“We Just Want Our Hostages Back”

Over the last month, a compelling global poster campaign has emerged, gripping cities and towns worldwide with its poignant message. These posters, emblazoned with the word "Kidnapped" in bold letters, feature some of the 240 people abducted from Israel into the Gaza strip by Hamas on October 7. This campaign, now viral, transcends language barriers, its message echoing through the streets from Times Square billboards to remote corners of the world. The faces on these posters not only symbolize the heinous act committed by Hamas but also reflect the deep longing and hope of families for the safe return of their loved ones. In this episode, visual poet Nitzan Mintz and street artist Dede Bandaid join Ron Steslow to discuss their work and the poster campaign. (02:05) Nitzan and Dede discuss their early careers and influences (10:56) Insights into the conception and motivation behind their moving poster campaign (18:18) The process of creating and distributing the posters, and the challenges faced (31:25) How media coverage influenced public perception and the campaign's impact (37:50) Their reactions to people vandalizing and ripping down the posters (48:23) How you can get involved and support the campaign (51:18) Nitzan and Dede share the emotional toll and their commitment to this effort If you’d like to put up posters, you can download them here: kidnappedfromisrael.com Follow Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonSteslow Follow Dede, Nitzan, and the campaign on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidnappedfromisrael/ https://www.instagram.com/nitzanmintz/ https://www.instagram.com/dedebandaid/ Email questions and thoughts to podcast@politicology.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices