Organizing Toward an Anti-War World with Danaka Katovich of CODEPINK
In this episode, Nashwa speaks with Danaka Katovich, a national co-director at CODEPINK, about global anti-war organizing, challenging U.S. imperialism, and building anti-war movements from the ground up. The conversation explores Danaka’s work supporting campaigns against U.S. military intervention in Yemen, Iran, and Palestine, as well as her reflections on international solidarity, grassroots activism, and the current threats to peace.
Together, Nashwa and Danaka reflect on their respective trips to Cuba, what they learned from the Cuban people, the movement to end the war on Yemen, sanctions, and how to get involved even when one might be feeling disengaged or that it’s hard to make a difference.
This episode was recorded before the Freedom Flotilla but we feel that it is important to highlight what the flotilla reveals about the risks—and necessity—of global solidarity work. You can find some interesting reads in the shownotes.
Guest Bio:
Danaka Katovich is the national co-director of CODEPINK. Since 2018, she has been organizing to end U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen and challenging U.S. sanctions and military aggression in the Middle East and beyond. Her writing has appeared in Jacobin, Salon, Truthout, and CommonDreams.
Further Reading & Resources:
Danaka wittingly points to how media literacy is a muscle, we have to work it out. We really hope you do work it out, with some selected readings you will find below.
This Week’s Curated Reading List:
Liberation, Resistance & Feminist Critique of Empire
Revolution, Uprising & the Limits of Liberal Reform
Vincent Bevins – If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution
A comprehensive and compelling analysis of global mass protests from 2010–2020, examining why many failed to achieve lasting change.
* Read the full book on Internet Archive
* Listen to an audiobook excerpt on SoundCloud
* Vincent's Site With some Articles
Frantz Fanon – The Wretched of the Earth
A foundational text in anti-colonial thought, exploring the psychological and political impacts of colonization and the necessity of decolonization.
* Read the full book on Internet Archive Another link to download the book
Feminism, Islam & Decolonizing the “Rescue” Narrative
Lila Abu-Lughod – Do Muslim Women Need Saving?
A critical examination of Western narratives that portray Muslim women as needing liberation, challenging simplistic assumptions.
* Read more about the book here
Saba Mahmood – Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject
An ethnographic study of women's mosque movements in Egypt, challenging liberal feminist notions of agency and secularism.
Lila Abu-Lughod (ed.) – Remaking Women: Feminism and Modernity in the Middle East
A collection of essays rethinking modernity and gender in the Middle East, resisting Western feminist frameworks.
Empire, Imperialism, Resistance & Knowledge Production
Leila Ahmed – Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate
A comprehensive historical analysis of Islamic thought and colonialism's impact on gender discourses.
Angela Davis – Women, Race & Class
A classic work analyzing the intersections of gender, race, and class in the U.S., from slavery to the women's liberation movement.
Other Readings
* Edward Said – Culture and Imperialism
* Helen Yaffe – We Are Cuba!: How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World
* Noura Erakat – Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine
* Isa Blumi – Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us About the World
* Che Guevara – Colonialism is Doomed
* Joseph Massad – Islam in Liberalism
Current Events & the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
* CODEPINK’s Statement on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Attack
* CODEPINK’s Latest Update on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
* Why Was a Gaza 'Freedom Flotilla' Ship Attacked? | The Take – Al Jazeera
* Gaza-Bound Freedom Flotilla Attacked in International Waters – Democracy Now!
* Organizers Say Ship Carrying Aid for Gaza Hit by Drones Near Malta – The Washington Post
* About the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition
Danaka Katovich’s Work & Writing
* Danaka Katovich's Articles on Truthout
* “The Drone War You Don’t Hear About” – Truthout
* Jacobin: Cancel the F-35 Program and Replace It With Nothing
* CommonDreams: “Biden Must End U.S. Support for the Blockade on Yemen”
* Congress, Do Your Job, End US Support for the War in Yemen – Common Dreams
* Why is the U.S. Bombing Yemen? A Short History – CODEPINK Video
CODEPINK’s Campaigns for Peace & Sanctions Relief
* CODEPINK’s Campaign to End the Cuba Embargo
* CODEPINK’s Campaign to Lift Sanctions on Cuba
* Download Code Pink Resources
Subscribe, rate, and review to support the show—and follow @CODEPINK on Twitter/X for updates.
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a podcast for the girls// grab a cup of mint tea and join Nashwa Lina Khan and friends while they explore issues in politics, pop culture and beyond.
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