Best Helen Ward Podcasts (2025)

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Jonathan Sumption, "The Challenges of Democracy: And the Rule of Law" (Profile Books, 2026) 29:59

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2d ago29:59

29:59

Across the globe, democracy is in crisis - in the UK alone, it has been rocked by Brexit, the pandemic and successive attempts by governments to bypass legal norms. But how did this happen, and where might we go from here? Jonathan Sumption cuts through the political noise with acute analysis of the state of democracy today - from the vulnerabiliti…

1
Paul Kelly, "Against Postliberalism: Why ‘Family, Faith and Flag’ is a Dead End for the Left" (Polity, 2025) 40:20

2d ago40:20

40:20

Post-liberalism is all the rage on the American right, finding a common cause between legal theorists like Adrian Vermeule and Patrick Deneen and rising political stars like J.D. Vance, the serving vice president. In the UK, on the other hand, the movement has been pioneered by left-wing thinkers seeking to return lost working-class voters to the L…

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#334 - Best of 2025 Part 2: Cate Shanahan, AJ Jacobs, Dr. Steven Gundry, Grace Valentine, Jeff Krasno, Kasia Urbaniak, Steve Valentine, Jay Campbell, Siim Land, Kelsey Packwood, Morley Robbins, Eric Zielinski ... 1:25:20

2d ago1:25:20

1:25:20

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/2025part2 ⁠ FEATURING EXCERPTS FROM: ⁠⁠Episode #300 - Cate Shanahan⁠ Episode #296 - AJ Jacobs⁠Episode #297 - Dr. Steven Gundry⁠ Episode #299 - Grace Valentine ⁠Episode #307 - Jeff Krasno⁠ Episode #312 - Kasia Urbaniak ⁠Episode #294 - Steve Valentine⁠ Episode #319 - Jay Campbell⁠ Episode #320 - Sii…

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#333 - Best of 2025 Part 1: Ben Greenfield, Jodi Wellman, Amani Ballour, Ian Clark, Brad Kearns, Ryan Matthew Cohn/Regina, Kandi Wiens, Blaise Aguirre, Burt Ward, Michael Ruscio, Dr. Heather Sandison ... 1:20:53

10d ago1:20:53

1:20:53

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠melanieavalon.com/2025part1 FEATURING EXCERPTS FROM: ⁠Episode #313 - Ben Greenfield Episode #332 - Jodi Wellman Episode #286 - Amani Ballour Episode #291 - Ian Clark Episode #288 - Brad Kearns Episode #289 - Ryan Matthew Cohn / Regina Episode #285 - Kandi Wiens Episode #301 - Blaise Aguirre Episode #293 - Burt Ward …

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Matt Sleat, "Post-Liberalism" (Polity, 2025) 42:13

13d ago42:13

42:13

Liberalism may feel as though it has been around forever - as the "dominant ideology of the modern west" - but not even its advocates and detractors can agree what it is. Political sophisticates ask whether it is classical-, social-, ordo- or neo-liberal while American main street associates it with socialism. Yet a new generation of "post-liberal"…

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#332 - Jodi Wellman: Living Your Best Life, How To Be Happy, Social Contagion, Email Optimization Tips, Enthusiasm & Emojis, Hedonic Adaptation, The Book Of Bad, Appropriate Emotions, Noticing & Self Awareness ... 1:23:22

16d ago1:23:22

1:23:22

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/jodiwellman Book: ⁠⁠You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets SPONSORS AND DISCOUNTS: LMNT: Get your free Sample Pack with any LMNT purchase at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠drinklmnt.com/melanieavalon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. FACEBOOK: Join Melanie's Facebook group for a weekly episode gi…

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#331 - Topaz Adizes: 12 Questions For Love, Forming Intimate Conversations, The Power Of Questions, Making Decisions, Mutual Projects, Creating Safe Spaces, Power Dynamics, How To Ask Better Questions ... 1:29:07

24d ago1:29:07

1:29:07

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/questions ⁠ BOOK: 12 Questions for Love: A Guide to Intimate Conversations and Deeper Relationships FACEBOOK: Join Melanie's Facebook group for a weekly episode giveaway and to discuss and learn about all things biohacking. All conversations are welcome! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IF Biohack…

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Jacob Daniels, "The Jews of Edirne: The End of Ottoman Europe and the Arrival of Borders" (Stanford UP, 2025) 1:21:19

26d ago1:21:19

1:21:19

At the turn of the twentieth century, the city of Edirne was a bustling center linking Istanbul to Ottoman Europe. It was also the capital of Edirne Province—among the most religiously diverse regions of the Ottoman Empire. But by 1923, the city had become a Turkish border town, and the province had lost much of its non-Muslim population. In The Je…

