Political Advocacy Audiobooks | Politics

Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy, 2024 Edition

Almost everyone shies away from advocacy as a way to make a difference. We donate to climate change organizations, but we don’t meet with a member of Congress or write a letter to the editor. We donate to groups working to end gun violence, anti-hunger organizations, groups dedicated to racial justice, and many others, but we don’t become advocates on those issues beyond signing an online petition or going to an occasional rally. Why? Because most of us see advocacy as too hard or too frustrating, too complicated, or too partisan, too dirty or too time-consuming, too ineffective or too costly. But what if that’s all wrong? What if deep engagement dissolves discouragement and can actually bring joy? What if you can become an advocate for a cause you care about and feel fulfilled, not frustrated? And what if engaging as an advocate is essential to protecting our democracy? President Jimmy Carter called the first edition of Reclaiming Our Democracy “A road map for global involvement in planning a better future.” In this completely revised and updated 2024 edition, Sam Daley-Harris uses his decades of experience leading and coaching citizens’ advocacy groups to expand that road map and create an indispensable guide to engaged citizenship, an inspiring master class in transformational advocacy. Reclaiming Our Democracy provides a powerful way to make a difference and heal our democracy in the process. It’s not the only solution needed, but is one essential, missing piece: citizens awakening to their power.

Sam Daley-Harris (Author), Sam Daley-Harris (Narrator)

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The Color of Civics: Civic Education for a Multiracial Democracy

Generations of Americans have regarded schools as essential for developing the knowledge and civic values necessary for sustaining democracy. Yet, as Matthew D. Nelsen argues in The Color of Civics, traditional approaches to civic education are not living up to their promise for many students, particularly students of color from disadvantaged communities. Drawing on lessons from students and teachers in Chicago, The Color of Civics reimagines the democratic purpose of civic education. Nelsen's findings challenge some of the most widely cited civic education research, arguing that the content of traditional civic education courses privileges the political experiences of white political actors, and in turn, contributes to divergent political behaviors and participatory outcomes across racial and ethnic groups. He presents a new approach to civic education that aims to foster political empowerment by centering historically-grounded conversations about current events as well as critical categories of knowledge-those that highlight the agency of marginalized groups. This approach increases rates of political participation among young people of color and heightens political empathy among white youth. Nelsen also explores how the attitudes and lived experiences of teachers drive the implementation of more empowering civic learning environments.

Matthew D. Nelsen (Author), Michael Kirby (Narrator)

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Our Hindu Rashtra

India has taken so sharp a turn in recent years that the very centre has shifted considerably. What led to this swing? Is it possible to trace the path to this point? Is there a way back to the just, secular, inclusive vision of our Constitution-makers?This country has long been an outlier in its South Asian neighbourhood, with its inclusive Constitution and functioning democracy. The growth of Hindutva, in some sense, brings India in line with the other polities here. In Our Hindu Rashtra, writer and activist Aakar Patel peels back layer after layer of cause and effect through independent India’s history to understand how Hindutva came to gain such a hold on the country. He examines what it means for India that its laws and judiciary have been permeated by prejudice and bigotry, what the breach of fundamental rights portends in these circumstances, and what the all-round institutional collapse signifies for the future of Indians.Most importantly, Patel asks and answers that most important of questions: What possibilities exist for a return? Thought-provoking and pulling no punches, this book is an essential read for anyone who wishes to understand the nature of politics in India and, indeed, South Asia.

Aakar Patel (Author), Aakar Patel (Narrator)

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Because I Have To: The Path to Survival, The Uyghur Struggle

When Jewher Ilham's father, Ilham Tohti, an internationally known advocate for peaceful dialogue between his Uyghur people and Han Chinese, was detained at the Beijing airport in February 2013 on charges of 'separatism,' and later sentenced to life in prison, Jewher was forced to begin a new life apart from her family in a new country. There, she found her voice as an advocate for her father, and for Uyghur people being forced into concentration camps by the Chinese government. In Because I Have To: The Path To Survival, The Uyghur Struggle, Jewher shares an intimate account of how she maintained the strength and courage to fight for her father, the sometimes emotional toll it took on her, and the inspiration and loss of her mentor. With the inclusion of testimonials of Uyghur camp survivors and others affected by the crackdown on Uyghurs in China, Because I Have To:The Path to Survival, The Uyghur Struggle tells the story of one person, and of an entire culture under threat.

