Avsnitt
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Exciting launch! Our very first Book Club show with Today Radio's Vanessa Phelan and Sarah Tapp. Every month we'll share recommendations and take on a new book, as voted by our readers.
It all started with Sarah chatting about the wonderful interview she did with Dr. Susan Rogers on her tome about music cognition and cyberaustics: "This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You"
And then the conversation took a book curve into what we're reading, what we've enjoyed over the past few months, and we thought it would be great to build a community around our love of books and reading.
So here we are! We would love you to help build this community with ideas and recommendations.
Each month we will try to bring recommendations and also include YOUR recommendations.
You will have no doubt heard both of my colleagues on Today Radio as Sarah Tapp hosts The Hangover and Vanessa Phelan is a newsreader and contributing journalist for RTL Today.
Here's a bit more about us...
Well me you know about I guess as you're listening to the show. What's relevant and something I don't normally talk about is that I write and consult on children's science books for DK in the UK. You can find my books here. I love giving back to the science I once studied and with books, this is one avenue. I wrote the Mini Scientist series when my girls were tiny as I realised experimenting is our first language. Before words.
Vanessa grew up in the States and moved to Luxembourg in 2017 after 12 years in Dublin. Aside from her work at RTL, Vanessa also works for a publisher of Irish language children’s books. She is a lover of all kinds of fiction, whether mystery, romance, historical or just stories about people with messages and themes we can all relate to. She also loves to travel and so enjoys reading about far-flung and exotic places.
Originally from Hawaii, Sarah studied Zen poetry in college and spent almost 15 years in Japan before relocating to Luxembourg in 2016. When she’s not hosting The Hangover on Today Radio, Sarah is an avid reader who loves literary fiction, poetry, classics and memoir. Her unchecked obsession with One Direction fanfiction and inability to pronounce words correctly when reading aloud keep her from being an insufferable snob.
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
Please do subscribe to the podcast on Apple and / or Spotify. It would be great if you could rate and review too - helps others find us.
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am.
Vote on our next book
We would really love you to vote on our next book!
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Milkman by Anna Burns
Books mentioned on today’s show
We spoke about so many books on this show. Let us know what you think of them!
This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry and other books by Fredrik Backman
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Olive Kitteridge and other books by Elizabeth Strout
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Fanfiction (we recommend Archive of Our Own (AO3))
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
The Wife's Tale: A Personal History by Aida Edemariam
Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling by Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
No Friend but the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani
Chocolat and Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Beach Read by Emily Henry (Sarah said “Book Lovers” but this is the one she meant!)
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Hamnet and other books by Maggie O’Farrell
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
My Policeman by Bethan Roberts
Windswept & Interesting by Billy Connolly
Memoirs and biographies of Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs and Diana, Princess of Wales
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving by David Richo
Milkman by Anna Burns
Books mentioned on today’s show
We spoke about so many books on this show. Let us know what you think of them!
This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry and other books by Fredrik Backman
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Olive Kitteridge and other books by Elizabeth Strout
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Fanfiction (we recommend Archive of Our Own (AO3))
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
The Wife's Tale: A Personal History by Aida Edemariam
Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling by Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
No Friend but the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani
Chocolat and Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Beach Read by Emily Henry (Sarah said “Book Lovers” but this is the one she meant!)
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Hamnet and other books by Maggie O’Farrell
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
My Policeman by Bethan Roberts
Windswept & Interesting by Billy Connolly
Memoirs and biographies of Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs and Diana, Princess of Wales
Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving by David Richo
Milkman by Anna Burns -
Melody Funck, Zenia Dutta Roy and Elena Gromova brighten Lisa's studio with their artistic fashion stories.
Melody Funck rose to fame in Luxembourg as 'la fille aux robes' with her social media sites, Instagram, TicTok and YouTube, during covid times. Since then, she has garnered more attention as one of the hosts of the Eurovision Luxembourg Final earlier this year.
Melody's passion for stunning dresses is borne out each day as she frequently turns up to work in such attire. One might question how she can manage another job with the machine that is social media, and indeed Melody confesses it is hard. Social media requires hours of non-stop work daily. That has an effect on health and relationships, but Melody is blessed with continual support from family and friends.
Zenia Dutta Roy clearly has an eye for an impressive lady as she worked with Melody 'before' her fame rose. Zenia is the founder of Les Sûtras, a brand which embodies art, home-made fabrics of India, textures and weaves in clothing and homeware.
Zenia has talked openly about her own dark time in life, when trying to conceive a child, on this show, and she credits the work with the Indian artisans in helping her to refind herself.
Les Sûtras is a place where models of all ages, sizes and ethnicities come together to let the fabrics shine. Zenia has created a community in Luxembourg with these beautiful garments, whilst always giving back to the Indian ladies who create them.
Elena Gromova credits doing a stage of the Tour de France with her inspiration to know she could do hard things. Over the course of a couple of years, Elena gave up her finance work to create a couple of fashion brands, and Fashion Business Lab.
Elena's work first came to my attention with No. Rainer during Luxembourg Fashion Week. These colourful patterns of rainwear with the double impact of having mini-matching versions of children made everyone smile as they sashayed down the runway. Through her work at Fashion Business Lab, Elena helps anyone achieve their fashion goals globally.
Of all the days for there to be a studio malfunction this was the day and so there is no video this week - I'll just have to have them back! -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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Bias in LLMs, why the US is still great for start-ups, supercomputers, brain signals to combat cyber attacks, digital twins of ourselves, and the philosophy behind all of it.
My guests this week range from a research institution, a super-computer provider, two start-ups and a philosopher. This lateral discussion echoes the need for interconnected conversation to develop AI and its end-use.
Francesco Ferrero, Director of the IT for Innovative Services department at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), discusses the newly launched LIST AI Sandbox. This looks at 16 LLMs (large language models) and ranks them on their social or ethical biases including ageism, LGBTIQ+phobia, political bias, racism, religious bias, sexism and xenophobia. You can use this open source sandbox here:
https://ai-sandbox.list.lu/
Arnaud Lambert is the CEO of LuxProvide which works on digital intelligence using Luxembourg’s supercomputer MeluXina. LuxProvide is part of a broader European Supercomputing initiative.
LuxProvide, the University of Luxembourg and LuxInnovation jointly managing the Luxembourg National Competence Centre in High-Performance Computing (HPC). Their customer base is broad, as they encourage the use of HPC in data analytics and AI across industry, academia and public administrations.
Emil Jimenez is Founder and CEO of MindBank AI. The idea was sparked by his daughter having a conversation with Siri. Emil decided to build a digital twin of himself so that he can live forever. Since then, it has grown to become a generative AI Personal Digital Twin, learning algorithms to duplicate your mind, optimise your mental health, personal development, and ultimately achieve immortality.
Emil promotes the use of ‘Augmented’ rather than ‘Artificial’ Intelligence, to enhance our life from birth to death, and beyond.
Nathaniel Rose is a neuro-technology researcher and the Co-Founder of Lymbic AI. This uses biometric brain signals to build authentication, to combat cyber attacks. We are likely to see more of these brain-computer interfaces as authentication exploits keep pace with technology. Nathaniel talks about the state of neurotech, and its potential in combating synthetic fraud and deep fakes.
Both Emil and Nathaniel explain honestly why the US market is still great for start-ups.
Rick Serrano is, amongst other things, a philosopher. He co-authored "Artificial Intelligence: the need for a human-centric approach". Rick talks about the framework we need to keep ethics at the centre of the AI momentum: consciousness, transparency, traceability, responsibility, training, IP and regulation.
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
Please do subscribe to the podcast on Apple and / or Spotify. It would be great if you could rate and review too - helps others find us.
