Podcasts about social affairs

An academic from India and writer from Denmark talk to Ella Al-Shamahi about how the way economies are measured influences policy and undervalues both unpaid and paid care work, and affects the lives of women on every level. Emma Holten is a Danish feminist commentator whose book, Deficit: how feminist economics can change our world, became a best seller in her home country. It highlights how economics have shaped a world in which there is no value attached to care, happiness or quality of living. Emma says that by including only things that can be measured economics ignores many of the most important things in life.Jayati Ghosh is professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, in the US. In 2021 the United Nations named her to be on the High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs. She presented a series of lectures on feminist economics for the International Association of Feminist Economics. She's written many books with a focus on informal workers in the Global South and has advised governments in India and other countries.Produced by Jane Thurlow(Image: (L) Emma Holten credit Claudia Vega. (R) Jayati Ghosh courtesy Jayati Ghosh/Aleph Book Company.)

Releasing Possible Utopia – the podcast where we explore the intersection of politics, gender, and leadership to imagine a better world. From navigating challenges of safety and well-being in public life to uncovering the motivations that drive them, we'll delve into the stories behind the individuals shaping our societies. Together, we'll tackle the tough questions, confront systemic issues, and reimagine what a more inclusive and just political landscape could look likeThis isn't just a conversation about politics; it's a journey toward possibility – a utopia we can begin building today. Let's explore it together."Meet our host of Possible Utopia, Kanksshi Agarwal, Founder of NETRI Foundation, India's first incubator for women in political ecosystem, LiveMint 100 women shaping India, TEDx speaker and Cyril Shroff Scholar at Oxford University.Our first guest is, Viktorya Aydinyan, A public policy expert from Armenia with over eight years' experience of strategic planning, policy development, and public sector reform, Viktorya has co-authored nine national strategies and led over 25 initiatives in public management and human capital development. She advised the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia on strategy, development aid, and public administration reform. Viktorya has also held roles such as, Advisor to the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, and Team Lead for Public Administration Reforms within the Ministry of Justice.In this episode, Kanksshi and Viktorya delve into experiences of a young armenian woman in politics, her role in revolution, her perspectives on public administration, but more so her journey as an ambitious woman in politics, who traverses the delicate world of politics to bring about transformational changes in the society.

The EU's Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 sets a transformative agenda for accessibility, equality, and inclusion. In her address to the IIEA, Inmaculada Placencia Porrero, Senior Expert in Disability and Inclusion at DG Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion at the European Commission, explores the strategy's achievements, challenges, and alignment with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Drawing on her pivotal role in the creation of the European Accessibility Act and recent election to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Inmaculada reflects on Europe's leadership in disability policy and its implications for innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and the advancement of these rights globally. About the Speaker: Inmaculada Placencia Porrero is a Senior Expert in Disability and Inclusion at Directorate-General (DG) Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the European Commission. Her unit is responsible for the coordination of European policies for persons with disabilities. She works on European disability policies including the European Disability Strategy and the EU implementation of the UNCRPD. Inmaculada has worked on research programmes addressing accessibility as well as assistive technologies and has been Deputy Head of Unit for various disability-related units in the Commission. Her work in the "e-Inclusion" unit of the DG for Information Society and Media addressed accessibility policy. While at the DG for Justice and Consumers, she contributed to disability-related antidiscrimination legislation. She was responsible for the task force for the preparation of the European Accessibility Act and remains responsible for it since the Act's adoption in 2015. Currently, under the DG for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, she leads the team working on the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. In June 2024, she was elected as a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Ailbhe Conneely, Social Affairs correspondent and Tanya Ward, CEO of the Children's rights alliance breakdown the latest report

Press conference by Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Shantanu Mukherjee, Director, Economic Analysis and Policy Division at UN DESA and Mr. Hamid Rashid, Chief, Global Economic Monitoring Branch, Economic Analysis and Policy Division at UN DESA, on the launch of the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report 2025. The WESP report will also be launched regionally in Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Mexico, Moscow and New Delhi in early January. --- According to a UN flagship report released today (9 Jan), the global economic growth is projected to remain at 2.8 percent in 2025, unchanged from this past year. The World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2025 report shows that despite withstanding a series of mutually reinforcing shocks, global economic growth has stagnated and remains below the pre-pandemic annual average of 3.2 percent. The report produced by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), highlights the enduring impact of weak investment, sluggish productivity, and high debt levels on global economic performance. It also underscores the importance of global cooperation and prudent policies to lift growth and place it on a stable and equitable pathway that can accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Talking to the press today, Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said, “Our current assessment indicates that the world economy has largely avoided a broad-based contraction despite the unprecedented shocks of the last few years, and the most prolonged period of monetary tightening in recent history. For 2025, we project a global growth of 2.8 percent, similar to 2024. Lower inflation, monetary easing, and the recovery of international trade underpin this relatively stable outlook.” He added, “Nevertheless, we note that this rate remains well below the pre-pandemic average of 3.2 percent, recorded over 2010-2019. The recovery remains uneven, driven primarily by a few large economies. Subdued growth prospects pose significant challenges, particularly for developing countries.” This year's thematic chapter takes a deep dive into the subject of critical minerals for the energy transition that can ramp up climate action while presenting opportunities for many developing countries to create jobs, generate public revenues and reduce poverty and inequality. He said, “Addressing debt challenges, curbing illicit financial flows and strengthening domestic resource mobilization can increase the public revenues for investing in the SDGs. For many countries, the rising global demand for minerals critical for the energy transition presents a unique opportunity to stimulate growth, create jobs, and reduce poverty and inequality.” Such favorable outcomes are not inevitable, however, and need coherent national policies as well as international support to become possible. Li Junhua concluded, “Urgent actions are needed to address the debt sustainability challenges in many countries; to close the gaps in technology, financing, and infrastructure that hinder equitable growth; and to ensure that an accelerated energy transition reduces climate risks for all. The challenges we face are complex, but the solutions are within our reach – if we work together. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith holds a news conference in Calgary to discuss the establishment of a new working group between the provincial government and Enbridge with the aim moving more Alberta oil and gas across Canada and to the United States. She is joined by Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel. Working with Enbridge to develop opportunities to expand the company's footprint and increase global market access is aligned with the Alberta government's goal of doubling oil and gas production. Responding to questions from reporters, Smith comments on Justin Trudeau's announcement that he intends to step down as prime minister and federal Liberal leader. Premier Smith also discusses the need for a concerted approach to respond to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all imports from Canada. n many countries of the Northern Hemisphere, trends in acute respiratory infections increase at this time of year. These increases are typically caused by seasonal epidemics of respiratory pathogens such as seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other common respiratory viruses, including human metapneumovirus (hMPV), as well as mycoplasma pneumoniae. Many countries conduct routine surveillance for acute respiratory infections and common respiratory pathogens. Currently, in some countries in the temperate Northern hemisphere, influenza-like illness (ILI) and/or acute respiratory infection (ARI) rates have increased in recent weeks and are above baseline levels, following usual seasonal trends. Seasonal influenza activity is elevated in many countries in the Northern hemisphere. Where surveillance data is available, trends in RSV detections currently vary by region with decreases reported in most regions except in North America. Recently, there has been interest in hMPV cases in China including suggestions of hospitals being overwhelmed. hMPV is a common respiratory virus found to circulate in many countries in winter through to spring, although not all countries routinely test and publish data on trends in hMPV . While some cases can be hospitalized with bronchitis or pneumonia, most people infected with hMPV have mild upper respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold and recover after a few days. Based on data published by China, covering the period up to 29 December 2024, acute respiratory infections have increased during recent weeks and detections of seasonal influenza, rhinovirus, RSV, and hMPV, particularly in northern provinces of China have also increased. The observed increase in respiratory pathogen detections is within the range expected for this time of year during the Northern hemisphere winter. In China, influenza is the most commonly detected respiratory pathogen currently affecting people with acute respiratory infections. WHO is in contact with Chinese health officials and has not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns. Chinese authorities report that the health care system is not overwhelmed and there have been no emergency declarations or responses triggered. WHO continues to monitor respiratory illnesses at global, regional and country levels through collaborative surveillance systems, and provides updates as needed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/faith-love-trust--3493635/support.

