Take One Action is an initiative based in Scotland that uses film as a tool to help people make sense of the world. The organisation curates documentaries and features that explore themes like inequality, climate justice, human rights, and collective action, often pairing them with discussions, workshops, and conversations with activists, academics, and filmmakers. 

In this episode, we speak to Daisy Crooke, Events and Communities Coordinator, Take One Action, about the power of film in helping us make sense of the world and politics. 


Daisy Crooke is also working together with the Malaysian Freedom Film Network on their Emerging Curators Lab. For more information, visit: freedomfilm.my/emergingcuratorslab


Image Credit: Take One Action

Take One Action is an initiative based in Scotland that uses film as a tool to help people make sense of the world. The organisation curates documentaries and features that explore themes like inequality, climate justice, human rights, and collective action, often pairing them with discussions, workshops, and conversations with activists, academics, and filmmakers.&nbsp;In this episode, we speak to Daisy Crooke, Events and Communities Coordinator, Take One Action, about the power of film in helping us make sense of the world and politics.&nbsp; Daisy Crooke is also working together with the Malaysian Freedom Film Network on their Emerging Curators Lab. For more information, visit: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://freedomfilm.my/emergingcuratorslab">freedomfilm.my/emergingcuratorslab</a> Image Credit: Take One Action

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. 
On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.

Beyond the Ballot Box

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.

How Films Can Help Us Make Sense of the World

For many of us born in the 90s, we’ve only known one world: A world where the US has been the singular hegemon, leading what we call a unipolar world. This has been the case since the tail end of the Cold War and especially so after the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

But things are changing. There’s plenty of talk about a shift towards a multipolar world. This isn’t just what’s been said by leftists or anti-colonialists from the global south. It was also highlighted by the Canadian Prime Minister and former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, in his speech at Davos on a new world order. He called it a “rupture.” 

So, how do we make sense of these changes? And what does it mean for Malaysia?

In this two-part conversation, I speak to Dr Lim Teck Ghee, who’s an economic historian, author, and public intellectual. His new book “China Rising: USA and West Responses” is a compilation of over 50 column articles in Oriental Daily over the past 4 years, focused on, as the title suggests, the emergence of China as a global political and economic force. 

In part two of the conversation, we focus on: 


What are the possibilities of World War III with Taiwan as the flashpoint?


Is it time for China to put the 1949 revolution behind it and accept Taiwan as a sovereign nation? 


The human rights violations in Xinjiang


Should China put its principle of non-interference aside and actively defend its allies militarily


What should ASEAN keep in mind as China continues to rise



Image Credit: Shutterstock

For many of us born in the 90s, we’ve only known one world: A world where the US has been the singular hegemon, leading what we call a unipolar world. This has been the case since the tail end of the Cold War and especially so after the fall of the Berlin Wall.&nbsp;But things are changing. There’s plenty of talk about a shift towards a multipolar world. This isn’t just what’s been said by leftists or anti-colonialists from the global south. It was also highlighted by the Canadian Prime Minister and former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, in his speech at Davos on a new world order. He called it a “rupture.”&nbsp;So, how do we make sense of these changes? And what does it mean for Malaysia?In this two-part conversation, I speak to Dr Lim Teck Ghee, who’s an economic historian, author, and public intellectual. His new book “China Rising: USA and West Responses” is a compilation of over 50 column articles in Oriental Daily over the past 4 years, focused on, as the title suggests, the emergence of China as a global political and economic force.&nbsp;In part two of the conversation, we focus on:&nbsp;<ul><li>What are the possibilities of World War III with Taiwan as the flashpoint?</li><li>Is it time for China to put the 1949 revolution behind it and accept Taiwan as a sovereign nation?&nbsp;</li><li>The human rights violations in Xinjiang</li><li>Should China put its principle of non-interference aside and actively defend its allies militarily</li><li>What should ASEAN keep in mind as China continues to rise</li></ul>Image Credit: Shutterstock

China Rising Part 2: Taiwan, Xinjiang, Sovereignty and Human Rights

For many of us born in the 90s, we’ve only known one world: A world where the US has been the singular hegemon, leading what we call a unipolar world. This has been the case since the tail end of the Cold War and especially so after the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

But things are changing. There’s plenty of talk about a shift towards a multipolar world. This isn’t just what’s been said by leftists or anti-colonialists from the global south. It was also highlighted by the Canadian Prime Minister and former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney in his speech at Davos on a new world order. He called it a “rupture.” 

