Tearing Down Walls is celebrating its first anniversary since launching in June 2021! Join us as we “prost,” take a walk down memory lane, and revisit some of our favorite interviews from the first 11 episodes.
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35:24
What is the future of abortion rights in the U.S. and Germany?
In this episode of Tearing Down Walls, we hear from abortion rights advocates on both sides of the Atlantic about the barriers people face when seeking abortions and if there’s any political will to change the current situation.
Host Sylvia Cunningham talks with New Haven-based DJ and social worker Jen Orlando, also known as Jentlemen, who co-hosts the NEU/BODY radio show on our partner station WNHU. We also hear from Miriam Lenz, investigative reporter in Berlin for the non-profit, CORRECTIV, and Susan Campbell, a journalist and distinguished lecturer at the University of New Haven. Dr. Sarah Gutman, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Pennsylvania, shares what she’s thinking about in this time of uncertainty for doctors and abortion providers across the U.S. And we talk with American filmmaker Leah Galant, co-director of the award-winning documentary On the Divide, who is currently in Berlin on a Fulbright grant.
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33:03
Introducing Tearing Down Walls
Tearing Down Walls connects a new generation across the Atlantic. Every month, Berlin-based host Sylvia Cunningham explores the issues impacting our lives in Germany and the United States. DJs, activists, and researchers come on the show to talk about the big topics — everything from identity and love to how we can build resilience amid crises. A monthly podcast in partnership with college radio station WNHU at the University of New Haven, Tearing Down Walls fosters a transatlantic dialogue to broaden our perspectives and learn more about each other.
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1:00
How do we build resilience amid crisis?
Between the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, and the climate crisis, it’s hard not to feel crushed by the weight of everything all at once. So in this episode of Tearing Down Walls, we’re talking about how we cope in these times – how crises affect us and how we might build resilience to get through them.
Host Sylvia Cunningham talks with Ukrainian disco DJ Liubov, who fled from Odesa to Berlin in March, and we reconnect with a Ukrainian refugee whom we introduced you to last month. We also hear from the hosts of the "Climate Change and Happiness" podcast: Oregon-based clinical and environmental psychologist Thomas Doherty and Finland-based climate emotions researcher Panu Pihkala. And to better understand the impact of crises on children and youth, we talk with Julia Asbrand, child and youth psychotherapist and junior professor at the Humboldt University in Berlin and Melissa Whitson, a psychology professor at the University of New Haven.
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31:22
How are people in the U.S. and Germany responding to Russia’s war in Ukraine?
It’s been over a month since Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, destroying cities and displacing millions of people. In this episode, we hear from some of those Ukrainians who fled their homes, as well as from people who are providing aid in Germany.
Host Sylvia Cunningham talks with Ukrainian-born, Berlin-based DJ Yuriy Gurzhy about how he’s processing the news coming out of his homeland. Ukrainian refugee Natalia shares her story with the translation help of Svetlana Shaytanova, press speaker for Quarteera, an association of Russian-speaking LGBTQ+ people in Germany. Oliver Spatz, artistic director of the Kulturzug (Culture Train) explains how his organization pivoted from promoting culture to providing humanitarian aid. And Olena Lennon, professor at the University of New Haven, breaks down the U.S. reaction and the impact of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s rhetoric.
Tearing Down Walls connects a new generation across the Atlantic. Every month, Berlin-based host Sylvia Cunningham explores the issues impacting our lives in Germany and the United States. DJs, activists, and researchers come on the show to talk about the big topics — everything from identity and love to how we can build resilience amid crises. A monthly podcast in partnership with college radio station WNHU at the University of New Haven, Tearing Down Walls fosters a transatlantic dialogue to broaden our perspectives and learn more about each other.
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