean-François Lymburner. These language leaders share their reflections on the Bureau’s legacy, the impact of accessibility and inclusivity, advancements in AI, and the future of language services in Canada. This conversation dives deep into the Bu...2024-11-051h 02
The Fire These Times175/ Beekeeping in the End Times w/ Larisa JašarevićFor episode 175, Elia Ayoub and Anna (co-host of Obscuristan) are joined by Larisa Jašarević to talk about her new book “Beekeeping in the End Times.” They delve into bees and Abrahamic faiths, climate change, folk tradition, and above all how we can all be connecting to the natural world while still remaining rooted in ourselves and our lives.The Fire These Times (TFTT) is part of the From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. To support our work, please head out to Patreon and get early access to all podcasts, an invite to join our monthly hangout, exclus...2024-11-011h 23
Localization Fireside ChatNavigating AI and Localization: Kajetan Malinowski's Insights on the Future of the IndustryThe Future of AI in Localization | Fireside Chat with Kajetan Malinowski | Episode 86 In this episode of the Localization Fireside Chat, host Robin Ayoub interviews Kajetan Malinowski, founder of biangle.digital and a veteran of the localization industry with over 17 years of experience at Lionbridge. They discuss the transformative role of AI in localization, how AI can drive productivity and strategy, and Kajetan’s journey from working at a global corporation to launching his own consulting business. Tune in to learn how AI is revolutionizing the localization industry, the strategic opportunities for localization teams, and the balance between human expertise an...2024-10-2847 min
The Fire These Times174/ Lebanon From 1860 to the Present DayFor episode 174, Elia and Ayman sit down to talk about Lebanon. As our little country is in the news for all the worst reasons, we thought it a good idea to give y'all an overview of Lebanese history.
Materials Mentioned:
Books
A History of Modern Lebanon - Fawwaz Traboulsi
Banking on The State - Hisham Safieddine
Sextarianism - Maya Mikdashi
Films
Safar Barlek (1967) - Rahbani Brothers + Fairouz
Ila Ein (Where to?) (1957) - dir. George Nasser
Hail Walid Jumblatt (1977...2024-10-252h 12
Localization Fireside ChatFrom Beirut to Boardroom: Robin Ayoub's Inspiring Journey of Resilience | Knack for Business|In this powerful episode of the Knack for Business Podcast https://k4b.buzzsprout.com/, Robin Ayoub, VP of Sales and General Manager at Lionbridge, opens up for the first time in public about his personal journey from war-torn Beirut to becoming a prominent leader in the global language industry. This is a candid and deeply personal look into Robin's life—how he overcame adversity, built resilience, and used those experiences to fuel his success in business development, leadership, and navigating the fast-evolving world of AI in language services. From humble beginnings to guiding major acquisitions and fostering innovation, Ro...2024-10-1953 min
Localization Fireside ChatMultilingual Content Creation: Insights from VeraContent’s CEO Shaheen Samavati | Episode #83In this episode of the Localization Fireside Chat, I sit down with Shaheen Samavati, the Co-Founder and CEO of VeraContent, to dive into the world of multilingual content marketing. Learn how VeraContent grew from a small translation agency into a leading provider of global content solutions, empowering brands to reach European markets with tailored, high-quality content. Shaheen shares her journey from journalism to entrepreneurship, how VeraContent focuses on content creation in multiple languages, and the importance of editorial quality in content marketing. We also explore the role of AI in content creation, how to build strong international marketing strategies...2024-10-1541 min
The Fire These Times173/ This Arab is Queer w/Elias JahshanFor episode 173, Elias Jahshan joins Elia Ayoub, israa abd elfattah and Leila Al-Shami to talk about "This Arab Is Queer" anthology, which he edited and was published by Saqi Books in 2022.
The Fire These Times is a proud member of From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. How to Support: on Patreon or on Apple Podcasts. You'll get early access to all podcasts, exclusive audio and video episodes, an invitation to join our monthly hangouts, and more.
Episode Links:
Elias' articles at Gay Times
TIMEP Q&A with Elias
What is Pinkwashing? co-authored by Elias Jahshan and Hayf...2024-09-2759 min
The Fire These Times171/ What is Happening with Balochistan? w/ Lateef Johar BalochFor episode 171, Elia Ayoub and guest host Hari Prasad are joined by Lateef Johar Baloch, a human rights advocate and a member of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan to talk to us about the history of Pakistani oppression and authoritarianism in Balochistan and the ongoing resistance against it. We also talked about broader issues facing Balochistan today including the role of foreign powers such as China and the USA. Note: this was recorded on 24 August 2024, two days before the attack in Musakhel.
The Fire These Times is a proud member of From The Pe...2024-09-131h 24
The Fire These Times170/ Facing the German Far Right w/ Musa OkwongaFor episode 170, returning guest Musa Okwonga talks to Elia Ayoub about a piece he wrote, "The Hatred Is Accelerating", on racism and the far right in Germany. This was recorded on 31 August 2024, a day before the fascist AfD party won top place in Thuringia and second in Saxony in the state elections.
The Fire These Times is a proud member of From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective. How to Support: on Patreon or on Apple Podcasts. You'll get early access to all podcasts, exclusive audio and video episodes, an invitation to join our monthly hangouts, and more.