So, how do we make sense of these changes? And what does it mean for Malaysia?

In this two-part conversation, I speak to Dr Lim Teck Ghee, who’s an economic historian, author and public intellectual. His new book “China Rising: USA and West Responses” is a compilation of over 50 column articles in Oriental Daily over the past 4 years, focused on, as the title suggests, the emergence of China as a global political and economic force. 

In part one of the conversation, we focus on: 


The key features of a unipolar US-led world order


What shifting towards a multipolar world means


How China went from a poor country to the second largest economy


Popular misconceptions of China


What does democracy mean in China?


Significance of Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney’s speech at Davos



Image Credit: Shutterstock

For many of us born in the 90s, we’ve only known one world: A world where the US has been the singular hegemon, leading what we call a unipolar world. This has been the case since the tail end of the Cold War and especially so after the fall of the Berlin Wall.&nbsp;But things are changing. There’s plenty of talk about a shift towards a multipolar world. This isn’t just what’s been said by leftists or anti-colonialists from the global south. It was also highlighted by the Canadian Prime Minister and former governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney in his speech at Davos on a new world order. He called it a “rupture.”&nbsp;So, how do we make sense of these changes? And what does it mean for Malaysia?In this two-part conversation, I speak to Dr Lim Teck Ghee, who’s an economic historian, author and public intellectual. His new book “China Rising: USA and West Responses” is a compilation of over 50 column articles in Oriental Daily over the past 4 years, focused on, as the title suggests, the emergence of China as a global political and economic force.&nbsp;In part one of the conversation, we focus on:&nbsp;<ul><li>The key features of a unipolar US-led world order</li><li>What shifting towards a multipolar world means</li><li>How China went from a poor country to the second largest economy</li><li>Popular misconceptions of China</li><li>What does democracy mean in China?</li><li>Significance of Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney’s speech at Davos</li></ul>Image Credit: Shutterstock

China Rising Part 1: How the Unipolar World Is Ending

Jeffrey Epstein was a financier and convicted sex offender whose network spanned the worlds of finance, politics, academia, and celebrity. 

Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice released what is now known as the Epstein Files. There are over 3 million pages, 2,000+ videos, and 180,000+ images, so far, including flight logs, emails, court filings, and internal notes detailing his activities and connections. 

Two rounds of document releases have so far painted an incredibly repulsive picture of sexual exploitation, trafficking, and elite complicity. Some of the highlights include: US President Donald Trump, who is mentioned in over 38,000 references, with the most serious allegation being a withdrawn 2016 federal lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl at Epstein’s Manhattan residence.

Silicon Valley billionaires, including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and others, appearing hundreds of times. There are also emails and exchanges suggesting an international political network involving countries such as Israel, India, and Russia. 

All of this is merely scratching the surface of the Epstein files. To try and make sense of it all, we speak to Peter Beattie, Political Economist and Political Psychologist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). 


Image Credit: Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, 1993 via Picryl

Jeffrey Epstein was a financier and convicted sex offender whose network spanned the worlds of finance, politics, academia, and celebrity.&nbsp;Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice released what is now known as the Epstein Files. There are over 3 million pages, 2,000+ videos, and 180,000+ images, so far, including flight logs, emails, court filings, and internal notes detailing his activities and connections.&nbsp;Two rounds of document releases have so far painted an incredibly repulsive picture of sexual exploitation, trafficking, and elite complicity. Some of the highlights include: US President Donald Trump, who is mentioned in over 38,000 references, with the most serious allegation being a withdrawn 2016 federal lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl at Epstein’s Manhattan residence.Silicon Valley billionaires, including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and others, appearing hundreds of times. There are also emails and exchanges suggesting an international political network involving countries such as Israel, India, and Russia.&nbsp;All of this is merely scratching the surface of the Epstein files. To try and make sense of it all, we speak to Peter Beattie, Political Economist and Political Psychologist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).&nbsp; Image Credit: Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, 1993 via Picryl

How Films Can Help Us Make Sense of the World

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