AFIA Podcast

Ep. 47: Helping people be their best selves | AFIA Podcast with Simon Okelo Ft Curtiss Calhoun

In this episode, I had a conversation with Curtiss Calhoun who is a Seattle native. He graduated from Grover Cleveland High School and attended Seattle Central College when it was still a Community College. With a passion for wanting to help people be their best selves, Curtiss became a Certified Transformational Coach in 2016. In that same year, Curtiss founded Curtiss Calhoun Coaching and Consulting (formerly ReaLife Coach, LLC) a Seattle-based coaching and consulting firm. Curtiss uses his personally designed Realifer and EQSEL programs to help transform individuals, teams, and organizations through 1:1/Group Coaching, Leadership Trainings, Transformational Workshops, and Motivational Talks; assisting them in getting from where they are to where they want to be. Curtiss’ goal is to help individuals fulfill the 7 Essential Human Needs through his positivity based personal development programs while introducing a client’s real self to their best self. Curtiss is also a Project Manager with the Africatown Central District Preservation and Development Association, as well as a Community Manager at Black Dot Underground, a small business incubator/co-working space in Seattle’s historic Central District. Curtiss facilitates a weekly Business Mastermind group called Black Dot Mastermind Mondays.

Ep. 44: Memories of Haiti | AFIA Podcast with Simon Okelo Ft Ariel Rosemond, MBA

In this episode, I had a conversation with Ariel who is an American-born son of Haitian immigrants, raised in Haiti and in Queens, New York City. Cradled by the sounds, sights, troubles, and celebrations of the world, he served with warriors from all over the country in the United States Navy. He now serves as Associate Director of the Center for Leadership Formation at the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University. There, he is a guide, servant, and mentor for entrepreneurs, family business, and corporate leaders seeking to develop their leadership skills and earn a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Ariel is also a participant mentor and Regional Board Committee Chair of the Contemplative Leaders in Action - Seattle, the Pacific Northwest arm of a national non-profit organization dedicated to Ignatian development of young professionals. He is a black man, and a father, who is hungry for more.

Ep. 43: Music & Father figures | AFIA Podcast with Simon Okelo Ft Havoc Music

In this episode, I had a conversation with Havoc Music who is an award-winning Kenyan Gospel Dancehall Artiste who is rising against all odds from the slums of Kangemi in Nairobi to sharing the stage with some of Africa's iconic musicians like Patoranking. Havoc Musiq is a born again Christian who has a great passion to lead many to Christendom through her music. Havoc Musiq won Female Artiste of the year at the DEAR AWARDS in Dallas, Texas in 2018. She also won Female Artiste of the year at NAIROBI AWARDS in 2018 and also won Reggae song of the year at the 2017 MARANATHA AWARDS in Kenya.

Ep. 45: Conundrum | AFIA Podcast with Simon Okelo Ft Anthony Ofoegbu & Paul Anthony Morris

