Tools For Tough Times

In this episode, I chat with Shahd, founder of Peace is the Song — a community-based event that brings people together to share their art through spoken word, music, poetry, and more. Shahd is a published poet and author using her platform to foster community, connection, and empowerment.

We discuss:
The power of community and creative expression
Knowing your self-worth
Shahd’s journey from Palestine to the UK at age 18
How she centres Palestinian voices in her events and poetry
The importance of female empowerment and building connection
Peace is the Song Event on 9th August! Get your tickets now before they go: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/peace-is-the-song-london-tickets-1465798666269

Shahd’s work demonstrates how art can heal, unite and create spaces for marginalised voices to be heard and valued.

Tune in to hear her inspiring story, and let us know what you think - your support helps keep these important conversations alive! :)

Connect with Shahd:

Instagram:

@shahdmah850

And here! https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/shahdmahnavipoetrybook?srsltid=AfmBOooVG3P7p1z5LjSK_KrhjAJm-gXBIHRPwtcC8RCSGCEW2GWTpxpT

88@gmail.com
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In this urgent solo episode, I return to the unfolding catastrophe in Gaza. As the genocide intensifies, it is clear that we can no longer participate in a system that funds, arms, and enables it. We must shut it all down. With a Global Blackout.

I share updates from the ground, my personal reflections, and the next steps of global mobilisation. I introduce the week-long global blackout already underway, a coordinated mass refusal to engage in business as usual. No work. No school. No social media. No spending. No fuel. No consent. Together, we’re using the power of absence to force the world to listen.

This is more than protest. This is strategic disruption.

Our demands are clear:

- An immediate end to the genocide
- Full access to food, water, medical aid
- The withdrawal of IOF/IDF from Palestine
- Justice and liberation for Gaza, and for all colonised peoples

And these are just the starting point. Everything that is happening is because of Capitalism and Imperialism. We MUST rise up. We must NOT comply. WE MUST TAKE THE POWER BACK!

We can make an impact. But only if we act as a global force.

The revolution has begun....

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In this powerful and deeply human episode of Tools for Tough Times, I speak with Farah, a 19-year-old student currently living in Gaza. Farah has lived through the unimaginable, displaced more than 20 times in her short life, she has survived airstrikes, mass bombings, and the deaths of family and community members.

This conversation offers a raw, unfiltered look into the lived reality of a genocide, or as Farah has labelled it, a Holocaust. Farah shares what it means to grow up under occupation, to wake up under rubble, and to experience loss after loss - while still daring to dream of a better future.

Together, we explore:
•What daily life in Gaza is like for young people
•The personal toll of displacement, grief, and survival
•How Farah holds on to hope and vision in the face of horror
•The words that keep her going, and the dreams she refuses to let die

Farah’s voice cuts through the noise with clarity and heart. Her story is one of resilience, resistance, and a refusal to be silenced.

If you listen to just one story this week....let it be hers.

Farah and her family literally have nothing, if you are able to, she'd be grateful if you could donate to her GoFundMe for basic food, water and medical supplies: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-farah-support-her-family-and-fulfill-her-dreams-in-gaza

💬 Connect with Us:

Instagram -

Farah - @fara7_kmal

Thanks and see you next week :)

Peace x

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In this compelling episode, we hear the extraordinary story of John McAvoy, a man who went from a life of high-stakes crime to breaking world records and becoming a professional Ironman athlete. Once one of Britain’s most wanted armed robbers, John was sentenced to life in a high-security prison. It was there, in a cell built for punishment, that he discovered purpose. After the tragic death of a close friend, John began to reassess his choices. Turning to fitness, he started training on a prison rowing machine, where he uncovered an astonishing natural ability, going on to break multiple British and world records in indoor rowing, all while still behind bars.
Since his release, John has become a leading voice in the world of endurance sport and criminal justice reform. Now a Nike-sponsored athlete and Ironman triathlete, he shares his story to inspire change and prove that transformation is always possible.

He is the founder of the Alpine Run Project, a powerful initiative that takes young people from the streets to the peaks, using mountain running to build resilience, purpose and community. John's work now spans schools, prisons and global platforms, advocating for sport as a force for personal and social change.

This was a mind-blowing and SUPER inspiring conversation. Hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording the ep!

📚 Resources:

Redemption: From Iron Bars to Ironman – Buy the book (Available on Amazon and book stores)
BBC Documentary – John McAvoy: The Power of Sport Watch on BBC iPlayer
Sky Documentaries – The John McAvoy Story (available via Sky and NOW TV)

📨 Connect with John:
Website: therealmcavoy.com
Instagram: @jonnymac83
Twitter/X: @johnmcavoy2

Email: toolsfortoughtimes888@gmail.com
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In this powerful and vulnerable conversation, I’m joined by rapper, TEDx speaker, and mental health advocate Shocka. Shocka opens up about his journey through the mental health system, including being sectioned three times, and the deep transformation that’s unfolded in his life since.

We talk about the challenges he faced while balancing a music career with his mental health struggles, including the turning point that came after a trip to Ibiza when things began to spiral. Shocka shares openly about his experiences with medication, the loss of his mum, and the central role his faith has played in his healing.
Now thriving in his music, advocacy, and life in general, Shocka is using his platform to dismantle stigma around mental health.

His book A Section of My Life and his Instagram video series A Section of Your Life are shining a light on the realities of being sectioned, while offering hope and solidarity to others walking this path.

Also….don’t miss his series “Shocka Sunday”, where he shares his journey through powerful and articulate verses with music.

This is an important listen for anyone interested in mental health, resilience, and the power of turning pain into purpose. I was deeply inspired by Shocka, and I know you will be too.

Resources & Links:
•Follow Shocka on Instagram: @shocka_artist
•Get his book A Section of My Life: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Section-My-Life-Shocka/dp/1915680085/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UITs3Nvqle3Jx08Qya_4fK3lx8UUGRLCiBdi0VTBu-s.Cki7Pn20BlNe7Cmc3RGiedf0RtWuNeMqP6SPRbSV3RU&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+section+of+my+life&qid=1746356917&sr=8-1
•Watch his TEDx Talk: https://tedxlondon.com/speaker/shocka/

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