Pr...2024-09-061h 24
The Fire These Times169/Macronisme and the Far Right w/ Sahar Amarir & Rim-Sarah AlouaneFor episode 169, Elia Ayoub is joined by returning guests Sahar Amarir and Rim-Sarah Alouane to talk about the situation in France, from the recent elections that saw a surprising victory for a Left-Green alliance to how Macronism has been actively normalizing the far right. They described the situation as grim, with far right ideology on questions of race and freedom of worship (especially Islam) the norm in France, with grave implications for the country, the EU and the world. We also talked about Alouane's recent piece on France banning veiled Muslim athletes despite making an inclusivity pledge.
...2024-08-301h 33
The Fire These Times168/ Building Transnational Solidarity w/ Chkoun? CollectiveFor episode 168, Elia and Leila are joined by the Chkoun? Collective, a collective of people from "North Africa" resisting anti-Black racism and its intersections with migration and the fight for freedom of movement in the region. We discussed their statement "Solidarities are not a given, they need to be built" and how it relates to our experiences covering Syria, Israel-Palestine, and Lebanon.
The Fire These Times is a proud member of the From The Periphery (FTP) media collective. You can support FTP on Patreon and get exclusive episodes from all FTP podcasts, an invitation t...2024-08-1650 min
The Fire These Times166/ Israel-Palestine After Zionism w/ Ahmed Moor & Antony LoewensteinFor episode 166, Dana & Elia are joined by Ahmed Moor & Antony Loewenstein, co-editors of the book "After Zionism: One State for Israel and Palestine" to talk about the ongoing genocide in Gaza and whether there is any hope for the One State Solution.
Support us: The best way to support The Fire These Times is to become a member of our "From The Periphery" Patreon. For only 5$ a month (and less if you pay yearly) you get perks such as early access, exclusive episodes, an invitation to our monthly hangout, upcoming book clubs, and more. You can also help a l...2024-08-0241 min
The Fire These Times165/ That One Time the Olympics Were Cool w/ James StoutFor episode 165, Elia and Aydın are joined by investigative journalist and anarchist James Stout of the It Could Happen Here podcast to talk about the 1936 anti-fascist Olympics in Barcelona and the fascists who destroyed it. There's a reason you've only heard of the more notorious Berlin one, and we're gonna get into it here.
You can buy James' book: The Popular Front and the Barcelona 1936 Popular Olympics
His NatGeo piece: The brutal story of the 1936 Popular Olympics: a boycott of fascism and Hitler
The 'Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff' Episode on the...2024-07-261h 08
The Fire These Times163/ The Far Right is Not Inevitable w/ Aurelien MondonFor episode 163, Elia Ayoub is joined by University of Bath researcher and repeated guest Dr. Aurelien Mondon to talk about the populist hype in the context of the gains by the Far Right in a number of Western countries. We spoke about the EU elections as well as the upcoming UK, France and US elections, asking the question: is the media covering the Far Right responsibly? (spoiler alert: no)
Dr. Mondon is a senior lecturer in Politics, Languages & International Studies at the Centre for Qualitative Research and co-convenor of the Reactionary Politics Research Network.
Correction: I...2024-07-0556 min
Localization Fireside ChatDemocratizing Translation: AI's Role in Localization the Human Impact | Episode #73Welcome to Episode #73 of the Localization Fireside Chat! In this episode, Robin Ayoub is joined by Bruno Herrmann, an AI Deployment Strategic Expert, and Paula McGrath, owner of International Achievers. They discuss the transformative impact of AI on the localization industry, the human impact, and the need for upskilling and adapting to new demands. ### 📌 Episode Highlights: 1. Introduction and Greetings - Robin Ayoub sets the tone for the discussion. 2. Guest Introductions - Paula McGrath and Bruno Herrmann share their backgrounds. 3. AI's Transformative Impact - Discussion on the significant changes AI brings to the industry. 4. Adapting to New Demands - The imp...2024-07-0354 min
The Fire These TimesTFTT Archives: Hamed Sinno on Sarah Hegazi, Mental Health and Growing up Queer in LebanonSarah Hegazi was a queer Egyptian activist who was severely punished by the Sisi regime for waving a rainbow flag at the September 2017 Mashrou' Leila concert in Cairo. On the 14th of June, 4 years ago, Sarah died by suicide in exile in Canada.
In this episode from September of that year, Hamed Sinno, lead singer of Mashrou Leila, reflects on her passing with Elia Ayoub. They also got into mental health, the port of Beirut explosion and what it was like to grow up queer in Lebanon.
The best way to support T...2024-06-161h 16
The Fire These Times161/ The Gaza Genocide Changes EverythingElia and Ayman talk about Gaza, and why this genocide changes everything.
Demand a complete arms embargo on Israel immediately. Sanctions immediately. Cut off all diplomatic immediately. To hold Israel accountable for genocide means making them pay for reparations, sending its war criminals to The Hague, and conditioning going back to normal relations on the implementation of full rights to Palestinians.
Due to the time-sensitive nature of this episode, it is being released for Patreons and for the general public at the same time.
Palestine Children's Relief Fund: https://www.pcrf.net/
2024-05-281h 02
The Fire These Times160/ Raising a Brown Child in a Time of Genocide w/ Nikesh ShuklaFor episode 160, Dana El Kurd, Fabien Goa and Elia Ayoub are joined by Nikesh Shukla to discuss his book 'Brown Baby: A Memoir of Race, Family and Home' which the three of us read with Gaza on our mind (although it was written in 2021 and is not on Palestine).