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Prof. Subi Rangan from INSEAD business school talks about the evolution of capitalism from an output to outcome economy.
Prof Subi Rangan was invited to Luxembourg to make the keynote address to celebrate INSEAD Luxembourg Alumni’s 50th anniversary on Thursday 21 March, entitled “Expansion - Evolution - Engagement”.
Philippe Osch, President of INSEAD Alumni Association in Luxembourg, hosted Subi ahead of their anniversary evening celebrations.
Subi Rangan is Professor of Strategy and Management at INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau Paris, and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court Endowed Chair in Societal Progress. His educational background includes an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a PhD in political economy from Harvard.
Subi’s research focusses on the evolution of capitalism; how all economic actors and enterprises can integrate for better performance and progress; and he is developing a curriculum to deepen competence and character of business students and executives.
In 2013 Prof. Rangan initiated the Society for Progress, a fellowship of eminent philosophers, social scientists and business leaders ( www.societyforprogress.org) He also directs INSEAD’s top executive seminar AVIRA: Awareness, Vision, Imagination, Role and Action.
In this conversation, we begin with a short history of capitalism. Below are some of the thoughts of Prof. Rangan discussed in this conversation.
Subi speaks about the ‘iterations of capitalism’: to maximise wealth for oneself, for a company and for all. From subsistence economy to bartering; how the Protestant reformation allowed the pursuit of wealth; to the work of philosopher Adam Smith to enhance welfare for all, resulting in a better standard of living for all. This paradigm required a division of labour to increase productivity and drive specialisation. We were no longer self-sufficient. Institutional theory then grew with the notion of private property rights to incentivise people to create value and the patent industry. Communism did not have this incentive alignment - and therefore failed.
This burgeoning innovation and the dedication of people meant that money was made through the sale of the surplus - profits. At the end of the 19th century we have, for the first time, formal economics with people like Pareto. Who should allocate resources? Then we move to Kenneth Arrow, the mind behind modern economics, on a spontaneous, decentralised system, which can work to produce more welfare more than command and control methods. This was so far an Anglo-Saxon idea. But in the 70s and 80s we had the Asian tigers - government having a less marked hand allowing the market to flourish. This gave rise, in the 1980s, to deregulation and liberalisation.
The modern economy is self regulating, self-correcting and decentralised. If this doesn’t work by the invisible hand of markets, then the visible hard of regulation or government comes in. It has worked on a global scale, if the goal of the economy was to produce wealth. Absolute poverty has been reduced. However, what are the goals of the economy today?
What is there beyond wealth?
“More than income we are now looking at impact; more than performance we look for progress. There are new dreams for humanity. This is goal innovation.”
Prof Rangan talks about the ‘Chronic dilemma of interdependence’ in our interconnected world.
Jürgen Habermas, a 20th century German Philosopher talks about communicative rationality. In deciding what is good, we need to talk with one another. If we are born equal then we must practice communicative rationality. Subi calls it ‘consultative morality’. Language is the way in which we can regulate interdependence, and we certainly need it to be non-violent. Adam Smith had the same idea in the theory of moral dependence.
Output to outcome economy
We are moving from an output centred economy to an outcome centred economy. And here, who has the power? Prof. Rangan suggests the greater the power the greater you need to be engaged with your scope of expertise.
We’ve had regulation of power now we need to educate power. Subi believes that education should be literacy, numeracy and decency; moral and social philosophy. Consumers, investors and employees now also assess companies.
He believes we need a changing definition of success - to be rich and respected. Prof. Rangan also mentions a conversation he had with a Nigerian recently who spoke about redefining what a millionaire is - not someone who has a millionaire dollars but someone who has transformed the lives of a million people.
MBA - Master of Better Alternatives
Subi is wonderful at breaking down ideas into bullet points and alliterative headings in order to remember things. His talk for the INSEAD Alumni of Luxembourg Anniversary was entitled ‘Expansion - Evolution - Engagement - Education’.
Through this, his main themes were:
(1) Wealth and wellbeing
(2) Evolution in the way we allocate resources and interact with one another
(3) People and planet
(4) we all need to Engage at the individual level in our choices based on information and our moral identity; interest beyond self-interest
(5) Educate
I hope you enjoy the wisdom of Subi and the mix of economics and social philosophy in this conversation. Please do get in touch with your own views and experiences. -
President of CNAP, Alain Reuter, talks to us about how to obtain a pension in Luxembourg. Sasha discusses the week's news, and I wish you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Pensions are one of those parts of life-long planning which, due to the nature of our busy days, we don't always have time to think about or organise. Now if you happen to spend your entire working life in Luxembourg, and you're an employee (rather than an independent worker), again you have to think a little less about such issues.
However, a lot of my audience is international with some time spent in Luxembourg, some coming, going and even returning. Again, a lot of these people will come with a partner who may not be working. And so the questions begin. What does one need to do to contribute to a 'pot' where, one day, they may be entitled to a Luxembourg pension? How do you add educational years (yes, that's a thing here)? How do you add child-rearing years?
Alain Reuter and his team get such questions every day. Alain is President of the National Pension Insurance Office (Caisse nationale d'assurance pension - CNAP) and the Compensation Fund of the General Pension Scheme (Fonds de compensation commun au régime général de pension - FDC) since December 2020.
At the moment, about 215,000 are retired (and receiving a pension) in Luxembourg, out of a population of about 650,000. This number has risen by 15% in the last five years. The total amount paid out is about 5.7 billion euros. Of this amount, about 4 billion euros is to people in Luxembourg and 1.7 billion to those now living abroad (in 111 different countries to be precise). The average age of retirement, currently, is 60.1.
Pensions have been in the news for various reasons over the last few months. The most pertinent and, in my opinion, important reason is that there is not going to be enough money in the system to pay for future pensions. In fact, by 2042, the pension fund's reserves will be insufficient to cover expenditure.
Ivaylo Markov, Managing Partner of Thales Capital puts it like this:
"From 2027 we will be spending more than we earn, which will reduce the reserves, which will be depleted in barely 15 years... The current decade will see the number of beneficiaries grow by around 4% each year. This increase is explained by the IGSS as being due to a 'wave of new pensioners, mainly made up of immigrant and cross-border workers recruited from the 1990s onwards"
This is a topic that needs further investigation and I will try to do a follow-up show with your questions. Please send any thoughts to [email protected] with the title 'Pensions - questions for Lisa Burke'
Enjoy the show and have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day celebratory weekend! -
Celebrating ladies of all ages, Lisa's guests explore experiences in their lives from the female perspective.
Dear Ladies (and everyone else),
Thank you so much for all of your emails when I made a call out for women of all generations to write in and share your stories with our audience at RTL Today.
I am so grateful for your honesty and opening up of sensitive stories that touch a woman's life through the ages.
In this show, my guests are:
Ginevra Ortiz
Laura Fagan
Emily Amor
Federica Maestri
Shivani Sondhi
Lilani Abeywickrama
Elisabete (Lisy) Antunes
Iryna Sagaidak
Wei Hu Chai
Bessie Fischer-Bohn
Sasha Kehoe
Viviane Harnois
We cover so many topics from body image, and how very young girls are made to feel on this subject, to the tough transition through teenage years.
Laura mentions the effects of an early abusive relationship and Emily talks about her experience with long covid.
Shivani and Wei explain the importance of the work within a company to create space to develop company policy which ultimately helps everyone.
Federica Maestri is a studying computer science at the University of Luxembourg and talks about the derth of females in this subject area. She is also the President of the Golden Z Club at the university which is part of Zonta Luxembourg - an organisation that advocates for women's rights.
Lisy bravely opens up about the experience of abortion and the fight within us: the 'good-girl' versus the 'independent woman'.
