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PODCAST

TROUBLEMAKERS

Beautiful Trouble

At TROUBLEMAKERS, we explore how to rebel in an age when a few elite have so much control. We speak with inspiring people from all walks of life across the planet on the tools they use to subvert and seize power for the transformation of our world. TROUBLEMAKERS is a place to learn from each other about how to make change. This podcast is a transcontinental operation brought to you by Beautiful Trouble, MOVE the Global Social Movement Centre, MS TCDC, and Global Platforms.

society & culture politics

All Episodes

22:38

Ep 48: Truth, Power, and Human Rights in the Age of...

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2026/04/17

How do we defend rights in a world full of misinformation?In this episode, guest host Jesué Mutanava speaks with Steward Muhindo, a human rights activist from the Democratic Republic of Congo and member of Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA). They explore how social media shapes activism, the dangers of disinformation, and how young people can push for change through peaceful action. Steward also shares simple ways to verify information and why truth is essential in the fight for human rights. Key

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4:18

TM Smoke Signals: Superhero. A poem by Phindu Banda

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2026/04/10

In Super Hero, Phindu Banda honors the quiet courage of everyday people who rise, endure, and keep going. From childhood dreams to life’s hardest moments, this piece reminds us that survival, resilience, and showing up are acts of heroism.You didn’t wait to be saved. You became the hero. About the Poet Phindu Banda is a Malawian poet, performer, and activist whose work explores identity, feminism, and social justice. Through spoken word, she amplifies everyday experiences and transforms them into

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21:50

Kenya’s Gen Z Voter Movement: How "Tukokadi" Is...

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2026/03/22

“The secret is numbers.”What happens when ordinary citizens decide to take democracy into their own hands? In this episode of the Trouble Makers Podcast, host Tatiana Gicheru sits down with Kenyan journalist and civic mobilizer Ademba Alanns, the mind behind the fast-growing Tukokadi movement, an initiative pushing millions of young Kenyans to register as voters ahead of the 2027 general elections. What started as a simple tweet has now become a nationwide movement, mobilising thousands across all

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8:47

TM Smoke Signals: The Workspaces That Shape Us

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2026/02/20

What makes a workplace meaningful? Is it the salary? The office setup? The title on the door? Or is it something quieter? Something human?In this episode of Troublemakers: Smoke Signals, we step into the everyday spaces where we spend so much of our lives. From the vibrant grounds of MS TCDC, home to the Samora Machel Studio where The Troublemakers is produced, to offices, clinics and creative corners beyond Arusha. We asked a simple question: What do you love most about your workplace? The answers

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27:43

Ep 44: The Spectrum of Allies with Sungu Oyoo

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2026/02/13

How do movements shift people from neutrality or even opposition into active allies for justice struggles?In this episode of the Troublemakers podcast, Monica hosts Sungu Oyoo, a writer, educator, activist, and Pan-Africanist. Sungu works with MWAMKO (Pan-African Popular Pedagogy Collective) as Director of Special Programs and Organisational Development and is also part of Kongamano Lamapinduzi, where he serves as National Spokesperson. Key Discussion Points & Insights Society Is Not a

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2:52

TM Smoke Signals: Building The Nation. A read by...

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2026/01/30

What does it really mean to “build the nation,” and who pays the price for that work?In this Smoke Signals episode, Monica Kamandau reads Building the Nation by Ugandan poet Henry Barlow, a biting and darkly humorous poem that exposes the everyday hypocrisies of power, privilege, and sacrifice in postcolonial African states. This reading lands powerfully in our current moment, where ordinary people are repeatedly told to endure hardship in the name of progress, stability, or patriotism. Key Ideas

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36:14

Ep43: Fail Forward with Njuki Githethwa

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2026/01/23

What does it mean to fail forward in organising, and how do movements survive across generations?In this episode, recorded at Mashujaa Heritage Archives in Kibichuku, Monica Kamandau sits down with veteran Kenyan organiser and scholar Njuki Githethwa. With nearly three decades in resistance and movement building, Dr. Njuki reflects on the evolution of Kenya’s struggles, from the Mau Mau movement to today’s Gen Z protests and the Kenya Left Alliance. Key Ideas and Highlights Failing forward as a

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39:54

Ep42: Civil Disobedience with Faith Kasina

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/12/10

Ep42: Civil Disobedience with Faith KasinaWhen does breaking the law become the only way to survive? In this episode, we sit down at the Kayole Social Justice Centre with organizer Faith Kasina and members of the Centre to explore civil disobedience in moments when the state fails its people. Faith walks us through protest organizing during COVID, the realities of living under Article 43 violations, and how communities confront gunism, police violence, and the politics of being branded as criminals

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15:58

Gun Violence and the American Myth with Phil and Rodgers

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/12/03

What is the true story behind America’s gun culture beyond Hollywood’s dramatised scenes?In this Smoke Signal, we unpack the myths, realities, and politics behind gun violence in the United States through lived experience, global perception, and the unchecked power of the gun industry. Growing up outside the U.S., many of us see America through movies: chaotic streets, armed civilians, danger at every corner. But how much of that imagery mirrors real life? In this conversation, we explore how easy

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38:56

The Clash of the Generations with Phil and Rodgers

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/11/12

How do millennials and Gen Z work together in social movements when their values, experiences, and approaches often clash? In this episode of Troublemakers (TM) Smoke Signals, we explore intergenerational dynamics in activism, examining the tensions and opportunities that arise when younger and older generations collaborate or collide.Key Ideas and Highlights: Different Values, Shared Goals: Millennials often emphasise respect for hierarchy and experience, while Gen Z demands accountability and

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42:37

Ep 39: Pedagogy of the Oppressed with Patience...

