Psychic Militancy

IN SESSION #11: Psychology, complicity and the myth of neutrality with Maria Fakhouri

In this episode, I spoke with Palestinian psychotherapist, Maria Fakhouri, about the lies the field of psychology peddles in the name of so-called neutrality. She and I have quite a bit of experience being on the receiving end of accusations related to being "too political". We discussed what this means against the backdrop of an ongoing genocide, rising fascism, and imperial violence—and we also laughed at the field and our so-called colleagues, a lot. Because if any of you have heard Maria speak, well, you know she brings it! Maria Fakhouri is a Palestinian psychotherapist based in Ontario, Canada (Turtle Island). She is a public educator, speaker, and fierce advocate for Palestine through her social media and community engagements. She intertwines her therapeutic practice with anti-oppressive, cross-movement liberatory, and social justice principles. You can follow her work on her Instagram @mar._unfiltered and @mariafakhouripsychotherapy Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy [https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy] and follow us on IG @psychicmilitancypod and Upscrolled @psychicmilitancy. And consider becoming a patron for pre-releases and to stay up to date with all episodes! www.patreon.com/psychicmilitancy

A Call for Revolutionary Intellectual Alignment with Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah

This was a livestream collaboration with Psychic Militancy and the Adnan Hussein Show discusses an important document "Toward a Revolutionary Charter for Comprehensive Liberation" released recently that takes an adamant and uncompromising critique of contemporary Arab intelligentsias and calls for a radical realignment against colonial knowledges and with the masses. This is a critical juncture in West Asia; the convulsions of the Gaza genocide, the war on Iran, and the reshaping of its political boundaries, economies and societies in violent colonial war and resistance demand that all social groupings and classes address themselves to revolutionary anticolonial struggle. Adnan and I speak with one of the authors of this radical manifesto, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, the famous Palestinian surgeon, academic, activist, and Rector of Glasgow University in Scotland. We take up the questions of why "pessimism of the intellect" has not been accompanied by "optimist of the will" among the intellectual classes, the manifestations of "defeatist" and comprador thought, and how to revive the courageous role of intellectuals organically in the people's struggle as a resource for liberation. Centered on the question of Palestine but addressed to the wider Arab peoples confronting Zionism, colonialism, and imperialism, the conversation will explore the document's six key principles and concepts like rooted knowledge, intellectual sovereignty, democratizing knowledge and how ideology can be turned into a material force for liberation. This was a fascinating discussion! Join us. You can read a translation of the document here: https://en.al-akhbar.com/news/toward-a-revolutionary-charter-for-comprehensive-liberation1 [https://en.al-akhbar.com/news/toward-a-revolutionary-charter-for-comprehensive-liberation1] Follow Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah on X: https://x.com/GhassanAbuSitt1 [https://x.com/GhassanAbuSitt1] Subscribe to Psychic Militancy: https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy [https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy] Subscribe to Adnan Hussein Show: https://www.youtube.com/@adnanhusainshow [https://www.youtube.com/@adnanhusainshow]

Françoise Vergès: The world is made through struggle

In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Françoise Vergès. We had a beautiful conversation about how the politics of Réunion has animated her life's work, how she was brought up in the struggle alongside the revolutionaries in her family, about her time in Algeria and Paris, decolonial feminisms (of course!), and the centrality of psychic life to our ongoing fight against fascism and oppressive systems. We honestly talked about so so much more, so I am excited for you to hear it! It was such an honor to sit down with a sister-comrade who has shaped so much of my thinking and political orientation to scholarship. Françoise Vergès is a political theorist, curator and writer. She writes on the racist fabrication of premature death, decolonial feminism, the impossible decolonization of the western museum, climate disaster and antiracist, anticapitalist politics of vital needs. She works with artists and curates, since 2015, public performances with artists and activists. She is currently working on a film about anti colonial struggles in Reunion Island through her parents' personal archives and her own. For more information and on and links to Françoise's powerful work, see her website: https://francoiseverges.com/ [https://francoiseverges.com/] This is the passage I read from Françoise's landmark A Decolonial Feminism (Pluto, 2019): "I used a familiar fruit, the banana, to shed light on a number of analogies and elective affinities: the banana's dispersion from New Guinea to the rest of the world, the banana and slavery, the banana and US imperialism (banana republics), the banana and agribusiness (pescticides, insecticides--the chlordecone scandal in the Antilles), the banana and working conditions (the plantation regimes, sexual violence, repression), the banana and the environment (monocultures, pilluted water and land), the banana and sexuality (Josephine Baker), the banana and branding (Banana Republic), the banana and racism (when did the association of bananas and Negrophobia begin?), the banana and science (researching the 'perfect' banana), the banana and consumption (bringing bananas into the home, suggesting recipes), the banana and rituals for ancestors, and the banana and contemporary art. The method is simple: starting from one element to uncover a political, economic, cultural, and social ecosystem in order to avoid segmentation that the Western social-sciece method has imposed." p. 21-22 Make sure to like this episode and subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy [https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy] You can also find us on IG: @psychicmilitancypod and UpScrolled: @psychicmilitancy For exclusive pre-releases and all the announcements, consider becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/psychicmilitancy

