Blueprints of Disruption: Podcast

Scaling UP: Toronto Tenant Union

Blueprints of Disruption — Wed, 06 May 2026 15:59:57 GMT

On April 18th, hundreds of tenants gathered inside a school cafeteria to help shape Toronto’s first city-wide tenant’s union – the TTU. There were elections, robust policy discussions and plenty of stories from tenants. Blueprints of Disruption was there to capture it all, and provide analysis afterwards.

On-scene interviews from inside the Toronto Tenant Union’s founding Convention start off with Ricardo Tranjan, housing policy expert and author of The Tenant Class. Tranjan talks about his expectation of the day, and his excitement at the prospect of “taking another step” towards building the tenant class consciousness he wrote about in his book.

There are also interviews with tenant organizers from different buildings across the city – including Jerry and Steve from 240 Markland. They talk about their saga with an REIT buying their building, applying for five consecutive above-guideline rent increases (AGIs) and trying to push legacy tenants out of the building.

We also interview Bridgette, a resident of the Caseway building – outside of which convention participants rallied after the day’s more official proceedings. She talks about why its been such a battle with their landlord, and how she felt about being a part of something bigger.

Organizers of the event, and leaders within the ‘parent’ organizations of the TTU, also took time to speak with Santiago and Jessa as things wrapped up.

Aniket Kali, formerly of Climate Justice Toronto, and Bruno Dobrusin of YSW Tenants Union talk about their new roles (both elected during the Convention), the scaling up of their models, and their vision for the TTU in the years to come.

Hosted and Produced by: Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero

Call to Action: Sign up for TTU Orientation on May 9th, 2026

Related Episodes:

Blueprints of a Rent Strike (July 2023)
Shifting Gears: Climate Justice Toronto (Sept 2024) CJTO on their decision to transition towards tenant organizing as a means to fight climate change.
We also have a TENANT POWER PLAYLIST with more stories of neighbours organizing.

More Resources:

Can the new Toronto Tenant Union change the tired housing debate? – Ricardo Tranjan for Canadian Dimension
Rent Strikes! via The Grind
Who Controls Toronto? The People or Developers? Acorn Report
Canada: How Tenants Fought Back - Progressive International

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Not In Our Name: Divesting Pensions and Rejecting Carney's War Bank

Blueprints of Disruption — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:03:02 GMT

How is Carney’s War Bank and the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP) connected? Through investments in weapons and genocide, as well as the activists and organizations fighting for a Free Palestine.

Teacher and organizer with OTPP Divest, James Campbell gives an overview of the movement to get the OTPP to divest from weapons manufacturers.

With a collection of success stories, it is clear the campaign resonates with teachers in the Province - with two of the largest unions overwhelmingly voting YES to divestment when given the chance.

So where does the resistance come from? Where it usually does - Capital. But also from the CEO of the $300 billion OTPP, Joe Taylor, who has refused calls from the ranks to stop using their name to line the pockets of war profiteers.

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As it turns out, OTTP CEO Taylor is also a big supporter of the Defence, Security and Resilience Initiative (DSRB), or as second guest Tyler and his fellow activists with Stop the DSRB call it - the War Bank.

What is it? Its a project of Carney’s to get the G7 nations to sign on to this slush fund for the weapons industry. Its clearly stated purpose is to bypass popular (democratic) demands for social service spending and basic rights, in order to secure an endless supply of ‘defence’ funding. Its all being sold alongside Carney’s Canadian militarism narratives, which has made it easier for him to line up supportive politicians from across the spectrum.

This makes the job of activists harder, but not impossible. James and Tyler talk about the tactics they’ve deployed, and the alliances they are building along the way. There are accessible pressure points to be pushed, tarnishing the reputation of unethical investments being one of them. Another is opposing the pitch for Toronto to serve as the headquarters for the DSRB.