More broadly, we talked about what it's like to raise a brown kid in a world where racialized lives are easily disposable.
On Brown Baby:
From the editor of The Good Immigrant.
We have to believe in hope in these dark uncertain...2024-05-101h 07
The Fire These Times159/ Building Ukraine-Palestine Solidarity w/ Yuliia KishchukFor Episode 159, Dana El Kurd and Elia Ayoub are joined by Ukrainian researcher Yuliia Kishchuk who signed the Ukrainian Letter of Solidarity with Palestinian people published on the Ukrainian journal Commons, a site that both Dana and Elia have also contributed to in the past. In this episode, they argue for Palestinian-Ukrainian solidarity and explore the obstacles preventing it from happening more broadly.
The best way to support The Fire These Times is to:
Become a member of our Patreon at Patreon.com/firethesetimes. With a monthly or yearly subscription, you get perks including early access, exclusive video...2024-05-0347 min
The Fire These Times158/ The Threat of Christian Fascism in Lebanon w/ Justin SalhaniFor Episode 158, Elia Ayoub is joined by Lebanese journalist and friend of the pod Justin Salhani to talk about recent calls for and acts of violence by far right Lebanese Christians against Syrian refugees. In addition to giving context with regards to what's happening, they talk about Lebanon as a structurally violent state, one which has always scapegoated refugees, first Palestinians and now Syrians. The consequences of the ongoing calls for violence will be long-reaching and long-lasting, with government officials from multiple parties joining in the scapegoating party. The result has been an increasingly dangerous atmosphere for a population t...2024-04-261h 02
The Fire These Times157/ Taking Authoritarianism Seriously w/ Bill Fletcher JrFor episode 157, Elia Ayoub sits with Bill Fletcher Jr to talk about why downplaying authoritarianism is so dangerous, whether with regards to the upcoming US elections or even in organising spaces. We spoke about the US, Lebanon, Syria, Zimbabwe and more.
Bill Fletcher Jr is a longtime USA-based labor and social justice activist who has worked for several unions and organizations. Fletcher is the former president of TransAfrica Forum; a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies; and in the leadership of several other projects. Fletcher is the co-author (with Peter Agard) of “The Indispensable Ally: Black...2024-04-191h 22
The Fire These Times154/ Anti-Imperialism After the Syrian Revolution w/ Sahar AmarirFor episode 154, French-Moroccan-Amazigh analyst Sahar Amarir joins Elia J. Ayoub and Leila Al-Shami to talk about her piece "Imperialist is Multiple, so Should be Our Solidarities: on the Need for Post-Post-Colonialism" published in The Funambulist.
The best way to support The Fire These Times is:
Through Patreon.com/firethesetimes. With a monthly or yearly donation, you get perks including early access, exclusive videos, monthly hangouts, access to the video and book clubs, merch and more.
Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. This allows us to show up on these platforms in the first place.
Tell your friends and enemies about it...2024-03-011h 22
The Fire These Times153/ Living Like the World is Dying w/ Margaret KilljoyFor episode 153, anarchist writer, musician and podcaster Margaret Killjoy joins Elia J. Ayoub and Aydın Yıldız to talk about the very easy topic of apocalypse. What does that even mean? And how do we deal with that without falling into complete despair? Many of y'all know that one of the taglines of this pod is building the new in the shell of the old, right? Well, this is about that. Sort of. It's mainly about staying sane and healthy and as hopeful as possible long enough to even want to build the new in the shell of...2024-02-231h 25
The Fire These Times152/ Israel and American Jewish Dissent w/ Geoffrey LevinFor episode 152, Dana El Kurd hosts Geoffrey Levin to talk about his book "Our Palestine Question: Israel and American Jewish Dissent, 1948-1978". Levin is assistant professor of Middle Eastern and Jewish Studies at Emory University and the Director of Undergraduate Engagement at Emory’s Tam Institute for Jewish Studies.
Our Palestine Question is a new history of the American Jewish relationship with Israel focused on its most urgent and sensitive issue: the question of Palestinian rights. Given the ongoing genocide launched by the Israeli state on the Palestinians of Gaza, this book couldn't be more timely.
...2024-02-1649 min
The Fire These Times151/ Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors w/ Tory StephensFor episode 151, Joey Ayoub and Daniel Voskoboynik host Tory Stephens, Climate Fiction Creative Manager at Grist.org, to talk about Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors and why narrative work is an integral part of any climate solution. Why does Imagine 2200 choose hope over dystopia? What are effective narrative shifting tactics and strategies? Stephens is also on the Hollywood Climate Summit Board so Joey talked to him about moving beyond post/apocalyptic films. We also asked him how listeners can take part in Imagine 2200.
Relevant Links:
The Tobacco campaign mentioned by Joey: https...2024-02-021h 00
The Fire These Times149/ How Azerbaijan is Greenwashing Genocide w/ Karena Avedissian and AnnaFor episode 149, Joey sat down with Karena Avedissian and Anna, TFTT returnees and co-hosts of Obscuristan, a podcast which is soon joining the broader network (whaaat? - We talk about that at the beginning of the episode).
