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.
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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.
Ep36: By Any Means Necessary with Magdalene Moonsamy.
TROUBLEMAKERS
55 minutes 58 seconds
2 months ago
Ep36: By Any Means Necessary with Magdalene Moonsamy.
Is nonviolence truly the higher ground, or is that just a myth handed to the oppressed by those in power? In this fiercely honest and far-reaching conversation, South African lawyer, activist, and former parliamentarian Magdalene Moonsamy returns to the mic to confront the moral binaries surrounding resistance, liberation, and the cost of freedom.
Key Ideas and Highlights
The Violence–Nonviolence TrapMagdalene unpacks the deep flaws in framing Malcolm X vs Gandhi as a binary. “It’s as if there are only two options,” she says, “but human beings have all kinds of contextual conditions.” This isn’t just theory — it’s about lived realities and who gets to define justice.
Calling Out GandhiIn one of the episode’s most personal and confrontational moments, Magdalene critiques Gandhi’s legacy in South Africa, including the classism, the quiet partnerships with colonial powers, and the privileges enjoyed by some at the expense of the poor.
Beyond Strategy: What Is Liberation?Whether through armed resistance or strategic negotiation, Magdalene argues, the focus must return to the people, their suffering, their agency, and their right to decide how they are to be fought. “The idea that we can police what kind of seed someone else should plant... where does that attitude come from?”
LicensingAnyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.
AcknowledgmentOur podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.
Resources & Show Links
Beautiful Trouble: beautifultrouble.org
Credits
Host: Phil WilmotGuest: Magdalene MoonsamyProducer & Editor: Rodgers GeorgeRecording: Samora Machel Studio, MS TCDCMusic: Beautiful Trouble & Mwaduga Salum
TROUBLEMAKERS
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.