Be sure to stay until the end to hear what else these activists have up their sleeve and learn more about the impacts divestment campaigns are having on the economic and political landscapes.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Call to Action: SIGN ON TO STOP THE WARBANK

Related Episodes:

UNIFOR’s Hot Cargo: Labour Internationalism (Aug 2025) Labour for Palestine on their campaign to have any goods or services coming from, or going to Israel, declared ‘hot cargo’.
Nationalism and the Working Class (Mar 2023) Chris Fairweather, academic, activist and labour organizer, talks about the pervasiveness of nationalism and the impact is has on the working class
No Arms in the Arts (Aug 2024) Hear how the successful campaign to pressure Scotiabank and the Giller Prize to do the right thing.

More Resources:

Pension Divestment FAQs
Our Call to Workers Everywhere - Stop the Genocide - Workers in Palestine
VIDEO - World Beyond War Reel feat. Divest OTPP Action
BDS Statement on PACBI
Referenced ‘Albanese Report’: Special Rapporteur Report on Gaza
Top 100 Arms Producers in the World via SPIRI

Organizing in a Fascist Canada

Blueprints of Disruption — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:32:14 GMT

Comrades E and M of the Atlantic Regional Communists (ARC) return to Blueprints to talk about their growth as political organization, and share some of the methodology that unpins their work. They obviously take some of their cues from Marx, but also from the Black Panthers.

“We’re here to learn from people. We’re here to serve people. And we’re here to help people organize towards a revolution.” - Comrade M

One of the things they think sets them apart from other political groups, is the work they do in their communities, and how that work continuously shapes their own organization.

A large part of what they do is also centred around building knowledge. To that end, Comrades M and E give us a quick study on how fascism presents itself here in Canada.

They cover class collaboration, the labour aristocracy and the different phases of fascism that co-exist with our so-called democratic state.

Seeing our typical relationship with the state as being one of “fascist minutemen” - helping to legitimize its domination - their take on ‘reforming’ the federal NDP, and electoral politics in general, is to be expected.

It also builds on our first discussion with ARC, where they went into more about how they’ve structured themselves, and why.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean. Produced by: Santiago Helou Quintero

Related Episodes:

Reimagining Politics and Demystifying Communism (Jan 2025) Our first discussion with the Atlantic Regional Communists;
Canada’s Colonialist Imagination (Oct 2023) Professor Tyler Shipley talks about the mindset that aided genocide in Canada and continues to shape politics here.

More Resources:

ARC’s A Scientific Definition of Fascism (referenced document)
“A Rethinking of Everything Altogether” via Red Clarion (guest suggested reading)

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Defending Against Invasion: Lebanon

Blueprints of Disruption — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:41:40 GMT

On April 8th, 2026, Israeli Occupation Forces launched over 150 airstrikes over a span of minutes - during what should have been a ceasefire.

This isn’t the first ‘ceasefire’ they’ve broken involving Lebanon, who have been under constant threat of Zionists for generations.

In the past few weeks, they’ve made it clear they are attempting to annex Southern Lebanon. Erasing towns from the map, blowing up bridges and roads, and telling the world they’re about to redraw their borders...again.

Previous guest, Mohamad, returns to the studio to give a firsthand account and political analysis of the current situation in Lebanon (clip below).

Together with host, Jessa McLean, they also talk about: the destruction done during the so-called ceasefire; the attempts to reignite sectarianism in Lebanon; the models of violence repeatedly used by the Zionists; what its like for members of the diaspora to watch it all from afar; and what we can do about it all.

Related Blueprints Episodes:

Lebanon, Palestine and Resisting Colonialism (Jan 2024) Mohamad’s first appearance - just before the ‘ceasefire’.
Right to Resist (Oct 2024) Journalist and human rights lawyer, Dimitri Lascaris on Lebanon, the resistance and bringing down an apartheid state.

More Resources:

Article: Israel attacked Lebanon 1,000 times during the ceasefire (The New Arab)
Article: Israel intensifies Lebanon attacks and hits areas not in Hezbollah’s control (BBC)
Updates on Lebanon via Al Jazeera
IG Video: What “How Are You?” Really Costs the Diaspora

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CUPE Ontario: What's Next

Blueprints of Disruption — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:40:47 GMT

CUPE Ontario, is at a crossroads. Their next convention is just months away, and for the first time in 12 years, Fred Hahn won’t be on the ballot for President. In February, after two and a half years of intensified attacks, he announced this would be his last term leading the union.

