In the second episode of a special series of two, host Alexander Damiano Ricci talks to Stefano Valentino, an investigative freelance journalist who covered a case of greenwashing involving the French tire producer, Michelin, for the pan-European online media, Voxeurop. In particular, this podcast conversations uncovers the loopholes of green certification processes on financial markets. The original investigation was published in the form of a 4 article-long series under title "Investigating...

A huge congratulations to Stefano for this well-deserved recognition, and a big thank you to the team for helping bring this important investigation to our listeners! Stefano investigated a case of greenwashing involving the French tyre producer Michelin for the pan-European online media, Voxeurop. This episode explores Stefano’s groundbreaking work and emphasizes the importance of tackling environmental challenges and the efforts being made to drive change. A huge congratulations to Stefano...

In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Juli Simond tells the story of Pit-Roig Vinyals, a German language teacher based in Barcelona, Spain. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at age 23, Pit-Roig turned her personal battles into a mission, emphasising on mental health stigma dismantlement and open conversations that were once considered taboo. With an experience of over eight years in managing her conditions, Pit-Roig...

Sexuality education can play a central role in equipping young people with the necessary tools to further enjoy their sexuality and ultimately their human rights. Education about sexual and reproductive health and rights, more commonly shortened to sex-ed, should also help young people to navigate their development, feelings and relationships. In Europe, sex ed is mandatory in nearly every country, but in others - like Italy - it is still left out of school programmes. Even when included, sex...

Zoos bring us much closer to wildlife, but their existence is a controversial topic. Go online and it’s easy to find groups that advocate for the closure of zoos, assessing that they do more harm than good to animals. Complaints usually relate to confinement, the lack of space, unnatural environments and crowded conditions as the main problems against animal well-being. But experts working in zoos think differently. So the question boils down to: are zoos actually beneficial to animals? Do...

The Cambridge dictionary defines fatphobia as the “unreasonable dislike or unfair treatment of people because they are fat”. Going deeper, Fatphobia equates fatness with ugliness, inferiority, and immorality. Subjecting people to fat phobia or weight stigma can be very harmful, not just to people who are fat but also to anyone else who has been co-opted by a system that designates only one “correct” body size or weight. But is fatphobia also an intersectional issue or opression? How does it...

In this episode we'll be discussing the results of the recent French legislative elections, which defied the predictions of most analysts. More than that, we'll be discussing the trends that have been shaping France's society for years now, from politics to the media industry. More specifically: what can explain both, the expectations of Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party winning these elections, on the one hand, and the final success of progressive parties, on the other hand? The...

In this episode we'll be discussing the the leading form of exploitation affecting persons who fall victim to human trafficking, that is: sexual exploitation. The term sex trafficking (or sexual trafficking), therefore, identifies human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. This form of exploitation intersects with social and economic inequalities. Last but not least, conflicts such as the War in Ukraine can become triggers of new waves of exploitation. Along the episode,...

In this episode we'll be commenting on the results of the EU elections and try to make sense of the results and what this could mean for our future and rights. We'll speak with Quentin Aries, a journalist based in Brussels and the editor of Sphera Network, the first network of independent media in Europe to reinvent the media space and paint a new picture of the continent through impactful, unbiased, raw and authentic stories. Tune into episode 11 now! Hosted on Acast. See...

In this episode, we delve into the crucial role that the EU elections could have in combating racism across Europe. We'll be speaking with two inspiring young activists, Ebu and Zaineb, who bring diverse experiences as women of colour living in different parts of Europe. They'll share their insights on institutional racism, the importance of voting, and the power of youth activism in driving change. Tune into episode 11 now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we’ll be speaking with 2 experts from the human rights space to unpack what we mean by our digital rights, how they are being protected or violated and who gets to decide what technology is needed for or against whom. Kahina Rabahi representing the European Anti-Poverty Network and Bibbi Abruzzini representing Forus, a global network of civil society organisations — will help us uncover how digitalisation impacts essential services and civic space. Tune into episode 10...

