The Human Challenge

Moroccan-Yemeni artist, AŸA, is back on The Human Challenge, an Amazon Music x ACAST "Indie Podcast Amplifier", with new music, new live tracks on vinyl, and new stories! This music is deeply personal to AŸA, as she navigates grief from the loss of a dear friend of hers and the ongoing horrors the world is witnessing in Palestine, where she has family and friends. She shares how music has helped her through this journey and how she believes music is the way to capture time and stories in history.Listen to her new single, Talking Deep, here: https://paradise.ffm.to/talking_deep?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZfmRWnJ09xUokDD0ipTz9AJAECIC5J9gZtPvJRFKJABy1LZGStWHVlY4Y_aem_Rk_g75mWM3O9-_N-hcYO0APre-save her vinyl here: https://ayaloveu.bandcamp.com/album/a-a-live-in-berlinWatch this episode on Youtube at https://youtu.be/cDOhUJNKKoABe invited to stay in touch with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaferlaino or vanessaferlaino.com, AŸA on Instagram @aya.loveu

You might know Matt Edwards as your jack-of-all-trades actor/producer/writer and Doug Jones from one of your favourite franchises like Hocus Pocus, Hellboy 1 & 2, Star Trek, and Fantastic Four -- but get to know them in a more human light in this episode of The Human Challenge, an Amazon Music x ACAST Indie Podcast Amplifier 2023.This budding Hollywood friendship will warm your hearts as they come together in their next project, Pretty Boys, a comedy short film about a washed up Hollywood Star, his estranged son, and the disastrous road trip that just might bring them back together. While the intention is to entertain and amuse, they also touch on their own experiences with mental health, loss, and grief -- topics not often talked about amongst men.There are less than 40 hours to contribute to the film's Kickstarter!!!! Support the film here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/prettyboysfilm/pretty-boys-comedy-shortWatch the full episode on youtube https://youtu.be/DW4YNNAo-6I or listen on your favourite podcast site!Be invited to stay in touch with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaferlaino or vanessaferlaino.com; Matt Edwards on Instagram @mattedwards and Doug Jones on Instagram @actordougjones

** Please be welcome to note sensitive content is discussed, including sexual violence in relation to corrective punishments experienced by trans peoples. **"Solidarity is power," says activist, Judith Cabrera, Co-Director of Borderline Crisis Center, a shelter for migrant women and kids on the border of US/Mexico.Borderline Crisis Center started as a call-center for migrants to connect with their family as soon as they crossed the border. But after Judith's partner and founder of the center, Daniel Ruiz, was targeted by organized crime who burned down their location, they were forced to move where they then expanded into the shelter.In this conversation, Judith walks us through the history of migrant policy in the USA since 2016; the increasing discriminate and racist policies faced by migrants seeking asylum, which is their right under international law; and the role technology plays in this discrimination. In partnership with the Migration Technology Monitor, Judith and the team are building a kiosk outside the shelter, 3 minutes away from the border, to provide information and resources to people on the move, as well as to serve as a counter-monitoring tool, to monitor human rights violations by the Mexican Authorities.Judith also shares how the shelter is tackling the largest problem faced by women in their shelters: the lack of income. By starting a Feminist Solidarity Economy Network, organized and independently led by the women in the shelters, Borderline seeks to empower women to come together and create opportunities for income with one another's support.Borderline Crisis Shelter also prides themselves on having a close relationship with the LGBTQ community; Judith, who identifies as a bisexual woman herself, says there is a lot of overlay with migration. There are only three shelters that accept lesbian and/or trans community members in their area. She tells us two stories of two of the many trans peoples who have come through the shelter, some with children, the abuse they faced before getting there, and how the Crisis helped them through their asylum.Given increased militarization by the US, digitalization at the borders, the drug war in Mexico, the increasing dangers for both migrants and human rights defenders, there are a lot of things to fear. "But I strongly oppose living in fear," Judith says. "We really need to take care of each other and build strong networks for protection."Be welcome to learn more about Borderline Crisis Center:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/borderlinecrisisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/borderlinecrisiscenter/ Direct donation: www.paypal.me/borderlinecrisiscent This episode is presented in partnership with the Migration Technology Monitor, on a mission to monitor surveillance technologies, automation, and the use of Artificial Intelligence to screen, track, and make decisions about people on the move. Learn more here: https://www.migrationtechmonitor.com/This episode is part of our "New Beginnings" segment, supported by The Being Human Foundation. Learn more here: https://vanessaferlaino.com/thebeinghumanfoundationBe invited to stay in touch with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaferlaino or vanessaferlaino.com