Press conference by Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Shantanu Mukherjee, Director, Economic Analysis and Policy Division at UN DESA and Mr. Hamid Rashid, Chief, Global Economic Monitoring Branch, Economic Analysis and Policy Division at UN DESA, on the launch of the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report 2025. The WESP report will also be launched regionally in Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Mexico, Moscow and New Delhi in early January. --- According to a UN flagship report released today (9 Jan), the global economic growth is projected to remain at 2.8 percent in 2025, unchanged from this past year. The World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2025 report shows that despite withstanding a series of mutually reinforcing shocks, global economic growth has stagnated and remains below the pre-pandemic annual average of 3.2 percent. The report produced by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), highlights the enduring impact of weak investment, sluggish productivity, and high debt levels on global economic performance. It also underscores the importance of global cooperation and prudent policies to lift growth and place it on a stable and equitable pathway that can accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Talking to the press today, Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said, “Our current assessment indicates that the world economy has largely avoided a broad-based contraction despite the unprecedented shocks of the last few years, and the most prolonged period of monetary tightening in recent history. For 2025, we project a global growth of 2.8 percent, similar to 2024. Lower inflation, monetary easing, and the recovery of international trade underpin this relatively stable outlook.” He added, “Nevertheless, we note that this rate remains well below the pre-pandemic average of 3.2 percent, recorded over 2010-2019. The recovery remains uneven, driven primarily by a few large economies. Subdued growth prospects pose significant challenges, particularly for developing countries.” This year's thematic chapter takes a deep dive into the subject of critical minerals for the energy transition that can ramp up climate action while presenting opportunities for many developing countries to create jobs, generate public revenues and reduce poverty and inequality. He said, “Addressing debt challenges, curbing illicit financial flows and strengthening domestic resource mobilization can increase the public revenues for investing in the SDGs. For many countries, the rising global demand for minerals critical for the energy transition presents a unique opportunity to stimulate growth, create jobs, and reduce poverty and inequality.” Such favorable outcomes are not inevitable, however, and need coherent national policies as well as international support to become possible. Li Junhua concluded, “Urgent actions are needed to address the debt sustainability challenges in many countries; to close the gaps in technology, financing, and infrastructure that hinder equitable growth; and to ensure that an accelerated energy transition reduces climate risks for all. The challenges we face are complex, but the solutions are within our reach – if we work together. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith holds a news conference in Calgary to discuss the establishment of a new working group between the provincial government and Enbridge with the aim moving more Alberta oil and gas across Canada and to the United States. She is joined by Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel. Working with Enbridge to develop opportunities to expand the company's footprint and increase global market access is aligned with the Alberta government's goal of doubling oil and gas production. Responding to questions from reporters, Smith comments on Justin Trudeau's announcement that he intends to step down as prime minister and federal Liberal leader. Premier Smith also discusses the need for a concerted approach to respond to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all imports from Canada. n many countries of the Northern Hemisphere, trends in acute respiratory infections increase at this time of year. These increases are typically caused by seasonal epidemics of respiratory pathogens such as seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other common respiratory viruses, including human metapneumovirus (hMPV), as well as mycoplasma pneumoniae. Many countries conduct routine surveillance for acute respiratory infections and common respiratory pathogens. Currently, in some countries in the temperate Northern hemisphere, influenza-like illness (ILI) and/or acute respiratory infection (ARI) rates have increased in recent weeks and are above baseline levels, following usual seasonal trends. Seasonal influenza activity is elevated in many countries in the Northern hemisphere. Where surveillance data is available, trends in RSV detections currently vary by region with decreases reported in most regions except in North America. Recently, there has been interest in hMPV cases in China including suggestions of hospitals being overwhelmed. hMPV is a common respiratory virus found to circulate in many countries in winter through to spring, although not all countries routinely test and publish data on trends in hMPV . While some cases can be hospitalized with bronchitis or pneumonia, most people infected with hMPV have mild upper respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold and recover after a few days. Based on data published by China, covering the period up to 29 December 2024, acute respiratory infections have increased during recent weeks and detections of seasonal influenza, rhinovirus, RSV, and hMPV, particularly in northern provinces of China have also increased. The observed increase in respiratory pathogen detections is within the range expected for this time of year during the Northern hemisphere winter. In China, influenza is the most commonly detected respiratory pathogen currently affecting people with acute respiratory infections. WHO is in contact with Chinese health officials and has not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns. Chinese authorities report that the health care system is not overwhelmed and there have been no emergency declarations or responses triggered. WHO continues to monitor respiratory illnesses at global, regional and country levels through collaborative surveillance systems, and provides updates as needed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.

2100世界參考「Department of Economic and Social Affairs」

As technologies transform businesses, what critical skills are needed to succeed in the workforce of the future? With artificial intelligence, the green transition, globalisation and much more all impacting the world of work, there is an urgent need for policymakers, educators and businesses to respond. In this episode of Top Class, we explore what needs to happen to ensure people can develop the right skills to prosper in the years ahead. Stefano Scarpetta, the OECD's Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, and the Chief Economist at LinkedIn, Karin Kimbrough, tell OECD Editor Duncan Crawford how people can adapt and upskill to ensure they don't get left behind. Want to learn more about taking a skills first approach? Read: https://oecdedutoday.com/unfilled-job-vacancies-a-skills-first-approach-can-help/ Want to learn more about the OECD Survey of Adult Skills? Read our Insights and Interpretations brochure: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/support-materials/2024/12/survey-of-adult-skills-2023_1ab54c9e/PIAAC2024_InsightsInterpretations_FULL.pdf

We explore the cutting-edge of healthcare digitalisation through the lens of genomics, artificial intelligence, and e-health strategies. Liis Leitsalu, researcher at the Estonian Genome Center and the University of Tartu, will guide us through the evolving world of genomics. She shares her expert insights on how genetic research is revolutionising personalised medicine, the role of Estonia's pioneering Biobank, and the ethical considerations surrounding genetic data.Professor Kristjan Port, a sports biologist with deep roots in academic research, discusses the diverse applications of AI in healthcare, from diagnostics and treatment to managing patient data and the ethical dilemmas posed by AI technology. His insights will illuminate how AI is not just a tool of the future but a present reality shaping our medical landscape.Jaanika Merilo, Head of Digital Health at the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs, talks about Estonia's new e-health strategy. She outlines how digital tools are enhancing patient care, supporting healthcare professionals, and ensuring data-driven decision-making. She will explain how Estonia is leveraging technology to streamline healthcare services and improve patient outcomes, setting a benchmark for digital health globally.

Final results are in and are devastating for US Democrats. Republicans not only won the White House but they also regained control of the Senate and held on to the House achieving the government trifecta. In the end, Donald Trump won the election by only 2 percentage points but looking at the electoral map it certainly doesn't look like that. The US map has been swept by a red wave as Trump succeeded in winning in all seven battleground states. Democrats have spent the last week enwrapped in a blame game starting with the US President himself. Would things have been different if Biden had stepped down earlier? Was Kamala set up for failure as she was given only 100 days to make her bid for President? In today's episode, we are bringing you a collection of reactions to Trump's victory from all over Europe. We talked to people from Romania, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK at last week's event from Friends of Europe State of Europe. What you will hear in today's episode are fresh reactions to the results of the US elections as these all took place less than 24 hours after the results were announced. What stands out is a unified call for Europe to rise to the occasion. You will hear from Ciarán Devane, Executive Director of the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations and Trustee of Friends of Europe, Ahmed Abdirahman, Founder & CEO of Järvaveckan and 2024 European Young Leader (EYL40), Anders Storgaard, Member of the Frederiksberg City Council and 2024 European Young Leader (EYL40), Karien van Gennip, former Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Simina Tulbure, Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania, Gregg Jones, Regional Managing Director of the Brussels Hub of Coventry University, Jon Worth, Political Blogger and Campaigner and 2012 European Young Leader (EYL40), and Giulio Barbolani di Montauto, of the European Space Agency (ESA). If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

It's the 23 February 2022 and investigative journalist Anna Myroniuk is at home in Ukraine's capital Kiev, watching history unfold. President Putin has taken to the airwaves, delivering an address which any Ukrainian would immediately recognise as a declaration of war.For months there had been troop build ups and a steady drum of warnings that Russia was about to invade. Then, only a couple of hours after Putin's address, Anna awoke to the sounds of explosions outside her home.In this - the last episode of the series - Nicola speaks to Anna about how she and her colleagues continued to report from inside Ukraine despite missile strikes, internet shutdowns and an aggressive Russian disinformation campaign. She describes the complexities of setting up the Kyiv Independent after she and fifty of her co-workers were fired from another paper and the ongoing challenges of getting impartial information out of the country.Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

Send us a textDr. Päivi Sillanaukee, MD, Ph.D. is Special Envoy for Health and Wellbeing, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Finland ( https://stm.fi/en/rdi-growth-programme-for-health-and-wellbeing ).Dr. Sillanaukee has over 20 years of experience at highest civil servant administrative positions, both from government, including roles as Director General at Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Ambassador for Health and Wellbeing at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as well as various additional roles in the public sector at the Municipalities and Special Health care district levels.Actively participating also in Global Health, Dr. Sillanaukee has chaired and facilitated global multisectoral, multi-partner Health Security collaborations, facilitating capacity building at the country level. She served as Vice chair and member of WHO Executive Board, as Executive President for WHO/Europe Regional Committee, Member of Women in Global Health advocating for Gender Equity in Health, a member of Global Pulse Finland's health sector advisory board, as Member of Board of Directors, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and Member of the Inaugural Board of Digital Health & AI Research Collaborative (I-DAIR).Dr. Sillanaukee has also served as the co-chair of the Alliance for Health Security Cooperation (AHSC) and a member of the Steering Group of the Global Health Security Agenda.Dr. Sillanaukee is skilled in Health Care and Social Affairs management, Health and social service management, Health Security, Universal Health Coverage, Integrated care, Communicable & Noncommunicable diseases, Government, Management, Health Technology & innovation, Entrepreneurship, Quality Management, Interpersonal Skills, Non-profit and for profit Boards. Dr. Sillanaukee graduated with an MD, PhD, and eMBA from University of Tampere, specialization for Public Health Management, and an Honorary Doctor from University of Helsinki Faculty of Medicine.  She also studied humanities and cultural sciences in University of Jyväskylä.#PaiviSillanaukee #Finland #Healthcare #Ambassador #ForeignAffairs #SocialAffairs #HealthSecurity #UniversalHealthCoverage #IntegratedCare #CommunicableDiseases  #Wellbeing  #NoncommunicableDiseases #AgingInPlace #OneHealth #SilverEconomy #HealthTechnology #Entrepreneurship #QualityManagement #HIMSS  #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