Jewher Ilham (Author), Jewher Ilham (Narrator)

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[Marathi] - Swatantrya Ladhyat R. S. Sanghacha Sahabhag स्वातंत्र्यलढ्यात रा. स्व. संघाचा सहभाग

The participation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the struggle for independence has raised numerous questions and discussions over time.The organization, despite its distant reputation, has never explicitly claimed its involvement and contribution to the fight for independence.However, through the scholarly writings of Dr. Girish Aafale, various incidents, evidence, and contexts regarding the RSS's participation in the struggle for independence become evident in this book.While the nation was gaining independence, and crises loomed over Hindu society, challenging its existence, the RSS's efforts in the form of struggle undertaken by its volunteers for the protection of society become evident. These struggles and the relentless efforts made by RSS volunteers for the society's protection during times of crisis will unmistakably identify the RSS's participation in the struggle for independence.I kindly request you to reach out for clarification or assistance with any questions related to your reading. रा. स्व. संघाचा स्वातंत्र्य लढ्यातील सहभागाबाबत अनेकदा अनेक प्रश्नचिन्ह जाणिवपूर्वकरित्या उभे केले जातात. प्रसिद्धी पासून दुर असलेल्या या संस्थेने आपला स्वातंत्र्य लढ्यातील सहभाग व पुढाकार कधीच ठरवून असा प्रकाशझोतात आणला नाही. मात्र डॉ. गिरीश आफळे यांच्या अभ्यासपूर्ण लिखाणातून संघाचा स्वातंत्र्य लढ्यातील सहभाग या पुस्तकाच्या माध्यमातून अनेक घटना, पुरावे व संदर्भातून हा सहभाग उलगडत जातो. देश स्वतंत्र होत असताना, हिंदू समाजावर कोसळणारी संकटे व त्यातून संपूर्ण समाजाच्या अस्तित्वाचा प्रश्न उपस्थित होत असताना, संघ स्वयंसेवकांनी केलेला संघर्ष व समाजाच्या रक्षणासाठी घेतलेले परिश्रम वाचकांना नक्कीच संघाचा स्वातंत्र्य लढ्यातील सहभागाबाबत थरारक व काही वेळा कंठ दाटून येणारा घटनांतून या सहभागाची ओळख करून देईल.

Dr. Girish Aphale (Author), Saudnya Kulkarni (Narrator)

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Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Dem

Through the eyes of two frontline journalists comes a gripping narrative history of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement centered around a cast of core activists, culminating in the 2019 mass protests and Beijing's brutal crackdown. Hong Kong was an experiment in governance. Handed back to China in 1997 after 156 years of British rule, it was meant to be a carve-out between hostile systems: a bridge between communism and capitalism, authoritarianism and liberal democracy. "One country, two systems" kept its media free, its courts independent and its protests boisterous, designed also to convince Taiwan of a peaceful solution to Beijing's desire for reunification. Yet this formulation excluded Hong Kong's own people, their future negotiated by political titans in faraway capitals. In 2019, an ill-conceived law spear-headed by a sycophantic leader pushed millions to take to the streets in one of the most enduring protest movements the world has ever seen. Xi Jinping responded with a draconian national security law that sought not only to end the demonstrations but quash the "problem" of Hong Kongers' identity and desire for freedom. Reverend Chu, who believed Hong Kong had to carry the spirit of students at Tiananmen Square, saw his silver-haired comrades who birthed the city's modern pro-democracy movement handcuffed and taken from their homes. Tommy, an art student radicalized into throwing Molotov cocktails, watched "braves" like him brutalized by police before his own arrest prompted him to flee. Finn epitomized the decentralized nature of the movement and its internet-fueled victories, but online anonymity couldn't stop his life from unravelling. Gwyneth could predict her eventual fate when she chose to give up her career as a journalist to stand for election as an opposition candidate, and did it anyway. In Among the Braves, Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin tell the story of Hong Kong's past, and what the sacrifices of its people mean for global democracy's shaky foundation.

