Radio Reversal is a show that subjects aspects of everyday life to historico-political, theoretical, cheeky, irreverent, high brow, low brow, eye brow, warm-hearted analysis. Our aim is to see the world more clearly, think about what we'd like it to become, and how we can make that happen. We think that discussing these sorts of ideas is one way to lessen the alienation that affects many of us trying to make sense of a world that so often makes no sense of us. We also play loads of awesome music (sometimes thematic!) with great enthusiasm for requests and an emphasis on supporting local artists. It's fun!
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Today on the show we are very honoured to be bringing you an interview with the incredible Dr. Samah Jabr - د. سماح جبر, recorded on her recent tour of so-called australia.
Dr Samah Jabr is a Palestinian Jerusalemite psychiatrist, psychotherapist and writer, and former Head of the Mental Health Unit in the Ministry of Health, Palestine. She has written columns about the psychological consequences of the Israeli occupation in Palestine since the 2000s. Inspired by anticolonial psychiatrist Frantz Fanon, her areas of interest include mental health, colonialism and universal human rights.
In this interview, Anna speaks with Dr Jabr about the specific impacts of colonial violence and trauma, the inadequacy of mainstream western psychiatric approaches to understanding those impacts, and the issues in rendering deliberately inflicted collective trauma in the terms of individual illness or pathology. They also discuss what healing from colonial violence can look like, and the importance of agency and collective and community-based processes.
Dr Samah Jabr also spoke with Anna a bit about her new book, "Radiance in Pain and Resilience: The global reverberation of Palestinian historical trauma" (link below!) which you should absolutely check out. This collection of essays draws on Dr Jabr's years of experience working at the intersection of mental health and struggles for liberation.