We talked about Azerbaijan hosting COP29 next year, the global climate conference, and why it might be a problem for a petro-dictatorship to host a climate conference. We discussed how Azerbaijan is trying to greenwash its recent genocide of the Armenians of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh by claiming the area, devoid of its human population, has now achieved net-zero (yes, we're not...2023-12-221h 08
The Fire These Times148/ Understanding Seen and Unseen Violence in Israel-Palestine w/ Diana Greenwald & Alexei AbrahamsFor episode 148, Dana El Kurd and Joey Ayoub are joined by Diana Greenwald and Alexei Abrahams to talk about seen and unseen violence in Israel-Palestine. They explore the many forms of violence of the Israeli occupation that led to the October 7 massacre and the brutal Israeli response in Gaza. What is kinetic violence? What is structural violence? And how do these two differ?
Diana is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at The City University of New York. Her research focuses on the politics of the Middle East, nationalism, conflict, and state-building. She obtained her Ph.D. in...2023-12-1557 min
The Fire These Times147/ From Capitalism Realism to Solarpunk Realities w/ HydroponicTrash, Luka Dowell, Ariel KroonThis is an episode that Joey recorded a few months ago. We're releasing it now to take a bit of a break from our exploration of Israel-Palestine and because Solarpunk is how at least one of us, Joey, tries to create hope where none exists.
This episode was recorded after the four of us - Joey, Ariel Kroon, Luka Dowell and Andre aka @HydroponicTrash took part in the Solarpunk conference.
Solarpunk has an eye to a better future, but how do we get there? What is necessary for us to do, and how can we th...2023-12-081h 26
The Fire These TimesPalestine and Global Solidarity - Remastered w/ Sumaya Awad and Shireen Akram-BosharIn this remastered release, Joey Ayoub is joined by Sumaya Awad and Shireen Akram-Boshar. Awad is a co-editor of the book Palestine: A Socialist Introduction, and Akram-Boshar is a contributor to the same book. Originally released on May 20th 2021, this episode has been remastered and re-released. Many of the topics discussed - including the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, the growing solidarity movements around the globe, the Palestinian struggle for liberation - all resonate in today’s context. This episode serves as a reminder that the recent escalation in Palestine has origins well before Oct 7 and that calls to end Is...2023-12-021h 09
The Fire These Times145/ Arab Jews For Palestinian Liberation w/ Hadar Cohen and Dahab KashiDaniel and Joey host a conversation between Hadar Cohen and Dahab Kashi, exploring the radical power of Arab Jewish perspectives. Often seen as mutually exclusive identities, the existence and experience of Arab Jews transcends the narrow, and violent, confines of both Zionism and Arab Nationalism. The artist Yossi Zabari spoke about the power of the 'hyphen connecting Arab and Jew', and in this episode we explore the potential that acknowledging that hyphen has in our current critical moment.
The best way to support The Fire These Times is through Patreon.com/firethesetimes.
The...2023-11-171h 12
The Fire These TimesUnderstanding Hamas: Anti-Authoritarian Perspectives - RemasteredIn light of the genocidal onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza following the October 7th Hamas attack, we've decided to re-release an old episode on Hamas, Gaza, and Palestine-Israel. In this episode from June 2021, Joey interviews Tareq Baconi, author of the book "Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance" published in 2018. Baconi meticulously outlines the nature of Israel's blockade on Gaza, the various aspects of Palestinian resistance to ongoing occupation, and contextualizes Hamas's role, structure, and motives within this wider social and political struggle.
The audio is remastered and includes a new introduction...2023-11-101h 07
The Fire These TimesSpecial Episode: Roundtable on Israel-Palestine w/ Dana El Kurd, Orly Noy, and Yair WallachOn October 7th, Hamas fighters breached the militarized fence separating the occupied Gaza strip from Israeli communities in the south, killing 1400 people and taking 200 hostages. Israel immediately retaliated with severe bombardment of the Gaza strip that, at the time of this writing, has killed 7000 people. In the West Bank, settler violence and army raids have also killed dozens of Palestinians, and Palestinian citizens of Israel as well as leftist Israelis have been arrested for speaking out.
While the world is currently transfixed by what’s happening in Israel-Palestine, this story did not begin on October 7th. Joey Ay...2023-10-281h 31
The Fire These Times142/ How the World Failed Nagorno-Karabakh w/ Karena Avedissian & AnnaElia Ayoub is joined by returning guests Karena Avedissian and Anna to talk about the recent crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh / Artsakh where the near entirety of the ethnic Armenian population was ethnically cleansed by Azerbaijan. The Aliyev dictatorship running Azerbaijan has met no challenges from the so-called international community - quite the contrary. What happened in Nagorno-Karabakh is a crime against humanity, the sort of crime that should never be normalized.
You can support The Fire These Times on patreon.com/firethesetimes with a monthly or yearly donation and get a lot of perks including early access, exclusiv...2023-10-101h 01
The Fire These Times141/ How the EU Criminalizes Solidarity with Migrants w/ Border Violence Monitoring NetworkJoey is joined by Anas & Elena from the Border Violence Monitoring Network to talk about the way in which the European Union is criminalizing solidarity with migrants and how the EU has turned the Mediterranean into a giant graveyard for people who look like me.
You can support The Fire These Times on patreon.com/firethesetimes with a monthly or yearly donation and get a lot of perks including early access, exclusive videos, monthly hangouts, access to the book club, merch and more.
Mentions and Book Recommendations:
Tech Won't Save Us podc...2023-09-2655 min
The Fire These Times140/ The Moral Urgency of Degrowth w/ Timothée Parrique & Yusra BitarJoey is joined by French economist and researcher Timothée Parrique and Lebanese researcher Yusra Bitar to talk about why tackling our world's most pressing challenges must include conversations around degrowth.
