Tag Archives: Ukraine

Moms For Liberating Ukraine

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My guest for the full hour is Paige Barrows, a fully-immersed volunteer bringing humanitarian aide to Ukraine. Her commitment to Ukraine stems from her service as a Peace Corps worker in Ukraine 2010-2012. She talks about her activities both stateside as well as in Ukraine since the full invasion by Russia in 2022. Her latest trip was to Bucha, Irpin, and multiple locations along the from line in April 2024. She is the first non-Ukrainian to speak about this war on our show.

Here are her handle and links promised in the broadcast: @paigeinkansas; https://www.swufoundation.org/;https://renegaderelief.org/; https://americancoalitionforukraine.org/

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa – album; and Parfeniuk Vsevolod Zaderatsky’s Preludes and Fugues in a minor, performed by Irma Klimenko.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/Barrows7-9-24.mp3

Solidarity and Coalitions AND Paula Tomei Takes a Bow After 44 years at SCR

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Today our guests are Dr. Jordie Davies, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UCI, and an affiliate faculty member of the UCI Culture & Theory Ph.D. Program. Of particular interest is her work on “Solidarity Processes in Multi-Racial Coalitions.” An additional portion of this interview is available in Part 2 of this pod. In the segment (minute 35:50) is Paula Tomei, managing director of South Coast Repertory. She’s stepping down this August after a 44-year career, building a lot of things of local, regional, and national significance. It’s SCR’s 26th Pacific Playwright Festival May 3-5. Wrapping their season are the productions “Prelude to a Kiss, The Musical” and “Galilee, 34” which were previously showcased in earlier festivals.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa – album; Casey Benjamin, “Your Recipe,” performed At Clement’s Place; “Ponteio,” Peppino D’Agostino, single.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/DaviesTomeiPod4-2-24.mp3

In this extended portion of Jordie Davies’ interview, we draw comparisons with Ukrainians coalescing in the Maidan Revolution in 2013-14 and American protest movements. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/DaviesExt4-2-24.mp3

Ask A Voter Listens to Citizens on This Supah Tuesday

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Welcome all to the CA Primary 2024 edition of “Ask A Voter,” continuing the tradition of asking guests to tell their voting story. Think Story Corps walking around the polling place. Today, on Super Tuesday our roster of voters include: Alex Denysov, Ukrainian-American actor, filmmaker, musician and songwriter based on Los Angeles (minute 1:48); Shawn Khalifa, UCI sociology major soon to complete his BA in UCI’s Underground Scholars program (minute 17:00); Paa-Kwesi Heto, international political economist, security analyst affiliated with both UCI and Soka University of America (25:12); Elizabeth Martin, retired Orange County attorney and contributor to Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development’s citizenship fair (minute 35:19) and finally KUCI radio trainee Matt Sereno (minute 44:33).

Music credits: Fanfare for the Common Man, Leonard Bernstein, conducting NY Philharmonic; DakhaBraka, “Carpathian Rap,” – single; Matt Haimowitz, “Star Spangled Banner,” single; Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” Not in Our Name – album; Agustín Uribu, “Fiesta en Ticara,” Santa Fe – album. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/AAV3-5-24.mp3

Paa-Kwesi Heto had more to say, on the heels of the news about the U. S. Supreme Court rendering its decision about Donald Trump’s eligibility to appear on the Colorado primary ballot. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/Paa-KwesiPod2Mar5-24.m

Meet OC Board of Ed Area 3 Candidate Nancy Watkins AND CA 47th Congressional Dist. Candidate Max Ukropina

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As our primary coverage continues, our first guest is Dr. Nancy Watkins, education professional and OC Board of Education candidate running for trustee in Area 3. This area includes: Fullerton, Brea, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Orange, Foothill Ranch, Villa Park, central and North Irvine, Portola Hills, Anaheim Hills, portions of Lake Forest and Tustin. This is 3 of 5 trustee races that are on the CA Primary ballot. In the second segment (approx. minute 32:59) is financial technology entrepreneur Max Ukropina, who is running as a Republican in CA 47th Congressional District. This district includes: Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport, and Seal Beach, and portions of Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, and Laguna Woods.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa – album; Vincent Herring/Bobby Watson/Gary Bartz, “Folklore,” Bird at 100 – album; Isaiah J. Thompson, “1,000 Rainbows,” Plays the Music of Buddy Montgomery.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/WatkinsUkropina2-20-24.mp3

Collective Trauma Perpetrated on Ukraine

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Natasha Frolova, associate professor and crisis psychologist in the Dept. of Psychology and Social Work at Dnipro National University in Ukraine, speaks as a Fulbright scholar in residence at UC Irvine, working with trauma social scientist Roxanne Cohen Silver. She has the full hour to chart the dimensions of trauma experienced in Ukraine as she continues to build onto approaches toward addressing trauma on both the individual and the societal levels.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa – album; Andriy Khlyvnyuk x The Kiffness, “Chervona Kalyna.”