This episode uncovers the real threat trans- and non-binary persons face, often due to the actions of far-right groups and a climate of hate which can also be traced back to political discourses. We hear from Patricia Reguero, a Spanish journalist from El Salto, and her Greek colleague, Anastasia Vaitsopoulou, who work for the media outlet Propaganda. Tune into episode 9 now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we delve into what unites far-right groups in Europe and how they have been capitalising on cultural tools like social media and aesthetics to particularly target and successfully recruit young men and women. We hear from Michael Colborne, a journalist and researcher with Bellingcat, an investigation journalism organisation based in the Netherlands. His work focuses on the far right where he oversees and leads investigations and trains journalists in digital investigative...

In today’s episode we'll look into the new generation of student, university and worker led protests that are shaping up across Europe, from France to Poland. And we’ll also discuss how this trend relates to a global narrative change around the future of work. We'll hear from journalists Samuele Maccolini from the Italian outlet VD News and Maciej Domagała, from the Polish outlet Krytyka Polityczna. We met with them in Budapest, during a live show produced by the Sphera Network project to...

In this episode, we’re going to tackle the rapid spread of gentrification. Let’s deconstruct this term and look at the human impact of taking from communities to serve mostly financial interests. Join our host of Europe Talks Back season 3, Gail Rego as she has a conversation with our guest activists and scholars activists and scholars Jordi González Guzmán and Rita Silva. Tune into episode 6 now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artificial Intelligence is all the rage and most of us use it every day knowingly whether it's to get music recommendations or unlock our phones. But how far has IA gotten? Do we know when AI is being used and by whom? And most importantly is AI neutral? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to the UN, 73% of women worldwide have experienced digital gender-based abuse: non-consensual intimate image-sharing, gender-based slurs or threats, online harassment, and unsolicited pornography. The consequences of this type of abuse go beyond the digital space, posing a threat to victim’s rights, health and safety both online and offline. Join our host of Europe Talks Back season 3, Gail Rego as she has a conversation with our guest activists and scholars Lilia Giugni and Silvia...

White feminism is a self-proclaimed feminism shaped by the priorities of white, upper-middle-class, cisgender women. It assumes that all women experience misogyny in the same way - but it’s not.”  What’s the point of breaking the glass ceiling if other women are left to pick up the pieces? Join our host of Europe Talks Back season 3, Gail Rego as she has a conversation with our guest  French activist, feminist, journalist, filmmaker and writer Rokhaya Diallo. Tune into episode 3 now This...

In your opinion, can protesting change anything?  Many protests have been organized in Europe and the UK to denounce the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Despite the worsening of the situation, these mobilizations don’t seem to have a real impact, as the situation on the ground remains catastrophic. This leads our host Gail Rego to ask whether mobilization makes any difference.  She discusses this with our guests Shabbir Lakha and Blackbird! Find the new episode on our website and listening...

What is integration? What does it mean to you and the people who are expected to “integrate” into our societies? Having been born and raised as a migrant for her whole life, join our new host Gail Rego of Europe Talks Back as she unfolds the harmful and unreasonable expectations placed on people with a migration history and how this term is often used against people who migrate. Tune in and join our guests Razan Ismail and Hasnain Syed in this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Join Gail Rego on Season 3 of Europe Talks Back as she speaks with grassroots activists to shed light on the stories that should matter, from gender to sex, digital to migration and everything in between. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, people with disabilities suffered tremendously. And amid the panic and chaos that followed the invasion, many were unable to evacuate from their homes. This left people trapped in the crossfire without access to bomb shelters. In the first episode of the second season of Europe Talks Back, host Juli Simond tells the story of Tetyana Herasymova, who is one of the approximately 2.7 million Ukrainians with disabilities. Tanya is one of those who...

In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Gail Rego continues to dig into the investigation by Stefano Valentino published by the pan-European online media, Voxeurop, on how the European car industry has lobbied EU institutions to weaken Euro Seven, the next European Emission Standard.   Over the years, the EU has adopted progressively more stringent regulations on car emissions, but establishing this new standard is proving to be more difficult than in the past. This story is part of an...

In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Gail Rego takes us inside the investigation by Stefano Valentino published by the pan-European online media, Voxeurop, on how the European car industry has lobbied EU institutions to weaken Euro Seven, the next European Emission Standard.   Over the years, the EU has adopted progressively more stringent regulations on car emissions, but establishing this new standard is proving to be more difficult than in the past. This story is part of an investigation...