Timothée Parrique is a researcher at the School of Economics and Management of Lund University (Sweden) and is the lead author of “Decoupling debunked – Evidence and arguments against green growth” (2019), a report published by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB). He is also author of Ralentir ou périr. L’économie de la décroissance (September 2022, Seuil), a wide-audience book adaptation of his PhD dissertation.
Yusra Bitar...2023-09-191h 05
The Fire These Times137/ Re-membering the Nakba, Imagining the Future w/ Dana El KurdI'm joined again by friend of the pod Dana El Kurd, a Palestinian researcher who specializes in Comparative Politics and International Relations. We talked about Nakba Day (May 15), about the importance of reflecting on the past while also trying to plan for the future, and how we can commemorate the Nakba by building bonds across nations and struggles.
This is also the first episode released on a Tuesday! Episodes will from now on be released on Tuesdays and/or Thursday with the long-term goal being two episodes a week. To support this project, keep on reading!
2023-05-161h 20
The Fire These Times136/ When War Gets Normalized, Or What's At Stake in Ukraine w/ Mariam Naiem and Romeo KokriatskiI'm joined again by friends of the pod Ukrainian researcher Mariam Naiem and journalist Romeo Kokriatski to talk about why Ukrainians understood very quickly what's at stake, how war leads to frozen temporalities, and why Russia is so obsessed with kidnapping Ukrainian children (which, by the way, is a war crime). Slava Ukraini!
You can support The Fire These Times on patreon.com/firethesetimes with a monthly or yearly donation and get a lot of perks including early access, exclusive videos, monthly hangouts, access to the book club, merch and more.
...2023-04-281h 34
The Fire These Times135/ Radical Legacies of the Mexican Revolution w/ Christina Heatherton and Daniel Macmillen VoskoboynikI'm very excited to share with you this conversation I had with Christina Heatherton, the author of "Arise! Global Radicalism in the Era of the Mexican Revolution", alongside friend of the pod Daniel Macmillen Voskoboynik who joined us as co-host.
The Mexican Revolution was a global event that catalyzed international radicals in unexpected sites and struggles. Tracing the paths of figures like Black American artist Elizabeth Catlett, Indian anti-colonial activist M.N. Roy, Mexican revolutionary leader Ricardo Flores Magón, Okinawan migrant organizer Paul Shinsei Kōchi, and Soviet feminist Alexandra Kollontai, Arise! reveals how activists around the w...2023-04-211h 28
The Fire These TimesUnlocked. When You're Not The Target Audience: Two Arab Millennials Talk About Seinfeld w/ Ayman Makarem (Premium 1)In which I sat down with friend of the pod Lebanese writer Ayman Makarem for the first ever premium episode. This was first recorded for Patreons in February 2023 and I'm now releasing it to the wider public.
What made Seinfeld so special to Ayman as a queer kid from Lebanon? And what is it like to watch shows that don't have you in mind as their target audience?
You can support The Fire These Times on patreon.com/firethesetimes with a monthly or yearly donation and get a lot of perk...2023-04-141h 30
The Fire These Times134/ Why White Nationalists Love Assad w/ Leila Al-Shami and Shon MeckfesselIn which I sat down with my buds Leila Al-Shami and Shon Meckfessel to talk about how and why a bunch of fascists became fans of everyone's favorite genocidal mass murdering dictator, Bashar (يلعن روحك يا) Assad, who was recently voted most likely to end up like Mussolini by I-just-made-it-up magazine.
Leila, a recurring guest, is the co-author of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War and, together with Shon, she co-wrote the chapter of No Pasarán: Antifascist Dispatches from a World in Crisis (edited by Shane Burley, also a previous guest of the pod) on this topic. You can also ch...2023-04-0753 min
The Fire These Times133/ Overcoming the Trauma of Caste w/ Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Rhythima Shinde and Vivek RamachandranThis is a conversation with Thenmozhi Soundararajan, the author of 'The Trauma of Caste: A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Healing and Abolution'. She is a Dalit American commentator on religion, race, caste, gender, technology and justice.
She is also the Executive Director of Equality Labs.
We were joined by my friends Rhythima Shinde (who is also Dalit) and Vivek Ramachandran. They both read the book and helped me greatly in the research for this episode, so during one of our chats I asked if they can come on and they gracefully agreed. The result...2023-03-311h 37
The Fire These Times132/ Let's Talk About Youth Autonomy w/ carla joy bergmanThis is a conversation with carla joy bergman, the editor of the excellent book "Trust Kids!: Stories on Youth Autonomy and Confronting Adult Supremacy" and co-author of the equally excellent book "Joyful Militancy: Building Thriving Resistance in Toxic Times", both published by AK Press.
She's also the co-host of the Grounded Futures podcast alongside her son Uilliam Joy. Make sure to check them out!
As the title suggests, we focused on youth autonomy. What does it mean? How is it integral to structures of power and oppression, and how can we challenge it? Why are...2023-03-241h 05
The Fire These Times131/ Commoning in Lebanon's Palestinian Refugee Camps w/ Yafa El MasriThis is a conversation with Yafa El Masri, a Palestinian refugee researcher who grew up in Burj El Barajneh in Beirut, Lebanon. She's currently finishing her PhD at the University of Padova in Italy.
