Heal our Division

Did the United States make the right decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan last August? It’s January 2022, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Hussain Rezai, a native Afghani who evacuated the country in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021. In July 2017, his fiancee, Najiba Bahar, was killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in the same city of Kabul. Najiba had returned to Afghanistan after acquiring a Masters Degree in Computer Science abroad. Her hope was to provide young Afghan women and those from deprived communities with inspiration to pursue higher education. Hussain started the Najiba Foundation in her honor. At first just a library, the foundation expanded to also include a solar-powered computer lab and girl’s volleyball team. In October 2021 after their takeover, the Taliban destroyed the library, ransacked the computer lab, and the volleyball players went into hiding for fear of retribution. In this episode we discuss the Najiba Foundation’s interactions with the Taliban, whether accusations of the Afghan people not fighting for themselves are accurate, the future of women’s and human rights under the new Taliban rule, if foreign intervention is preferred, and more. Whether you agree or disagree with today’s guest, I invite you to join with an open mind as we work to heal the division on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
GUEST INFORMATION
Hussain Rezai: https://twitter.com/Husain_rezai
Najiba Foundation: https://twitter.com/Najiba_FDN

America is deeply divided, largely driven by our declining distrust in government, institutions, and media outlets. This decline of American media isn’t hard to see. Turn on the tv, and you’ll often struggle to distinguish what qualifies as journalism vs entertainment. Provocative commentary has taken precedence over asking questions and collecting facts. News anchors posing as neutral moderators often make themselves the star of the show. They’re only willing to interview guests who reflect similar opinions and political identities. When they do, the result is often a surface level conversation lasting mere minutes. My name is Kevin MacPherson, and I feel that there must be a better way forward. Our media distrust can’t continue if we want to maintain the social fabric of our country. As a result, I started the Heal our Division Podcast. Each week, I host a long form conversation with someone directly involved and impacted by today's most pressing issues. Guests share their story without interruptions, provide commentary, and answer the questions that often go unaddressed. They’re also challenged to address opposing views and criticism, even if uncomfortable. The goal of the podcast is always the same. Speak with those directly involved in today’s issues, identify solutions, and demonstrate that we can heal our division as people despite our differences. Left, right, center, or independent - I invite you to join me with an open mind as we work to heal the division in our country, one interview at a time.

Is the People’s Convoy justified? It’s March 2022 and Americans are divided. My guest today is Taylor Barker, an American trucker currently participating in the People’s Convoy. In this episode we discuss the convoy’s goals, public reception while traveling across the country, if it’s a partisan movement, media reactions, and more. Whether you agree or disagree with today’s guest, I invite you to join us with an open mind as we work to heal the division on the People’s Convoy.
The People’s Convoy: https://thepeoplesconvoy.org/

Have the Olympic Games been corrupted? It’s February 2022, the Beijing Olympics just concluded, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Noah Hoffman, a former two-time Winter Olympian with Team USA who recently made headlines for speaking out against the Beijing Olympics and International Olympic Committee (IOC). Noah has recently helped launch Global Athlete, an Olympic athlete movement dedicated to addressing the balance of power between athletes and Olympic administrators. In this episode we discuss his criticism of how the IOC operates, his interactions with current Team USA olympians, when protests are appropriate, the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, and more. Whether you agree or disagree with today’s guest, I invite you to join us with an open mind as we work to heal the division on future Olympic Games.

Global Athlete: https://globalathlete.org/Noah Hoffman: https://twitter.com/hoffnoahman

How should we treat the unhoused population in our country? It’s January 2022, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Theo Henderson, who lives in Los Angeles, California and is a member of the unhoused community. Born in Chicago, Theo earned a scholarship to a local private college and received his undergraduate degree in education. During the 2008 recession, he was working as a schoolteacher in South Los Angeles until his own financial crisis hit: He lost his job, and health issues from diabetes saddled him with medical debt. After being evicted from his apartment in 2013, he first moved into his car until he could no longer afford to keep it. He’s been unhoused ever since. As a result, he started “We the Unhoused”, a podcast that interviews, lifts the voices, and highlights the struggles of the unhoused community in Los Angeles and beyond. His work has been featured in media outlets like the BBC, Los Angeles Times, Vice, Curbed, and more. In this episode we discuss why Theo advocates to use the term “unhoused” instead of homeless, if there’s a correlation between being unhoused and abusing drugs, whether unhoused street sweeps across American cities are justified, the recommended approach to help an unhoused member you may encounter, and more. Whether you agree or disagree with today’s guest, I invite you to join with an open mind as we work to heal the division on the unhoused crisis in America.
GUEST INFORMATION
We the Unhoused Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wetheunhoused
We the Unhoused Website: https://www.wetheunhoused.com/
Teodore Henderson: https://www.instagram.com/thhheohenderson/