Iryna suffers from intense period pain to the point of hospitalisation in her earlier years. Through time, Iryna has now developed her own independent work and personal life to flow around the energy changes in her monthly hormonal cycle.
Lilani has moved from the medical world into that of business and tells us some of the comments she received from potential male mentors.
Bessie kindly joins us from Berlin once more and reflects on the conversations which have changed and those that need more work. She also echoes the worlds of Lilani.
Sasha, as always helps to bring the thoughts of the guests together and also adds her own experiences as a young journalist.
Viviane, now retired, reflects on a lifetime of working and living in different countries and how we also need to consider conversations with men, and points out that things will be sorted when we don't need an International Women's Day anymore.
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
You can subscribe to my podcast on Apple and Spotify. Please do rate and review too!
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Cesar Gonzalez Fernandez tells us all about his mission to 'Clean Something for Nothing'. Bella DePaulo talks about the growing voice for those who choose to live a life on their own and flourish doing so.
Social scientist Dr. Bella DePaulo is a leading expert on the Single Life, perhaps the leading expert. Her latest book, Single at Heart, has drawn attention from all corners of the world as people feel more able to talk about living a single life, by choice, and feeling utterly fulfilled.
Currently an academic affiliate in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California Santa Barbara, Bella’s work on the Single Life gained traction from her TEDx Talk which has now been viewed more than 1.7 million times. Dr. DePaulo’s written work includes the books ‘Singled Out’ and ‘How we live now’.
‘One is a whole number’ was the trigger which started this cascade of research. This line was written by an agony aunt to a letter from a lady who had lost her partner. The idea of course is that you are whole alone.
Since then, Bella has also written about the discrimination that can be a part of a single person’s experience such as tax laws, but much more besides. When it comes to social events, it is now more acceptable to eat alone at restaurants but still, being single, can attach a negative stereotype.
Bella is an advocate of building a great solo life, deep with fulfilling friendships, work and activities of one’s own choice without compromise.
Dr. DePaulo is a clear example of how to flourish psychologically, career-wise and, most importantly, by being single as a choice, not in spite of being single.
Clean Something for Nothing
Cesar Gonzalez Fernandez and his partner Lester founded Clean Something For Nothing (CSFN) - a mobile app that connects people to clean the world, one bag of trash at a time.
Since their launch in February 2022 their users have completed over 3700 cleanups in 64 countries resulting in over 750 tons of trash picked up to date.
Cesar is also an EU Climate Pact ambassador and the Country leader in Luxembourg for the World Cleanup Day organization (WCD) The WCD is the biggest environmental mobilization worldwide and has officially received a recognition by the UN to include the date (20/09) in their official calendar from 2024 onwards.
However, before WCD we can work closer to home. Cesar encourages us all to be part of the "lëtz clean your commune" campaign. Luxembourg Spring Cleanup, also known as the Grouss Botz, Naturbotz or Grouss Beschbotz will take place on 23 March and will be the perfect occassion to join a local cleanup and take action.
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
You can subscribe to my podcast on Apple and Spotify. Please do rate and review too!
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am.
https://belladepaulo.com/
https://apollopublishers.com/index.php/single-at-heart/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyZysfafOAs
https://cleansomethingfornothing.com/ -
Roland, Bessie and Urve have travelled from Berlin and Estonia to talk about their passion to develop the perfect working environments to allow people to thrive.
Berlin Adlershof is Germany’s leading science & technology park. How do you plan such a layout, from historic buildings to new developments, and design their interior, to maximise personal happiness when working and high impact results?
This is one of the questions at the heart of Roland Sillmann’s management. As CEO of WISTA Management, which looks after Berlin Adlershof, his quest is to attract and retain the best talent to tackle the great challenges of today.
In this endeavour he is aided by Dr. Bessie Fischer-Bohn, Head of Human Resources. Bessie’s own career path is rather unusual. Having started with medical studies in her hometown of Berlin, she developed a deep interest in the psychological background to symptoms and illnesses, and then trained as a psychotherapist. Bessie went on to build a company, and was also a management consultant for a decade.
Urve Liivak, from Tallinn, Estonia, is a former world-ranking gymnast (winning two silver medals in World Championships in Aesthetic Group Gymnastics). After suffering with her own depression and burn-out, Urve now designs interiors to maximise personal and team success.
Roland believes that to ‘solve big challenges’ the working environment is key. At Adlershof they want to attract impact driven people and the best talent.
Bessie, Roland and Urve have worked together to design an ambience where employees succeed: perform, cooperate and stay healthy. All of this work is also part of a research project with Humboldt University’s psychology department to see how working environments can continuously be improved.
The designs include different zones such to inspire:
concentrated work (calm offices for desk work)
Discussions, meeting new people (the lounges)
XR studio, 3D-Printer areas like a maker-space
Relaxing ‘mind spa’
Movement with swings
“In an anxiety-free organisation, interpersonal anxiety is minimised so that team performance is maximised.”
Bessie talks about the need for psychological safety to allow for the best ideas to flourish, and the constant health of a team. This is a mix of great leadership plus the physical environment to fit the demand of talent.
Bessie is also passionate about being a role model in all domains of her life. She does so as a female scientist and as a bisexual. Bessie instigated WISTA’s academy and also their diversity day.
Please let us know about your own work environments - what’s done well and what could be improved. It’s always great to hear from you! -
Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan became ‘brothers’ due to the most painful loss of their daughters at different times due to the intractable Israel and Palestine conflict.
Bassam Aramin, Palestinian, and Rami Elhanan, Israeli, are members of The Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF), families whose lives have been upended due to tragedy. However, instead of giving into hate, each member has worked to understand and listen to the other side. They have become friends and advocate constantly for solidarity and peace in their land.
Luxembourg hosts the Festival des Migrations this weekend, and will showcase the documentary film, ‘The Narrow Bridge’, written, directed and produced by Esther Takac in 2022. This film features the stories of Rami and Bassam, Meytal and Bushra who have all lost loved ones. Their hope, as a group of bereaved families, is to catalyse communities to stop the senseless killing on both sides.
Bassam and Rami have been invited to Luxembourg once more by Martine Kleinberg, the President of Jewish Call for Peace. They were here previously in 2018. JCP a small association founded in 2021, to give Luxembourg a different Jewish voice on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to fight against anti-Semitic stereotypes and prejudices, especially when linked to the conflict in Israel-Palestine.
The Parents Circle – Families Forum PCFF aims to lay a path towards a reconciliation process on how to live together in peace with equal respect for one another.
My guests:
Bassam Aramin lost his 10 years old daughter Abir on the 16th January 2007. She was killed by an Israeli border policemen in front of her school in Anata, East Jerusalem.
Rami Elhanan is a 7th generation Jerusalemite. He lost his daughter Smadar on her first day of the school year in September 1997, aged just 14. Two Palestinian suicide bombers murdered 5 people that day, of which three were girls aged 14.
Previous interviews
You can listen to my poignant interivew with Dr. Izzeldine Abuelaish here from November 2020.
https://play.rtl.lu/shows/en/in-conversation-with-lisa-burke/episodes/n/1612726
Links event of 24th of February 2024
https://facebook.com/events/s/film-rencontre-the-narrow-brid/1396329117982253/?
https://x.com/jewishcall/status/1747921713105436880?s=61&t=H8yz9ukJPnMhxa4qqo4_xQ
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2PTuc9t78u/?igsh=MW9jenp6MHlnaG51MA==
https://www.theparentscircle.org/en/pcff-home-page-en/
https://festivaldesmigrations.lu/
https://www.thenarrowbridge.com
www.jcp.lu
https://www.tiktok.com/@jewishcallforpeace -
In the lead up to Rare Disease Day on 29th February, we talk about the mental health impact on the whole family and care-giving unit.