The 7th OECD World Forum on Well-being will take place in Rome on 4-6 November 2024 and is co-organised by the OECD's Centre on Well-Being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE) and the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), with the collaboration of the Italian National Statistical Institute (ISTAT), and the support of the Bank of Italy, under the Italian Presidency of the G7. The Forum will look at how the well-being perspective can enhance our understanding of major societal challenges, such as climate change and artificial intelligence, and respond to them. Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to preserve individual liberty and improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. 7th OECD World Forum OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann will be joined at the Forum by: Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister of Economy and Finance, Italy Francesco Maria Chelli, President, Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) Baroness Beeban Kidron, Crossbench peer, UK's House of Lords, and Expert advisor for the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence Frank Vanderbrouke, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health, Belgium Atsushi Mimura, Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Japan Gelsomina Vigliotti, Vice President, European Investment Bank During the Forum, on 5 November, OECD WISE will be launching its flagship report How's Life? 2024 - Well-being and Resilience in Times of Crisis. This sixth edition of How's Life? presents the latest evidence from over 80 indicators covering current well-being outcomes, inequalities, and resources for future well-being. It contrasts medium-term trends in well-being outcomes with developments since 2019 to understand how well OECD governments are navigating the interconnected challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis and to outline emerging risks that require policy attention. Also on 5 November, OECD WISE will launch the OECD Digital Well-being Hub, developed in collaboration with Cisco. The Hub offers a holistic view of the impacts of digital transformation across key dimensions of well-being through a dashboard of indicators. It will also collect real-time, detailed evidence on people's digital behaviours and experiences through its crowd-sourcing tool, to help better understand inequalities and opportunities presented by digital life and provide a fuller picture of how the digital transformation is impacting our lives and our well-being. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

It's 2011 and a spark has been lit, the Arab Spring sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa, toppling despotic regimes one by one. In the Syrian capital Damascus, journalist Ali Al-Ibrahim is studying for a master's degree at university when the protests reach the surrounding streets.It was a hopeful moment, that something might be about to change. Then the government of President Bashar al-Assad responded. The crackdowns against peaceful protesters were swift and harsh, and reports of torture, disappearances and killings followed soon after.In this episode of 'Silenced', Nicola Kelly speaks to Ali about his work investigating human rights abuses inside his country, the challenges of gathering evidence from exile, and the importance of cross-border work to hold the regime and ISIS militants to account for the atrocities they have committed.Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

An unannounced risk inspection of a Co Galway nursing home in July found that the gas supply to the centre had been interrupted because it had failed to pay suppliers. We speak to our Social Affairs & Religion Correspondent Ailbhe Conneely

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had a tense exchange at the Strasbourg plenary on 9 October, after Orbán outlined his country's EU Council Presidency initiatives.Orbán stressed the need for stricter migration controls, questioning the EU's approach to Ukraine. Von der Leyen responded with a strong defence of Europe's military and financial support to Kyiv. The clash highlighted deepening divisions within the EU, as Orbán called for Commission neutrality, while von der Leyen criticised Hungary's border control policies and its stance on the Ukraine conflict.To take a deep dive into this topic, host Evi Kiorri spoke with László Andor, secretary general of FEPS and former Hungarian EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, along with our politics reporter Nicoletta Ionta.[Edited by Rajnish Singh]

Today the Wagner Group is known to many for the role it played in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But in 2018, when Nigerian journalist Philip Obaji Jr began to investigate their activities in Africa, the group was still largely unknown.What Philip discovered was human rights atrocities on an unimaginable scale. In central and west Africa, the Wagner Group was exploiting the natural resources to fund Russia's proxy wars, seizing gold mining sites and opening fire on the communities that lived nearby. One day in December 2023, Philip went on a high-risk reporting trip to the Central African Republic to visit a community of gold miners. But within an hour of arriving in a border village, he was captured, badly beaten and detained.In this week's episode, Philip tells Nicola about the risks he took to expose the truth about Putin's paramilitaries and their crimes in Africa. Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

On 15 August 2021, veteran journalist Sanjar Sohail watched in horror as the Afghan capital Kabul fell to the Taliban once again. Though he was safe at his home in Canada, Sanjar was responsible for a network of reporters across Afghanistan. Fifteen years earlier, he had set up Hasht-e-Subh. The media outlet had gained notoriety for its investigative reporting, pioneering a new type of journalism previously unfamiliar to Afghans. Its reporters were known for their tenacity, digging up stories that those in power wanted to bury. Now that the Taliban had returned, the lives of all those who worked for the platform were at immediate risk. In this episode, Nicola speaks to Sanjar about his recollections from the day of the takeover; how his network of reporters operate under the Taliban, and what he and his colleagues do to ensure sources still inside Afghanistan are protected.Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

How can the power of empathy create deeper connections with others? And what are work hacks that create a safe space in teams? Sebastian Kremser is the host of Empathie Schenker, a podcast where he listens to guests with empathy and no judgment. Sebastian is a process facilitator who helps clients navigate dynamic and complex environments, addressing both current and future challenges. Known for his empathetic and needs-oriented approach, he creates space for individual and organizational needs while fostering awareness of personal responsibility and potential through structured process guidance. After 12 years in the military, Sebastian transitioned in 2013 to become a consultant and coach, focusing on supporting organizations ranging from hierarchical public institutions to agile, collaborative structures. He is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a licensed mediator with the German Mediation Association. His work has taken him to China and Kenya, and he is also an authorized process consultant for the "unternehmensWert: Mensch" program of the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. In this episode, Sebastian shares his journey with empathy and listening, highlighting the power of self-empathy and creating space for others to shine. We dive deep into the importance of non-judgmental listening and how it can transform team dynamics and relationships. Sebastian's insights on self-awareness, shared leadership, and the magic of letting your light shine are truly inspiring. His perspective on creating a safe space for authentic communication and appreciation is a game-changer for building strong connections within teams and organizations. If you're looking to enhance your listening skills, gain a new perspective on empathy, or simply enjoy a thoughtful conversation, this episode is a must-listen. “...there's a difference between listening and being a listener." - Sebastian Kremser   SUPERPOWER Notes: 01:19 - From complexity to clarity: Sebastian discusses the journey from complexity to clarity in communication and the importance of listening to create understanding and connection. 08:43 - The power of nonviolent communication: Sebastian shares insights on the power of nonviolent communication in resolving conflicts and fostering understanding in teams and organizations. 11:33 - The alchemy of listening: Sebastian delves into the transformative power of listening, creating a space for empathy, understanding, and trust to flourish in interactions. 20:47 - The conversation highlights the impact of a lack of motivation in teams and the importance of addressing underlying issues to foster engagement and productivity. 23:31 - Flip-flopping topics in meetings: Sebastian discusses the strategy of addressing various topics in team meetings to ensure all voices are heard and to maintain focus and productivity. 40301 - The discussion centers on the transformative power of opening up and sharing vulnerabilities, leading to deeper connections, trust, and personal growth within teams and organizations. 42:43 - Embracing Each Other's Light: Sebastian shares insights on embracing and celebrating each other's unique strengths and qualities, creating a supportive and inclusive environment where individuals can shine and contribute authentically. 46:42 - Just be you in the moment: The conversation concludes with a reminder to embrace authenticity and self-expression, encouraging individuals to be true to themselves and explore their unique contributions in every moment.   Key Takeaways: “If we listen to each other, we help the other person to get more clarity." - Sebastian Kremser "Being non-judgmental in listening is like opening a gate to deeper connections. It's the alchemy of empathy." - Sebastian Kremser   People Mentioned: Vera F. Birkenbihl - Famous German communication scientist and trainer   Connect with Sebastian Kremser: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-kremser Podcast: Empathie Schenker on Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/empathieschenker/id1598578900  https://in-teams.de/ueber-mich/   Connect with Raquel Ark: www.listeningalchemy.com Mobile: + 491732340722 contact@listeningalchemy.com  LinkedIn Podcast email: listeningsuperpower@gmail.com

The Grenfell Inquiry into the tower block fire that killed 72 people in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea has delivered a devastating final report that names and shames many - but inquiries into infected blood, Covid and the Post Office have also revealed rot at the core of Britain's institutions - so can and, more importantly, will anything be done? To discuss the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry report and what it reveals about the state of modern Britain on this episode of the Political Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy was joined by Emma Dent Coad, who was the local MP at the time of the Grenfell fire and now sits on Kensington and Chelsea Council, Deborah Coles, director of Inquest who campaign on deaths involving state institutions, and Channel 4 News' Social Affairs editor Jackie Long.   Produced by Silvia Maresca, Calum Fraser, Shaheen Sattar, Rob Thomson.  

Though few people are aware, Vietnam now ranks at the bottom of all major global press indexes, its freedom of expression considered only slightly better than China and North Korea. In the midst of the global pandemic, a prominent author and journalist, Pham Doan Trang, was arrested on trumped-up charges of anti-state propaganda. She now faces nine years in prison.In this episode, Nicola speaks to Trang's colleague Quỳnh-Vi Trần about the challenges of getting impartial information out of one of the most repressive media environments in the world.Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

