Documentaries

As more people fall into poverty, hopes of obtaining some semblance of the "American Dream" become more and more distant. It's a time when people are clamoring for change, while struggling to understand what went wrong, and some have come to the conclusion that greed and exploitation are simply not sustainable strategies for the economic and social well-being of the land. FSRN´s Cherie Blackfeather brings us an exclusive documentary that takes a look at new solutions to local and global issues.

The US Department of Homeland Security has been rushing to complete 670 miles of border barriers by the end of 2008. DHS plans to install nearly 110 miles of 18 foot high concrete and steel structures along the Texas/Mexico border, but something has put construction behind schedule: local opposition. In this exclusive FSRN documentary, we travel with Shannon Young to the Texas-Mexico border to hear from locals about their take on the physical barrier slated to divide the region's sister cities.

On December 25th, Free Speech Radio News joins with youth producers from Radio Rootz as they profile youth led organizing that has challenged stereotypes, demanded change, and expanded opportunities to young people living in the Nation's Capitol.

What happens when our country's preoccupations with race, gender, and sexuality combine in one legal case? This holiday, we bring you an in-depth look at the New Jersey Seven, a group of women who went out for a night on the town, and wound up spending months in jail. This December 24, Puck Lo brings us the story of the New Jersey 7.

Half the world's population depends on rice for their staple food, and it is one of the most politically sensitive of agricultural commodities. In South-East Asia, where people have farmed rice paddies for thousands of years. It is eaten twice, often three times a day across the region. Today, in an exclusive FSRN documentary, we'll go to Indonesia, and hear, “Disappearing Rice Paddies,” Produced by Rebecca Henschke.

Spanish language version of the New Year's Day documentary.

The North American Free Trade Agreement comes into full effect today with the cancellation of all remaining tariffs and so-called "trade barriers" protecting Mexican agricultural products. The trade deal, which began to come into force on the first of January, 1994, has been largely blamed for the ongoing crisis in the Mexican countryside, the growing disparity between rich and poor, and the unprecedented rate of migration of Mexicans towards the United States. Join us today as we take a look at the intersection of culture, food, migration and trade.