Rare disease affects 350 million people worldwide, which is about 1 in 12 families. There are about 10,000 named rare diseases, but together they affect more people than cancer and AIDS combined.
Diagnosis varies hugely but on average takes 5-7 years, during which time families live with chronic uncertainty. Children are disproportionately affected accounting for 75% of cases. Many of these won't live past their fifth birthday. And so, the load on a family with such a diagnosis, plus the long period of uncertainty waiting for a diagnosis, causes tremendous strain psychologically and financially too as often one parent has to become a full-time carer.
This strain circles out from the patient to the caregiver to the medical professionals, and so there is a systemic ecosystem to address. On top of this, as many living in Luxembourg will already know, such care will require cross-border help, and with this the necessary connectedness of care can easily extinguish.
Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin, given her own family's experience of rare disease, went on to found RareGivers, providing relief to the caregivers. Paige Rivard is now Co-CEO of RareGivers and is former CEO of Prader-Willi Syndrome Association USA. Paige's son Jake is living with two rare genetic disorders plus autism. Together, Cristol and Paige are working to develop the conversation around the chronic stress (CTSD, not PTSD) that caregivers face and offer them a community of relief. Simply being heard and understanding that this is really hard can help; knowing that there is a community who understands what you are going through and support you.
https://www.raregivers.global/
Lara Bloom is President and CEO of The Ehlers-Danlos Society. She is also an Academic Affiliate Professor of Practice in Patient Engagement and Global Collaboration at Penn State College of Medicine, USA. Lara explains the mental shift necessary in life expectations with the news of a diagnosis. And still there is great hope in the community of rare disease. Even if the cures don't come as fast as families want, trying to find the greatest quality of life for the whole family is the most important.
https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/
Matt Bolz-Johnson is the Mental Health Lead and Healthcare Advisor at Eurodis, Rare Disease Europe based in Cologne, Germany. This group is helping to try to cross boundaries in every way. Matt advocates for enhancing medical services to be more psychologically informed, to look at treatment from a person-centered way.
You can listen to my interview with the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science, and the Public at the University of Cambridge on gene editing here.
https://today.rtl.lu/media/podcasts/a/2026490.html -
Ambassador Bärtl talks about the upcoming visit of his President. Plus actor Catherine Elsen & director Sandy Artuso tell us about the power of Sarah Kane's work.
Vladimír Bärtl, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, has lived in Luxembourg for four years. He and his family arrived at the start of Covid, but rather than allow this to hinder developing diplomatic relationships, Ambassador Bärtl linked the song nano-textile production industry of his homeland with LuxInnovation.
As a pilot, Ambassador Bärtl and AMCHAM co-organised and flew a group of NATO Ambassadors to Spangdahlem, a nearby American airbase in Germany.
It’s been a busy four years for Ambassador Bärtl. 2022 was the centenary of diplomatic relations with Luxembourg and the second half of the year saw the Czech Presidency of the EU. To celebrate these parallel programmes, Luxembourg inaugurated Václav Havel Street with both Prime Ministers present.
At the end of February the President of the Czech Republic, Mr Petr Pavel, and his wife will visit Luxembourg, marking the first state visit with the new Luxembourg government.
This visit will be accompanied by a business delegation with a focus on ICT, cybersecurity, space and defence, reflecting the geopolitical atmosphere in Europe right now.
'4.48 Psychosis' by Sarah Kane
“Remember the light and believe the light”
4.48 Psychosis is a one-woman play written by Sarah Kane (1971 - 1999). Despite her short life, ending in suicide, she is remembered as a powerful voice in contemporary British drama.
Sarah suffered from severe depression and this work depicts some of her mental state in ‘virtuosic and precise use of language’. Some say that this piece was in effect her final goodbye.
Sandy Artuso is the director and Catherine Elsen the actress in this show which you can see the show in Op Der Schmelz in Dudelange on 21 February.
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
You can subscribe to my podcast on Apple and Spotify. Please do rate and review too!
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Ambassador Lambert & Anne Calteux explain some complexities of the European Commission / EU, and Artnit Day, Pedro Castilho & Tiara Ernzen represent the upcoming TEDx Youth event.
From the start of this year, it is Belgium’s turn to hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the 13th time. Ambassador Thomas Lambert, Belgian Ambassador to Luxembourg, tells us more about this role, which switches between the 27 member states of the EU every six months. They work in a group of three, and this trio, working across an 18 month period includes Spain and Hungary. So it ran from Spain, now the baton has passed to Belgium, and it will end with Hungary before the next trio is formed.
It’s not so easy to understand the complex machine that comprises the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council, not even for those who are part of the system. Anne Calteux, Head of the European Commission Representation in Luxembourg, gives us a brief explainer and emphasises why it’s so important to use our democratic right to vote in this year’s European Elections.
Protect, Strengthen, Prepare
The aims of Belgium’s common programme with Spain and Hungary are trifold: Protect, Strengthen, Prepare. Ambassador Lambert elaborates on the timely nature of each. We’ve just had the Val Duchesse Social Partners summit and he also explains the historic importance of this dialogue.
Each Presidency is an opportunity for the spotlight to dance around the 27 member states. Consequently, there are more cultural events available to those in or visiting Belgium at the moment - a good place to travel for Carnival or Easter for instance.
Anne Calteux’s work helps give a local Luxembourg link to the voice of the Europe. She helps amplify the messages of President Ursula von der Leyen, to develop a green, digital and geopolitical union.
https://belgian-presidency.consilium.europa.eu/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-lambert-334b474/
https://lu.linkedin.com/in/anne-calteux-714525b
TEDx Kolléisch Youth
Arnit Dey is the co-organiser of TEDx Kolléisch Youth. With him as guests are Pedro Castilho from Verbalius, a coaching expert on public speaking, and student speaker Tiara Ernzen.
Tiara poignantly describes the way in which she uses slam poetry to develop the idea of ‘The Power Within’ - the theme of the event. Pedro explains that a resonant message is found when it is authentic to that person.
You can book your tickets on Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tedx-kolleisch-school-youth-tickets-778685357867?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
https://www.tedxluxembourgcity.org/
https://lu.linkedin.com/in/arnit-dey-3b345226a -
Education in an age of AI with the Director of ISL, Dr. D.J. Condon and Head of Technology Sherriden Masters
Sasha Kehoe gives us a round-up of the week’s news, and we start close to home with this weekend’s Luxembourg Song Contest for Eurovision. Who will represent Luxembourg in Malmö in May? The eight finalists will go head-to-head at Rockhal this Saturday. You can watch the live-stream here on RTL Today with English commentary and live ticker.
https://today.rtl.lu/culture/music/a/2161266.html
Melissa Dalton and Sarah Tapp will be commenting on the English live-stream and this is how you can vote on the night.
https://today.rtl.lu/culture/music/a/2161387.html
So make sure to tune in, watch, listen and text in!
https://today.rtl.lu/culture/music/a/2156921.html
More entertainment news with the Oscar nominations, as Barbie is ‘snubbed’; it surprised many that neither Margot Robbie nor director Greta Gerwig were nominated.
In Luxembourg news we talk about the enormous difficulties faced by the construction industry here, plus the Begging Ban.
Internationally, we continue to follow the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza with increasing levels of hunger leading to famine. Immigration bills are making headlines in the UK, France and Italy. And finally, Former President Donald Trump will has won the New Hampshire Republican primary.