The United Nations Summit of the Future is being promoted as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to “transform the global governance!” It is scheduled at the UN in New York City for September 22-23, 2024. The top priority for the meeting is to “Transform global governance and turbocharge the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.”[1] Our guest, colleague, and journalist, Alex Newman, is preparing to go to the Summit of the Future, inspiring this column.[2]   At the upcoming meeting, UN Secretary Antonio Guterres plans to ask for a vote empowering him to decide when the next “global shock” of any kind seems to be developing in any country so that he can then organize the response to it on behalf of the world.[3]   For those of you who have thought that transforming “global governance” or “the new global order” was a “conspiracy theory,” it is a common conversation among the world's global predators. The UN Secretary-General is so enthralled with his role as a leader of the globalist government he has been promoting himself for that role for years, calling for more power in reforming or transforming what he himself calls the “new global order”[4]or global governance.”[5]   Now consider that Guterres is a well-known malicious Marxist activist under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, which has strongly supported him.[6] No surprise, in turn, that Guterres supports China as well. He publically invited the Communists to have a greater hand in global governance. As one UN headline boasts, “Guterres urges G7 and China to drive momentum for global governance reform.”[7]   Confirming Our Concept of Global Empires   The title of the above article, “Guterres urges G7 and China to drive momentum for global governance reform,” illustrates the collaboration of the Western and the Eastern Global Empires as they also vie to rule the new evolving world governance. It enables us to give you a thumbnail description of who we believe controls the world.   The G7 represents the wealthiest developed nations, plus close involvement with the European Union (EU).[8] This places the G7 into the center of the Western Global Empire. However, the actual ruling bodies are a complex of entities that stand about the nations themselves, such as the banking system, the Deep States, the military-industrial complex, the Western billionaires, and the global corporations. Meanwhile, the Chinese Communists rule the Eastern Global Empire, although their tentacles reach deeply into the Western world.   A few other entities of lesser power, such as Russia and the Islamic Empire, stand somewhat outside the circle of the world's ruling predators, sometimes making alliances with them but also fighting with them. The article and its title also illustrate the role that is being given to the UN in facilitating their collaborations. At the same time, the UN itself leans considerably more toward China than the West.     Precisely what sort of “global governance” or “global order” do you suppose Marxist Guterres and the Chinese Communists will impose on us?   Now consider that Guterres is proposing to “transform the global governance” by turbocharging the UN “2030” agenda. In 2023, the UN called the document “Transforming Our World.”[9] The document reads like a grandiose Marxist high school student telling the whole world what it should do when he runs it. Or, at its most benign, it is simply a wish list, a basketful of utopian Marxist nonsense. It has been fully adopted by the World Economic Forum[10] and many globalist corporations and institutions, and even into the global educational system.   Alex Newman! Everyone Must Pay Attention to Him   As noted earlier, our radio show guest, journalist Alex Newman, will be going to the UN to report on its monstrous Summit of the Future. The UN is asking its 192 nations to replace the sovereignty of their nations and their citizens with the sovereignty of the UN, a front group that is ultimately under the control of the Western Global and Eastern Global Empires.[11],[12]   We have been working closely with Alex Newman, sharing information and views on the growing world governance and the UN's role in it,[13] which I now view as centered in two competing global empires, acting as all empires have always done—vying to slaughter or enslave as many people as possible.   Alex Newman has led the way in his efforts to actually attend as many global events as possible, in his own words, trying to serve God by getting the information out as widely as possible. We believe he may be the first to fully understand the degree to which global predators are using the UN as their launching pad to world domination. This proposed UN “emergency platform” will empower the Secretary-General to seize the relevant functions of national governments in order to resist the alleged or potential new “shock.”   Exactly what constitutes a world-shocking event? He literally says it can be anything, “even Black Swan events.” No, that's not an ecological disaster involving birds. A black swan event is defined in dictionaries as a “high-impact event that is unpredicted or unexpected”—in other words, it's “anything I say it is.”   This latest UN-Globalist assault began in March 2023, when the Secretary-General of the UN announced that he and his global organization were the only ones able and anointed to take on the next world “shock” of any kind.[14],[15]That's as close as possible to a globalist announcing, “On the next available threat, I become emperor of the world.”   Alex and I both fear the voting representatives of the world's governments will come to heal and cede these incredible new “emergency” powers to this criminal Marxist, Guterres. Why? Because every greedy globalist, which is much of the world's leadership, wants a piece of the action when it comes to the control and exploitation of the entire world.   You don't want that? Neither do we. Join the fight in every way you can—it's getting closer and closer to the day when it will be too late to resist.   References:   [1] On July 14, 2024, the President of the General Assembly wrote a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirming the agenda: https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/pga_letter-_sotf_2024-07-12-18-54-44.pdf.   [2] About Alex Newman – Liberty Sentinel   [3] UN's Guterres: today's global governance structures reflect yesterday's world (aol.com). Also, see Summit of the Future website – EN | United Nations   [4] In Munich, Guterres calls for a new global order that works for all | UN News   [5] UN's Guterres: today's global governance structures reflect yesterday's world (aol.com)   [6] China supports Guterres to run for a second term as UN chief – CGTN and   [7] Guterres urges G77 and China to drive momentum for global governance reform | UN News   [8] https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/g7.asp   [9] Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development | Department of Economic and Social Affairs (un.org)   [10] What is the UN's Summit of the Future in 2024? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)   [11] What is the UN's Summit of the Future in 2024? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)   [12] James Roguski also keeps track of UN efforts to establish itself as a totalitarian government. Still, we see the UN as an obedient servant to the global predatory empires, especially the Eastern Global Empire under the Chinese Communists. Roguski importantly focuses on the secret and illegal manipulations going on behind the scenes at the UN. (100) The UN Silence Has Been Broken! – James Roguski (substack.com)   [13] (100) The United Nations Seeks ‘Global Governance' and Must Be Stopped (substack.com)   [14] UN chief proposes Emergency Platform to help tackle global shocks-Xinhua (news.cn)   [15] our-common-agenda-policy-brief-emergency-platform-en.pdf (un.org) and Responding to Global Shocks: UNSG's Emergency Platform – SDG Knowledge Hub (iisd.org)     Learn more about Dr. Peter Breggin's work: https://breggin.com/   See more from Dr. Breggin's long history of being a reformer in psychiatry: https://breggin.com/Psychiatry-as-an-Instrument-of-Social-and-Political-Control   Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal, the how-to manual @ https://breggin.com/a-guide-for-prescribers-therapists-patients-and-their-families/   Get a copy of Dr. Breggin's latest book: WHO ARE THE “THEY” - THESE GLOBAL PREDATORS? WHAT ARE THEIR MOTIVES AND THEIR PLANS FOR US? HOW CAN WE DEFEND AGAINST THEM? Covid-19 and the Global Predators: We are the Prey Get a copy: https://www.wearetheprey.com/   “No other book so comprehensively covers the details of COVID-19 criminal conduct as well as its origins in a network of global predators seeking wealth and power at the expense of human freedom and prosperity, under cover of false public health policies.”   ~ Robert F Kennedy, Jr Author of #1 bestseller The Real Anthony Fauci and Founder, Chairman and Chief Legal Counsel for Children's Health Defense.

For many years, Brazilian investigative journalist Juliana Dal Piva had been a human rights reporter. But in 2019, when President Jair Bolsonaro rose to power, her attention turned towards corruption at the highest levels of government. Her investigations were to put her on a collision course with the President's supporters and the military and commercial elites close to him.In this episode, Juliana tells Nicola about the personal and professional ramifications of exposing the truth, the death threats she has faced and why she believes that journalists play such a vital role in holding power to account.Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

Dr. Arto Pesola has a PhD degree in Exercise Physiology from the Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Jyväskylä. His field of science is the causality of reduced muscle inactivity time on health outcomes in an RCT setting. Arto has been a highly visible expert in Finnish national TV and radio channels giving expert opinions on the health hazards of sedentariness and the promotion of everyday physical activity. Invited by the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Arto was an expert member of the committee formulating national recommendations for reducing sitting and sedentary lifestyles in Finland in 2015. Naturally, Fibion was the first commercial product to implement the new recommendations. In Fibion, Arto has developed scientific analysis algorithms and is working to ensure that the Fibion product and marketing are based on the newest scientific findings.

Every two years, since 1951, the United Nations has compiled data and estimates about the world's population. These are contained in a report called World Population Prospects, which provides our best estimates about global population and demographic trends. The latest edition of World Population Prospects was released in June, and joining me today is one of the people responsible for putting this report together. John Wilmoth is Director of the Population Division at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. He last joined us two years ago after the previous iteration of this report was released. We will discuss what has changed, or not, from the estimates of two years ago, why we should be paying attention to rapidly aging populations in East Asia, and what we mean by the "demographic dividend" that many countries in Africa are poised to harness.