In our new segment, New Beginnings, supported by The Being Human Foundation, Vanessa speaks to CEO/Founder of FreeWorld, Jason Wang, a tech non-profit that trains and places people with criminal histories into the trucking industry.At the age of 15, Jason was incarcerated for a 1st degree felony (Aggravated Robbery) and given a 12-year sentence at a maximum security prison in Texas. Even though he was released early due to prison reform work he did with Texas senators and went on to obtain 2 masters degrees in four years, no one would hire him. When he started his own businesses, he faced similar issues when a lead investor pulled out of his deal last minute because of his criminal history.In this candid discussion, Jason talks about his upbringing, trauma, and poverty as a contributing factor to mass incarceration of children -- and how all of this led to the launch of FreeWorld.Now, Jason's life mission is to end mass incarceration by equipping 26 million formerly incarcerated people across the nation with the tools, education, and the jobs they need in order to live positive, productive lives.Be welcome to learn more about FreeWorld here: https://freeworld.org/Be welcome to learn more about The Being Human Foundation at vanessaferlaino.com/thebeinghumanfoundationBe invited to stay in touch with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaferlaino or vanessaferlaino.comWatch this full episode on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@vanessaferlaino/featured

Lama Cynthia Jurs' commitment to healing Mother Earth began in the 1990s in the Himalayas, visiting a a 106 year-old Tibetan Buddhist in the Himalayas where she was told to bury Earth Treasure Vases. Since then, Cynthia has buried almost 100 vases across the world, including Libya, Congo, Australia, New Mexico, and more! The journey is meticulously documented in her new book, "Summoned by Earth", released in March 2024. Her commitment to this mission resulted in her being officially ordained as an honourary lama. In this episode of The Human Challenge, an Amazon Music x ACAST Indie Podcast Amplifier 2023, Cynthia talks to Vanessa about her journey; her training with well-known Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh; being accepted into The Order of Interbeing; and her 8 year journey in writing the book, "Summoned by Earth". Weaving her experiences and topics of sacred activism, the book also highlights major issues with climate change, violence against women, and Indigenous rights.Be welcome to follow Cynthia on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/cynthiajurs/ and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/earthtreasurevase.org. Be welcome to learn more about her mission at http://GaiaMandala.net and SummonedbytheEarth.org.Cynthia is also hosting the below session:Tues Sept 17th: Tibet House, 6 pm — Talk on Summoned by the Earth; Becoming a Holy Vessel for Healing Our World with Full Moon Meditation & Book Signing. Fri Sept 20th: The Village Zendo, 7 pm — Talk on A Dharma Path for Our Times; Introduction to the Practice of the Earth Treasure VasesSat Sept 21st: Daylong Earth Treasure Vase Pilgrimage to the World Trade Center & Inwood ParkFri—Sun Sept 27th–29th: Refuge & Renewal in the Sublime Mother Gaia; Finding Support on the Path of Sacred Activism at Menla Retreat Center in Phoenicia, NYRegistration links below:https://events.thus.org/programs/summoned-by-the-earth-becoming-a-holy-vessel-for-healing-our-world-with-cynthia-jurs/https://menla.org/retreat/refuge-and-renewal-in-the-sublime-mother-gaia-finding-support-on-the-path-of-sacred-activism/?mc_cid=ce3e54dd31https://www.dharma-gates.org/nyc-earth-treasure-vasehttps://www.dharma-gates.org/sacred-activismBe welcome to stay in touch with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaferlaino or vanessaferlaino.comWatch this full episode on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@vanessaferlaino/featured

