How We Build This
How We Build This
Podcast Description
How We Build This is a podcast how we can take action in a time of rising authoritarianism and shrinking rights. Hosted by longtime climate and movement leader, May Boeve, each episode finds May in conversation with with organizers, activists, and changemakers as they try to make sense of how movements are born, and how they grow, and what we can do right now.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes of social justice, activism, and the dynamics of organizing in a time of authoritarianism, with specific episode topics such as the origins of Black Lives Matter, the impact of the Ferguson uprising, and the role of personal experiences in shaping movements. Each episode includes discussions on building power for marginalized communities and navigating political landscapes.
How We Build This is a podcast how we can take action in a time of rising authoritarianism and shrinking rights. Hosted by longtime climate and movement leader, May Boeve, each episode finds May in conversation with with organizers, activists, and changemakers as they try to make sense of how movements are born, and how they grow, and what we can do right now.
In this episode, May Boeve speaks with political scientist and author Hahrie Han, one of the leading scholars studying how movements actually build power. Drawing on her research, Hahrie challenges the idea that scale alone wins change, arguing instead that how we engage people determines whether movements succeed. They explore why quick, individual actions often fall short, how real power comes from relationships and collective capacity, and why so many people feel like consumers rather than participants in public life. From surprising lessons in faith communities to the urgent need for “democracy gyms,” this conversation offers a clear, grounded framework for turning outrage into lasting power.
How We Build This is created and hosted by May Boeve
Producer: Phil Surkis
Theme music: ‘Within’, composed by Ruthie Dineen, and performed by Negative Press Project.
Instagram & Bluesky: @hwbtpod
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