State Repression, Vigilante Violence, and People's Resistance in the Philippines and Appalachia
Fri Jul 18 2025
This episode is a cross-post from CELDF's Truth and Reckoning podcast.
On this episode we speak with Denzel Caldwell and Jassim Guila
The interview with Denzel Caldwell was conducted by Kai Huschke, CELDF’s Executive Director. Caldwell is part of the Black Nashville Assembly and is Program Manager for Economics and Governance at the Highlander Research & Education Center in Tennessee.
The second interview is conducted by Max Wilbert, and is with Jassim Guila. Guila lives in the Philippines and is part of various grassroots networks of resistance, environmental protection, and mutual aid. He is also the Organizing Director of Blue Earth Defense, an international radical environmental organization.
Our conversations focus on the topic of state repression, vigilante violence, and other forms of authoritarianism facing our movements and our communities.
We’re bringing their voices to you now as a preview for our upcoming special event, scheduled for Monday, July 21st at 6pm Pacific Time - that’s 7pm Mountain, 8pm Central, and 9pm eastern. We’re holding the event at that time because for this event, Denzel, Jassim, Kai, and myself will be joined by several other speakers from the Philippine archipelago. The title of the event is “Solidarity Against Tyranny: Frontline Resistance Insights from the Philippines and Appalachian South”, and it’s free and open to the public.
There are three ways to watch.
You can tune in on the CELDF YouTube channel
You can find the event on our Facebook page
And you can watch directly through Zoom. The advantage of joining via Zoom is that you’ll be able to submit questions for the Q&A
Please register and help us spread the word. Thank you!
About the Truth and Reckoning Podcast
In this show, we learn from frontline organizers and communities fighting against environmental destruction. We explore different perspectives and innovative strategies for movement building, the potency and potential of rights of nature, and effective action in defense of our communities. And, we share inspiring stories of people working towards right relationship with the land and each other. The show is hosted by CELDF Community Resistance and Resilience Program Co-Director Max Wilbert.
This show can be found on the following platforms:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Pocketcasts
YouTube (video and audio)
And anywhere else you get your podcasts
About CELDF — Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund
CELDF is a nationwide community of organizers, lawyers, and partners who educate, agitate, and organize to confront systemic injustice and restore humanity’s reciprocal relationship with the Earth. For over 30 years, we’ve helped communities resist corporate exploitation, reject regulatory false promises, and assert their right to self-govern through systems grounded in ecological balance and collective power.
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This episode is a cross-post from CELDF's Truth and Reckoning podcast. On this episode we speak with Denzel Caldwell and Jassim Guila The interview with Denzel Caldwell was conducted by Kai Huschke, CELDF’s Executive Director. Caldwell is part of the Black Nashville Assembly and is Program Manager for Economics and Governance at the Highlander Research & Education Center in Tennessee. The second interview is conducted by Max Wilbert, and is with Jassim Guila. Guila lives in the Philippines and is part of various grassroots networks of resistance, environmental protection, and mutual aid. He is also the Organizing Director of Blue Earth Defense, an international radical environmental organization. Our conversations focus on the topic of state repression, vigilante violence, and other forms of authoritarianism facing our movements and our communities. We’re bringing their voices to you now as a preview for our upcoming special event, scheduled for Monday, July 21st at 6pm Pacific Time - that’s 7pm Mountain, 8pm Central, and 9pm eastern. We’re holding the event at that time because for this event, Denzel, Jassim, Kai, and myself will be joined by several other speakers from the Philippine archipelago. The title of the event is “Solidarity Against Tyranny: Frontline Resistance Insights from the Philippines and Appalachian South”, and it’s free and open to the public. There are three ways to watch. You can tune in on the CELDF YouTube channel You can find the event on our Facebook page And you can watch directly through Zoom. The advantage of joining via Zoom is that you’ll be able to submit questions for the Q&A Please register and help us spread the word. Thank you! About the Truth and Reckoning Podcast In this show, we learn from frontline organizers and communities fighting against environmental destruction. We explore different perspectives and innovative strategies for movement building, the potency and potential of rights of nature, and effective action in defense of our communities. And, we share inspiring stories of people working towards right relationship with the land and each other. The show is hosted by CELDF Community Resistance and Resilience Program Co-Director Max Wilbert. This show can be found on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts Spotify Pocketcasts YouTube (video and audio) And anywhere else you get your podcasts About CELDF — Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund CELDF is a nationwide community of organizers, lawyers, and partners who educate, agitate, and organize to confront systemic injustice and restore humanity’s reciprocal relationship with the Earth. For over 30 years, we’ve helped communities resist corporate exploitation, reject regulatory false promises, and assert their right to self-govern through systems grounded in ecological balance and collective power.