Education in the age of AI
Dr. D.J. Condon joined the International School of Luxembourg as Director in August 2021. From graduating high school early in order to travel to Alaska where he lived in the bush homesteading, D.J. has taught right across the world. Deeply experienced as an English teacher, he started in Florida, then began his international teaching in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, then went east - Taipei, Taiwan; Yangon, Myanmar; Hong Kong; Kobe, Japan and Hawaii.
Sherriden Masters is the Head of Technology at ISL and a biology teacher at heart. He is passionate about the capacity of technology to facilitate learner agency and impact, with a consistent focus on outcomes for students. He and his family have lived in Brunei, India, Germany and the UK.
We discuss what progressive education means and the need to educate the whole child. Both D.J. and Sherriden talk about the benefits of experiences and how this develops the mind beyond ‘standard’ classroom education. All emphasis is placed on promoting student agency - allowing the student to think about new subjects or activities that would benefit the school or indeed the world more generally. As Sherriden puts it, he believes teachers are the ‘pit crew’ to develop the best students for life.
www.islux.lu -
With testimonies from MSF in Gaza, this show is dedicated to those who put humanity at the centre.
Over 24,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of this war, catalysed by Hamas, between Israel and Palestine. 70% of these are women and children. Over 7,000 people are under rubble. About 2 million people, about 85% of the population, are forcibly displaced. And the atrocious statistics keep on building.
In this conversation I talk to the Luxembourg Director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors without Borders), Thomas Kauffmann. We also have testimony from MSF workers on the ground in Gaza. Naturally in a situation of this magnitude there are losses of the MSF workforce too, alongside other humanitarian workers.
"Where is the international community?"
Sari Sisalem, a Palestinian resident in Luxembourg, is an International Development Specialist who worked on peace building projects between Palestinians and Israelis with a focus on water, energy, food security and climate change. He talks deeply about what it is like for his family and friends who are living through this in Gaza, and how they feel ignored by the international community as this is allowed to continue.
Nathalie Oberweis is a member of the board of Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient for the last 14 years and talks about her constant commitment to working for peace in that region. They organise peaceful marches every Saturday in Luxembourg.
Joining these guests is Emanuele Santi, co-founder and President of Afrilanthropy, a Luxembourg based charity incubating social innovations in Africa. Emanuele and his wife lived in Tunisia during the onset of the Arab Spring, and turned this first hand witness, undercover blog, into a book recounting the many heroes whose collective effort led to the Revolution. They saw, through this time, the power of the people when they rise together. The voices of the 'voiceless', so often assumed, can have impact.
"Nearly a decade ago during these very days, Tunisia experienced one of the most exciting moments of the world’s recent history. A popular revolt uniting all members of the Tunisian society toppled a longstanding dictator and triggered a wave of restlessness across North Africa and the Middle East, starting a common quest for freedom and dignity that was later labeled the Arab Spring."
You can buy the book, Fear No More: Voices of the Tunisian Revolution at a large online bookstore, or at Ernster in Luxembourg, to support local bookshops.
Revenues from the book sale will be devoted entirely social projects the authors are supporting.
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
You can subscribe to my podcast on Apple and Spotify. Please do rate and review too!
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Sasha, Steve and Lisa delve into a positive look towards 2024. Plus Catherine Wurth tells us about a competition for Social Entrepreneurs. And Patrizia Luchetta talks about an upcoming Art Endeavour.
And Patrizia Luchetta talks about an upcoming Art Endeavour.
As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally.
As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally.
1. New Government and Promised Tax Cuts
Luxembourg welcomes a new government bringing with it promises of major tax cuts. The economy is also set to recover somewhat in 2024.
2. Salary and Pension Increases
The latest predictions indicate that salaries and pensions are set to increase by 2.5%, providing a boost to the standard of living for many residents.
3. Cross-Border Work Agreements with Germany
Recent agreements between Germany and Luxembourg extend the flexibility for German workers. From January 1st, German workers can now work from home for 34 days a year, compared to the previous allowance of 19 days.
4. Tram Expansion to National Stadium
Luxembourg's tram network is set to expand, reaching the National Stadium. Luxtram expects the completion of the southern section in 2024, with the final five stops along the Bonnevoie-Cloche d'Or stretch becoming operational throughout the year.
5. Sporting and Cultural Highlights
Luxembourgers have a lot to look forward to in 2024, with potential participation in the final round of the European Football Championship in Germany and representation at the Olympic Games in Paris.
And, after a 30-year hiatus, Luxembourg proudly makes its comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest, with the representative to be revealed on January 27.
6. Super Election Year
2024 will be a super election year: almost half of the world's population live in countries where elections will be held. A new president will be elected in around 30 countries and the composition of parliament in around 20 others.
Luxembourg is braced for a super election year with social elections in May and a new European Parliament election in June.
In the USA - will Trump be back?
Russia - the opposition seems eliminated.
India: Prime Minister Modi is the favourite
European elections: a test for the right-wing populists
Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg: AfD are currently ahead in the polls
Will Mexico have its first female president?
Iran will host its first election after mass protests, although many believe it won’t be democratic.
A UK election is also set for October it seems. Will Labour win?
To continue the positive theme, there are more women in national parliaments. Women occupy 27% of seats, double the number of 1990.
7. EU expansion?
EU membership talks are set for Ukraine and Moldova. And the EU will be more accessible as better train links are opened up across the continent.
8. Positive Global Trends
There are some uplifting global trends including:
Lives are getting longer again (after a pandemic hiatus) with 73 the mean age now.
World GDP per capita continues to rise: it’s now $17,500 (2022) compared to $10,000 in 1997.
World inequality, although still acute, has lessened. 10% of people with the highest income have 55% of the total wealth. This is less than in 2000.
9. Medical Successes
Malaria vaccines have arrived and already impacted positively infant mortality. Dementia cases have decreased by 30% in 15 years.
New brain implants gave a voice to people who cannot speak through measuring the brain’s electrical signals and use AI to distinguish the patterns associated with each phoneme.
Anti-obesity drugs made headlines with Ozempic and Wegovy which regulate satiety and achieve dramatic weight loss. They have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke.
HIV drugs have prevented 21 million deaths since 1996.
There are fewer suicides in the world. The suicide rate per 100,000 people has dropped 35% in 25 years.
10. A few final positives
University students have doubled in 20 years. Some 39% of boys and 45% of girls of study age are enrolled in tertiary education.
New emojis were released, including Sasha’s favourite - the jellyfish, and the shaking head.
Generative artificial intelligence continues its amazing advances and will continue to be a story throughout 2024.
Solar energy is growing exponentially. The world has doubled installed capacity in four years.
We discovered that chatting makes us happy. If we rate our happiness as a 6 out of 10, after chatting with a friendly stranger, that number rises to 7.
And the ozone layer will completely recover. Thirty-five years ago, the Montreal Protocol decreed the elimination of 96 chemical substances (aerosols and refrigerants) that were opening a hole in the barrier that protects us from ultraviolet radiation. It was a brilliant success.
ESG in Action
Catherine Wurth, the Head of Sustainability at BGL BNP Paribas since 2021, shares her insights into the significance of social entrepreneurship for banks and introduces the Act for Impact initiative.
Catherine Wurth brings a wealth of experience in sustainable finance, microfinance, and social entrepreneurship. Having lived and worked in Paris, London, and Berlin, her global perspective informs her commitment to driving positive change. As a board member of Microlux, a Luxembourg microfinance institution, Catherine actively contributes to the sector's growth and impact.
Act for Impact: A Holistic Approach to Social Entrepreneurship
Launched in 2019, Act For Impact is a pioneering initiative that goes beyond traditional banking services. Social enterprises receive specialized support from advisors with relevant training and expertise from the BNP Paribas Group in Luxembourg. Moreover, Act For Impact provides free access to facilities in Kirchberg for events, meetings, and workshops, fostering a collaborative environment for social entrepreneurs to thrive.