"It hasn't worked": Lebanese defiance of Zionist oppression w/ Karim, Ussama and Saree Makdisi

In this episode, I sit down with ‪@MakdisiStreet‬ [https://youtube.com/channel/UCFTdVJ--8nOMXl9O2RqCHvQ/] podcast hosts and brothers, Karim, Ussama and Saree Makdisi to discuss the current situation in Lebanon. We get into a lot, as you can imagine, including the US and Zionist interventionism in Lebanon, their attempt to foment sectarian hate and violence, internalized Arabophobia (and other potential explanations) and, importantly, how we believe they have not succeeded in whittling away solidarity or resistance. Watch the video edition [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHfeYBMPTUw] on the YouTube channel Follow Makdisi Street on their socials: X: @MakdisiStreet [https://twitter.com/MakdisiStreet] YouTube: @MakdisiStreet [https://www.youtube.com/@MakdisiStreet] Insta: @Makdisist [https://www.instagram.com/makdisist/] TikTok: @Makdisistreet [https://www.tiktok.com/@makdisistreet] Sign up at Patreon.com/MakdisiStreet [https://Patreon.com/MakdisiStreet] to access all the bonus content, including the latest brothers-only conversation. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy [https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy] and follow us on social media for all the latest updates. You can find us on IG: @psychicmilitancypod [https://www.instagram.com/psychicmilitancypod/] & UpScrolled: @psychicmilitancy And consider supporting us on Patreon for pre-releases: www.patreon.com/psychicmilitancy [https://www.patreon.com/psychicmilitancy]

IN SESSION #10: Māori sovereignty & smashing white supremacy with comrades from Aotearoa

In this session I was joined by my comrades Arama Rata, Sina Brown-Davis and Bianca Ranson to talk about the longstanding and ongoing struggle for Māori sovereignty under settler colonial conditions, the struggle against Zionism in Aotearoa, and how they remain focused in the face of settler violence--and so much more. Arama Rata (Taranaki, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Maniapoto) is a Māori researcher, writer, and organiser whose work centres on Indigenous resistance, solidarities, and betrayals. She is a steering group member of foreign policy group Te Kuaka, and a co-founder of community self-defence group Kaiāwhina Aotearoa. Sina Brown-Davis is of Te Roroa, Te Uri-o-Hau, Fale Ula and Vava'u descent. Sina is a long-time activist and commentator on Indigenous rights at local, regional and international forums. She has a lifelong commitment to fighting for the rights of Indigenous peoples , anti Imperialism and building South South solidarity. Sina is currently a gym freak working at the grassroots with community and building bridges and unity between working class and "underclass" communities. Bianca Ranson (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa) is an activist and campaigner based on Waiheke Island who has been active in fighting for climate justice and indigenous rights. She is a founder of Kaiāwhina and organiser with AW; A (Anti-War Aotearoa). Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy [https://www.youtube.com/@PsychicMilitancy] And follow us on social media!! You can find us on IG at: @psychicmilitancypod & UpScrolled: @psychicmilitancy. For pre-releases and to keep up with all the announcements for livestreams, consider becoming a member at: www.patreon.com/psychicmilitancy