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Dennis Deletant, "In Search of Romania" (Hurst, 2022) 53:25

28d ago53:25

53:25

The imposition of Communist ideology was a misfortune for millions in Eastern Europe, but never for Dennis Deletant. Instead, it drew him to Romania. The renowned historian’s association with the country and its people dates back to 1965, when he first visited. Since then, Romania has made Dennis appreciate the value of shrewd dissimulation, in the…

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Radio ReOrient 13.7: "Linguistics, Citizenship and Belonging,” with Kamran Khan, hosted by Claudia Radiven and Marchella Ward 45:18

1M ago45:18

45:18

In this episode, Claudia Radiven and Chella Ward talked with Kamran Khan about linguistics, citizenship and belonging. The conversation travelled from the 2001 Northern riots in the UK, to the Prevent policy, all the way to more recent adjustments to the Nationalities and Borders Bill. Khan is currently the director of the MOSAIC research group on …

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#330 - Andrew McConnell: Get Out Of My Head, Modern Stoicism, Zero-Based Calendaring, The Law Of Inverse Attraction, Taylor Swift Lyrics, The "Doing" Vs. "Being" Controversy, Renting Our Minds, The Locus ... 1:35:13

1M ago1:35:13

1:35:13

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/stoicism BOOK: ⁠Get Out of My Head: Creating Modern Clarity with Stoic Wisdom SPONSORS AND DISCOUNTS: Get a free workbook at mandrewmcconnell.com/workbook Custom GPT trained on the book and workbook for someone who wants a more digital experience: chatgpt.com/g/g-TM5ClRjYU-empire-of-…

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What is Happening in the Mediterranean Right Now – And Why You Should Care 31:47

29d ago31:47

31:47

Since 2014 more than 32,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. As the EU and its member states have been increasingly prioritising migration deterrence over human life, civic organisations have stepped in and are carrying out search and rescue operations. SOS Humanity is one of these organisations. Janna Sauerteig j…

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Elizabeth Anne Davis, "The Time of the Cannibals: On Conspiracy Theory and Context" (Fordham UP, 2024) 1:30:48

1M ago1:30:48

1:30:48

In 2009, the body of a former president of the Republic of Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos, was stolen from his grave. The Time of the Cannibals reconsiders this history and the public discourse on it to reconsider how we think about conspiracy theory, and specifically, what it means to understand conspiracy theories “in context.” The months after Papa…

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Marek Kohn, "The Stories Old Towns Tell: A Journey Through Cities at the Heart of Europe" (Yale UP, 2023) 59:34

1M ago59:34

59:34

Historic quarters in cities and towns across the middle of Europe were devastated during the Second World War—some, like those of Warsaw and Frankfurt, had to be rebuilt almost completely. They are now centers of peace and civility that attract millions of tourists, but the stories they tell about places, peoples, and nations are selective. They ar…

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#329 - Kelsey Packwood: Borderline TV Series, Borderline Personality Disorder Stigmas, Fear Of Abandonment, Dealing With Red Flags, Healing From Trauma, Cultivating Emotional Wellness, BPD Diagnoses ... 1:19:52

1M ago1:19:52

1:19:52

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/borderline⁠ SPONSORS AND DISCOUNTS: LMNT: Get your free Sample Pack with any LMNT purchase at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠drinklmnt.com/melanieavalon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. FACEBOOK: Join Melanie's Facebook group for a weekly episode giveaway and to discuss and learn about all things biohacking. All convers…

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On Democracy and Bullshit with Hélène Landemore 1:06:15

1M ago1:06:15

1:06:15

Today I’m speaking with Hélène Landemore, Professor of Political Science at Yale University, about Democracy and Bullshit, with a special focus on her 2020 book, Open Democracy: Reinventing Popular Rule for the Twenty-First Century (Princeton University Press, 2020). Bullshit is a feature of both democracies and dictatorships alike, but it takes di…

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#328 - Morley Robbins: Cu-RE Your Fatigue, The Anemia Myth, The Vital Role of Copper, Vitamin D Problems, Stress & Iron Levels, The Iron Heart Hypothesis, Glyphosate Mineral Chelation, Vitamin C Cancer ... 1:46:17

1M ago1:46:17

1:46:17

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/fatigue⁠ BOOK: Cu-RE Your Fatigue: The Root Cause and How To Fix It On Your Own SPONSORS AND DISCOUNTS: Get $100 off Morley’s RCP Root Cause Protocol Institute 16-week online course with code melanieavalon at melanieavalon.com/rcp. FACEBOOK: Join Melanie's Facebook group for a weekly …