MyComForImpact: Amplifying Social Impact through Communication
My Com For Impact is a competition in partnership with the communication agency Mikado. Open to all Luxembourgish social enterprises, this competition offers a unique opportunity for the winner to design a tailored communication/marketing campaign, accelerating their positive impact by gaining visibility.
Catherine explains:
"Social enterprises offer innovative solutions to solve social and environmental problems. In Luxembourg and beyond, the will to change consumption is present, but often these solutions are not well known. That's why we thought, here we can have an impact as a bank, offer our expertise together with Mikado, share the winners with our communities, employees, clients, etc”
To be eligible to apply you need to be in existence for at least one year, have a strong social and environmental impact, and a steady growth in budget / turnover. The competition deadline is January 21st, with the award event scheduled for March 19th. The winner will receive substantial support, including a marketing and communication campaign, personalised coaching, and support from both BGL BNP Paribas and Mikado.
Art Meets Activism: The ART of CHANGE Project
Patrizia Luchetta, working with a range of artists is about to embark on an art-meets-ESG project, "The ART of CHANGE – creatives (on the) move.” She is joined in the studio by videographer Sobhan Naderi, founder of Naderi Production, and visual artist Mia Kinsch.
The idea is to develop five documentaries in five different cities, showcasing women artists using their craft to raise awareness of the United Nations' sustainable development goals.
Patrizia Luchetta, co-founded Charlotte in Red, a platform which amplifies the voices of female artists who use their creative work to support and raise awareness about the UN’s Agenda 2030.
Initiating Dialogue through Art and Corporate Collaboration
The heart of the project lies in initiating a dialogue between artists and the corporate world. Each city will host a round-table discussion between artists and business.
Mia Kinsch talks about how she uses art to elaborate on her experience of being a woman, trying to use art to bring that understanding to the world at large.
The documentary production will be handled by Naderi Production, and is a non-profit initiative, with fundraising efforts underway for the first Luxembourg-based documentary, serving as a pilot for the series.
Connect with the Guests:
Catherine Wurth: LinkedIn
My Com For Impact | BGL BNP Paribas
Mia Kinsch: Website
Patrizia Luchetta: LinkedIn, Charlotte in Red
Sobhan Naderi: As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally.
1. New Government and Promised Tax Cuts
Luxembourg welcomes a new government bringing with it promises of major tax cuts. The economy is also set to recover somewhat in 2024.
2. Salary and Pension Increases
The latest predictions indicate that salaries and pensions are set to increase by 2.5%, providing a boost to the standard of living for many residents.
3. Cross-Border Work Agreements with Germany
Recent agreements between Germany and Luxembourg extend the flexibility for German workers. From January 1st, German workers can now work from home for 34 days a year, compared to the previous allowance of 19 days.
4. Tram Expansion to National Stadium
Luxembourg's tram network is set to expand, reaching the National Stadium. Luxtram expects the completion of the southern section in 2024, with the final five stops along the Bonnevoie-Cloche d'Or stretch becoming operational throughout the year.
5. Super Election Year
Luxembourg is braced for a super election year with social elections in May and a new European Parliament election in June.
6. Sporting and Cultural Highlights
Luxembourgers have a lot to look forward to in 2024, with potential participation in the final round of the European Football Championship in Germany and representation at the Olympic Games in Paris.
And, after a 30-year hiatus, Luxembourg proudly makes its comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest, with the representative to be revealed on January 27.
7. Super Election Year
2024 will be a super election year: almost half of the world's population live in countries where elections will be held. A new president will be elected in around 30 countries and the composition of parliament in around 20 others.
In the USA - will Trump be back?
Russia - the opposition seems eliminated.
India: Prime Minister Modi is the favourite
European elections: a test for the right-wing populists
Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg: AfD are currently ahead in the polls
Will Mexico have its first female president?
Iran will host its first election after mass protests, although many believe it won’t be democratic.
A UK election is also set for October it seems. Will Labour win?
To continue the positive theme, there are more women in national parliaments. Women occupy 27% of seats, double the number of 1990.
8. EU expansion?
EU membership talks are set for Ukraine and Moldova. And the EU will be more accessible as better train links are opened up across the continent.
9. Positive Global Trends
There are some uplifting global trends including:
Lives are getting longer again (after a pandemic hiatus) with 73 the mean age now.
World GDP per capita continues to rise: it’s now $17,500 (2022) compared to $10,000 in 1997.
World inequality, although still acute, has lessened. 10% of people with the highest income have 55% of the total wealth. This is less than in 2000.
10. Medical Successes
Malaria vaccines have arrived and already impacted positively infant mortality. Dementia cases have decreased by 30% in 15 years.
New brain implants gave a voice to people who cannot speak through measuring the brain’s electrical signals and use AI to distinguish the patterns associated with each phoneme.
Anti-obesity drugs made headlines with Ozempic and Wegovy which regulate satiety and achieve dramatic weight loss. They have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke.
HIV drugs have prevented 21 million deaths since 1996.
There are fewer suicides in the world. The suicide rate per 100,000 people has dropped 35% in 25 years.
10. A few final positives
University students have doubled in 20 years. Some 39% of boys and 45% of girls of study age are enrolled in tertiary education.
New emojis were released, including Sasha’s favourite - the jellyfish, and the shaking head.
Generative artificial intelligence continues its amazing advances and will continue to be a story throughout 2024.
Solar energy is growing exponentially. The world has doubled installed capacity in four years.
We discovered that chatting makes us happy. If we rate our happiness as a 6 out of 10, after chatting with a friendly stranger, that number rises to 7.
And the ozone layer will completely recover. Thirty-five years ago, the Montreal Protocol decreed the elimination of 96 chemical substances (aerosols and refrigerants) that were opening a hole in the barrier that protects us from ultraviolet radiation. It was a brilliant success.
ESG in Action
Catherine Wurth, the Head of Sustainability at BGL BNP Paribas since 2021, shares her insights into the significance of social entrepreneurship for banks and introduces the Act for Impact initiative.
Catherine Wurth brings a wealth of experience in sustainable finance, microfinance, and social entrepreneurship. Having lived and worked in Paris, London, and Berlin, her global perspective informs her commitment to driving positive change. As a board member of Microlux, a Luxembourg microfinance institution, Catherine actively contributes to the sector's growth and impact.
Act for Impact: A Holistic Approach to Social Entrepreneurship
Launched in 2019, Act For Impact is a pioneering initiative that goes beyond traditional banking services. Social enterprises receive specialized support from advisors with relevant training and expertise from the BNP Paribas Group in Luxembourg. Moreover, Act For Impact provides free access to facilities in Kirchberg for events, meetings, and workshops, fostering a collaborative environment for social entrepreneurs to thrive.
MyComForImpact: Amplifying Social Impact through Communication
My Com For Impact is a competition in partnership with the communication agency Mikado. Open to all Luxembourgish social enterprises, this competition offers a unique opportunity for the winner to design a tailored communication/marketing campaign, accelerating their positive impact by gaining visibility.
Catherine explains:
"Social enterprises offer innovative solutions to solve social and environmental problems. In Luxembourg and beyond, the will to change consumption is present, but often these solutions are not well known. That's why we thought, here we can have an impact as a bank, offer our expertise together with Mikado, share the winners with our communities, employees, clients, etc”
To be eligible to apply you need to be in existence for at least one year, have a strong social and environmental impact, and a steady growth in budget / turnover. The competition deadline is January 21st, with the award event scheduled for March 19th. The winner will receive substantial support, including a marketing and communication campaign, personalised coaching, and support from both BGL BNP Paribas and Mikado.