Aro Velmet is an associate professor of history at the University of Southern California, where he is a historian of modern Europe, colonialism, science, technology, and medicine with an overarching interest in gender studies. For Baltic Ways, he shares insights into the progression of LGBTQ+ rights in Estonia and the broader region and the path that has led to legislative change over the past decade. Mentioned in this episode:Velmet, A. (2019). Sovereignty after Gender Trouble: Language, Reproduction, and Supranationalism in Estonia, 1980–2017. Journal of the History of Ideas 80(3), 455-478. Põldsam, Rebeka, et al. Kalevi Alt Välja: LGBT+ Inimeste Lugusid 19. Ja 20. Sajandi Eestist. Eesti LGBT Ühing : Rahva Raamat, 2023.Elisarion: Elisàr von Kupffer and Jaanus Samma at the Kumu Art Museum in TallinnIrina Roldugina, UCIS Postdoctoral Fellow, History, Slavic Languages and LiteratureTranscriptIndra Ekmanis: Hello, and welcome to Baltic Ways, a podcast bringing you interviews and insights from the world of Baltic studies. I'm your host Indra Ekmanis. Aro Velmet is an associate professor of history at the University of Southern California where he is a historian of modern Europe, colonialism, science, technology, and medicine, with an overarching interest in gender studies. Today in our conversation, we speak about recent changes to LGBTQ-plus issues in Estonia and the broader region and the path that has led to where we are today. Stay tuned. Dr. Aro Velmet, thank you so much for joining us on Baltic Ways. Your research interests are pretty varied, right? They stretch across the globe to look at how microbiology became a tool of French colonial governance, all the way to the history of digital statecraft in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Estonia and in the global south. But today our conversation is going to focus a little bit on your work on gender and the current state of LGBTQ rights in the Baltic states. But before we get there, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your academic interests?Aro Velmet: Well, thank you, Indra, for inviting me to the show. I am, as you said, primarily a historian of science and technology, and I'm interested in the ways that various kinds of experts make claims on politics and power: how they reformulate questions that we think of as essentially questions of politics—who gets to cross borders, who gets to have various kinds of rights—as questions of technological expertise.So this may mean formulating public health policy, right? If the pandemic breaks out, then who needs to be vaccinated? What kinds of populations need to be surveilled, monitored, and regulated? This is what the first decade of my academic career was dedicated to in the context of the French Empire. Or it may mean questions around gender and reproduction. It may mean questions around how democracy is conducted, which is sort of what I'm researching right now. But I guess at the heart of it really is this question, and really this kind of utopian vision, of using technological expertise to solve these political quagmires, these debates that Western societies have been wrestling with for well over a century, that lots of different scientists have had the idea that maybe the way to break these problems open is through the application of this or that novel technology. So that's kind of what I'm broadly interested in academically. IE: Thank you for sharing that is really interesting. I'm sure that there are many, many different ways you can take that too—a lot of those questions resonate in today's world. Well, returning to the subject at hand today: In the past year or so, we've had some significant legislative steps happen in the Baltic states around LGBTQ-plus rights, particularly in Estonia and Latvia. Estonia adopted a marriage equality bill. In Latvia, civil unions are legal as of July 1st this year. Efforts in Lithuania to recognize same-sex partnerships, however, were also kind of in the legislative mix, but ended up stalling. I wonder if you can give us some insights into where the Baltic states currently stand with regard to LGBTQ rights and, more of some of the historical context of those rights in the region.AV: So I should preface this by saying that I really am not an expert on the histories of Latvia and Lithuania, even though the three Baltic states get lumped into one category very often. They are quite different, particularly in this question of LGBTQ rights.IE: That's fair.AV: To start off, I think the one bit of historical context that is really important is just how rapid and dramatic the shift in public attitudes and the legal situation towards LGBTQ people has been all over the Baltics, and I can speak for Estonia, specifically. And just to give you some idea of that, in 2012—this is a couple of years before same-sex civil unions were legalized—popular support for marriage equality in Estonia stood at roughly about a third of the population. So it was a sort of minority position. And we've now, over the course of twelve years, come to a point where not just marriage equality is now legal, has been legal for just about a year, and it also enjoys growing popular support. It now has majority support and had majority support in 2023 when it was legalized in parliament. So the shift really has been quite dramatic; that's kind of one thing to keep in mind. And I sort of remember when I first started getting involved with this question in 2011, it really was the kind of topic that no mainstream publication, no mainstream politician wanted to touch with a ten-foot pole. We tried to poll legislators, at the time, on their opinion about same-sex marriage or same-sex civil partnerships. And the vast majority of legislators declined to answer the question; they just didn't want themselves to be associated with this. So this situation is now quite dramatically different. The other thing that I already alluded to is that the situation is quite different in different Baltic countries. So while Estonia now has broad majority support to same-sex marriage and overwhelming support, over 70 percent, to same-sex civil partnerships and kind of broad question of do you think homosexuality is acceptable, these numbers are quite different in the Baltic states.So the kind of contrast to this is Lithuania, where a recent survey showed that only barely a quarter of the population supports same-sex marriage: so dramatically different contexts. And to a degree, these are contexts that are explained by history, culture, and politics, right? Lithuania is a strongly Catholic country, and the kind of Catholic discourse that is global and particularly prominent in Poland, but also in other Catholic countries such as France, that really sees homosexuality as a sin and same-sex marriage as an affront to church doctrine, is really something that dominates in Lithuania.I think the situation in Latvia is a bit more complicated, and you probably can tell me more about this than I can tell you. But it seems to me that a lot of that discourse has to do with Russian-oriented political parties and the discourse that is connected to the Kremlin's official position on gay rights and the preservation of so-called traditional marriage.So there's lots of context here that makes these three countries in some ways quite different, but I think they are also similar in that the broad sort of direction of travel over the past two decades has been towards increasing acceptance of the LGBTQ community and increasing moves towards legislation that protects the rights of gay and queer people around the three Baltics states.IE: Thank you for sharing that background. I'm no expert on the situation in Latvia, but it's quite interesting. Edgars Rinkēvičs, the current president, is the first gay head of state in Europe. At the same time, you're right that the discourse is quite difficult and legislatures have taken quite a long time to implement some rulings from the Supreme Court, which has urged them to take steps towards approving civil unions and same-sex partnerships for a while. It's quite a mixed bag. You mentioned the situation in Lithuania and the kind of deep ties to Catholicism and faith. That's something that, I think often, is thought of when we think of resistance to LGBT rights. But you also wrote an article in 2019, called “Sovereignty After Gender Trouble,” where you look at, more specifically, Estonia, which is not really a particularly religious society in the same sort of way. And you look at how the opposition to LGBT rights drew arguments more broadly linking them to demography, state sovereignty, language, resistance to that kind of supranational authority: in this case, it was the European Union. And certainly, demography and language in the Baltic states are quite existential hot topics.So I would love it if you could tell us a little bit more about that research. I found that article really interesting.AV: I think the research was basically spurred by this question of why is this attack on what certain conservative groups called gender ideology—and we can characterize this as a sort of broadly homophobic sentiment—so popular? Not just in Estonia, but in a variety of different places where it seems that just saying that this is a movement that's grounded in religious sentiment doesn't quite explain its broad popularity among many different social groups. And it is true, it is true also in the Estonian case, that a lot of the leading activists of the so-called anti-gender movement, come from religious backgrounds. So in the case of Estonia, they are fundamentalist Catholics. This is particularly puzzling because Catholicism in Estonia is sort of small—there are very few people who are Catholics. Estonia in general is one of the least religious countries in the world. And yet at the same time, this movement gained a lot of traction in the 2010s during this debate over same-sex civil unions.Now, basically what I found in my research when I looked at the kinds of arguments that these anti-gender activists and conservative politicians were making, their arguments weren't really about religion. They weren't really about something like natural law—something that's often invoked in Catholic discussions.But they were really about a question of sovereignty. And the way this argument was made was roughly, like this: The symbol of health for the Estonian state is population growth, right? When the population is growing, then the state is healthy. When the population is declining, then this means that Estonian sovereignty is under attack.And we see this in the Soviet period when mass migration of Russophone citizens threatened the Estonian demographic situation in the 1980s. This is how this argument is made. AV: And we're seeing this in the 2000s where the Estonian population, the kind of natural birth rate is declining. And what this must mean is that Estonian sovereignty is under threat by this different supranational organization, the European Union. The links that these groups draw between the European Union and the Soviet Union are in some cases, very direct. There are cartoons where you have a kind of fat cat Estonian politician bowing toward Moscow in 1988 and then toward Brussels in 2014. And the problem with these kinds of supranational organizations is that they are out of touch with the will of the people. They're out of touch with what people consider to be a healthy way of living, and this is expressed through these programs supporting LGBT rights.So really I think that this tells us quite a bit about what draws the sort of broader population to this kind of rhetoric. It's not really Christian rhetoric, which is quite downplayed, about sinfulness and natural law and righteous living and things like that. It's really a language about giving away power to supranational entities. And in this telling, the support of the political class, of Estonian liberals and social democrats, towards LGBT rights then becomes a kind of proxy for saying, “Look, these are people whose interests lie with Brussels and not with the people in Tallinn or in Paide or in Kohtla Järve or in these small towns that are being forgotten.”And I think actually that move—where gay rights become a stand-in for a kind of liberal alienation and a representation of a loss of sovereignty to supranational institutions—is actually quite revealing because I think that is broadly the same kind of argumentation that is being put forth in Poland by the Law and Justice Party, by Viktor Orban's Fidesz, with a sort of heavy dollop of anti-Semitism thrown in for good measure, and by the Rassemblement National in France as well. And by peeling away the religious layers of this rhetoric, we really get to what is at the heart of the matter.IE: Yeah. Maybe the supranational part is also perhaps not as intensive in the United States, but the idea of the kind of alienation, especially of the rural population and the areas that are underserved, and homosexuality as a kind of stand-in there for politicians is—I think it's instructive also there. As you noted, this article focuses on the backlash to the European Union's more progressive stance. You know, you mentioned Poland and Hungary—these are also the close neighbors of the Baltic states in some ways. But on the other side, you have Finland, Sweden, and Northern Europe—decidedly more progressive in their stances. So I wonder if you could perhaps tell us a little bit about how the international community—be it organizations or be it close neighbors or even further neighbors—have influenced the trajectory for the Baltic states on these questions.AV: Yeah, of course. It's interesting that you bring up the Nordics because I think something that has made a very substantial difference in Estonia's trajectory compared to Latvia and Lithuania is the very close economic and cultural ties to Sweden and Finland and Norway as well. And therefore they were able to benefit from many of the resources of these countries and in ways that are quite material. So Norway's gender equality fund, for instance, has financed a lot of Estonian NGOs, and had for a long time financed the office of gender equality at the Ministry of Social Affairs. Lots of activists, who've been working at this in Estonia for a long time, have either family in Finland or Sweden or hail from there, or sort of Estonian Swedes or something like that, and generally the sort of links and networks with Nordic organizations have been very tight. And so there's always been a lot of people who are willing to do advocacy work in Estonia when in moments where local politicians have not been willing to speak up for gay rights it has been quite easy to get someone like Alexander Stubb, the current Finnish president, to give an interview on the issue, you know, way back in 2011. So I think that has made quite a big difference. I mean, this, in some ways, also opens up the local community to the criticism that they're astroturfing, right: that these organizations are EU-funded organizations that, again, are somehow alienated from the rest of the population. I just want to make very, very clear that this is a very misleading argument. Because it hasn't been for a lack of wanting or a lack of initiative that these organizations have evolved over the time that they have. It's been primarily due to a lack of funding. It's been due to the fact that there simply haven't been funding sources for people to build these organizations within Estonia. So they've gone to supranational organizations like the EU, like the Soros Foundation or various Nordic sources of funding to do it. IE: Maybe we can continue on—because I think we're already on this path—that you can tell us a little bit more about local activism, local organizations, and how that's impacting both the political side legislation but also the social side. That's quite a dramatic statistic that you cited for Estonia, right? In just a handful of years moving general acceptance of same-sex marriage.AV: So the support for same-sex marriage right now is just over half of the population. And you can break this down demographically and see some interesting things there. The below-25-year-olds overwhelmingly support it. Russian-language speakers tend to be more skeptical, but they are, the growth has been, perhaps the fastest over the past couple of years. So yeah, the changes have been quite dramatic. And thinking about the organization and the kind of activists seen in Estonia, some things appear quite different if you look at it, particularly from an Anglophone or an American's perspective, which is that, by and large, organizations in Estonia tend to be more oriented towards either internal community building or kind of professional policy work. Really sort of working together with the Minister of Social Affairs with legislators in the parties who are broadly favorable to LGBT rights, with various ministries and state organizations, rather than having a kind of strong on the streets presence, right? This putting bodies on the streets and really pushing in that form hasn't been a particularly big part of political activism and certainly not in Estonia. I know less about Latvia and Lithuania. And in some sense this has been, I think, both a positive and a negative aspect. Certainly, we've seen how quickly and well conservative organizations have organized, precisely around big public meetings and building a kind of mass base of support for their agenda. And this certainly made the fights in 2014, and to a lesser extent last year, quite complicated. The other thing I think that's worth mentioning, that some researchers like Pauliina Lukinmaa have pointed out, is that the LGBTQ community and the organizations in particular tend to be quite divided along ethnic lines, right? There are many different communities that for a long time didn't really talk to one another and have had very different experiences. In Estonia this has been compounded by the arrival of folks who are fleeing persecution in Russia and also Ukrainian LGBTQ people who have arrived in Estonia with the ongoing war in the past two years. So thinking about how to bring these communities together has generally been one of the challenging aspects. Again, I'm relying here on research that I've read, more than direct experience. IE: Yeah, that is interesting to see how those cleavages also carry over into this type of work and activism. I wonder, what do you see as the future for LGBT rights in the Baltic states? Do you see this growing convergence, this very rapid kind of shift that you've already pointed to continuing and will convergence with Northern Europe may be on the horizon? Is it tangible?AV: Yeah, I think it depends a lot on political contingency. One thing to keep in mind is that, for instance, both the same-sex civil partnership law that was passed in Estonia in 2014, and the marriage equality law that was passed in 2023—these were not foregone conclusions. These were narrow votes, products of a lot of lobbying that could have gone in a different direction had a few things here and there been different. So they were really kind of utilizing the opportunity handed in a moment. And we need to keep this in mind, right? I think the Baltics are broadly in a similar situation all around where small shifts in the political makeup of the country can dramatically change the situation on rights. I think one of the challenges that all three countries will face, and certainly Estonia is seeing this unfold right now, is that generally, the parties that have most steadfastly supported queer rights have been liberal parties in the sense of being sort of broadly on the right, economically speaking. So the Reform Party in Estonia—that's the current prime minister's party—at a certain point, can only go so far in that direction, right? And already after the last elections, we saw quite a bit of debate over whether the winning of marriage equality was really—well, let me think of how to sort of put this, in the best way. That there's a trade-off if you sacrifice, for instance, progressive healthcare policy or progressive taxation policy for something like marriage equality. Because, of course, queer people also need healthcare. In fact, they are more likely to require healthcare. They are more likely to be vulnerable to social dislocation. They are more likely to need government services. They are more likely to experience workplace discrimination. So, they also need stronger labor protections. So, this question of how much do you want to hitch your ride to the liberal bandwagon is one that I think is going to become increasingly acute now that these basic questions of civil rights have been more or less settled. I don't think these are going to be turned back.But now we're starting to see that actually the experience of middle-class queer people in Tallinn can be quite different from poor queer people in the countryside. We are starting to think more about what is the difference between the experience of queer people who speak Estonian versus those who speak Russian. And I think figuring this out is going to be quite the challenge because there is not nearly as much consensus on issues of social policy than there is emerging on this sort of broader question of civil rights. IE: Yeah, that's a really good point to make. Thank you for highlighting it. Well, we're nearing the end of our time, but I want to ask you to tell us a little bit about what you are currently working on and if you have any recommended reading for listeners.AV: Sure, the answer to the first question is going to take us quite far from this conversation since gender and gender studies are a part of all of my research. You know, it's a fundamental part of the human condition, so anything one studies, I think, should have a gender component to it, but it's not the primary topic of my research right now. I'm interested in the history of information processing and governance and the idea of solving politics through computers. I'm following the story from the 1960s and the foundation of various institutes of cybernetics in places like Tallinn, Kyiv, Vilnius, and elsewhere, to the story of the Estonian digital state that emerged in the 1990s and is still kind of the main branding exercise. IE: E-stonia.AV: Yeah, E-stonia, exactly. The digital republic. And, you know, it's still asking questions about the relationship of expertise to power. The way people imagine political communities and the way people imagine bodies. So it carries many of the themes of the stuff that I've researched before, but taking it a little bit closer to the Baltic states.And then as for reading recommendations, I really would love for people to engage with the work of Irina Roldugina, who is, I think, currently at the University of Pittsburgh. She's a fantastic scholar of Soviet social queer history, really a kind of queer history written from the bottom up. And it's this really phenomenal reading. She's found archives that are just astounding in what they reveal, but also in how difficult it is to really discover queer voices in the archive, which have tended to marginalize them throughout the 20th century. Folks who read Estonian, I really would like to recommend the collected volume titled Kalevi Alt Välja, which is edited by my friend and colleague Uku Lember and Rebeka Põldsam and Andreas Kalkun, which chronicles again, sort of, bottom-up queer histories in Estonia from the 19th century to the present. And I think it'd be a very nice companion to this exhibit on queer Balto-German art that's right now running at the National Art Museum in Tallinn. So, also really, really interesting stuff—again, uncovering a part of Baltic queer history that I had no idea about, personally. And it's great art to boot. So yes, lots of good stuff out there. IE: Those are excellent recommendations. We'll be sure to link them in the bottom of our podcast notes. And I want to thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us, for sharing your perspective on your vast array of research topics, and for honing in on this subject with us this time. But perhaps we'll have to speak again on some of your other work. So I just want to thank you. Thank you so much.AV: I would be happy to talk more. Thank you for inviting me. IE: Thank you for tuning into Baltic Ways, a podcast from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. A note that the views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI. I'm your host Indra Ekmanis. Subscribe to our newsletters at aabs-balticstudies.org and FPRI.org/baltic-initiative for more from the world of Baltic studies. Thanks for listening and see you next time. Image: Facebook | Baltic Pride This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