They're baaaaack! On this episode of The Human Challenge, an Amazon Music x ACAST "Indie Podcast Amplifier 2023", Leanna Carriere and Timm Döbert are back to talk about their recent cycling trip across Canada to support the 30x30 initiative, a United Nations goal of protecting 30% of land and water by 2030.You might remember them (how could you forget this dynamic duo, Canada's First Woman Decathlete and a Global Change Ecologist?) from previous episodes where they spoke about their Wings of Survival expedition to support restoration efforts of the Pacific Americas Flyway. The Cross-Canada trek served as a warm-up to their Wings of Survival trip next year.In this casual conversation, Leanna and Timm share the conservation sites they visited across the country, the animals they came across, and how they prepared for the 30 days trek. Being plant-based athletes, they also highlight their partnership with University of Alberta to research the effects of a plant-based diet on a long-term extreme expedition.Be welcome to support them directly at their GoFundMe here.Be invited to stay in touch with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaferlaino or vanessaferlaino.comWatch this full episode on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@vanessaferlaino/featured

With over 2.11 million people incarcerated as of 2018, almost 600,000 people per year reenter society from incarceration with little re-integration support, leading to over 66% of formerly incarcerated people rearrested within three years of reentry. Kylie Hwang saw this firsthand while working at a background check company, and noticed that most solutions focused on supporting formerly incarcerated individuals with employment, but ignored those who turned to entrepreneurship due to labour market discrimination. Intrigued, Kylie pursued her Doctoral Studies.Now, an Assistant Professor at Kellogg School of Business, she recently co-published "Entrepreneurship as a Response to Labor Market Discrimination for Formerly Incarcerated People" in the American Journal of Sociology and documented a few outcomes:Formerly incarcerated individuals, particularly formerly incarcerated Black individuals, are more likely to become entrepreneurs compared to similar individuals who have never been incarcerated because of diminished employment opportunities.Entrepreneurship for formerly incarcerated individuals reducing the income gap and recidivism ("re-offending") rates.Entrepreneurship is an alternative way for formerly incarcerated lowers the likelihood of returning to prison, due to lack of employment opportunities. Black individuals who have been incarcerated face the highest employment barriers due to discrimination, and as a result seek entrepreneurship.Formerly incarcerated Black individuals reap the greatest advantages from entrepreneurship.Kylie's research offers a look at how entrepreneurship can be a great option given labour market discrimination limiting formerly incarcerated individuals, and most importantly, how impact investors, researchers, and policymakers can help.Tune into this episode of The Human Challenge, an Amazon Music x ACAST "Indie Podcast Amplifier 2023" to learn more about Kylie's journey, the implications, and how we can support -- and what she is looking at next! Be invited to stay in touch with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaferlaino or vanessaferlaino.comBe welcome to learn more about Kylie Hwang at https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/hwang_kylie.aspxWatch this full episode on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@vanessaferlaino/featured

It took 6 years for Petra Molnar to write "The Walls Have Eyes", a book showcasing the use of technology in immigration and migrant affairs. As a lawyer and anthropology specializing in human rights, the book documents both research and true stories of people on the move that she herself has supported in their own journeys to freedom. Petra joins Vanessa on The Human Challenge, an Amazon Music x ACAST "Indie Podcast Amplifier 2023" to talk about the use of technology along US-Mexico and in Greece to facilitate pushback operations;in refugee camps used as digital prisons (Kenya); that is tested in the Occupied Palestinian territories. She also discusses how all of this has created the "border industrial complex", largely driven by both the private and public sector, and certain resistance strategies, including hope, in a society that continues to push more technology as an only solution. One such strategy includes her work founding The Migration Technology Monitor. Ultimately, she invites us to ask ourselves questions around the use of technology, who gets a seat at the table in deciding what technology to use and how, and how we can co-create technologies with people on the move. The biggest human challenge to Petra? Dehumanization. "We all hold such complexity with the way we move through the world," she says, "we need to hold that same complexity for people on the move."Be invited to stay in touch with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessaferlaino or vanessaferlaino.com; and Petra Molnar on Twitter @_PMolnar or https://www.petramolnar.com/ or https://www.migrationtechmonitor.com/Watch this full episode on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@vanessaferlaino/featured