Art Meets Activism: The ART of CHANGE Project
Patrizia Luchetta, working with a range of artists is about to embark on an art-meets-ESG project, "The ART of CHANGE – creatives (on the) move.” She is joined in the studio by videographer Sobhan Naderi, founder of Naderi Production, and visual artist Mia Kinsch.
The idea is to develop five documentaries in five different cities, showcasing women artists using their craft to raise awareness of the United Nations' sustainable development goals.
Patrizia Luchetta, co-founded Charlotte in Red, a platform which amplifies the voices of female artists who use their creative work to support and raise awareness about the UN’s Agenda 2030.
Initiating Dialogue through Art and Corporate Collaboration
The heart of the project lies in initiating a dialogue between artists and the corporate world. Each city will host a round-table discussion between artists and business.
Mia Kinsch talks about how she uses art to elaborate on her experience of being a woman, trying to use art to bring that understanding to the world at large.
The documentary production will be handled by Naderi Production, and is a non-profit initiative, with fundraising efforts underway for the first Luxembourg-based documentary, serving as a pilot for the series.
Connect with the Guests:
Catherine Wurth: LinkedIn
My Com For Impact | BGL BNP Paribas
Mia Kinsch: Website
Patrizia Luchetta: LinkedIn, Charlotte in Red
Sobhan Naderi: As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally.
1. New Government and Promised Tax Cuts
Luxembourg welcomes a new government bringing with it promises of major tax cuts. The economy is also set to recover somewhat in 2024.
2. Salary and Pension Increases
The latest predictions indicate that salaries and pensions are set to increase by 2.5%, providing a boost to the standard of living for many residents.
3. Cross-Border Work Agreements with Germany
Recent agreements between Germany and Luxembourg extend the flexibility for German workers. From January 1st, German workers can now work from home for 34 days a year, compared to the previous allowance of 19 days.
4. Tram Expansion to National Stadium
Luxembourg's tram network is set to expand, reaching the National Stadium. Luxtram expects the completion of the southern section in 2024, with the final five stops along the Bonnevoie-Cloche d'Or stretch becoming operational throughout the year.
5. Super Election Year
Luxembourg is braced for a super election year with social elections in May and a new European Parliament election in June.
6. Sporting and Cultural Highlights
Luxembourgers have a lot to look forward to in 2024, with potential participation in the final round of the European Football Championship in Germany and representation at the Olympic Games in Paris.
And, after a 30-year hiatus, Luxembourg proudly makes its comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest, with the representative to be revealed on January 27.
7. Super Election Year
2024 will be a super election year: almost half of the world's population live in countries where elections will be held. A new president will be elected in around 30 countries and the composition of parliament in around 20 others.
In the USA - will Trump be back?
Russia - the opposition seems eliminated.
India: Prime Minister Modi is the favourite
European elections: a test for the right-wing populists
Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg: AfD are currently ahead in the polls
Will Mexico have its first female president?
Iran will host its first election after mass protests, although many believe it won’t be democratic.
A UK election is also set for October it seems. Will Labour win?
To continue the positive theme, there are more women in national parliaments. Women occupy 27% of seats, double the number of 1990.
8. EU expansion?
EU membership talks are set for Ukraine and Moldova. And the EU will be more accessible as better train links are opened up across the continent.
9. Positive Global Trends
There are some uplifting global trends including:
Lives are getting longer again (after a pandemic hiatus) with 73 the mean age now.
World GDP per capita continues to rise: it’s now $17,500 (2022) compared to $10,000 in 1997.
World inequality, although still acute, has lessened. 10% of people with the highest income have 55% of the total wealth. This is less than in 2000.
10. Medical Successes
Malaria vaccines have arrived and already impacted positively infant mortality. Dementia cases have decreased by 30% in 15 years.
New brain implants gave a voice to people who cannot speak through measuring the brain’s electrical signals and use AI to distinguish the patterns associated with each phoneme.
Anti-obesity drugs made headlines with Ozempic and Wegovy which regulate satiety and achieve dramatic weight loss. They have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke.
HIV drugs have prevented 21 million deaths since 1996.
There are fewer suicides in the world. The suicide rate per 100,000 people has dropped 35% in 25 years.
10. A few final positives
University students have doubled in 20 years. Some 39% of boys and 45% of girls of study age are enrolled in tertiary education.
New emojis were released, including Sasha’s favourite - the jellyfish, and the shaking head.
Generative artificial intelligence continues its amazing advances and will continue to be a story throughout 2024.
Solar energy is growing exponentially. The world has doubled installed capacity in four years.
We discovered that chatting makes us happy. If we rate our happiness as a 6 out of 10, after chatting with a friendly stranger, that number rises to 7.
And the ozone layer will completely recover. Thirty-five years ago, the Montreal Protocol decreed the elimination of 96 chemical substances (aerosols and refrigerants) that were opening a hole in the barrier that protects us from ultraviolet radiation. It was a brilliant success.
ESG in Action
Catherine Wurth, the Head of Sustainability at BGL BNP Paribas since 2021, shares her insights into the significance of social entrepreneurship for banks and introduces the Act for Impact initiative.
Catherine Wurth brings a wealth of experience in sustainable finance, microfinance, and social entrepreneurship. Having lived and worked in Paris, London, and Berlin, her global perspective informs her commitment to driving positive change. As a board member of Microlux, a Luxembourg microfinance institution, Catherine actively contributes to the sector's growth and impact.
Act for Impact: A Holistic Approach to Social Entrepreneurship
Launched in 2019, Act For Impact is a pioneering initiative that goes beyond traditional banking services. Social enterprises receive specialized support from advisors with relevant training and expertise from the BNP Paribas Group in Luxembourg. Moreover, Act For Impact provides free access to facilities in Kirchberg for events, meetings, and workshops, fostering a collaborative environment for social entrepreneurs to thrive.
MyComForImpact: Amplifying Social Impact through Communication
https://www.bgl.lu/en/csr/civic-responsibility/my-com-for-impact.html
My Com For Impact is a competition in partnership with the communication agency Mikado. Open to all Luxembourgish social enterprises, this competition offers a unique opportunity for the winner to design a tailored communication/marketing campaign, accelerating their positive impact by gaining visibility.
Catherine explains:
"Social enterprises offer innovative solutions to solve social and environmental problems. In Luxembourg and beyond, the will to change consumption is present, but often these solutions are not well known. That's why we thought, here we can have an impact as a bank, offer our expertise together with Mikado, share the winners with our communities, employees, clients, etc”
To be eligible to apply you need to be in existence for at least one year, have a strong social and environmental impact, and a steady growth in budget / turnover. The competition deadline is January 21st, with the award event scheduled for March 19th. The winner will receive substantial support, including a marketing and communication campaign, personalised coaching, and support from both BGL BNP Paribas and Mikado.
Art Meets Activism: The ART of CHANGE Project
Patrizia Luchetta, working with a range of artists is about to embark on an art-meets-ESG project, "The ART of CHANGE – creatives (on the) move.” She is joined in the studio by videographer Sobhan Naderi, founder of Naderi Production, and visual artist Mia Kinsch.
The idea is to develop five documentaries in five different cities, showcasing women artists using their craft to raise awareness of the United Nations' sustainable development goals.
Patrizia Luchetta, co-founded Charlotte in Red, a platform which amplifies the voices of female artists who use their creative work to support and raise awareness about the UN’s Agenda 2030.
Initiating Dialogue through Art and Corporate Collaboration
The heart of the project lies in initiating a dialogue between artists and the corporate world. Each city will host a round-table discussion between artists and business.
Mia Kinsch talks about how she uses art to elaborate on her experience of being a woman, trying to use art to bring that understanding to the world at large.