In this episode, I will be talking about the Conundrum, which is a play by Paul Anthony Morris, which gives us a unique insight into the incredible mind of a man trapped in a society that has not yet evolved. Having resolved to conduct a personal life review to critique the inequality of society, our protagonist, Fidel, becomes alarmed by the prospect that he may also be responsible for undermining his own well-being. Perplexed by this conundrum, Fidel embarks upon an epic journey to wrestle with some of life’s most fundamental questions; Who am I and why am I here? Anthony Ofoegbu - Artistic Director Anthony Ofoegbu started performing in 1981 and in 1988 co-founded Four’s Company Dance Theatre with choreographer and dramatist, Christine Cubberley. Between 1991-1998 he was Resident Collaborator and Artist for Bayie Busuofo Mas Band, for the annual Notting Hill Carnival. From 1995 Anthony worked with Nigerian Nobel Laureate and playwright, Professor Wole Soyinka, on The Beatification Of Area Boy, Oyedipo (an adaptation of Oedipus At Colonus) and Death And The King's Horseman, which toured Australia, America, Africa, and Europe. In 2001 Nàwáo Produktions, Zurich, appointed him to be head of casting for King Baabu which toured Nigeria, Switzerland, and Germany. In 2015 Anthony became Company Director for Crying in the Wilderness Productions, an associate theatre company of the Young Vic Theatre. Anthony joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2017/18 for their Rome Season and performed as Julius Caesar and Titus Andronicus. He was also in Antony and Cleopatra. Anthony went on to perform as James in Annie Baker’s, Circle Transformation, at Manchester’s Home Theatre, UK, before embarking on an extensive US tour of Barbershop Chronicles that premiered at the UK’s National Theatre in which he played Emmanuel. The pandemic put closure on Anthony’s starring debut of Fidel in Conundrum at the prestigious Young Vic Theatre in London last March. Providence intervened and a special version of Conundrum was filmed and screened live online last august in London. This filmed production was later included in the Rijeka, the European Capital City of Culture Festival in November and December 2020 which ran for two weeks. Anthony has been a keen photographer for over 30 years. Highlights include the OffWestEnd Offie Awards Ceremony. He also designed and produced their award trophies. Paul Anthony Morris - Artistic Director Artistic Director, Paul Anthony Morris, trained at Barbara Speake Stage School and went on to work as an actor in theatre for many years. In 2006 Paul founded Crying in the Wilderness Productions. In 2006 his epic play ‘THE SEER’ was produced into a short documentary film in collaboration with West Yorkshire Playhouse. In 2007 Paul directed ‘35 CENTS’ at the Blue Elephant Theatre and ‘CHOICES’ for the CIA Theatre Company. In 2008 Paul won ‘The Adopt A Playwright Award’ for his play ‘IDENTITY’ and went on to complete three separate commissions from the Half Moon Young People’s Theatre. In 2008 and 2009 Paul worked as a film coordinator for STORY MAKERS TV which was screened at the BEAUTIFUL SOUTH FILM FESTIVAL at the British Film Institute. In the autumn of 2009, Paul directed ‘THE MEETING’ at the Warehouse Theatre. In 2010 Paul was commissioned by Fostering Network to write ‘CLICK’ and he directed ‘SHINNING MYRIAD’ at the Rosemary Branch Theatre. In 2011 Paul directed the ‘INVISIBLE MAN’ at the Decibel Performance Arts Showcase in Manchester. In 2012 Paul began developing a trilogy of plays with a second showcase of the ‘INVISIBLE MAN’ at the Bush Theatre. In 2015 he directed ‘SARAI’ at the Arcola theatre. In 2016 and 2017 he directed ‘CONUNDRUM’ at the Certain Black Festival. In 2017 he directed ‘INVISIBLE MAN’ at the Rich Mix In 2018 his company became an associate of the Young Vic theatre. In 2019 he was Associate Director on ‘TREE’ a play conceived by Idris Elba and directed by Kwame Kwei Armah. In 2020 Paul filmed the production of ‘CONUNDRUM’ which was screened for two weeks at the European Capital of Culture in 2020. Paul’s awards include the Fringe First at the Edinburg Theatre Festival for ‘THE GUISE’, the Achievement Award for best short film ‘ONCE UPON A TIME’, the Adopt A Playwright Award for ‘IDENTITY’ Offwestend, and a double winner in of the Peggy Ramsay Award for GIFTED in 2011 and Professional Mourners in 2015. His plays ‘35 Cents and ‘IDENTITY’ have been published by Oberon.

Ep. 42: The Year 2021 | AFIA Podcast with Simon Okelo Ft Dr. Roselyn Akombe

In this episode, I will have a conversation about the year 2021 through the story of Dr. Roselyn Akombe who is the Chief of Policy at the Policy and Mediation Division, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs at the United Nations in New York. In 2017, Dr. Akombe served as a Commissioner with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). She also previously worked with the African Union as an Economist. Dr. Akombe is an advocate for the protection of human rights, social justice, environmental protection, and inclusion of youth and women in all political and socio-economic spheres of life. Prior to her work with the African Union and the United Nations, she was active in the Kenyan student movement, civil society, and the women’s movement. She continued this work in the United States with WomenRising Inc. focusing on economic opportunities for Black women. Dr. Akombe supports several causes dedicated to social justice and the full involvement of youth and women in all aspects of life. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nairobi and Masters and Doctorate degrees from Rutgers University. Born in Kenya in 1976, she is a mother of two.

A picture of Uganda - AFIA Podcast #36 -Jamil Kasirivu

In episode #36 I had a conversation with Jamil Kasirivu who is a recent graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration specializing in Accounting from St Lawrence University in Kampala, Uganda. Jamil is currently working as an Intern at 40 days Over 40 Smiles Foundation in the Department of Marketing and Partnership where he is responsible for identifying potential partners and donors, promoting brand visibility, marketing, and selling of merchandise. Before his current role, Jamil was an Area Manager at Grand Victoria (U) Limited and a Branch Manager at Gaming International (U) Limited. During his free time, Jamil listens to music and watches football, and is a fan of the Liverpool Football club.

