acTVism Podcast | english

Epstein, Iran & The End of Western Power | Vijay Prashad

In this episode of The Source, our host and supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with historian and best-selling author Vijay Prashad about the release of the Epstein files, the widening fallout across the United States and Europe, and what it reveals about elite networks and political power. The conversation then turns to Iran, where escalating sanctions, nuclear negotiations, and open talk of military confrontation raise the stakes for the entire region.
They also examine the stalled Ukraine peace talks, shifting battlefield dynamics, and what the Munich Security Conference revealed about fractures within the West. Finally, they discuss Donald Trump’s newly launched Board of Peace for Gaza alongside the deepening crisis at the United Nations — and ask whether we are witnessing the unraveling of the current international order or the emergence of a new geopolitical framework.
ABOUT VIJAY PRASHAD: Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian and journalist. Prashad is the author of forty books, including Washington Bullets, Red Star Over the Third World, The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South. His latest book The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power (2022) was written with Noam Chomsky. He is Executive Director of The Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Correspondent for Globetrotter. He is also the Chief Editor of LeftWord Books (New Delhi) and a senior non-resident fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. He has appeared in two films – Shadow World (2016) and Two Meetings (2017).
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Epstein, Iran, Ukraine & Japan: The Geopolitical Context

In this interview, host Zain Raza speaks with historian Prof. Peter Kuznick about the deeper geopolitical forces shaping today’s most volatile flashpoints. They begin with the latest revelations surrounding the Epstein files and the broader power networks those disclosures uncover.
The conversation then moves to Iran, covering recent unrest, diplomatic negotiations, sanctions, and strategic pressure. Next, they examine Ukraine’s evolving conflict and the push for peace talks amid continued escalation. Finally, they explore Japan’s shifting foreign policy and military posture in the context of rising Asia-Pacific tensions.
ABOUT PETER KUZNICK: Peter Kuznick is Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University in Washington, D.C. He’s the co-author of the book The Untold History of the United States, written together with Hollywood film director and producer Oliver Stone. He was active in the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements and remains active in antiwar and nuclear abolition efforts.
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Israel’s Fragile State: Reality Behind the Gaza Peace Plan, Ceasefire & Economy

In this episode of The Source, supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with economist and author Dr. Shir Hever about Israel’s position after more than two years of war. The conversation begins with Gaza — the humanitarian situation since October 2023, the reality behind the so-called ceasefire, and what Trump’s peace plan has actually changed on the ground.
They then examine key developments shaping Israel’s future, including reports of Israeli-backed militias operating in Rafah, rising tensions with Iran alongside diplomatic signals, and claims of economic recovery following the war. Dr. Hever assesses whether Israel has truly emerged stronger — or whether military, political, and economic fragilities are being masked by official narratives.
He is the author of The Privatisation of Israeli Security (Pluto, 2017) and The Political Economy of Israel’s Occupation (Pluto, 2010). He is currently the military embargo coordinator of the BNC (Boycott National Committee) of the BDS movement.
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Crowdfunding Result - Can we continue with our journalism?

In this podcast, our founder Zain Raza shares the final outcome of our crowdfunding campaign and explains what it means for the future of acTVism Munich.
We will return in early February and will then communicate transparently which path we will take going forward.
Until then, there is still an opportunity to influence the future course of our organization. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who supported this campaign. Your trust, solidarity, and generosity make our independent, non-profit journalism possible.
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The Venezuela Interview You Won’t See in the Media | Gregory Wilpert

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In this episode of The Source, our founder and supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with Gregory Wilpert, sociologist and co-founder of Venezuelanalysis, about Venezuela’s political trajectory and the international forces shaping it. The discussion takes an in-depth look at Venezuela’s history before and after Hugo Chávez, and how both internal dynamics and external pressures have shaped the country’s social and political landscape.
The conversation also explores how Venezuela is portrayed in Western media, the framing and terminology commonly used in coverage of the conflict, and what is often left out of the public discussion. Wilpert examines the geopolitical stakes surrounding Venezuela’s oil, the roles of the United States, Russia, and China, and how recent developments could reshape regional stability and global power dynamics.
ABOUT GREGORY WILPERT: Gregory Wilpert is a German-American sociologist and journalist who co-founded Venezuelanalysis.com. He is also the author of the book “Changing Venezuela by Taking Power: The History and Policies of the Chávez Government ”
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COL. Wilkerson on Venezuela and America’s Empire Crisis