We primarily spoke about her paper "72 Years of Homemaking in Waiting Zones: Lebanon's “Permanently Temporary” Palestinian Refugee Camps" which she presented at the 2022 Pluriverse of Eco-social Justice summer school in Coimbra, Portugal, where we met.
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We spoke about:
what it's like to find and build a home in a space that is 'supposed' to be temporary but is n...2023-03-171h 22
The Fire These Times130/ Armenian-ness and Solidarity in a Changing World w/ Karena Avedissian and AnnaThis is a conversation with Karena Avedissian and Anna, and a collaboration with their podcast Obscuristan.
The main thread of our conversation was about Armenian-ness and how complicated of an identity it is due to the old and transnational history of Armenians. Some have ancestry in the Ottoman empire and therefore feel closer to the Levant, especially after the genocide which also exiled so many to my part of the world. Others lived under the Russian empire and then the USSR. There are of course those who moved to Europe and North America and elsewhere as well.2023-03-101h 52
The Fire These Times129/ The Meaning of Time in Prison w/ Morgan Godvin and Molly HaganThis is a conversation with Morgan Govin and Molly Hagan. This is how Morgan introduces herself on her website: "I spent five years addicted to heroin and four years incarcerated as a direct result of my addiction. I lost my mom and four close friends to overdose. I found a system of injustice within the US justice system. Now, I work to change the systems that harmed us. I strive for safer, healthier communities." Morgan is also JSTOR Daily’s engagement editor for the American Prison Newspapers collection.
Molly is a writer, journalist and photographer whose piece "The...2023-03-031h 31
The Fire These Times128/ The Islamic Regime of Iran Will Fall w/ Vicky and KianaThis conversation with two Iranian activists, both of whom will remain anonymous for obvious reasons. 'Vicky' joined us from Tehran, and Kiana from Manchester. We talked about the recent Iranian uprising following the murder of Jina 'Mahsa' Amini and why 'reforming' the regime cannot work. We spoke about the strikes, the clear gendered aspect of the protests, and what might come next. We also spoke about the now-familiar campism that we see in much of the world whereby a shallow 'anti-imperialism' is often enough for folks to erase the agency of activists and protesters in other countries.
...2023-02-241h 24
The Fire These Times127/ Against Multipolar Imperialism: An Internationalist Response w/ Kavita Krishnan, Promise Li and Romeo KokriatskiI'm excited to share with you my convo with Kavita Krishnan, Promise Li and Romeo Kokriatski on why the idea of multipolarity needs to be understood & critiqued, and why the left cannot abandon anti-authoritarianism and internationalism.
Kavita Krishnan is an Indian Marxist and Feminist who used to be a politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation who made news a few months ago when she resigned over Ukraine. Promise Li is a US-based Hong Konger organizer and part of the Left diaspora collective Lausan. Romeo Kokriatski is a Ukrainian-American journalist, managing editor of th...2023-02-171h 41
The Fire These TimesPremium Episode 1: Watching Seinfeld as Arab Millennials w/ Ayman Makarem (Sample)In which I talk about Seinfeld with fellow Arab millennial and writer (and previous guest of the podcast) Ayman Makarem. It's that simple!
What made that sitcom so special to Ayman as a queer kid from Lebanon? And what is it like to watch shows that don't have you in mind as their target audience?
This is a sample episode. To listen to the full episode please head out to http://www.patreon.com/firethesetimes and get access to exclusives, monthly hangouts, book clubs and more for $5 a month.
Check out Ayman's project Bi...2023-02-1605 min
The Fire These Times126/ The Memory We Could Be: Fear and Our Ecological Future w/ Daniel Macmillen VoskoboynikDaniel Macmillen Voskoboynik is the Argentinian author of The Memory We Could Be: Overcoming Fear to Create Our Ecological Future and amongst the most fascinating thinkers I know. He's also a good friend.
We spoke about reckoning with past ecological violence of, bio-cultural memory and our collective ecological heritage. Basically, why we need to mix futurism and ancestrality. Also: storytelling, trauma, healing, climate change and The Office and Gilmour Girls, because why not.
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EARTHQUAKE DONATION LINKS:
The White Helmets
whitehelmets.org/en/
The Syrian American Medical Society...2023-02-101h 30
The Fire These Times125/ Understanding (Anti-)Fascism in a World in Crisis w/ Shane BurleyThis is an episode with writer and filmmaker Shane Burley, editor of the must-read book published by AK Press: "No Pasarán! Antifascist Dispatches from a World in Crisis." It is an anthology of antifascist writing that takes up the fight against white supremacy and the far-right from multiple angles. From the history of antifascism to today's movement to identify, deplatform, and confront the right, and the ways an insurgent fascism is growing within capitalist democracies, a myriad of voices come together to shape the new face of antifascism in a moment of social and political flux.
Burley...2023-02-031h 06
The Fire These Times124/ Jessie Gender on how Star Trek deals with neurodiversity, race, and queernessJessie Gender is a known YouTuber and commentator who deals with the nuance in the nerdy, focusing on LGBTQ issues (especially the transgender community), women, nonbinary and autistic people as well as other social and political issues through geek topics.
Both Jessie and Joey also happen to be Trekkies on the autism spectrum which gave this conversation an added layer of complexity.