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Eric Lee, "The August Uprising, 1924: The Georgian Anti-Soviet Revolt and the Birth of Democratic Socialism" (McFarland, 2025) 1:12:39

2M ago1:12:39

1:12:39

For three years following the Russian Revolution, the small South Caucasian country of Georgia was a democracy, but Stalin later ordered the Red Army to invade and to bring the country back under Russian rule. Communist attacks on political opponents, trade unions, cooperatives, and even the church sparked resistance, and an armed uprising broke ou…

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#327 - R Blank: Empowered, The True Risks Of EMF Exposure, Negative Health Effects, Mitigating EMF Risk, Wi-Fi Vs. Li-Fi, Electric Vehicles & Hybrids, Safety Standard Problems, AirPods Vs AirTubes, Free ... 2:11:13

2M ago2:11:13

2:11:13

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/empoweredbook BOOK: ⁠Empowered: A Consumer Guide to Legitimate EMF Protection to Shield Your Body⁠ SPONSORS AND DISCOUNTS: LMNT: Get your free Sample Pack with any LMNT purchase at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠drinklmnt.com/melanieavalon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get 10% off AvalonX EMF products and Shield Your Bo…

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#326 - Helen Christoni: AirDoctor & AquaTru, Clean Air & Water, HEPA & Carbon Filters, Health Effects Of Hidden Toxins, VOCs, Dust, Heavy Metals, And Mold, Bottled Vs. Tap Water, Shower Filters, Changing ... 1:22:25

2M ago1:22:25

1:22:25

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/airwater SPONSORS AND DISCOUNTS: AirDoctor & AquaTru: Get up to 42% off AirDoctor units at melanieavalon.com/airdoctor and up to 26% off AquaTru at melanieavalon.com/aquatru. FACEBOOK: Join Melanie's Facebook group for a weekly episode giveaway and to discuss and learn about all things…

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Paula Oppermann, "Thunder Cross: Fascist Antisemitism in Twentieth-Century Latvia" (U Wisconsin Press, 2025) 1:04:54

2M ago1:04:54

1:04:54

Founded in 1932, the Pērkonkrusts ("Thunder Cross") was the largest and most prominent right-wing political party in Latvia in the early twentieth century. Its motto--"Latvia for Latvians!"--echoed the ultranationalist rhetoric of similar movements throughout Europe at the time. Unlike the Nazis in Germany or the Fascists in Italy, however, the Pēr…

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Democratic Dialogues: Pathways of Democratic Backsliding, Resistance, and (Partial) Recoveries 42:09

2M ago42:09

42:09

A podcast from Cornell University’s Brooks School of Public Policy Center on Global Democracy About the Podcast Each week, co-hosts Rachel Beatty Riedl and Esam Boraey bring together leading scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to explore the challenges and possibilities facing democracy around the world. Produced by Cornell’s Center on Global…

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Democracy After Illiberalism: A Warning from Poland 55:46

2M ago55:46

55:46

Why are illiberal governments able to retain support? How are they defeated at election time? And how do (and should) governments driven by a desire to undo illiberalism proceed? For all interested in elections, democracy, accountability and representation Poland provides much food for thought. We have seen two important elections in the country in…

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Mark Mazower, "On Antisemitism: A Word in History" (Penguin Press, 2025) 45:58

2M ago45:58

45:58

What do we mean when we talk about antisemitism? A thoughtful, vital new intervention from the award-winning historian. For most of history, antisemitism has been understood as a menace from Europe’s political Right, the province of blood-and-soil ethno-nativists who built on Christendom’s long-standing suspicion of its Jewish population and infuse…

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#325 - Carmen Emmi: Plainclothes, Becoming An Award-Winning Filmmaker, Following Your Dreams, Think And Grow Rich, Dealing With Rejection, The True Experience Of Hollywood, Finding Happiness, The Importance ... 1:51:28

2M ago1:51:28

1:51:28

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/plainclothes SPONSORS AND DISCOUNTS: LMNT: Get your free Sample Pack with any LMNT purchase at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠drinklmnt.com/melanieavalon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. FACEBOOK: Join Melanie's Facebook group for a weekly episode giveaway and to discuss and learn about all things biohacking. All conversation…

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Episode Fourteen There is Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce and Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood 29:07

2M ago29:07

29:07

Send us a text Join writers Helen Phifer & Sharon Booth as they discuss their favourite witchy reads this week. Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce and Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood.By Helen Phifer & Sharon Booth

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Danny Orbach, "Plots Against Hitler" (Mariner, 2016) 1:03:20

