Anti Authoritarian Podcast

Looking Beyond Survival, with Ejeris Dixon

Scot Nakagawa and Sue Hyde sit down with Ejeris Dixon, an organizer, strategist, and co-editor of Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement. Ejeris shares insights on navigating rising authoritarianism, building abolitionist futures, and strengthening community resilience drawn from their 20-plus years of experience in racial justice, LGBTQ, anti-violence, and economic justice movements. This episode dives deep into how movements can incorporate anti-fascist strategies and reimagine justice through transformative frameworks. GUEST BIO Ejeris Dixon (they/she) is an experienced organizer, political strategist, and the Principal of Ejerie Labs. As the Founding Executive Director of Vision Change Win Consulting, Ejeris collaborates with organizations across the U.S. and globally to deepen the impact of their organizing strategies. They are the coordinator and host of the Fascism Barometer Podcast and Learning Hub, which explores the rise of fascism in the U.S. and effective organizing against it. Ejeris also served as Deputy Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, leading initiatives on hate violence, domestic violence, and police violence, and was the Founding Program Coordinator of the Audre Lorde Project's Safe OUTside the System Collective, developing transformative justice strategies to address hate and police violence. * Beyond Survival [https://www.akpress.org/beyond-survival.html] * Join 22CI’s mailing list [https://actionnetwork.org/forms/block-bridge-build-newsletter] This is the final episode of this season of the Anti-Authoritarian Podcast. If you've enjoyed the show so far, please rate and review it on your podcast directory of choice. LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE! * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anti-authoritarian-podcast/id1757915805] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/13R8WabaVJ5a64yfn7ZsgC?si=04717a7963194cda] * Join 22CI’s mailing list [https://actionnetwork.org/forms/block-bridge-build-newsletter/] * Support Convergence Magazine [http://convergencemag.com/donate] * Learn about 22CI’s 2025 Conference [https://conference.22ci.org/]

Moving Toward Democracy, with Kunthida Rungruengkiat

In this episode of Anti-Authoritarian Podcast, Scot Nakagawa and Sue Hyde talk with Kunthida Rungruengkiat, a Thai academic, former Member of Parliament, and director of the Progressive Movement Foundation. Kunthida shares her insights on the resilience of Thailand’s pro-democracy movement, the challenges of opposing authoritarianism, and the power of grassroots organizing. Through her work with Future Forward, Move Forward, and the People's Party, Kunthida demonstrates how a movement rooted in innovation and inclusion can create lasting change—even under repressive conditions. GUEST BIO Kunthida Rungruengkiat is a Thai academic, activist, and former Member of Parliament. She served as the deputy leader of the Future Forward Party, where she championed education reform, progressive social policies, and democratization efforts. Currently, she directs the Progressive Movement Foundation, supporting pro-democracy initiatives at both national and local levels. Kunthida is a leading voice in Thai politics, advocating for systemic change, equality, and modernization. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES * Learn more about the Progressive Movement Foundation [https://pgmf.in.th] * Join 22CI’s Mailing List [https://actionnetwork.org/forms/block-bridge-build-newsletter] * Convergence Magazine [https://convergencemag.org/] LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE! * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anti-authoritarian-podcast/id1757915805] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/13R8WabaVJ5a64yfn7ZsgC?si=04717a7963194cda] * Join 22CI’s mailing list [https://actionnetwork.org/forms/block-bridge-build-newsletter/] * Support Convergence Magazine [http://convergencemag.com/donate] * Learn about 22CI’s 2025 Conference [https://conference.22ci.org]

A Winning Strategy: Defending Democracy with Civil Resistance, with Maria Stephan

While political violence is not new in the United States, incidents of violence are on the rise. These events are gaining more attention in public discourse. Maria Stephan, an organizer, author, and expert on non-violent movements joins to discuss the historic success of protest and non-violent civil disobedience in protecting democracy. What makes nonviolence strategic, especially in times of rising authoritarianism? What can we do to make political violence backfire in our communities? GUEST BIO Maria is an award-winning author and organizer whose work in academic, public service, and nonprofit sectors has focused on the role of nonviolent action and peacebuilding in advancing human rights, democracy, and sustainable peace in the US and globally. As Chief Organizer, Maria provides strategic direction and thought leadership within Horizons, brokering key relationships, bridging research and practice, and convening partnerships for collective action. Since cutting her teeth in social justice work at Dismas House, a transitional home for former prisoners and college students in Rutland, Vermont nearly 25 years ago, Maria has dedicated her life to the proposition that ordinary people, when organized and inspired, can bring about extraordinary change. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Maria Stephan’s Book, Why Civil Resistance Works [https://cup.columbia.edu/book/why-civil-resistance-works/9780231156820] CONTACT INFORMATION [https://cup.columbia.edu/book/why-civil-resistance-works/9780231156820] * Email: info@22ci.org * Website: www.22ci.org [http://www.22ci.org/] Social Media: Follow us on Twitter [https://x.com/22ndCI] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/22ndcenturyinitiative/] LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE! * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anti-authoritarian-podcast/id1757915805] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/13R8WabaVJ5a64yfn7ZsgC?si=04717a7963194cda] * Join 22CI’s mailing list [https://actionnetwork.org/forms/block-bridge-build-newsletter/] * Support Convergence Magazine [http://convergencemag.com/donate] * Learn about 22CI’s 2025 Conference [https://conference.22ci.org]