What does this mean for the Province’s largest public sector union? Is this a blow for leftists in CUPE Ontario, or an opportunity? Maybe it can be both.

Katherine Grzejszczak and Krista Laing, two candidates for the next CUPE Ontario Executive join Blueprints to talk about where things are at right now, and their visions for their union’s future. They talk about the impact Fred has had, but also what they might do differently.

Despite public sector unions being under attack, both guests share hopeful signs that workers are becoming bolder and more eager to engage politically. They emphasize the need for a more member driven approach, spending fewer resources on electoral politics, and more ways to realize the power of 290,000 union members.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Related Episodes:

Stolen Wages - Featuring the Naujawan Support Network
Nationalism and the Working Class
Find more on our Labour Playlist here on Substack

You can also find Blueprints of Disruption on your favourite podcast platform.

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Boycott Indigo Books Because...

Blueprints of Disruption — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:26:46 GMT

Indigo Books, one of North America’s largest bookstore chains, has been in the crosshairs of Palestinian solidarity activists in Canada for years. Contrary to what CEO Heather Reisman says, it has nothing to do with her being Jewish, but because of her financial contributions to an ongoing genocide.

Hear how a Canadian oligarch has proudly poured millions into the HESEG foundation, which actively recruits soldiers for the Occupation Forces, and rewards them for their violence.

The IKK campaign also respond to critics from the Left side of the political spectrum, and reflects on the work that still needs to be done.

Hosted by Jessa McLean and Produced by Santiago Helou Quintero

Calls to Action: Take the Pledge to Boycott Indigo and Demand CRA Revoke HESEG’s Charitable Status

Related Episodes:

Machinery of Suppression: Bill C9 and the weaponization of antisemitism (jan 2026) Jews Say NO to Genocide break down the latest suppressive legislation from Carney and challenge the narratives being used to pass it.
Answering the Call: Labour for Palestine (jan 2024) L4P representative Anna Lippman on the call from Palestinian workers to disarm Israel and Free Palestine.

More Resources:

Find Blueprints of Disruption on your favourite podcast platform. Algorithms are not kind to us. If you appreciate our content, help us spread the word on Bluesky, Instagram, X and Youtube.

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Strategic Incapacitation: Toronto Police and Protests

Blueprints of Disruption — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 20:14:08 GMT

Tasked with keeping an eye on cops during protests and other actions, Gisela and Leon of the Toronto based Legal Observers, the Orange Hats, have lots of stories to tell.

The group recently issued a 2025 Year-In-Review on Toronto Police Services conduct at protests. The report includes statistics on injuries and arrests; it warns of trends in policing; and it points to a clear strategy to suppress the activities of activists - and legal observers.

Its not all bad news. Thanks to their experience, the Orange Hats are a great source of advice for organizers and activists - or anyone coming into contact with Police.

Hosted by: Santiago Helou Quintero and Jessa McLean

Produced by: Santiago Helou Quintero

Call to Action: Support Legal Observers - Donate to the Orange Hats

REGISTER FOR ONLINE COURSE: Documenting Protests - Feb. 25 @6pm ET

Related Episodes:

Watching Cops: Advice for Activists (Feb 2025) The Orange Hats share how to stay safe at protests, and the tactics Toronto police use to harass, intimidate and brutalize activists
Exposing Toronto Police Tactics (Sep 2025) Activist and journalist Benjamin Nolan on the Toronto Police Services’ violent responses to peaceful protests and their use of the knee-on-neck technique.

More Resources:

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Eyes on the Industry: Mining Watch Canada

Blueprints of Disruption — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:30:03 GMT

Guest Jamie Kneen, of Mining Watch Canada gives an overview of the Canadian mining industry, while making the case that it is very much a continued colonial enterprise our politicians are more than happy to enable.

The list of human rights abuses, corruption and land theft committed by Canadian companies is long, and its happening right across the globe, including a massive expansions through Indigenous territory here.