Shibani Mahtani, Timothy Mclaughlin (Author), Jason Vu (Narrator)

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Love Letter from Pig: My Brother's Story of Freedom Summer

In the summer of 1964, the FBI found the smoldering remains of the car that James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman had been driving before their disappearance. Shortly after this awful discovery, Julie Kabat's beloved brother Luke arrived as a volunteer for the Mississippi Summer Project. Teaching biology to Freedom School students in Meridian, Luke became one of more than seven hundred student volunteers who joined experienced Black civil rights workers and clergy to challenge white supremacy in the nation's most segregated state. Luke helped plan the community memorial service for Chaney, attended the Democratic National Convention in support of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and even spent time in jail for 'contributing to the delinquency of minors.' This arrest followed his decision to take students out for ice cream. Through his activism, Luke grappled with many issues that continue to divide us today: racialized oppression, threats of violence, and segregation whether explicit in law or implicit through custom. Sadly, Luke died just two years after Freedom Summer, leaving behind copious letters, diaries, and essays, as well as a lasting impact on his younger sister, nicknamed 'Pig.' Kabat delves deep into her family history to understand Luke's motivations for joining the movement and documents his experiences as an activist.

Julie Kabat (Author), Randye Kaye (Narrator)

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When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homeles

How to end homelessness in America: a must-read guide to understanding housing instability, supporting our unhoused neighbors, and reclaiming our humanity. A deeply humanizing analysis that will change the way you think about poverty and homelessness-for the socially engaged reader of Isabel Wilkerson's Caste and Matthew Desmond's Evicted. Think about the last time that you saw or interacted with an unhoused person. What did you do? What did you say? Did you offer money or a smile, or did you avert your gaze? When We Walk By takes an urgent look at homelessness in America, showing us what we lose-in ourselves and as a society-when we choose to walk past and ignore our neighbors in shelters, insecure housing, or on the streets. And it brilliantly shows what we stand to gain when we embrace our humanity and move toward evidence-based people-first, community-driven solutions, offering social analysis, economic and political histories, and the real stories of unhoused people. Authors Kevin F. Adler and Donald W. Burnes, with Amanda Banh and Andrijana Bilbija, recast chronic homelessness in the U.S. as a byproduct of twin crises: our social services systems are failing, and so is our humanity. Readers will learn: - Why our brains have been trained to overlook our unhoused neighbors - The social, economic, and political forces that shape myths like "all homeless people are addicts" and "they'd have a house if they got a job" - What conservative economics gets wrong about housing insecurity - What relational poverty is, and how to shift away from "us versus them" thinking - That for many Americans, housing insecurity is just one missed paycheck away - Who "the homeless" really are-and why that might surprise you - What you can do to help, starting today A necessary, deeply humanizing read that goes beyond theory and policy analysis to offer engaged solutions with compassion and heart, When We Walk By is a must-read for anyone who cares about homelessness, housing solutions, and their own humanity. From TI 9781623178840 TR.

Donald W. Burnes, Kevin F. Adler (Author), Kevin F. Adler (Narrator)

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Private Censorship

Concerns about censorship have once again reached a fever pitch across the liberal West. With a few notable exceptions, complaints about censorship in the twenty-first century West are complaints about the behavior of private parties: employers, media conglomerates, social media platforms, and search engines. To better understand the concerns surrounding nonstate interference with speech, Private Censorship offers an account of censorship, as well as an assessment of the ethical and political issues it raises across contexts. J. P. Messina asks and variously answers questions like: what should we think when employees get fired for things they say and how might patterns of such firings create a climate of fear inimical to free inquiry? When is it appropriate for social media firms to deplatform users, and what does it mean for our democracy that those in charge of such decisions are often wealthy Silicon Valley executives? Do search engines act as massive gatekeepers to information in troubling ways, and how might they be constrained, if they do? Along the way, Messina casts a critical eye on many popular proposals for responding to these complaints. Unlike these popular approaches, Private Censorship foregrounds the importance of rights to property, association, and free expression for thinking well about twenty-first century censorship concerns.