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In this episode of The Source, our founder and supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (ret.), former Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, about U.S. aggression against Venezuela and what it reveals about the current trajectory of American power and foreign policy.
The conversation then turns to Ukraine, where a so-called “coalition of the willing” is discussing the deployment of multinational troops as security guarantees. Wilkerson assesses whether Russia would ever accept such an arrangement, how Germany and Europe are positioning themselves, and whether these initiatives are likely to move the conflict toward a settlement — or push it toward a wider confrontation.
ABOUT LAWRENCE WILKERSON: Lawrence Wilkerson is currently a Senior Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and formerly a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of Williams and Mary. Lawrence Wilkerson’s last positions in government were as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff (2002-05), Associate Director of the State Department’s Policy Planning staff under the directorship of Ambassador Richard N. Haass, and member of that staff responsible for East Asia and the Pacific, political-military and legislative affairs (2001-02). Before serving at the State Department, Wilkerson served 31 years in the U.S. Army. During that time, he was a member of the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College (1987 to 1989), Special Assistant to General Powell when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-93), and Director and Deputy Director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College at Quantico, Virginia (1993-97). Wilkerson retired from active service in 1997 as a colonel, and began work as an advisor to General Powell. He has also taught national security affairs in the Honors Program at the George Washington University. He is currently working on a book about the first George W. Bush administration.
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Ukraine Targets Putin’s Residence? Jeffrey Sachs on War and Peace Talks

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In this episode of The Source, our founder and supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, world-renowned economist and UN advisor, about recent peace talks on Ukraine — and a striking development that has undermined them: Russia’s claim that Ukraine attempted to target President Vladimir Putin’s residence.
ABOUT JEFFREY D. SACHS: Jeffrey D. Sachs is University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he directed the Earth Institute from 2002 until 2016. He is President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Co-Chair of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development, academician of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, and Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor at Sunway University. He has been Special Advisor to three United Nations Secretaries-General, and currently serves as an SDG Advocat under Secretary General António Guterres. He spent over twenty years as a professor at Harvard University, where he received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. Sachs has received 41 honorary doctorates, and his recent awards include the 2022 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, and the Order of the Cross from the President of Estonia. His most recent books are The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (2020) and Ethics in Action for Sustainable Development (2022).
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US Strikes Venezuela — Jeffrey Sachs on War, Law and Power

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In this episode of The Source, our founder and supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, world-renowned economist and UN advisor, about the recent U.S. strikes on Venezuela and President Trump’s claim that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured. The conversation explores the political and geopolitical implications of the escalation, the international response — particularly from Europe — and what these developments reveal about the current state of international law and global power dynamics.
ABOUT JEFFREY D. SACHS: Jeffrey D. Sachs is University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he directed the Earth Institute from 2002 until 2016. He is President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Co-Chair of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development, academician of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, and Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor at Sunway University. He has been Special Advisor to three United Nations Secretaries-General, and currently serves as an SDG Advocat under Secretary General António Guterres. He spent over twenty years as a professor at Harvard University, where he received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. Sachs has received 41 honorary doctorates, and his recent awards include the 2022 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, and the Order of the Cross from the President of Estonia. His most recent books are The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (2020) and Ethics in Action for Sustainable Development (2022).
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Ukraine, Germany’s Decline and Europe at a Breaking Point | Prof. Richard Wolff

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In this interview, our founder and supporting editor, Zain Raza, speaks with Richard D. Wolff, Professor of Economics, about the growing economic pressures facing Germany and Europe. The discussion examines Germany’s stagnating economy, job insecurity, pension reform, and the striking disconnect between a booming stock market and weakening conditions for workers and industry.
The conversation also explores Europe’s response to the war in Ukraine through sanctions and frozen Russian assets, placing these developments within a broader economic and historical context. Wolff offers a systemic analysis of how policy choices, financial markets, and geopolitical tensions are reshaping Germany’s economic model and Europe’s future.
ABOUT RICHARD D. WOLFF: Richard D. Wolff is the founder of Democracy at Work and host the show Economic Update. He is Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he taught economics from 1973 to 2008. Earlier he taught economics at Yale University and at the City College of the City University of New York. Wolff was also a regular lecturer at the Brecht Forum in New York City. He is currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University in New York City.
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US Bombs Venezuela — Trump Claims Maduro Captured | Dimitri Lascaris Reacts

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In this episode of The Source, our founder and supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with Dimitri Lascaris, a human rights lawyer and journalist, about the recent U.S. bombing of Venezuela and President Trump’s claim that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured. The conversation examines the legal, political, and geopolitical implications of the escalation, the international reaction — particularly from Europe — and what these developments reveal about the current state of international law and global power dynamics.
ABOUT DIMITRI LASCARIS: Dimitri Lascaris is a journalist and lawyer. As a lawyer, he specializes in class action litigation, international law and human rights. He was a member of the shadow cabinets of the Green Parties of Canada and Quebec. In 2020, he ran for the leadership of the Green Party of Canada and came in second. He is also the founder and editor of the YouTube channel Reason2Resist with Dimitri Lascaris: ‪@reason2resist‬
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