C2Y: Discussions on Child and Youth Care

Adult Allies in Youth Justice Movements with Dr. Hava Gordon

In this episode we explore the relationship between youth and adult allies, particularly as it relates to issues of injustice. Dr. Hava Gordon discusses some of the justice issues that young people in the US face, particualry as they relate to schooling, and looks at what the role of adult’s are in supporting youth movements. She introduces several suggestions on how to be an ally, some of the challenges of being one, and suggestions on how to avoid aspects that can limit ones capacity to be an ally.

Dr. Gordon is an associate professor of Sociology and Criminology  at the University of Denver. Her work focuses on the social construction of inequalities such as gender, race, class and age; social movements, and schooling. Her current research is on community struggles over urban school reform, and is the subject of her upcoming book This is Our School! Race, Resistance, and Community Struggles over School Reform.

Confessions of a (former) Teenage Transexual Whore, a conversation with Star.

In this interview: Star, who wrote the zine series “Confessions of a Teenage Transexual Whore” talks about their time doing sex work and making art. They also discuss reasons people do sex work, how to support people who are engaged in such work, and what harm reduction might look like in those contexts. Star, who also uses the name Markus, is a visual artist, writer, student, educator, trans, videographer, and activist. They are currently doing an undergraduate degree in sociology and actively making art. You can find much of their work at starkisscreations.com

Spanking Your Child: Good or Bad?

On this episode we talk with Megan, a recent graduate from Humber Colleges Child and Youth Care Degree. Megan talks with Sammy and Josh about her thesis on sections 43 of the Canadian criminal code and corporal punishment. The 3 discuss how children are viewed and how the discourse of a child needs to change to match the current times. The discussion then focuses on parenting and the use of corporal punishment as a parenting tool and the challenges with that.  It was also noted that communication with the young person is really important to start moving away from using corporal punishment.  

If you are a child/youth that would like to be on the show or if you have an idea of what you think we should talk about please email Sammy and Josh at  yourrighttospeak@gmail.com       

Harm Reduction Programs For Youth Around The World With Murtaza Majeed from YouthRISE

Murtaza Majeed discusses what harm reduction is and looks at examples of harm reduction from Iran, Afghanistan, Ireland, and Portugal. He discusses polices and programs that directly impact young people and talks about the war on drugs, racism in drug policy, and his recommendations for global responses to reduce the negative impact of drug use.

Murtaza Majeed, is the coordinator for Youth RISE, an international, youth focused harm-reduction program based out of London. Murtaza has worked with Medicines du Monde, and was the coordinator for the Afghanistan National AIDS Control Program. He lives in Kabul, Afghanistan.

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Social Media, Communications and Young Peoples Voice

On this episode of Your Right to Speak, Sammy and Josh talk with Sho and Aki about the use of social media, communications and elevating the voice of young people and social justice movements. There is discussion about how social media and communications should be used together, and how social media has become a new way for young people to express their views. 

If you are a child/youth that would like to be on the show or if you have an idea of what you think we should talk about please email Sammy and Josh at yourrighttospeak@gmail.com 

Supporting People in Post Disaster Contexts, a conversation with Serena Thomas

Serena Thomas speaks about working with people in post disaster contexts. She discusses some of the unique perspectives being a cultural anthropologist provides, and what all who work with “others” can learn from this perspective.

 

Serena Thomas has worked for several years with people experiencing complex trauma and grief in post-disaster situations.

Supporting Children, Youth and Refugee Families, a Conversation with Adrienne Carter

In this episode Adrienne Carter speaks about her work with refugees and displaced people in a variety of countries and contexts. She shares stories, wisdom, and practice-based evidence from years supporting children, adolescents and parents who are dealing with trauma from both natural disasters and war. She talks about the similarities and distinctive aspects of both experiences. Adrienne Carter also discusses effective therapy interventions and unique cultural factors when providing mental health services in different contexts.

Adrienne Carter is a psychotherapist and educator. She has worked with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), The Centre for Victims of Torture, and The Child and Youth Mental Health Centre in Victoria, Canada. She has supported refugees in Kosovo, Sri Lanka, and Kashmir among other locations. Adrienne has recently returned from Jordan where she was training people who are working with refugees from Syria. 

The Isibindi Model, a conversation with Zeni Thumbadoo

Isibindi is a Zulu word that means courage. It is also an innovative and life-changing model, developed in South Africa, for working with children, youth, families, and communities. While supporting young people, the Isibindi model simultaneously provides training for unemployed community members leading to accreditation and employment in child and youth care.

There is a tremendous amount for practitioners, policy makers, and politicians to learn from the Isibindi model. This interview, with Zeni Thumbadoo, is a short introduction to the program. I encourage you to look at the links below for more information about Isibindi. Zeni Thumbadoo is the Deputy Director of the National Association of Child Care Workers in South Africa, and an instrumental person in the creation of the Isibindi program. 

National Association of Child Care Workers: ISIBINDI – Creating circles of care: http://www.naccw.org.za/isibindi/

The Path of Courage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MriK1u_ij_w (12 Min.)

The Isibindi Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1D2DUFbzhc (25 Min)

 NACCW Isibindi King Williams Town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb7akwCXpNA (6 Min)