Changing the Temperature: Narrative Strategy to Move the Base, with Anat Shenker-Osorio

Powerful narratives play an essential role in building governing power. In this episode, Scot and Sue are joined by Anat Shenker-Osorio, host of the Words to Win By [https://wordstowinby-pod.com] podcast and principal of ASO Communications [https://asocommunications.com]. Anat helps us understand the power of narrative strategy to win the battle of ideas. What narrative strategies are working in the fight to defeat authoritarianism, and how do we know when they're effective? GUEST BIO Host of the Words to Win By podcast and Principal of ASO Communications, Anat Shenker-Osorio examines why certain messages falter where others deliver. She has led research for new messaging on issues ranging from freedom to join together in union to clean energy and from immigrant rights to reforming criminal justice. Anat’s original approach through priming experiments, task-based testing and online dial surveys has led to progressive electoral and policy victories across the globe. Anat delivers her findings packed in snark at venues such as the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Centre for Australian Progress, Irish Migrant Centre, Open Society Foundations, Ford Foundation and LUSH International. Her writing and research is profiled in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Boston Globe, Salon, The Guardian and Grist among others. She is the author of Don’t Buy It: The Trouble with Talking Nonsense About the Economy. CONTACT INFORMATION * Email: info@22ci.org * Website: www.22ci.org [http://www.22ci.org/] Social Media: Follow us on Twitter [https://x.com/22ndCI] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/22ndcenturyinitiative/] LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE! * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anti-authoritarian-podcast/id1757915805] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/13R8WabaVJ5a64yfn7ZsgC?si=04717a7963194cda] * Join 22CI’s mailing list [https://actionnetwork.org/forms/block-bridge-build-newsletter/] * Support Convergence Magazine [http://convergencemag.com/donate] * Learn about 22CI’s 2025 Conference [https://conference.22ci.org]

Choosing Democracy Today and Every Day

Following last week's elections, Scot and Sue are joined by Daniel Hunter, co-founder of Choose Democracy [https://choosedemocracy.us], to discuss how we respond to authoritarians emboldened by the election results. In the episode, they take a deeper look together at Daniel's recent post-election essay 10 Ways to Be Prepared and Grounded Now That Trump Has Won What [https://convergencemag.com/articles/10-ways-to-be-prepared-and-grounded-now-that-trump-has-won/] (first published by Waging Nonviolence [https://wagingnonviolence.org] and then shared by Convergence). What should we be doing to defend our democratic institutions? What can we learn from other countries fighting the rise of authoritarianism in their borders? Daniel also touches on the transformative power of trusting ourselves and making space for grieving in movement work.  GUEST BIO Daniel Hunter co-founded Choose Democracy to help stop Trump’s 2020 coup, most recently writing What Will You Do If Trump Wins [https://whatiftrumpwins.org]. He is a renowned nonviolence trainer, having worked globally as a training director with 350.org [http://350.org/] and working with ethnic minorities in Burma, pastors in Sierra Leone, and independence activists in northeast India. He has written multiple books, including Climate Resistance Handbook and Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow. CONTACT INFORMATION * Email: info@22ci.org * Website: www.22ci.org [http://www.22ci.org/] Social Media: Follow us on Twitter [https://x.com/22ndCI] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/22ndcenturyinitiative/] LISTEN, RATE, AND SUBSCRIBE! * Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anti-authoritarian-podcast/id1757915805] * Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/13R8WabaVJ5a64yfn7ZsgC?si=04717a7963194cda] * Join 22CI’s mailing list [https://actionnetwork.org/forms/block-bridge-build-newsletter/] * Support Convergence Magazine [http://convergencemag.com/donate] * Learn about 22CI’s 2025 Conference [https://conference.22ci.org]