On November 30th, 1999, tens of thousands of people shook the streets of Seattle, Washington, in protest of the World Trade Organization. The WTO symbolized the corporate takeover of human needs and the environment. On this edition, we revisit the voices from that week.

This episode, originally released in 2009, is part of the Making Contact Anniversary Capsule: celebrating 30 years of social justice journalism. The miniseries takes us from protests on the streets of Seattle to an Indiana family fighting for their daughter's gender affirming care. It explores a racial reckoning in the world of romance writers, and tells the story of border walls from Gaza to Arizona. These shows embody how Making Contact has been digging into the story beneath the story since 1994.

Featuring:

Gopal Dayaneni, organizer with Movement Generation; Mohau Pheko, representative of the Africa Trade Network at the 1999 Seattle WTO meeting; Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director, Oakland Institute; Chuck Collins, co-founder of United for a Fair Economy and Wealth for the Common Good.

Making Contact Team:

Producer: Andrew Stelzer
Episode Host: Tena Rubio
Executive Director: Jina Chung
Engineer: Jeff Emtman
Digital Media Marketing: Lissa Deonorain

Music:

Learn More:

Books and Films:

Five Days That Shook the World: The Battle for Seattle and Beyond

By Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair and Allan Sekula

The Battle in Seattle - The Story Behind and Beyond the WTO Demonstrations

By Janet Thomas

This is What Democracy Looks Like (film)

Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world.

Trade Shifts: Reflections on the Seattle WTO Protests | 30th Anniversary Capsule