The Current

The Current for Nov. 8, 2021

Today on The Current: What Canadian youth think about the progress being made on climate change; Ai Weiwei on the power of art in the fight against authoritarianism; investigating and prosecuting military sexual assault allegations; and how the Rubik’s Cube can help us tackle bigger problems like the pandemic
Matt Galloway is the host of CBC Radio's The Current. (CBC)

Full Episode Transcript

Today on The Current:

Tens of thousands of young climate activists marched through Glasgow Friday, to protest what they see as a lack of meaningful progress on tackling the climate crisis. We spoke to three young activists who have travelled from Canada to COP26 — Shakti Ramkumar, Freddie Huppé Campbell and Sadie Vipond — about their fears, and hopes, for the future. We also look at the big picture with Paul Brown, the former environment correspondent for The Guardian.

Then, artist Ai Weiwei shares many similarities with his poet father Ai Qing: from their passion for art, to their experience of persecution at the hands of an authoritarian governments. Ai talks to Matt Galloway about the struggles he and his father endured together, and his new memoir 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows.

Plus, Canada's new Defence Minister Anita Anand is transferring the investigation and prosecution of sexual misconduct cases within the Canadian Forces into the civilian justice system. The move follows recommendations from two former Supreme Court justices; we discuss what results it might achieve with women's rights activist Julie Lalonde.

And how many hours have you spent on a Rubik's Cube? If you're anything like us, you've probably spent a frustrating amount of time trying to solve the puzzle. Rubik's Cube creator Ernő Rubik tells us more about his invention and how it could help us solve other, bigger puzzles, like the pandemic.