Changing The System Laura Kemp

Growing up in a Township near Cape Town in the post-apartheid era, Julia-Beth Harris absorbed everything like a sponge. Now, as a 30-something poet, artist and writer based in Amsterdam, it's time for her vision to be shared. JB's reflections on identity, race and progress are rich and necessary. Her message is loud and clear: 'Change Happens in the Minds of People'.

While we sip some tea, JB explains what Townships are (because really, do we know?). How "Black and Coloured people" were cruelly separated into different areas during apartheid, and how false conceptions impacted her sense of self as a young, dark skinned girl in the family. She speaks about the importance of education, about post colonial reparation and Black Lives Matter and how one creates change by just being present in the world.

Also: there will be poetry!

I'm so excited for everyone to hear JB's story. And it's just the beginning.

The United Kingdom is an interesting construct. Four'nations of equals' forming one state. But for how much longer? In the era of Brexit and Covid-19, the UK breaking up looks more likely than ever. Scotland especially, seems to be first in line to call for an official independence referendum. What's going on up there? And why do young people in particular, feel so passionately about building an independent country? Meet friends Alex and Valentina: two young Scots who firmly believe in a future outside of the UK. Laura Kemp visited them to find out what they want, how they see British identity, and why they view indepenence as the only anwswer.

Why is legalizing *all* drugs a good idea? Laura Kemp asks this question to respected drugs journalist Thijs Roes; a future thinker, system shaker and science lover.

Thijs spent years doing drugs research and it led him into a world of drug policy based on scientifically wrong assumptions."If we don't change the system of drug policy, the war on drugs will be perpetual" he says. "It will cause only more criminalization and on top of that, health risks." In this episde Thijs also colourfully explains how an LSD Trip helped him to quit smoking, and how he believes there should a a legal path to any drug - not because he wants to downplay the risks, but because it will be a safer and fairer society.

For centuries, governments have used drug policy as a tool of oppression of marginalized societies all over the world. Meanwhile, pshychedelic research and MDMA-therapy are fastly becoming more mainstream. Can we enjoy the benefits of drugs-medication while some groups of people are still being disproportionateley prosecuted for drug related issues?
Meet our guest: Camille Barton. Camille is an artist, anti-racist activist and drug policy reformer. As the guest of this episode, they explain how drug policy is rooted in colonialism and how certain forms of psychedellic therapy could actually help people of colour with trauma healing. Camille works closely with Release in the UK on drug policy reform and they sit on the advisory council for the MAPS Public Benefit Corporation, ensuring that MDMA Psychotherapy will be accessible to communities of colour. This is part 1 of a 2 part series on drug policy.

The stats are ridiculous! In the last 15 years, global production of clothes has doubled. Fast fashion is the most pollutive industry after oil. Why don't we stop this immediately? Writer Lauren Bravo and celebrity fashion designer David Laport break down the layers (no pun intended) of this problem, and stress the urgency on Changing The System in the fast fashion economy.

Get excited for the Changing the System podcast in which journalist Laura Kemp shines a light on some of the most interesting movements that are happening right now. From the fight against fast fashion, changing drug policy, to the future of the UK. Check out the trailer to get a flavour of what's coming.

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