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How is it that an industry so big, with so many established cases of human rights abuses, continue to operate with such impunity, and under the radar?

Jamie answers this, and talks more about the work Mining Watch Canada does to support local efforts to resist resource extraction, share knowledge and in turn, influence policy here in Canada.

What is clear is the impacts of mining are devastating, and Canadian politicians are complicit.

Catch the whole discussion above, and then be sure to check out the resources below.

Related Episodes:

Canadian Mining Imperialism: Guatemala’s 13 Brave Giants, Grahame Russell of Rights Action on a landmark legal case that exposed HudBay for horrific human rights abuses;
Canada’s Colonial Imagination, Professor and author Tyler Shipley on the ideology used to justify the genocide of Indigenous peoples and shape foreign policy today.

More Resources:

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Connecting North with South

Blueprints of Disruption — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:04:01 GMT

With Venezuela in the spotlight, we called in Raul Burbano of the Venezuelan Solidarity Coalition to give us a run down of what people in Canada are doing to resist yet another chapter of U.S. imperialist aggression.

For almost a decade, organizers have been educating, advocating and mobilizing around the devastating sanctions and other forms of foreign intervention at the hands of the Canadian government. With Carney seemingly siding with Trump on the kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, activists here are working overtime to turn the tide.

Raul, himself a longtime activist, talks about the importance of building relationships between social movements and labour organizations across the Americas, and the shift the work has taken in the past few weeks.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero

Call to Action: Day of Action on January 24th, 2026

Related Episodes:

Venezuelan Chavistas vs. US Imperialism w/Geo Maher. Hear how the decades of struggle and the impact of the Bolivarian Revolution have made Venezuela ungovernable to anyone but the people.
Lessons from South America (Dec 2022) Learning from the social movements of Venezuela, and drawing comparisons to Canadian politics.

More Resources:

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Venezuelan Chavistas vs. US Imperialism

Blueprints of Disruption — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 17:33:42 GMT

After abducting Venezuelan President Maduro and charging him with narco-terrorism, U.S. President Trump declared he and his cronies would now ‘run’ the country.

Forget asking if this is against international law. It is. We wanted to know - Is that even possible?

Our latest guest, professor, activist, abolitionist and author of We Created Chavez, Geo Maher, doesn’t think so. He says its the Chavistas, not any state actors, who hold the fate of Venezuela in their hands.

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He’s not just talking about the heavily politicized population of Venezuela, but the actual structures forged through decades of struggle. Semi-autonomous communities, with a history of having to defend themselves, have roots older than Chavez himself. They exist mostly within the poorer barrios of the country, and they wield a power that goes well beyond that of Maduro or the ruling Party.

Maher wrote about these ‘experiments in democracy’ in his book, Building the Commune: Radical Democracy in Venezuela. And they may just hold the answer to the question Canadians find themselves asking; How do WE best protect against US aggression?

Knowing the history of grassroots resistance to foreign political and military intervention, it is surprising how many continue to underestimate their significance. Guest Maher makes the case that Trump’s hubris may be his own downfall.

Catch the full discussion and you’ll hear how the Chavistas were formed, how they’ve shaped Venezuelan politics over the years, and how they will still serve as barriers to Trump’s Imperialist agenda.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Call to Action: Email Canada’s Foreign Minister to Say “Hands Of Venezuela”

Related Episodes:

Lessons From: South America, Alexander Moldovan on the social movements in Venezuela; stories of workers and communities fighting back while building networks of support.
Canadian Mining Imperialism, on a Canadian landmark legal case that exposed the industry’s use of sexual violence, destruction, and death in Guatemala.

More Resources:

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Machinery of Suppression: Bill C9 and the Weaponization of Antisemitism

Blueprints of Disruption — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 21:15:19 GMT

Activists from Jews Say NO to Genocide are working to challenge the coordinated narratives around the antisemitic violence at Bondi Beach in Australia - narratives that help pave the way for dangerous legislation like Canada’s own Bill C9.

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Louise Smith (Independent Jewish Voices), goes over Carney’s pending Act to Amend the Criminal Code, and its possible ramifications. From the new intimidation offence, to the vague wording around restricted spaces and symbols, the case is made that this is another tool for the powerful to suppress opponents at will.

