e186 yahya aka semzyiri - collective liberation as planetary right

We have become a bit disconnected after COVID but at the same time we are emerging more consciously while we were more complacent before. I hold hope about an inherent belief that collective liberation is a planetary right. I think we should all be always learning to reach that goal.semzyiri is a multimedia storyteller who blends surrealism, existentialism, cosmic wonder, and inner worlds with the lived reality of a neuroqueer cultural nomad. Navigating the crossroads of a world in poly-crisis and of nature divorced from human experience, semzyiri's work captures the intricate dance between the internal and external, offering a unique lens on our interconnected existence.I first met semzyiri at an ‘Ideas, Welcome’ Session hosted by the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre meeting about social infrastructure and third places, organised by Luc Lalande and colleagues (see an upcoming episode about him) at the Rideau Community Hub, in Ottawa.We met again by chance at a local eco fair on June 1 2024 where we talked about our common interest in community engaged arts, art and ecology and in social collapse awareness and acceptance. One of the topics that struck me in my conversation was the notion of ‘numbness’, which is coming back again and again this  5th season of the podcast, notably in e171 kimberly skye richards - dept of utopian arts & letters (‘one of the roles that artists play within the poly crisis is supporting us through processes of unnumbing’). semzyiri reminds us that : Art is something that really bypasses our walls, our numbness and our overstimulation.After our conversation semzyiri told me more about a new organization of which they are a co-founder called Collaborative Movements, a multimedia amplifier that centres community initiatives through a documentary series, a podcast, a website hub, and community events and that this initiative highlights and supports a network of third spaces, community centres, social enterprises, non-profit organizations, social innovation labs, and more. The idea is to address a diverse range of themes including local arts, sciences, sustainability, community mental health, social housing, food insecurity, IBPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, and immigrant stories.This is a welcome development in the Ottawa arts and media community, and I hope other communities are creating their own collaborative movements.semzyiri recommends the following publications:Modern Monetary Theory by John Verdon (not yet in print)Shock Doctrine by Naomi KleinOther Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-SmithThe One by Heinrich PäsWhen Animals Dream by David Peña-GuzmánNote: Link to semzyiri's Substack.  *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESHey conscient listeners, I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). It’s my way to give back.In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.Your feedback is always welcome at [email protected] and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.Share what you like, etcI am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude SchryerLatest update on November 13, 2025

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