Finland has once again topped the ranking for the happiest country in the world. But what has food got to do with it? In this programme, Sheila Dillon finds out whether what they eat, their food culture and unique food policies are helping Finns feel happy. What we could we learn from this enterprising Nordic nation? And what challenges are they still facing? In Helsinki, Sheila visits restaurateur and ‘happiness hacker' Luka Balac, who in his spare time takes tourists through a day in the life of ‘a happy Finn', and explains how his approach to food hospitality fosters his own sense of happiness. Next. she joins a city food and walking tour to taste Finnish specialties like Karelian pies and cloudberry jam to find out more about the food habits of the locals. Finland has had its fair share of unhappiness with high depression and suicide rates in the past. Now, there are new efforts to improve mental health via food. Sheila speaks to Aino Kipfer, a researcher in Eastern Finland, who is part of a project aiming to treat depression with better diets, building on the pioneering science around food and mood. She also hears more about how food is linked to security in the eastern region from Kirsi Vartia, of the Rural Women's Advisory Committee, who shares her own personal tips for happiness. Sirpa Sarlio, an advisor at the government's Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, explains why Finland became the first country in the world to offer free school meals, and why this ended up as a strong foundation on which to build a happy and healthy wider society. Back in London, Sheila visits diplomat and food enthusiast Marcus Hippi, at the Finnish church and community centre in Rotherhithe, to hear how the UK compares in terms of food culture and happiness from the point of view of Finns living abroad. Presented by Sheila Dillon and produced by Nina Pullman for BBC Audio in Bristol.

On 16 September 2022, Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was out on the streets of the Iranian capital Tehran, capturing images of protests that were soon to sweep around the world.Days before, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl from Kurdistan, had been arrested by Iran's morality police, accused of not wearing her headscarf properly. Shortly after that, news emerged that Mahsa had died in police custody. Though the authorities have always denied it, eyewitnesses say she was severely beaten by prison officers, later dying of the injuries she had sustained. It was a pivotal moment for hundreds of thousands of people in Iran, who took to the streets, chanting “Women, Life, Freedom”. In this episode, Nicola speaks to Yalda about being detained in the notorious Qarchak prison, what she witnessed at the protests and the brutal crackdowns that followed. Nearly two years on, how much has changed for women in Iran, and for those who expose the truth about what's really going on there?Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin CanersFollowed ARTICLE 19 on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/article19org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTICLE19org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/article19/

In this episode, we examine the emerging security concerns in Greenland and Iceland amidst growing international attention to the Arctic region. Our discussion spans geopolitical strategies, defense policies, environmental challenges, and international collaboration.Our panelist include:Aaja Chemnitz Larsen: Member of the Danish ParliamentSara Olsvig: International Chair of Inuit Circumpolar Council; Ph.D. Candidate, Ilisimatusarfik - University of Greenland; Former Vice Premier & Minister of Social Affairs, Families, Gender Equality and Justice, Government of Greenland; Member, Constitutional Commission of GreenlandMarc Lanteigne, Professor, Political Science Department, UiT - The Arctic University of NorwayEgill Níelsson, Senior Advisor, Rannís - The Icelandic Center for ResearchThe discussion and following Q&A with the audience are moderated by Halla Hrund Logadóttir, Director General, Icelandic National Energy Authority.This panel originally took place at the 2021 Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, Iceland.Arctic Circle is the largest network of international dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic. It is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organizations, corporations, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, Indigenous communities, concerned citizens, and others interested in the development of the Arctic and its consequences for the future of the globe. It is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. Learn more about Arctic Circle at www.ArcticCircle.org or contact us at secretariat@arcticcircle.orgTWITTER:@_Arctic_CircleFACEBOOK:The Arctic CircleINSTAGRAM:arctic_circle_org