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Book Recs:
Second Self by Uma McCormack
Star Trek Lower Decks
Star Wars Andor
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You can support The Fire These Times on patreon.com/firethesetimes...2023-01-2759 min
The Fire These Times123/ Hauntings, Futurisms and the Present Movement w/ Luka Dowell aka Solarpunk Now!Luka Dowell joins Joey Ayoub to talk about Hauntings, Futurisms, and Solarpunk. Luka is the host of the podcast Solarpunk Now! which I highly recommend. They are passionate about theory, politics, art, science/tech, sustainability. Topics that interest them include ecology, psychology, economics, digital media and online communities, and our future.
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Recs:
Psychopolitics: Neoliberalism and New Technologies of Power by Byung-Chul Han
Family Values: Between Neoliberalism and the New Social Conservatism by Melinda Cooper
The New Way of the World: On Neoliberal Society by Pierre Dardot & Christian Laval
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You c...2023-01-201h 38
The Fire These Times122/ In Search of Afro-Solarpunk w/ Rob CameronThis is a conversation with teacher, linguist, and writer Rob Cameron about Solarpunk and Afro-Solarpunk.
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Book Recs:
Multispecies Cities: Solarpunk Urban Futures edited by Christoph Rupprecht, Deborah Cleland, Norie Tamura, Rajat Chaudhuri and Sarena Ulibarri
Cities of Light: A Collection of Solar edited by Joey Eschrich and Clark A. Miller
Hieroglyph: Stories and Visions for a Better Future edited by Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer
Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki and Zelda Knight
Humankind by Rutger Bregman
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You can support Th...2023-01-131h 04
The Fire These Times121/ Solarpunk and Post-Capitalist Desires w/ HydroponicTrashAnd we're back!
This is a conversation with hacker, gardener and writer Andre, aka HydroponicTrash (on Twitter, TikTok and Mastodon). You can also find Andre on Substack at AnarchoSolarpunk. The title is taken from one of Andre's essays.
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Book Recs:
Walkaway by Cory Doctorow
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
Lo—TEK, Design by Radical Indigenism Julia Watson
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You can support The Fire These Times on patreon.com/firethesetimes with a monthly or yearly donation and get a lot of perks including early ac...2023-01-061h 30
The Fire These TimesSpecial: How to Make Football Radical, a 2022 FIFA World Cup Retrospective w/ Musa Okwonga, Justin Salhani and Fabien GoaIn this special episode of The Fire These Times, Stadio co-host Musa Okwonga, football and MENA journalist Justin Salhani and human rights researcher Fabien Goa join Joey Ayoub to talk about the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Also, check out Stadio!
Happy winter solstice, Hanukkah and Christmas
Book Recs:
Justin Salhani: Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France by Laurent Dubois
Musa Okwonga: The Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer by David Goldblatt
Fabien Goa: The Turbulance of Migration by Nikos Papastergiadis
You can support The Fire These T...2022-12-221h 51
The Fire These Times120/ Russian Imperialism, Cynical Discourse and Life Amidst War w/ Mariam Naiem & Romeo KokriatskiThis is a conversation with Ukrainian researcher Mariam Naiem and journalist Romeo Kokriatsk. We spoke about the ongoing situation in Ukraine, the history of Russian imperialism, cynical online discourse and life amidst war.
You can support The Fire These Times on Patreon with a monthly or yearly donation. You can also find it on Twitter @firethesetimes, Instagram @firethesetimes and TikTok @thefirethesetimes. Joey Ayoub can be found on Twitter @joeyayoub and Instagram @joeyayoub91. The newsletter is available on Subtack @ thefirethesetimes.substack.com
The Fire These Times will be back in October!
Recommended Books:
Im...2022-08-051h 57
Dear BrotherA tale of 2 Youbs..The long awaited Ayoub reunion episode is upon us. Tune in as we meet Marc's actual brother, get to know all about him, and learn the fascinating history of the Ayoub clan. 2022-07-0153 min
The Fire These Times112/ From Yarmouk to the World: On Syria, Palestine and Lebanon w/ Nidal BetareNidal Betare joins Joey Ayoub to talk about growing up in Yarmouk, being Palestinian-Syrian and the links between Syria, Palestine and Lebanon.
You can support The Fire These Times on Patreon with a monthly or yearly donation. You can also find it on Twitter @firethesetimes, Instagram @firethesetimes and TikTok @thefirethesetimes. Joey Ayoub can be found on Twitter @joeyayoub and Instagram @joeyayoub91. The newsletter is available on Subtack @ thefirethesetimes.substack.com
Recommended Books:
Samir Kassir's books:
ديمقراطية سوريا واستقلال لبنان: البحث عن ربيع دمشق، دار النهار، 2004
and
عسكر على مين؟: لبنان الجمهورية المفقودة، دار النهار، 2004
Serhy Yekelchyk: Ukraine: What Everyone Needs to Know
2022-06-101h 27
The Fire These Times111/ What is Happening in Tigray? w/ Teklehaymanot WeldemichelStop #TigrayGenocide. Tigrayan academic Teklehaymanot Weldemichel joins Joey Ayoub to talk about what's been happening in Tigray.
You can support The Fire These Times on Patreon with a monthly or yearly donation. You can also find it on Twitter @firethesetimes, Instagram @firethesetimes and TikTok @thefirethesetimes. Joey Ayoub can be found on Twitter @joeyayoub and Instagram @joeyayoub91. The newsletter is available on Subtack @ thefirethesetimes.substack.com
Resources:
Omna Tigray
Tghat
HRW Report: “We Will Erase You from This Land”
Art by Tigray Art Collective.