2M ago1:03:20

1:03:20

In his new book, Plots Against Hitler (Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016), Danny Orbach, Senior Lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem offers a profound and complete examination of the plots to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. A riveting narrative of the organization, conspiracy, and sacrifices made by those who led the res…

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Lorenzo Castellani, "Alberto Beneduce, Mussolini's Technocrat: Power, Knowledge, and Institutions in Fascist Italy" (Routledge, 2025) 47:27

2M ago47:27

47:27

Should "good" people work for authoritarians? Does their implicit endorsement do more harm than their replacement by someone potentially worse? This was a common debate during Donald Trump's first term in the White House. Less so, during his second as loyalists assume most top positions in the administration. A century ago, this was a central quest…

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#324 - Jason Moore: Spren Body Scanning App, The Future Of Health Technology, Body Composition Scans From Your Phone, At-Home DEXA Scans, Measuring HRV, Testing Health Biomarkers, Data Overwhelm, Awareness ... 1:44:02

2M ago1:44:02

1:44:02

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/spren⁠ SPONSORS AND DISCOUNTS: SPREN: Get a free trial and 50% off the first month of Spren App with code MelanieAvalon at ⁠⁠spren.com⁠ FACEBOOK: Join Melanie's Facebook group for a weekly episode giveaway and to discuss and learn about all things biohacking. All conversations are welco…

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Gianna Englert, "Democracy Tamed: French Liberalism and the Politics of Suffrage" (Oxford UP, 2024) 1:13:05

2M ago1:13:05

1:13:05

Does good democratic government require intelligent, moral, and productive citizens? Can our political institutions educate the kind of citizens we wish or need to have? With recent arguments "against democracy" and fears about the rise of populism, there is growing scepticism about whether liberalism and democracy can continue to survive together.…

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Kevin M. Schultz, "Why Everyone Hates White Liberals (Including White Liberals): A History" (U Chicago Press, 2025) 1:26:39

3M ago1:26:39

1:26:39

A bracing, accessible history of white American liberals—and why it’s time to change the conversation about them. If there’s one thing most Americans can agree on, it’s that everyone hates white liberals. Conservatives hate them for being culturally tolerant and threatening to usher in communism. Libertarians hate them for believing in the power of…

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#323 - Dr. Heather Sandison: Reversing Alzheimer’s, Keto Vs. Vegan Vs. Mind Diet For Cognitive Decline, Rethinking Amyloid Plaque, Having Hard Conversations, APOE4 Risk, Dual Task Training, Therapeutic ... 1:30:02

3M ago1:30:02

1:30:02

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/heathersandison BOOK: ⁠⁠Reversing Alzheimer's: The New Toolkit to Improve Cognition and Protect Brain Health SPONSORS AND DISCOUNTS: LMNT: Get your free Sample Pack with any LMNT purchase at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠drinklmnt.com/melanieavalon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. FACEBOOK: Join Melanie's Facebook group for a we…

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Andrew Lambert, "No More Napoleons: How Britain Managed Europe from Waterloo to World War One" (Yale UP, 2025) 53:54

3M ago53:54

53:54

By New Books Network

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Hannah Pool, "The Game: The Economy of Undocumented Migration from Afghanistan to Europe" (Oxford UP, 2025) 51:19

3M ago51:19

51:19

By New Books Network

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Madison Schramm, "Why Democracies Fight Dictators" (Oxford UP, 2025) 54:36

3M ago54:36

54:36

Over the course of the last century, there has been an outsized incidence of conflict between democracies and personalist regimes—political systems where a single individual has undisputed executive power and prominence. In most cases, it has been the democratic side that has chosen to employ military force. Why Democracies Fight Dictators (Oxford …

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#322 - Alphonsus Obayuwana: The Happiness Formula, The Assets Of Hope, Inborn Hunger Theory, Money And Happiness, The Happiest Countries Study, Problems With Satisfaction Polls, Happiness Perception, Boosting ... 1:20:12

3M ago1:20:12

1:20:12

TRANSCRIPT AND FULL SHOW NOTES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠melanieavalon.com/happiness BOOK: ⁠The Happiness Formula: A Scientific, Groundbreaking Approach to Happiness and Personal Fulfillment FACEBOOK: Join Melanie's Facebook group for a weekly episode giveaway and to discuss and learn about all things biohacking. All conversations are welcome! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IF Bio…

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Sasha Davis, "Replace the State: How to Change the World When Elections and Protests Fail" (U Minnesota Press, 2025) 28:30

3M ago28:30

28:30

A practical call to action against oppression. Across the globe, millions of people have participated in protests and marches, donated to political groups, or lobbied their representatives with the aim of creating lasting social change, overturning repressive laws, or limiting environmental destruction. Yet very little seems to improve for those af…