Toronto based activist, Molly Kraft, also of SURJ Toronto, talks about how the prioritizing the feelings of some at the expense of the rights of others is all just part of the larger scheme to suppress dissent and benefit, not Jewish people, but white, Christian nationalists, Imperialism and ultimately, Capital.

Gur Tsabar, of the Movement Media Hub and spokesperson for Jews Say NO to Genocide, says we need to be asking the hard questions in the immediate wake of events like Bondi Beach and October 7th. He insists its in those moments the machinery working against us goes into overdrive to lay the “moral foundation” for the horrors that come next.

Scroll back up to listen - and be sure to share with a friend.

Call to Action: Say NO to Bill C-9 (Action Network Petition)

Related Blueprints of Disruption Episodes:

Jews Say NO to Genocide (Dec 2024) The organization’s first appearance on Blueprints to talk about the Jewish identity crisis purposely being crafted by the Israeli lobby.
Weaponizing Canadian Law for Israel (Jul 2024) Martin Lukacs on Toronto Police’s Project Resolute and the secretive committee tasked with cracking down on Palestinian solidarity activism.

More Resources:

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Twice Betrayed: The NDP, The YMCA, and Rana Zaman

Blueprints of Disruption — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 14:21:30 GMT

Halifax based community activist Rana Zaman has found herself in the midst of another smear campaign launched by Zionist lobbyists, and betrayed by the very institutions that once celebrated her.

Back in 2019, the NDP withdrew her hard fought nomination - citing a three year-old tweet and pressure from organizations like B’Nai Brith and the Atlantic Jewish Council. We hear that story firsthand from Rana, as well as the impact it had on her emotionally and professionally. Its sadly similar to many of the stories we’ve told on the show - and its happening to her all over again.

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Her recent award, a Peace Medal from the YMCA, was quickly rescinded amidst a similar campaign from the AJC and other usual suspects. The YMCA did this despite already knowing Rana’s history, and assuring her they would stand by her.

Its a personal story, but also an institutional one. The story is part of a larger pattern that has far reaching consequences for members, the social movements they create, and Canadian politics in general.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Call to Action: Sign a Petition Demanding the YWMC Reinstate Rana’s Peace Medal

Related Episodes:

Being Pragmatic inside the NSNDP, on the removal of another NSNDP candidate over their support for Palestine, and a discussion on the pros and cons of staying in the Party;
Sidelining Socialism, Host Jessa McLean argues that the NDP and their failure to keep Left has shifted the Overton window in Canadian politics; or,
Get the whole INSIDE the NDP Playlist.

End Song Credit: Sean MacGillivray (with permission)

More Resources:

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War and Austerity: Unpacking Carney's 2025 Budget

Blueprints of Disruption — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 13:51:24 GMT

With the 2025 Federal Budget vote looming, Ashwin from the International Solidarity Podcast joins Blueprints host Jessa McLean to breakdown some of the $141 Billion in new spending and the cuts that will pay for it all.

The biggest ticket item, $89 million for the Canadian Armed Forces, generates a discussion on global politics, the so-called ‘elbows up movement’ and the appetite for military spending the electorate seems to have.

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Together they compare the budget to campaign promises, the Throne Speech and the demands of the political ‘opposition’. Jessa and Ashwin also discuss the likelihood of the budget passing, and what that will mean for Canadian politics.

Related Episodes:

Carney’s First 100(ish) Days in Office (July 2025) covers the priorities and first pieces of Carney’s legislation with the International Solidarity Pod.
Draw the Line (Sept 2025) a discussion with organizers behind the movement to connect movements.

More Resources:

Visit the website for the full archives and check out our playlists on: Community Organizing 101, Free Palestine, Tenant Power and other topics.

All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our subscribers. You can support our work by becoming a paid subscriber on our website or Patreon.

Elected Socialists: In Hostile Territory with Sean Orr

Blueprints of Disruption — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 23:21:06 GMT

Vancouver City Councillor Sean Orr, an avowed socialist elected in April 2025, dishes on what its been like navigating a system hostile to him and his ideas. Sean is very candid on the limitations and pressures facing principled progressives once they’re in office.

