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Saturday 26 May RNW - NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM THE NETHERLANDS IN 10 LANGUAGES, WORLDWIDE 24/7 ON RADIO, TV AND ONLINE
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The State We're In - The right to complain

On air: 12 September 2009 22:00 - 18 September 2009 22:00 (Photo: Clipart)

More about:

The State We’re In, September 12, 2009. We look at how people treat each other during a pandemic and ask a Swine flu sufferer how the disease has affected her relationships. We ask if there’s a right to complain and if protest is the lubricant of democracy, meet a man who exercises his right to kvetch and hear from Israeli singer-songwriter Aviv Geffen, who was standing next to Yizhak Rabin when he was assassinated.

We're always searching for personal stories about human rights and how we treat each other. Do you have a story to share with us? If so click here.

OR - You can visit our Facebook page where you can discuss the program and send in ideas.

Swine flu – how people treat each other during a pandemic

Swine flu survivor
Sarah Vines of London caught the H1N1 virus. She tells us about the disease, and the affect it had on her relationships.

I want H1N1
Kim Hohenadel is a registered nurse in the US state of Virginia. She explains why she hopes she catches the disease – in spite of the traumatic cases she’s experienced in her work.

Listen to the section here

This week’s theme is "The right to complain"

Complaints

Julian Baggini is a British philosopher who has written a book, called “Complaints: from Minor Moans to Principled Protests”. He discusses with Jonathan what constitutes a complaint, right and wrong complaints, and how complaints and protests can lead to positive social change.

Jailed for complaining
An Indonesian housewife, Prita Mulyasari, went to a hospital emergency room late last year suffering from a high fever. She was misdiagnosed and she complained. As a result, she has since been arrested and jailed and now she’s on trial, facing a 70,000 euro fine and up to six years in jail.

Protest is the lubricant of democracy
Adam Eidinger was one of around 1000 protesters who staged a protest near the White House in 2002 to protest against the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The protest was crushed by the police and over 400 were arrested. They were subjected to harsh treatment before finally being released. Eidinger and many of the other protestors have sued the city of Washington, D.C. and won. Eidinger tells Jonathan why protest is so necessary in a democracy.

Listen to the section here

Hal's kvetch

In this essay, Canadian writer Hal Niedzviecki explains how, after years of resistance, he has come to accept the fact that he is a master “kvetcher”.

Listen to the story here

Geffen's gift
Israel’s biggest and most controversial pop star Aviv Geffen discusses why he thinks music can be more powerful than politics and of the moment that changed his life – he was standing next to the prime minister Yitzhak Rabin when he was assassinated in 1995.

Listen to the story here

Listen to this week's show in full:

  • Kim Hohenadel<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english
  • Julian Baggini<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english
  • Prita Mulyasari<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english
  • Adam Eidinger<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english
  • Hal Niedzviecki<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english
  • Aviv Geffen<br>&copy; Photo: RNW - http://www.rnw.nl/english

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Discussion

jasmin 21 September 2009 - 10:01am
Very true, Peta Jones, we humans overrate ourselves as the most intelligent, demeaning other speices in the process. We have had nearly 20 dogs of different breeds as pets, for over 40 years, and they all knew how to complain and protest effectively, and communicate their needs to us. Even, our two parrots knew how to pout if they weren't given the food of their choices! It's just as you say,''There are very few attributes and skills not also possessed by some animal that we know. The only one I can think of is the ability to write down language, and there are an awful lot of humans who can’t do that, either.''
Peta Jones 20 September 2009 - 1:58pm
Mostly what Julian Baggini says about complaining I would endorse enthusiastically, but I was dismayed to learn that the thinks that this is a uniquely human activity. Of course it is not. I live with four species of other animals (dogs, cats, chickens, donkeys) and I can say categorically that they are perfectly able to recognize when something is wrong, and complain about it. They can even achieve solidarity on the matter and, when humans or some other potential agents of change are willing to listen, bring about change. Humans need to be very careful about thinking of themselves as unique and therefore different from the rest of creation. It leads to arrogance and the abuse of other species if we do not recognize our closeness to and dependence upon them. There are very few attributes and skills not also possessed by some animal that we know. The only one I can think of is the ability to write down language, and there are an awful lot of humans who can’t do that, either.

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