Why I am Documenting the Amazon Rainforest - AFIA Podcast #35 - Victor Moriyama

In this episode I interviewed Victor Moriyama, an award winning Brazilian photojournalist based in São Paulo covering South America and the Amazon rainforest for international press and NGOS. His works are based on a humanist photograph committed to documenting the processes of violence that prevail in social and environmental relations in Brazil. Agrarian conflicts, deforestation and conservation of tropical forests and their biodiversity, genocide of indigenous populations, acceleration of climate change are themes that have guided his photographic production in recent years. Concerned about the scarcity of in-depth reports on conflicts in the Amazon, Victor created in 2019 the project @historiasamazonicas, a community of Latin American photographers committed to documenting contemporary processes taking place in the Amazon and defining the present. His idea is to expand world knowledge and engage global society with problems within the largest tropical forest in the world.

How to bring your African-ness to America - AFIA Podcast #34 - Vivian Philips

In Episode #34 I was actually interviewed by Vivian Philips who is a Seattle-based communications, arts consultant and arts advocate. Vivian's career transitioned from broadcasting to public relations work and she began supporting local arts in the 1980's working with the Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center. She then joined the team that would restore the Paramount Theatre, and in 1998 she was recruited to serve as Mayor Paul Schell's Director of Communication. In that capacity, she was also a member of the Emergency Operations Team managing communications for WTO. In 2011, Vivian rejoined the Seattle Theatre Group team as Director of Marketing and Communications, managing these functions for all activities at the Paramount, Moore and Neptune Theatres. Vivian has produced theater and television, curated African performing arts programs, and served as an adjunct professor in Seattle University’s MFA Arts Leadership program. She is co-founder of the Hansberry Project, and the Historic Central Area Arts and Cultural District, and a founding advisor to the Arts Ecosystem Research Project. Vivian served 6 years on the Seattle Arts Commission, 3 years as Chair and she has served in leadership board positions in a number of organizations including ArtsCorps, CD Forum, Langston, Seattle Theatre Group, and the Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium. She currently serves on the boards of 4Culture, KUOW and the University of Washington Foundation. As a consultant, Vivian co-authored A Community Centered Roadmap Towards an Equitable and Inclusive Creative Economy in Seattle, for the City of Seattle, and Expanding Arts, Cultures and Heritage Profile in Olympia (2018). She is author of the Midtown Arts Plan and is a consultant to the Oregon Community Foundation/Creative Heights grantees. Vivian is a native of Seattle and resides in the Central Area.

My pregnant cousin was shot and killed by Seattle Police - AFIA Podcast #33 - Katrina Johnson

In Episode # 33 I had a conversation with Katrina Johnson who is the Senior organizer for Voices of Community Activist and Leaders "Vocal-WA" and former Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion "LEAD" Project Manager. Katrina became a social justice activist/advocate and spokesperson for her family in June of 2017, after her first cousin Charleena Lyles was killed in her home in North Seattle after police officers responded to the location to investigate a burglary Charleena had reported. Katrina is a core member of Families are the Frontline. They provide rapid response to help families across the nation who have lost their loved ones to the police use of deadly force. Katrina works with other families who have lost loved ones to the use of deadly force in Washington state, as well as local nonprofits working to improve policy on the use of lethal force, emphasize de-escalation, reduce instances of deadly force, and improve police-community relations. Katrina gathered signatures for I940 and supported the resolution negotiated by De-Escalate WA and law enforcement leaders that resulted in House Bill 3003, modifying I940 after it was adopted by the legislature. Katrina has been a guest speaker in various cities and states on police reform, served as a panelist locally, nationally, and internationally on police reform and state sponsored violence. Katrina organizes events, and authored an op-ed piece for BET.com

 

Racism, African Union, and Malcolm X - AFIA Podcast #32 - Carine Kaneza Nantulya

In Episode # 32 I had a conversation with Carine Kaneza Nantulya who is the Africa Advocacy Director within the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch. Before joining Human Rights Watch, she was spokesperson for the Women and Girls Movement for Peace and Security in Burundi. She is a transitional justice practitioner with over fifteen years’ experience in human rights programming and conflict resolution in Burundi, Uganda, Sierra Leone and South Africa, among others. She coordinated a human rights program at the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre; worked on the peace negotiations between the Uganda Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army and advised the negotiation teams. She has worked as an independent consultant and evaluator for international organizations, governments and African organizations, including the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission of Rwanda, the Forum of Conscience in Sierra Leone, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Uganda, Ugandan Ministry of Justice, Search for Common Ground, Global Rights and the Juba Initiative Fund (JIP) of the peace process between the Government of Uganda and Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Carine holds a master’s degree in Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law from the University of the Western Cape in South Africa.

 

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