Here's the first episode of Planet Local Voices – an interview series by Local Futures.   In this wide-ranging episode, economist, author and whistleblower John Perkins calls us to meet the defining challenge of our time – shifting from a "death economy" to a "life economy". He shares his own personal story of how he came to question the neoliberal worldview he'd been trained in, and discusses topics like empire and democracy, international relations, “free trade” treaties, redefining growth, embracing the local, and learning from indigenous cultures. John spent many years working to advance the interests of American corporations in Global South countries, at a time when neoliberal policies were being rolled out. Upon realizing the destructive ramifications of the work he was doing, he became an important whistleblower. His best-known book is 'Confessions of an Economic Hit Man' (2004), which describes his role in a clandestine process of economic colonization at the behest of corporations, banks, and the United States government. The book spent more than 70 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The music for this series is 'Pines and Violet', by Sky Toes.  Local Futures is an international non-profit organization, dedicated to renewing ecological and social well-being by strengthening communities and local economies.  To learn more and to follow the series, visit and subscribe at www.localfutures.org