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/10/15

How do we unlearn the colonial logic of “good development”?In this episode, Ugandan filmmaker and theatremaker Patience Nitumwesiga reflects on Paulo Freire’s and Augusto Boal’s ideas, exploring how art, story, and imagination can awaken critical consciousness and challenge imposed notions of progress. Key Ideas Unlearning the “banking model” — Knowledge already lives within communities; true learning begins through shared reflection. The burden and gift of awareness — Once awakened, we

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3:05

TM Smoke Signals: The African Jail- A Reading by...

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/10/14

What does it mean to seek justice in a system that thrives on injustice? In this powerful reading, Sungu Oyoo, a Kenyan writer, activist, and pan-Africanist affiliated with Kongamano La Mapinduzi and Mwamko, revisits the words of Sam Mugumya, author of We Refuse to Be Victims. Key Ideas and Highlights Injustice as Everyday Life Sungu’s reading reminds us how injustice is normalised, becoming the air the marginalised breathe. The Political Resonance Through Mugumya’s words, we hear echoes of many

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74:45

Ep38: Choose Your Target Wisely with Nawa Villy Sitali

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/09/16

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will,” Frederick DouglassWhat does it mean to choose your battles wisely? In this episode, host Phil Wilmot sits down with Zambian activist Villy Nawa to unpack the strategy of isolating targets and forcing institutions to account for their failures. From his first protest as a boarding school student demanding decent food to spearheading the Fix ZESCO campaign against Zambia’s national power utility, Villy shares stories that

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44:03

Ep33 Consider your audience with Minentle Luthuli

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/07/01

"Every single time, I’m the first audience I have to think about." – Minentle LuthuliCan you stay true to your story and still move others to act? Should you even try? In this deep and dynamic episode of Trouble Makers, South African filmmaker Minentle Luthuli challenges the idea that artists—or activists—should start by considering their audience. Drawing from personal experience, she speaks about creating stories from the heart first, then trusting that the right people will find them. And yet,

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01:01:34

Ep30: Postcolonialism with Somdeep Sen

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/05/28

“Imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect and remove from our land but from our minds as well.” — Frantz FanonWhat does liberation mean when the very language of freedom is shaped by empire? In this episode, we speak with Somdeep Sen, political scientist and author of Decolonizing Palestine: Hamas Between the Anticolonial and the Postcolonial, about what it means to struggle for freedom in a postcolonial world. Drawing from personal experience and deep theoretical

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08:16

TM Polycrisis Prep: One Drink to Rule Them All?

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/05/14

“As things fall apart, what’s the one drink you’d carry into the collapse?”In this episode, we pose the critical question of our time: if we all end up in one ecological safe zone during the polycrisis and are only allowed one alcoholic beverage for the rest of our lives... what drink are we bringing with us? We’re joined by Mia, Maggie, and Malemi, who gamely dive into this hypothetical apocalypse: Mia goes with... apple cider. Maggie: Team Budweiser. Malemi also sides with beer. “We just hope the

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07:27

TM Smoke Signals: On Pro-Palestine protestors...

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/05/09

Phil, who was a Pro-Palestine campus activist in his university days, reflects on the recent police repression of student protesters at Columbia University and how it's part of a broader assault on pro-Palestinian solidarity movements across global campuses. But beyond the headlines, this episode dives into a deeper question: what counts as learning, and does dissent not create a stronger learning environment?Phil challenges the idea that protest is a disruption to education and argues that

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30:22

Ep29: Follow the Lead of the Most Impacted with...

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/05/05

What does it mean to be a good ally—and not a harmful one—in movements for justice?In this episode, we explore the difficult but essential work of following the lead of the most impacted. Our guest reflects on the dangers of “do-gooder arrogance” and the importance of showing up with humility, not solutions. We talk about how movements led by marginalised communities challenge extractive allyship and why strategic support must be grounded in consultation, not control. Examples from

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09:44

Troublemaker’s Polycrisis Prep: Pineapple on Pizza?

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/04/30

Welcome to the first-ever segment of Troublemaker’s Polycrisis Prep School, a special segment of the Troublemaker’s Podcast where we debate the most “pressing” dilemmas of our turbulent times. First on the chopping board:🍕🍍 Is it acceptable to put pineapple on pizza? Joining the food fight are the Three Ms—Malemi, Maggie, and Mia. Malemi is firmly in the no camp—pizza is savory, and fruit (beyond tomatoes[?]) has no place here. Mia also resists the pineapple urge, despite growing up around

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46:21

Ep28: Jail Solidarity with Céline Lebrun-Shaath

TROUBLEMAKERS ·

2025/04/28

"I have the people behind me and the people are my strength."— Huey Newton. What does solidarity look like when comrades are behind bars? In this episode, we explore jail solidarity through the eyes of Céline Lebrun-Shaath, a committed organizer and internationalist. She speaks about the moral and political imperative to stand with those who remain imprisoned—not just by supporting their freedom, but by sustaining the struggles they were part of. Céline tells about her abduction and deportation from

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37 results

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