We live "drenched in corporate culture," with our planet, our democracy, and all of us "real people" under assault. But, according to Paul Cienfuegos, "We the people are more powerful than we dare to believe," and the corporate power structure CAN be dismantled. A long-time community organizer and educator, Cienfuegos provides a wealth of information showing how the fictions of "corporate personhood" and "corporate rights" can be challenged and reversed by empowered, informed citizen action. He'll be leading a Portland workshop June 9-10.

"If we relearn our history, if we understand again that corporations were designed to serve us, not to rule us, in this democratic republic, then we can reclaim our sovereignty. Once we understand this, the sky's the limit. We can rein in corporate constitutional "rights" as have more than 100 communities in PA, NH, ME, and VI." (The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund has provided advice and support to many of these communities - learn more HERE.)

On June 9 & 10, 2012 in Portland, Oregon, Paul Cienfuegos will be leading his full-weekend workshop: "We The People Are More Powerful Than We Dare to Believe: First Steps in Dismantling Corporate Rule." For more details about the content of the workshop, click HERE. For more details about cost (sliding scale), timing, and how to register, click HERE.

Community Rights PDX has begun rights-based activism here in Portland -- you can learn more HERE.

Aaron Liss of Green Empowerment talks about renewable energy projects in Nicaragua and the upcoming 25th anniversary of the death of Ben Linder.

April 28th will mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Ben Linder, a mechanical engineer from Portland who was killed by U.S.-backed contras in northern Nicaragua as he prepared to build a small hydroelectric plant. The project that Ben helped to launch has continued since his death. A recent editorial in The Oregonian speaks to the person that Ben Linder was and the impact he had.

The Association of Rural Development Workers—Benjamin Linder (ATDER-BL) has built clean water systems and small-scale hydro plants that provide renewable energy to 70,000 people. They have established a community-owned forest reserve and helped farmers to diversify their crops and protect the watersheds of the region. Green Empowerment has provided critical support to ATDER-BL efforts.

Host Per Fagereng speaks with David Barsamian, the award-winning founder and director of Alternative Radio. He is the author of numerous books with Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Eqbal Ahmad, Tariq Ali, Arundhati Roy and Edward Said. His latest book is Occupy the Economy: Challenging Capitalism, co-authoed with prominent economist Richard Wolff.

David will talk about "Occupy Capitalism" and the root causes of the current economic crisis, the most severe since the Great Depression.

David Barsamian is speaking at a benefit for KBOO on Thursday April 26th at 7PM at the First Unitarian Church, Eliot Chapel, 1011 SW 12th Ave, Portland OR 97205. The topic is "Occupy Capitalism."