The struggle for socialists to simply exist in elected positions is clear, as is his determination to keep building on that win six months ago. Councillor Orr has some advice for New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on how to maintain the momentum of a campaign while building parallel power outside City Hall.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Related Episodes:

Get more insight into Vancouver politics and organizing in Basis of Unity, a discussion with the Vancouver Tenants Union.
Local Votes: Make Them Count (Aug 2022) Sam Hersh of Horizon Ottawa on the work being done to remove developer influence from local politics and more.

More Resources:

Visit the website for the full archives and check out our playlists on: Community Organizing 101, Free Palestine, Tenant Power and other topics.

All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our subscribers. You can support our work by becoming a paid subscriber on our website or Patreon.

Tenant Class Warfare: Fighting Back with YSW Tenants Union

Blueprints of Disruption — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:14:20 GMT

Tenants across Ontario were already mobilizing against Bill 60 when a bombshell dropped...Premier Ford floated an idea that would have stripped renters of almost all their rights.

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The good news: organizations like York-South Weston Tenants Union had already put in the work and created a structure that could quickly gather folks together and harness the energy that it generated. They were able to get the Premier to back off, but the work is not done.

Hear from An, one of the organizers from YSW Tenants Union, about how they’ve mobilized hundreds of volunteers to not just push back against pending legislation, but to continue building the Tenant Class for more fights that are sure to come.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Call to Action: SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER IN THE FIGHT FORD’S WAR ON TENANTS (Ontario)

Related Episodes:

Blueprints of a Rent Strike Victory, with Bruno of YSW Tenants Union
Tenant Power Playlist: So much more on the fights AND VICTORIES of renters across Canada

More Resources:

Doctors' Duty: Travelling to Gaza

Blueprints of Disruption — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 13:01:00 GMT

After answering a call for general surgeons, Dr. Monica Chaudhuri, an Ontario doctor and activist, recently returned from Gaza. Dr. Chaudhuri shares what it was like working alongside the brave Palestinian healthcare workers, how cruel the Zionist entity can be, and reflects on what its been like returning to Canada while the genocide continues.

Dr. Chaudhuri also talks about the sense of duty many Canadian healthcare workers feel, being the only international professionals, and thus eyewitnesses, allowed into occupied Gaza. A duty that extends beyond her role as a doctor, and into her community where she organizes with Health Workers Alliance for Palestine, Simcoe County 4 Palestine, and the Sustain Campaign Network.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero

Calls to Action:

Related Episodes:

Name it. Stop it. Sanction It. Alex Neve, Dr. Dorotea Gucciardo, and Dr. Ben Thompson from United Against Genocide on their work to pressure Canadian politicians.
Arming Israel: Canada’s Continued Role Haneen from the Palestinian Youth Movement and Rachel from World Beyond War share their scathing report.

More Resources:

Visit the website for the full archives and check out our playlists on: Community Organizing 101, Free Palestine, Tenant Power and other topics.

All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our subscribers. You can support our work by becoming a paid subscriber on our website or Patreon.

Canadian Mining Imperialism: Guatemala's 13 Brave Giants

Blueprints of Disruption — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:20:12 GMT

The Canadian Mining Industry is notorious for its patterns of aiding in regime change, displacing Indigenous peoples from their lands, and the horrific human rights abuses that go with all of that.

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Activist and author Grahame Russell of Rights Action shares his firsthand experience with a landmark legal case. One that exposed HudBay’s use of sexual violence, destruction and death at the Felix mine in Guatemala, but through Canadian courts. Its a story of perseverance, grassroots resourcefulness and pure courage in the face of corporate giants working hand-in-hand with governments, including our own.

Its also a discussion on Imperialism, Canada’s role in the continued theft of indigenous land and what we can do about it.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero

Call to Action: When we asked our guest for a call to action for this episode, Grahame’s reply was “Free Palestine’. We’d also encourage folks to read the entire 13 Giants Report.