Not everyone who dedicates their life to dirty oceans and rivers comes from somewhere close to a body of water. Matthias Egger, Head of Environmental and Social Affairs, hails from the Swiss mountains and dedicates his life to the science of making oceans and rivers cleaner for marine life and humans in the future. He discusses how we help local communities by addressing global problems through a holistic but specific lens. While solving pollution on a small scale and changing people's lives, we work on global solutions. We use the data from river deployments in various countries to develop a blueprint for the future by writing Environmental and Social Impact Assessments. This way, we mitigate risks, monitor our actions to create a larger impact on the world, publish research, and strive to make upstream changes. For example, Matthias shares his experience at the INC negotiations, where over 160 countries work on the first international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. He also talks about his personal experiences throughout his six years working for The Ocean Cleanup and what this means to him as a father. Learn more about how we contribute to environmental and social impact here: https://theoceancleanup.com/environmental-and-social-impact/

Though it rarely makes news headlines, in the Southern Caucasus a geopolitical battle is underway. Georgia is locked between democracy - with closer ties to Europe - and authoritarianism, with the Russian bear looming ever larger.It all started in April 2024, when a new law was introduced dubbed the 'foreign agent law', which mandated that any organisation receiving more than 20 per cent of its funds from abroad needed to register as organisations pursuing the interests of a foreign power. In response, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets calling for closer union with NATO and the EU, and for the government to turn away from Russia. Here, Nicola Kelly speaks to Georgian journalist Tornike Mandaria about the growing movement and what these demonstrations tell us about the future of this embattled nation and its people.Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

Why should I have to change my lifestyle when there's all those poor people over there we can blame?!?BONUS EPISODES available on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/deniersplaybook) SOCIALS & MORE (https://linktr.ee/deniersplaybook) CREDITS Created by: Rollie Williams, Nicole Conlan & Ben BoultHosts: Rollie Williams & Nicole ConlanExecutive producer: Ben Boult Post-production: Jubilaria Media Researchers: Carly Rizzuto, Canute Haroldson & James CrugnaleArt: Jordan Doll Music: Tony Domenick Special thanks: The Civil Liberties Defense Center, Jan Breitling, Robert Fletcher SOURCESTucker: The world we live in cannot last. (2022, January 5). Fox News.U.S. Population Growth Rate 1950-2024. (2024). Macrotrends.Fox News. (2018, December 6). Tucker on mass migration's effect on our environment. YouTube.Fox News. (2017, July 7). Progressive: Limit immigration for the environments sake. YouTube.Utopian Dreams. (2017, March 27). Sir David Attenborough on Overpopulation. YouTube.Climate One. (2017). Jane Goodall Discusses Over Population. YouTube.The Borgen Project. (2010, August 2). Bill Gates on Overpopulation and Global Poverty. YouTube.Balan, M. (2016, October 24). NBC's Guthrie, Tom Hanks Hype Overpopulation: “The Math Does Add Up.” MrcTV; Media Research Center.Malthus, T. R. (1798). An Essay on the Principle of Population. In Internet Archive. J. Johnson London.The 1801 Census. (n.d.). 1911census.org.uk.Poor Law reform. (2024). UK Parliament.Ko, L. (2016, January 29). Unwanted Sterilization and Eugenics Programs in the United States. Independent Lens; PBS.Bold, M. G. (2015, March 5). Op-Ed: It's time for California to compensate its forced-sterilization victims. Los Angeles Times.Fletcher, R., Breitling, J., & Puleo, V. (2014). Barbarian hordes: the overpopulation scapegoat in international development discourse. Third World Quarterly, 35(7), 1195–1215. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2014.926110Lyndon Johnson's State of the Union Address, 1967. (n.d.). Ballotpedia.Timms, A. (2020, May 18). Making Life Cheap: Making Life Cheap Population control, herd immunity, and other anti-humanist fables. The New Republic.National Security Study Memorandum NSSM 200: Implications of Worldwide Population Growth For U.S. Security and Overseas Interests (THE KISSINGER REPORT). (1974). USAID.USAID Policy Paper: Population Assistance. (1982). USAID.Doshi, V. (2016, October 26). Will the closure of India's sterilisation camps end botched operations? The Guardian.Kovarik, J. (2018, October 8). Why Don't We Talk About Peru's Forced Sterilizations? The New Republic.ISSUE BRIEF: USAID'S PARTNERSHIP WITH PERU ADVANCES FAMILY PLANNING. (2016). USAID.Ehrlich, P. R. (1968). The Population Bomb. Ballantine Books.Paul Ehrlich, famed ecologist, answers questions. (2004, August 10). Grist.If Books Could Kill. (2022, December 15). The Population Bomb. Podbay.Union of Concerned Scientists. (1992, July 16). 1992 World Scientists' Warning to Humanity. Union of Concerned Scientists.Haberman, C. (2015, May 31). The Unrealized Horrors of Population Explosion. The New York Times.United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2022). World Population Prospects 2022: Summary of Results. United Nations.Oxfam. (2024, July 2). What is famine, and how can we stop it? Oxfam America.Is There a Global Food Shortage? What's Causing Hunger, Famine and Rising Food Costs Around the World. (2023, November 16). World Food Program USA.Pengra, B. (2012). One Planet, How Many People? A Review of Earth's Carrying Capacity. In UNEP Global Environmental Alert Service (GEAS). UNEP.CONFRONTING CARBON INEQUALITY: Putting climate justice at the heart of the COVID-19 recovery. (2020). In OXFAM Media Briefing. OXFAM.United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2021). Global Population Growth and Sustainable Development. United Nations.Eyrich, T. (2018, November 14). Climate change is worsening, but population control isn't the answer. UC Riverside News.Disclaimer: Some media clips have been edited for length and clarity.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On 29 March 2023, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was on a field trip in the Ural mountains of Russia when he was arrested on spurious charges of espionage.Russia's FSB - the successor to the Soviet-era KGB - had accused Evan of attempting to obtain classified information about a large military industrial complex, charging him with spying; charges the Journal, the US government and Evan's family have always strenuously denied.In this episode of 'Silenced', host Nicola Kelly speaks to Ann Simmons, Moscow Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal and Evan's boss. Ann describes the ways in which the climate has changed for reporters covering Russia over recent years. She also sets out what happened on the day of Evan's arrest, the conditions in which he is being held and the chilling precedent his case sets for all those trying to get reliable, impartial information out of Russia.Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

There have been doubts over President Joe Biden's mental acuity for quite some time. But his performance in the recent Presidential debate seems to have come as a shock to many, and especially to Biden's support base. Almost the entire American liberal establishment, has called on Biden to step back and allow someone else get the Presidential ticket. Is he likely to stay the course, or will he make way for someone else? With the Democratic National Convention coming up next month, what are the options for the Democrats? Can they convince donors and voters that a President well past his cognitive prime is a good idea? And if Biden does step back, which are the names that have a good chance of winning against Donald Trump? Guest: Sanjay Ruparelia, Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration, who holds the Jarislowsky Democracy Chair at Toronto Metropolitan University.  Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs editor, The Hindu Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian.

With western media outlets dubbing the conflict in Sudan a “forgotten war”, what role do journalists play in making sure the world doesn't look away?On the morning of 15 April 2023, Al Jazeera's Sudan correspondent Hiba Morgan was up early, preparing to head out on a reporting trip northwest of the capital Khartoum. There had been something in the air for months; a sense that a feud between two generals - one from the Sudanese army, and the other from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF - was about to come to a head. But nobody could have known the scale of the war that was about to unfold around them. In this episode, Nicola talks to Hiba, the last remaining international correspondent based in Khartoum. She describes the atrocities she has witnessed, the complexities of verifying information when the situation is unclear and changing rapidly, and the determination to continue reporting from inside Sudan.Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

In the early hours of 7 October 2023, news rolled in which was a completely different scale to anything Israeli photojournalist Oren Ziv had ever covered before. He grabbed his cameras and headed south to the border villages. Not long after that, he and his colleagues came under fire from Hamas militants who had broken through the border wall.Later, Oren visited the site of the Nova music festival and kibbutz where Israelis had attempted to flee the attacks. He spoke to the families of those taken hostage by Hamas, attended funerals and morgues, and covered the looting of Palestinians' homes in the West Bank.In this episode, Oren tells host Nicola Kelly about the attacks on 7 October, how it felt to come under fire from Hamas and what it has been like to cover the war from the frontline. Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

How do you report on a war when the war is at home?In this episode host Nicola Kelly speaks to Al Jazeera Gaza correspondent Youmna ElSayed. Youmna describes the challenges of reporting on the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks and Israel's devastating bombardment of the beseiged Gaza Strip in the months that have followed. She sets out the personal and professional costs of covering the war, the impact it has had on her family and the moment the Israeli Defence Forces called her home to issue a threat.Presented by Nicola KellyProducer: Kevin Caners

Maggie Davis, ASTHO Director of State Health Policy, updates us on public health policy updates from state legislatures across the country; Cody Kinsley, North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services, says North Carolina will continue to build a network of behavioral health urgent care centers; and Moses E. Pretrick, Assistant Secretary for Health at the FSM Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO's 2024 Legislative Session Update – Part Two ASTHO Blog Article: ASTHO's 2024 Legislative Session Update – Part One North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services News Release: Investment in Strengthening North Carolina's Behavioral Health Crisis Response System  ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed  

Senator Ratna Omidvar chairs the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.