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/Frolova11-28-23.mp3

Refugees’ Thermostat and Chocolatier’s Thermometer

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Our guest for the full hour is Olya Yaloza, chocolatier originally from Lviv, Ukraine, now setting up life and her enterprise here in OC. The host first met her at the World Refugee Day earlier this summer. As she explained what it was like to produce some of the finest chocolates one could find anywhere in the world, and to have to uproot from providing that choicest of treats, giving up her personal investments in that business – it became apparent that her story ought to be heard. That refugees are over-achievers is an adage that listeners will hear again today.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa – album; DakhaBrakha, “Carpathian Rap,” broadcast in KEXP Studios.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/Yaloza8-22-23.mp3

United Ukrainian Ballet Co Brings “Giselle” to Segerstrom Hall

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Today my guests are: Alexis Tutunnique and Elizaveta Gogidze, both principal dancers with the United Ukrainian Ballet Company, an assemblage of refugee dancers from all over Ukraine, who will perform at our Segerstrom Hall, 6/29-7/2nd, in Alexei Ratmansky’s version of the ghost story “Giselle, with surprising nuances and a hopeful ending in place of the usual bleak one. They’ve performed in the Netherlands, the UK, Singapore, Australia and the US; we are fortunate to have them in our neighborhood. These artists express what they are doing, and what’s on their minds. Details for tickets and times are available at: https://www.scfta.org/events/2023/united-ukrainian-ballet.

Music credits: Chimora, “Africano Americano,” Sounds of Africa – album; and Vsevolod Zaderatsky, “Preludes and Fugues in a minor,” performed by Irma Klimenko.

Note to listeners: In 1937 Ukrainian composer Vsevolod Zaderatsky (1891-1953) was one of those who fell under the Great Terror – the most brutal of Stalinist repressions. In earlier years all his compositions were destroyed to render him silent. Zaderatsky was accused of being a teacher for young Tsarevich, of formalism – a fraught word, which means one’s music is not approved by the Party – and of “anti-Soviet statements” that musical life in Ukraine was superior to that in Yaroslavl (Russia), where he worked before. This prelude and fugue was written during his imprisonment in GULAG – on fragments of telegram forms, without access to any musical instrument – and performed publicly only in 2014, 75 years after the composer’s death. Please listen to the whole work.

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/UnitedUABalletCo6-20-23.mp3

“Motherland” Speaking Truth$ to Petrol

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Vic Gerami, editor and publisher of the Blunt Post, as well as host/producer of the “Blunt Post with Vic” on Radio KPFK,” speaks about his recently released documentary, “Motherland” an award-winning documentary feature film about Azerbaijan’s, Turkey’s attack on Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in 2020 and the massacre of 5,000+ people. In his film he details his travels to Armenia several times last year, where he interviews elected officials, eyewitnesses, veterans, refugees, and journalists for the film. That act of aggression, is part of campaign that has associations with our Irvine Mayor, which listeners have heard raised before on this show. The film will be presented at the Irvine City Hall chamber at 6 pm on 1/25th, with Vic Gerami presenting, and Q & A to follow.

Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; Djivan Gasparyan – “Dle Yaman.”

http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/Gerami1-17-23.mp3

One Ukrainian Voice Rising to This Moment

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For the full hour is Andriy Strekhaliuk, Ukrainian entrepreneur, consultant in HR & organizational development, and instructor at local business school – currently assisting his country’s military. He paints a personal picture of one Ukrainian man and his family, as well as show particular intersections between Ukrainian and American institutions, while taking every opportunity to bring us along with Ukrainians’ rich culture. Along with this broadcast, the host urges a listen to the accompanying Part 2 below. Andriy offers a host of resources for listeners who want to be more than by-standers to the horrific invasion of Ukraine. Those include: https://prytulafoundation.org/en https://savelife.in.ua/en/; https://spendwithukraine.com/; https://www.etsy.com/shop/NatArtiStudio?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1209255865; https://www.facebook.com/valerii.pekar – thinker and entrepreneur; https://www.facebook.com/andrij.bondar – author https://www.facebook.com/volodymyr.yermolenko – philospher, journalist

Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album; Jazz Kolo, Ukrainian Jazz Melody. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/StrekhaliukPart1_9-6-22.mp3

Part 2: This is a continuation of Andriy Strekhaliuk’s personal accounts of his participation in the EuroMaidan movement and how that contributes to the capacity that is rallying in Ukraine’s nation building – before, during, and after the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. He closes with some family notes. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/ASPart2.mp3

Women Bringing The Goods on 3-8-22

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It’s March 8th and a good time to tap into the gifts of the thinking of seasoned women. Sharon Rosen Leib, attorney and blogger; and Nancy Wingfield, emeritus scholar of Eastern European history – present solid takes on the range and depth of years of analyzing current events. It’s time. And a work in progress. Other women will be invited to weigh in later. Music credits: Chimora, “African Americano,” Sounds of Africa- album Ukrainian Folk Song Group Dhzerela. http://www.kuci.org/podcastfiles/984/LeibWingfield3-8-22.mp3