Related Episodes:

Canada’s Colonial Imagination (Oct. 2023) a discussion that ties modern day foreign policy and our own history of genocide, with professor Tyler Shipley.
Lessons from: South America, (Dec. 2022) on social movements in Venezuela and drawing comparisons to the Canadian situation.

More Resources:

Visit the website for the full archives and check out our playlists on: Community Organizing 101, Free Palestine, Tenant Power and other topics.

All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our subscribers. You can support our work by becoming a paid subscriber on our website or Patreon.

Holding Institutions Accountable

Blueprints of Disruption — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:25:52 GMT

Students from Toronto Metropolitan University have launched a $10 million lawsuit being launched against the school for falsely, and very publicly, labelling them antisemitic.

Human rights lawyer Dimitri Lascaris, one of the lawyers working pro-bono on this case, joins Blueprints Hosts Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero to dish on the details and talk about its wider implications.

Dimitri also shares updates from other related legal cases, including a historic challenge against the Canadian government’s role in the genocide.

Call to Action: You can donate to the Toronto Community Justice Fund or other local support initiatives that help activists navigate the legal system.

Related Episodes:

Right to Resist (Oct. 2024) Dimitri Lascaris on Lebanon, the resistance and bringing down an apartheid state.
Rabble Rants: ICJ Rules Against Israel (Jan. 2024), also with Dimitri Lascaris
Weaponizing Canadian Law for Israel (Jul. 2024) Martin Lukacs from The Breach discusses his investigations into Toronto Police’s Project Resolute and the secretive committee tasked with cracking down on Palestinian solidarity activism.

More Resources:

Visit the website for the full archives and check out our playlists on: Community Organizing 101, Free Palestine, Tenant Power and other topics.

All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our subscribers. Become a paid subscriber on our website or Patreon.

Wave After Wave: Freedom Flotilla

Blueprints of Disruption — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:06:27 GMT

The recent Freedom Flotilla ships seized in international waters by the IOF were not the first, nor the last to try to break the illegal naval blockade on the, now starving, population of Gaza.

Mskwaasin Agnew is aboard another vessel determined to draw attention to the issue and force western governments to act. She speaks about the need for risk and sacrifice, of making an impact and of how this is also part of the global Indigenous resistance to colonization.

Mskwaasin, is an Indigenous Harm Reduction worker and fierce activist based in Toronto.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Call to Action: Track and Draw Attention to the Conscience’s Mission

Related Episodes:

Blockades and Bail Conditions (May 2024), also with Mskwaasin, who shares her experience of being arrested during a recent railway blockade in Toronto in solidarity with Palestine.
Freedom Flotilla Coalition (July 2025), Family physician and activist, Dr. Yipeng Ge, speaks from the deck of the Handala.

More Resources:

Israel intercepts Gaza Sumud flotilla vessels: What we know so far

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Visit the website for the full archives and check out our playlists on: Community Organizing 101, Free Palestine, Tenant Power and other topics.

All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our subscribers. You can support our work by becoming a paid subscriber on our website or Patreon.

Draw the Line: Connecting Movements

Blueprints of Disruption — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:29:45 GMT

Draw the Line isn't just a cross-country day of action on September 20th, 2025; activists involved have been building the structure and finding a basis of unity to bring together the movements in Canada who are all fighting the same thing - Capital.

Three organizers from Draw the Line join the studio to talk about the work that went into connecting groups big and small, and finding enough common ground to build around something bigger.

Hear about their five key demands, how they plan on turning this mobilization into sustainable mass organizing and what it means to "grow globally while acting locally".

Guests:

Willo Prince, Indigenous Climate Action
Karen Cocq, Exec Director, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change; and,
Nathan Prier, President Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE).

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Call to Action: Host Your Own Action for September 20th

Related Episodes:

Justice for Migrant Workers (Sept. 2023), a discussion on the conditions migrant workers face and the demands the movement is making to better protect them; and,
Leftist Alliances and Power Struggles: A History Lesson (Apr. 2023), a history lesson on Labour politics and alliances with Prof. James Naylor.

More Resources:

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