Recommended Books:
George Orwell - Animal Farm
Hanna...2022-06-031h 22
De SpraakmemoAyoub: Ga stemmen!De komende 3 dagen zijn de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen in Amsterdam. In de laatste aflevering van ons eerste seizoen stelt Yassine 10 vragen aan Ayoub over de politiek en zijn ambitie om de stad on fleek te maken. Dit kan alleen als iedereen gaat stemmen, dus neem iemand mee en GA STEMMEN! 2022-03-1453 min
On Boards PodcastPaul Ayoub on board leadership, board composition - and the fundamental importance of board diversityPaul Ayoub has served as the chair of several boards, including two significant nonprofit organizations, and is about to become the chair of the board of the largest nonprofit health care organization in the country, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In this episode he shares his views on board composition, the relationship between the board chair and CEO and the critical importance of diversity, equity and inclusion to the effectiveness of the organization. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here. Link...2021-02-0141 min
The Fire These TimesThe (quick) Updates Are A-Comin'Some quick updates.
See y'all in a couple of weeks! Happy new year.
TLDR: short poems from around the world; 10 year anniversary of Arab Spring; The Fire These Times is now on YouTube; I'm now on Medium at joey-ayoub.medium.com; and wear that f-ing mask please.
To support on Patreon -> https://www.patreon.com/firethesetimes
Twitter -> @firethesetimes2021-01-0606 min
The Fire These Times56/A Region in Revolt: The Uprisings in Algeria, Sudan, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran (Book Launch)This is the audio version of the virtual book launch of 'A region in revolt: Mapping the recent uprisings in North Africa and West Asia'. I took part in it alongside a number of the co-authors of the book.
See you all in 2021. The Fire These Times will be back in mid-January.
A wave of mass protest movements has spread across North Africa and West Asia, including Sudan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon and Iran. The mass protests have much in common, from opposing authoritarian regimes and worsening economic situations to demanding radical changes in social relations...2020-12-141h 44
The Fire These Times4/ Why the Paris Commune Burned the Guillotine—and We Should Too w/ with CrimethincIn this episode, I spoke with one of the authors of the Crimethinc piece of the same name about the ‘logic of the guillotine’, how it is used in online left-wing meme culture, why it is problematic and why we need to have a better logic than that of the guillotine if we truly believe in liberatory politics. Here are some extracts from the introduction to the piece.“On April 6, 1871, armed participants in the revolutionary Paris Commune seized the guillotine that was stored near the prison in Paris. They brought it to the foot of the statue...2020-03-2542 min
On Boards PodcastRaza Shaikh and Joe Ayoub: Genesis of On Boards PodcastCo-hosts Raza Shaikh and Joe Ayoub discuss the January 2020 launch of their podcast On Boards Podcast: A Deep Dive at Driving Business Success. A company’s Board of Directors or Advisors often has a pivotal role in the success or failure of a business, whether a company or organization lives or dies - - and whether the people who have invested time, money and emotional capital will succeed. On Boards Podcast: A Deep Dive at Driving Business Success, is about everything related to Boards of Directors and Boards of Advisors. Twice a mont...2020-01-0608 min
Ayoub Ahamou's showEpisode 8 - Ayoub Ahamou's show2019-10-2214 minAyoub Ahamou's showEpisode 5 - Ayoub Ahamou's show2019-10-2109 minAyoub Ahamou's showEpisode 2 - Ayoub Ahamou's show2019-10-2115 minAyoub Ahamou's showEpisode 1 - Ayoub Ahamou's show2019-10-2115 min
Saturday StoriesSaturday Stories: Wrong question keeps us mired in our own peril
Listen to a “Saturday Stories” podcast with George Ayoub and Steph Romanski as they discuss Robin Williams’ life and death at theindependent.com.2014-08-1500 minSaturday StoriesSaturday Stories Podcast: Music sources change; toe tapping the same
Read George Ayoub's column on music at theindependent.com, and listen to our podcast by subscribing on iTunes. Don't forget to like us on Facebook too!2014-07-0400 minSaturday StoriesSaturday Stories: YouTube moment making believer of former mocker
Listen to a “Saturday Stories” podcast with George Ayoub and Steph Romanski as they discuss technology’s ever-changing reach.
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes2014-05-3000 minSaturday StoriesSaturday Stories podcast #4: Happy 450th Shakespeare!
This week it was the 450th birthday of the Bard and George Ayoub and Stephanie Romanski talk about their favorite Shakespearean insults.
Clips featured in this week's podcast are Benedict Cumberbatch performing a little bit of Hamlet and Sir Patrick Stewart and Ben Whishaw as John of Gaunt and King Richard II from the Hollow Crown series.
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes2014-04-2500 minSaturday StoriesSaturday Stories podcast #3: Hats!
George Ayoub's column this Saturday focuses on hats. Easter bonnets, Stetsons, the origin of the hat and all that good stuff. In the companion podcast, he is joined by Stephanie Romanski and they discuss hats, phrases using hats, traditions involving hats and more.
Be sure to like us on Facebook and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes!2014-04-1800 minSaturday StoriesPremiere of Saturday Stories podcast
Our premiere edition features a discussion between George Ayoub and Stephanie Romanski on the way social media has changed the way we consume the news. It is a companion podcast to George's Saturday column on theindependent.com.2014-04-0800 min