It is hard to imagine violence on the scale that occurred 30 years ago this spring in Rwanda. But for our guest, Odette Nyiramirimo, she doesn't have to imagine, she can remember.  We are so honored to have Odette on our podcast. She is not only a medical doctor who with her husband founded the first private maternity and pediatrics clinic in Rwanda as well as being a doctor for the Peace Corps, she also served as a senator and as Minister of State for Social Affairs under the government of Paul Kagame. Her account of the genocide is featured heavily in book “We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families” by Philip Gourevitch and is also depicted as a character in the film Hotel Rwanda. She now believes that wellness is the path to helping continue the reconstruction, so she founded the Rushel Kivu Lodge on Lake Kivu, where we had our meditation retreat. Last month when we were in Rwanda, we got to sit down with Odette in person and listened to her life story of what it was like growing up in that country during the growing escalation and then the genocide that took so many including 16 of her 17 siblings and other family members. We also got to hear about how, through her work in both medicine and politics, she played a major role in the rising of Rwanda from the ashes.  We hope you appreciate hearing Odette's story as much as we do. By hearing her firsthand account, it made the atrocities that happened in Rwanda all those years ago seem very real for us and so much more than a historical event.  We wish to acknowledge with utmost respect the lives of all those who lost their homes, their families, their livelihood, their health, or their lives during the violence of the 1994 genocide and all the Rwandan conflicts the late 20th century.“From that time, I never sit. I work every day. I cry when I am telling those stories but the other time I say no crying. I need to make sure no more genocide happen in Rwanda. That my children, my grandchildren, my neighbor's children they need to have a countrywhere they feel safe. Not the country where I grew up.” - Odette NyiramirimoShow Notes:2.00 Odette´s Childhood6.30 1959 and the beginnings of the Genocide10.30 “If we have to die, we die together, but here.” Odette´s Father.13.00 First Private Clinic in Rwanda and the Peace Corps15.40 Surviving the Genocide23.40 “We think the war is finished. She didn´t understand it was the beginning.” Odette25.00 Hiding in the convent27.00 Military men34.00 Hiding in the swamp51.00 Interrogation with the police53.00 “After, he has been killed. And he was a hutu. Because he protected us, and heprotected his wife and some other people maybe.” Odette.56.00 Taken for dead59.00 Calling friends1.02 Hotel Rwanda1.04 Character in the movie1.07 “From that time, I never sit. I work every day. I cry when I am telling those stories butthe other time I say no crying. I need to make sure no more genocide happen in Rwanda.That my children, my grandchildren, my neighbor's children they need to have a countrywhere they feel safe. Not the country where I grew up.” Odette1.08 Peace Corps Medical Officer and Doctor at the American Embassy1.09 Orphans living with Odette1.11 Odette as a Minister of State1.21 Going back home1.25 A promise of light

The number of people who are out of work in Germany increased by more than expected in February 2024 to more than 2.7 million as the slowdown in Europe's largest economy bears down on the labor market. That translates to the highest jobless rate across Germany since 2021, with Berlin being one of two German cities where it's the worst.But is there actually a shortage of jobs? And what can people do to find employment in these tough times? Our team speaks with Enzo Weber, head of research at the Institute for Employment Research in Nuremberg and Dieter Dohmen, founder and director of the Research Institute for the Economics of Education and Social Affairs. Hosted and produced by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson.

We speak with Sonja Wehsely. She is a lawyer by training, a very successful former politician (2004 – 2017 City Councilor of the Vienna Regional Government, responsible for Health and Social Affairs, Women's Affairs, Consumer Protection, and Human Resources) and currently Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Central Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Siemens Healthineers. We speak about the current regulatory framework (in particular GDPR, Data Act and AI Act) and their impact on European health (markets).

Dr. Manisha Juthani, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, spent her week in Washington D.C. discussing the importance of the Public Health Infrastructure Grant to her state; Arthur San Agustin, Special Assistant for Health to the Governor of Guam, shared an important island perspective with legislators; Moses Pretrick, Assistant Secretary for Health at the FSM Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, says health equity was at the top of his list of priorities in meetings; and an ASTHO blog article outlines the need for federal support to combat the fentanyl crisis. ASTHO Webpage: Territories and Freely Associated States ASTHO Blog Article: The Fentanyl Crisis Requires Ongoing and Strategic Federal Action ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed

진행자: 박준희, Beth Eunhee Hong Day laborers, low-income earners fear lonely death 기사 요약: 고독사에 걱정하는 일용직 근로자, 소득 낮은 층 [1] Day laborers and low-income earners in South Korea feel that they have a high chance of dying alone and remaining unnoticed for days, compared to peers with regular jobs earning higher incomes, a survey showed Sunday. *Day laborer: 일용직 근로자 *Low-income: 소득이 낮은 *Regular job: 정규직 [2] Those employed and paid daily without a regular job feared they would have an average 41.8 percent chance of suffering a "lonely death," compared to 28.6 percent for those with regular jobs, according to data from a survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs released Sunday. *Employed: 취직[취업]하고 있는 *Fear: 두려워하다; 우려하다 *Lonely death: 고독사 [3] A similar trend was also observed depending on the level of an individual's income. Those earning monthly wages of less than 2 million won ($1,550) expected they would have a 44.9 percent chance of dying lonely, while those receiving over 6 million won marked 25.8 percent. *Trend: 동향, 추세 *Observed: 관찰됐다 *Receiving: 받는 [4] By age, respondents in their 30s said that they had a 39.5 percent chance of dying alone. On the other hand, individual anticipation of dying alone diminished gradually in older age groups, with those in their 60s predicting a 29.8 percent chance of dying alone. Those in their 20s expected they had a 29.5 percent possibility of a lonely death. *Respondents: 응답자 *On the other hand: 다른 한편으로는, 반면에 *Anticipation of: ~에 대한 기대 *Predicting: 예측하기 기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231203000110 [코리아헤럴드 팟캐스트 구독] 아이튠즈(아이폰):https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 네이버 오디오 클립(아이폰, 안드로이드 겸용): https://audioclip.naver.com/channels/5404 팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638 위 팟캐스트 에피소드에는 스포티파이의 후원광고를 포함하고 있습니다. 지금 바로 스포티파이 포 팟캐스터에서 팟캐스트를 만들어보세요! http://podcasters.spotify.com

Dr. Robert Goldstein, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, says local agency partnerships are key to the success of new public health performance standards; Allison Nickrent, Director of Governmental Affairs at the Illinois Department of Public Health, discusses a recent roundtable meeting with a group of state senators; the first of an ASTHO four-part series titled “Implementing Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception” is this week; and ASTHO looks forward to continuing its work with Marcus Samo, Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Affairs for the Federated States of Micronesia. Massachusetts Department of Public Health Press Release: Massachusetts public health officials announce performance standards for local public health  Illinois Department of Public Health Webpage ASTHO Webinar: Implementation of Pharmacist Prescribed Contraception – Key Policy Considerations ASTHO Webpage: Member Bio – Marcus Samo ASTHO Webpage: Stay Informed  

On this episode, Theresa and Cody talk about one of the most infamous restrictions on personal freedoms in the modern era, China's one-child policy, and the role it will play in China's future.Podcast to recommend: The Explorers (https://explorerspodcast.com/)SourcesAird, John S. Slaughter of the Innocents: Coercive Birth Control in China. Washington, DC: AFI Press, 1990.Fong, Mei. One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment. New York City, NY: Mariner Books, 2016.Johnson, Kay Ann. China's Hidden Children: Abandonment, Adoption, and the Human Costs of the One Child Policy. Chicago, IL: U. of Chicago Press, 2017.Larmer, Brook, and Jane Zhang. “China's Population Is Shrinking. It Faces a Perilous Future.” National Geographic. 22 Mar 2023. < https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/china-population-shrinking-feature>. Retrieved 25 Sept 2023.Silver, Laura, and Christine Huang. “Key Facts About China's Declining Population.” Pew Research Center. 5 Dec 2022. < https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/12/05/key-facts-about-chinas-declining-population/>. Retrieved 25 Sept 2023.Vogel, Ezra. Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 2013.“World Population Prospects 2022.” United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. < https://population.un.org/wpp/Graphs/Probabilistic/POP/TOT/156>. Retrieved 25 Sept 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the third episode of The Problem with Poverty Podcast, we are joined by CAPNA's Director of Human Resources, Alicia Higginbotham. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has said that “full and productive employment” is one of the main ways that people experiencing poverty can improve their well-being. And, that inflation, supply chain disruptions, the coronavirus pandemic, and other compounding social risk factors continue exacerbating both poverty and unemployment. In this episode, Alicia talks about the relationship between poverty and unemployment. She also discusses how non-profit and for-profit companies can address unemployment and underemployment to help secure income and empowerment for the poor. Be sure to subscribe to The Problem with Poverty Podcast!

In this episode, we're diving in the Finish ecosysyem. What makes Finland repeatedly achieve the rank of the happiest country globally? In this episode, you will hear from Päivi Sillanaukee, Special Envoy for Health and Wellbeing at the Ministry for Social Affairs and Health. Until recently, Paivi was  Ambassador for Health at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Paivi has a strong presence in the international community, She is the co-chair of the Alliance for Health Security Cooperation (AHSC), a member of the Steering Group of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), and a member of Health Advisory Board of the UN Technology Innovation Lab (UNTIL) Finland.   We discussed the ecosystem in Finland, why should Ministries for foreign affairs care about healthcare, and where does Finland have room for improvement in healthcare digitalization.  Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

Recent protests in France oppose plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. The demonstrations stem from a government plan so people would work -and pay into the pension system - for longer. There's also concern about what that change might mean for those who are many decades away from pension age. France isn't the only country facing economic efficiency challenges as populations age and leave the labour market. As more people leave Europe's labour market, will young workers have to pay for the old? The Inquiry hears also about the productivity challenges facing Spain and Germany. Anne Elizabeth Moutet is a French columnist for the Daily Telegraph newspaper Bart Van Ark , Professor of productivity studies at the University of Manchester Prof Marcel Jansen, an economist from the Autonomous University of Madrid Stefano Scarpetta is Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs at the OECD Presenter Charmaine Cozier (Protesters at the rally against Macron's pension reform, Paris, France. Credit: Telmo Pinto/Getty Images)