Rising For Our Motherlands is a podcast about our love for our people, our lands, each other. Our first season draws connections from Palestine to the Philippines and illuminates our interconnected struggles. In this first episode, we introduce the vision and power behind Rising for Our Motherlands. You’ll get to know our hosts, Maisa and nicky — with a special cameo from our audio producer, Cat — as we dive into key ideas that shape our work: the Military Industrial Complex, the distinction between joint struggle and solidarity, our personal and collective pivot points, and the practice of freedom dreaming.

Rooted in the Black radical tradition and illuminated by historian Robin D.G. Kelley, Freedom Dreaming calls us to use imagination as a tool for liberation — to envision and build futures grounded in care, resistance, and collective love.

This episode features some of the following music: America by Bambu, Ya Rayeh Sob Bladi by Ahmad Kaabour, Dialogue by El-Funoun, and Gong Spirits by Gingee.

A huge thank you to Salma Taleb, Hesham Jarmakani, Francesca Juico, Chris Wanis, and Carmelo Ibanez for our beautiful theme music and to our co-conspirator & We Rise producer Cat Petru for weaving our voices and songs together.

Podcast art created by nicole gervacio.