Europe Talks Back

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

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

In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Juli Simond tells the story of Pit-Roig Vinyals, a German language teacher based in Barcelona, Spain. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at age 23, Pit-Roig turned her personal battles into a mission, emphasising on mental health stigma dismantlement and open conversations that were once considered taboo. With an experience of over eight years in managing her conditions, Pit-Roig provides valuable insight into how one's mental health can be critically affected by frequent social media usage. Reporting on the ground by Pablo Jiménez Arandia."We can channel our anger and anxiety towards positive change, but we must also be mindful of the content we consume online." - Pit-RoigAbout our reporter: Pablo Jiménez ArandiaKey moments00:00:04 - Introduction,00:02:59 - A Day in the Life,00:06:29 - The Impact of Social Media,00:09:10 - The Holocaust Remembrance Day,00:13:49 - The Paranoia and Escape,00:17:50 - The Concept of Doomscrolling,00:18:25 - Mental Health Impact of Constant Exposure to Negative News,00:19:18 - Pit-Roig Vinyals' Use of Twitter and Moral Obligation,00:21:14 - Ubertamen's Fight Against Mental Health Stigma,00:24:32 - Balancing Online News Consumption and Mental Well-being.Credits and staff The second season of Europe Talks Back is produced in partnership with Sphera Network, the first network of independent media in Europe to reinvent the media space and paint a new picture of the continent through impactful, unbiased, raw and authentic stories.The producer of this episode of Europe Talks Back is Maria Dios. The host and narrator of Europe Talks Back is Juli Simond. Sound editing and mixing is by Jeremy Bocquet. Reporting for this story by Pablo Jiménez Arandia.The executive producer of Europe Talks Back is Alexander Damiano Ricci.Social Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/bulle-media/https://www.twitter.com/twitter.com/europodpodcastshttps://www.europod.eu/

Sexuality education can play a central role in equipping young people with the necessary tools to further enjoy their sexuality and ultimately their human rights. Education about sexual and reproductive health and rights, more commonly shortened to sex-ed, should also help young people to navigate their development, feelings and relationships. In Europe, sex ed is mandatory in nearly every country, but in others - like Italy - it is still left out of school programmes. Even when included, sex ed can differ significantly in terms of the content and at what age it is provided, which leaves many young people without the necessary information and skills. In addition, we have recently witnessed a rise of opposition against sex ed in Europe, led by far-right movements and anti-gender groups. So what is the current status of sexual education in schools in Europe? Are there other ways to learn about sexuality? And how can we deal with this backlash?In this last episode of the third season of Europe Talks Back, host Gail Rego, Florina-Marieta Neagu, an expert on European youth activism, who works at AEGEE / European Students'​ Forum and Isabella Borelli, an Italian transfeminist activist promoting the introduction of sexuality- and emotional- education in Italian schools.

Zoos bring us much closer to wildlife, but their existence is a controversial topic. Go online and it’s easy to find groups that advocate for the closure of zoos, assessing that they do more harm than good to animals. Complaints usually relate to confinement, the lack of space, unnatural environments and crowded conditions as the main problems against animal well-being. But experts working in zoos think differently. So the question boils down to: are zoos actually beneficial to animals? Do they have a role to play in conservation? And what can we learn from zoos on the impact of human beings on animals still living in the wild?In this episode, we will investigate these questions with Martin Boye, President of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals, and Kate Werner, Senior Campaign Manager at PETA UK.

The Cambridge dictionary defines fatphobia as the “unreasonable dislike or unfair treatment of people because they are fat”. Going deeper, Fatphobia equates fatness with ugliness, inferiority, and immorality. Subjecting people to fat phobia or weight stigma can be very harmful, not just to people who are fat but also to anyone else who has been co-opted by a system that designates only one “correct” body size or weight. But is fatphobia also an intersectional issue or opression? How does it relate to race, disability, colonisation and enslavement? In this episode we'll be discussing fatphobia and its intersectionality with racism. To do so, we are going to talk to Caleb Luna, a writer, fat activist and professor in the US. We will also be hearing from Saskia Calliste, a black London-based writer. Tune into episode 15 now!

In this episode we'll be discussing the results of the recent French legislative elections, which defied the predictions of most analysts. More than that, we'll be discussing the trends that have been shaping France's society for years now, from politics to the media industry. More specifically: what can explain both, the expectations of Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party winning these elections, on the one hand, and the final success of progressive parties, on the other hand? The lead guest of this episode is Johan Weisz-Myara, founder and producer at Street Press. Born 15 years ago, Street Press is an independent media organisation which has broadly covered the life of young French citizens in the outskirts, or banlieus, of French metropolitan areas. In relation to the French elections, Street Press launched dozens of investigations into the French far-right over the past year and co-organised the biggest anti-far-right protests in the country, in Paris, ahead of the legislative elections. But, in this episode, we'll also hear from Nikita Rathod, Europod's Social Media Officer. Nikita discusses how she, as a young Indian woman, has been living the runup to the elections, these months. Tune into episode 14 now!

In this episode we'll be discussing the the leading form of exploitation affecting persons who fall victim to human trafficking, that is: sexual exploitation. The term sex trafficking (or sexual trafficking), therefore, identifies human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. This form of exploitation intersects with social and economic inequalities. Last but not least, conflicts such as the War in Ukraine can become triggers of new waves of exploitation. Along the episode, you'll hear stories from women who had been forced to sex work for over ten years, as well as from professionals, such as Dovilé Vainorė - Executive of the Lithuanian National Association Against Human Trafficking, who are trying to tackle this social plague. Tune into episode 13 now!

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