J.P. Messina (Author), Clark Cornell (Narrator)

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Facing the Beast: Courage, Faith, and Resistance in a New Dark Age

From New York Times bestselling author Naomi Wolf, Facing the Beast is a devastating, detailed account of wrongthink, deplatforming, and an unexpected political, personal, and spiritual transformation that followed during one of the most divisive times in American history. In this uncompromising investigation into today’s most urgent issues, Naomi Wolf uses her own wildly politicized pilgrimage—from New York Times bestselling author and high-level Democratic consultant to a journalist cast out from the elite political and social circles she once moved through—as a stunning narrative framework that is both chilling and incisive. Wolf’s sin? Doing the job that good journalists once prided themselves on: asking questions, challenging authority, and, during one of the most politically divisive moments in modern history, exposing the many failures of the public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic by chronicling the dangerous descent of our democracy into tyranny, censorship, and totalitarianism. Unable to remain silent in the shadows and unwilling to collude with the mainstream, Wolf bravely covers topics that few other writers dare to address critically for fear of being deplatformed. Facing the Beast explores reproductive rights, medical freedom, the uncurious thought-policing of the “progressive” left, the Second Amendment, the criminal relationship between the FDA and Pfizer—Wolf’s clear writing repeatedly shines light in the dark corners of our fractured society. A decades-long champion of free speech, freedom of the press, and the Constitution, Wolf found herself not only in the midst of a political rebirth but a spiritual transformation as well—one in which the events of the day could only be described in terms of good, evil, and a metaphysical quest on the nature of reality. For readers of Matt Taibbi, Glenn Greenwald, and Bari Weiss, Facing the Beast is a fearless indictment of legacy media and the political class, as well as a brutal reminder that searching for and defending the truth can be dangerous.

Naomi Wolf (Author), Carolyn White (Narrator)

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Controligarchs: Exposing the Billionaire Class, their Secret Deals, and the Globalist Plot to Domina

Nationally acclaimed investigative journalist Seamus Bruner reveals how billionaires like Bill Gates, George Soros, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg plan to control every aspect of daily life-from food and energy to reproduction and your personal data. Imagine a world in which you own nothing and rent everything. Most of the protein in your diet comes from bugs, while lab-grown meats are a rare, expensive delicacy. You are not allowed to have more than one child, and your financial and medical data are instantly transferred to a centralized government database via a subdermal microchip. Controligarchs warns that this will be our existence if the supranational elites of the World Economic Forum get their way. Bruner, the Director of Research at the Government Accountability Institute led by famed investigator Peter Schweizer, presents a mountain of original research and reveals shocking new evidence that shows their sinister agenda will soon become reality. For example, the Controligarchs are: - Funding eugenics research that will allow them to pre-determine their children's traits, creating a new caste system in which the ultrawealthy are able to hack their own biology-augmenting their intelligence with AI-to become superhuman or, they hope, immortal - Bagging billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded crony stimulus and other forms of inflation-inducing corporate welfare that has allowed this tiny elite faction to double their net worth-adding trillions of dollars to their collective holdings-while the middle and lower classes work harder to earn less - Planning for "the next pandemic," which means reinstating their lockdowns, implementing new waves of small business closures, and, ultimately, consolidating the ownership-of everything-into fewer and fewer hands Bruner offers a gripping and groundbreaking look into the shadowy meetings and sweetheart deals behind global social-engineering efforts, proving that, despite their stated intentions, we must never cede control of our lives to billionaires. Amidst daily disasters ranging from bank collapses to disease outbreaks to food and energy crises-each caused or exacerbated by the expert class-this page-turning investigation into the global elite is a must read.

Seamus Bruner (Author), John Pruden (Narrator)

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Too Late to Awaken: What Lies Ahead When There is no Future?

Brought to you by Penguin. We hear all the time that we're moments from doomsday. Around us, crises interlock and escalate, threatening our collective survival: Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with its rising risk of nuclear warfare, is taking place against a backdrop of global warming, ecological breakdown, and widespread social and economic unrest. Protestors and politicians repeatedly call for action, but still we continue to drift towards disaster. We need to do something. But what if the only way for us to prevent catastrophe is to assume that it has already happened-to accept that we're already five minutes past zero hour? Too Late to Awaken sees Slavoj Žižek forge a vital new space for a radical emancipatory politics that could avert our course to self-destruction. He illuminates why the liberal Left has so far failed to offer this alternative, and exposes the insidious propagandism of the fascist Right, which has appropriated and manipulated once-progressive ideas. Pithy, urgent, gutting and witty, Žižek's diagnosis reveals our current geopolitical nightmare in a startling new light, and shows how, in order to change our future, we must first focus on changing the past. ©2023 Slavoj Žižek (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Slavoj žižek (Author), Neil Gardner (Narrator)

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Political Advocacy Audiobooks in Politics