The documentary production will be handled by Naderi Production, and is a non-profit initiative, with fundraising efforts underway for the first Luxembourg-based documentary, serving as a pilot for the series.
Connect with the Guests:
Catherine Wurth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-wurth-91a84049/
My Com For Impact | BGL BNP Paribas https://www.bgl.lu/en/csr/civic-responsibility/my-com-for-impact.html
Patrizia Luchetta: https://www.charlotteinred.com/
Mia Kinsch: https://www.miakinsch.com/
Sobhan Naderi: https://naderiproduction.com/about-naderi-productions/ -
Bringing the magic of Skerries to Luxembourg!
Jean McDonald, Ambassador of Ireland to Luxembourg, arrived here at the end of August along with her husband Greg. The two met in Paris and have lived in Dublin and Geneva where Ambassador McDonald was Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN for Ireland.
Since arriving in Luxembourg, Ambassador McDonald has been carried on a wave of Irish Community events, plus integrating into Luxembourg more generally.
The vibrant Irish community here reminds her of her hometown of Skerries. This town, north of County Dublin, recently made headlines due to English anthropologist Daniel Miller, who spent almost a year and a half living there concluding “It is hard to find another currently existing society that is demonstrably better.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/02/has-irish-town-found-secret-the-good-life-skerries
Ambassador McDonald sees the similarities with Luxembourg:
“A sense of people proud of where they are from and giving back”.
Indeed, we go on to talk about the Irish spirit of volunteering.
Coincidentally, Ambassador McDonald was studying at Trinity College Dublin when Ambassador Ensch was also there, and she is now the Ambassador for Luxembourg in Ireland!
Ambassador McDonald’s life as a diplomat is thanks to her father (RIP) who cut out an article in the Irish Times for recruitment to the department of Foreign Affairs. We talk about what advice she has for those who may want to follow this path in life. Ambassador Jean suggests you find people you'd like to emulate.
“Those who seems the most effortless - they’ve done the most homework”
If you want to discover more links between Ireland and Luxembourg, you can read about St. Willibrord.
https://carlowcathedral.ie/our-parish/st-willibrord/
Ambassador McDonald also visited the University of Luxembourg which now has a Vacataire Lecturer in Irish Literature, Dr James Gallacher, which he developed
No doubt in her tenure as Ambassador to Luxembourg, she will spread some Skerries magic amongst us.
This interview was recorded at the start of December.
Unfortunately due to a technical glitch the video format (on RTL Play) cuts off at 25 mins. You can listen to the full interview on Today Radio Saturday at 11am, Sunday at noon and Tuesday at 10am; or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple and Spotify.
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Patrick Peters, Conny Reichling, Serge Haan and Andy Genen are my guests for this Christmas weekend.
Patrick Peters is an orthopaedic surgeon and also an explorer. As a natural progression from ice-climbing he finds polar exploration the perfect mental and physical reset, and carries out science experiments simultaneously.
Dr. Peters was the first Luxembourger to the North Pole and the first to complete a full classic polar crossing. He set a record breaking expedition in 2008 coast to coast Greenland East to West; a full South North Greenland kite expedition in 2019, and had two scientific firsts during the The Explorers Club Flag expedition 2023.
These expeditions, apart from being a physical test of resilience, it’s also an opportunity to develop a mental state of flow for Patrick.
We go on to talk about the competitive environment that some workplaces can engender, and how damaging to one’s mental health this can be. Indeed Dr. Peters gave a TEDx talk in Luxembourg on this matter.
If you have had any experience of mobbing in the workplace please get in touch and feel free to share your story anonymously.
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-peters-md-phd-a4216663/
www.drpatrickpeters.com
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Dr Conny Reichling is the Director of the Fondation Follereau Luxembourg who support more than twenty different projects (health, education, protection and emergency) in eight African countries.
Her latest mission took her to Benin in November to see the on-going projects development with the teams in situ.
We discuss the movement of charity to cooperation and how the world is one living entity which requires us to live in solidarity.
To find out more about the wonderful work carried out by FFL and donate to their projects, check out:
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Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/fondationfollereau/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ffl.lu
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/2769370/
Website : https://ffl.lu/
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Prof. Dr. Serge Haan is a professor of biological chemistry in the Department of Life Sciences and Medicine at the University of Luxembourg with a deep interest in communicating science to the public which led to his founding the DESCOM project.
Andy Genen is an illustrator and comic book artist.
Together they have developed “LUX:plorations – A Universe of Research” - a series of science comics published by the University of Luxembourg. These short stories are produced by doctoral candidates in collaboration with comic artists from Luxembourg.
In this conversation we talk about the learning acquired by reading and developing a comic strip. Andy explains how a comic illustration forces us to think in the gaps between the pictures.
You can find all the publications in five languages (English, French, Luxembourgish, German and Portuguese), in print as well as online.
And they're looking for feedback! There are prizes to win if you answer the survey before 15th January 2024. You can win an individual comic portrait by Andy Genen, a comic book and free entrance tickets to the Luxembourg Science Centre.
https://sciencecomics.uni.lu/
Feedback survey and lottery: https://sciencecomics.uni.lu/feedback/
https://descom.uni.lu
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Do people want to live & work in Luxembourg? How do you stand out on LinkedIn? Just some of the questions we ask in this week's show.
My guests this week cover a range of outlooks on the talent market in and needed in Luxembourg.
Roger Krämer is Head of Innovation & Project Management at Spuerkess, where he has worked for 35 years.
Christophe Regnault is Head of Marketing at the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology, the LHoFT, which cares passionately about connecting talent to industry, whether than be start-up or large-scale.
Dr. James Mulli is the Academic Dean and Founder at the European Business Institute of Luxembourg. He has lived and worked all over the world, and is an expert in Blockchain and AI. James gives us some pertinent examples of how to educate competent employees of the future.
Fanni Koncz is Head of Operations at Next Gate Tech. With a specialism in management and leadership, plus organisational development, Fanni has many years experience in different settings of how to build teams that work.
Manuel De Vits is co-founder of Digital Pipl and, alongside telling us about how he approaches a talent search, he also gives us great insights into how we should set out our LinkedIn page; it seems to be an extremely important part of a talent search.
Luxembourg is not necessarily an attractive place to live and work for certain professions. It turns out that some tech specialists can earn more in Poland or Ukraine (before the war), for example, than in Luxembourg. There are other comments: "The technology is too old", "The management style is antiquated". And so it goes on.
Why should people move to Luxembourg? The talent hunters are selling Luxembourg as a good place for families. Would this be your experience? We'd love to hear from you.
Roger Krämer from BCEE tells us that they have to work hard to find the right talent. A lot comes from internships. BCEE have to work hard to become more attractive to new talent. They also have to focus on upskilling current staff to develop the necessary profiles the bank requires to function. Retaining talent is another, new, issue this bank has not faced before.
Fanni Koncz and Manuel De Vits are more used to seeing new talent and the requirements of a young work force. People want flexibility in their working environment.
Younger people choose the company as much as the company chooses them.
James Mulli discusses the way in which remote working is a clear possibility for the future. And so the circular issue for Luxembourg rears its head once more... how to attract talent to this country.
In this discussion we have a focus on the financial sector, since that is the one which pays the most into the tax system of Luxembourg, but we would love to hear your experience.
Do you think Luxembourg is worth moving to?
What are the pros and cons?
Get in touch via social media or directly with Lisa.
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
Subscribe to the podcast on Apple and Spotify.
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Linking Luxembourg and Brazil through ARBED, and Riding the Rainbow.
Connections build communities, trust and friendship.
This week, both sets of guests show that links are global and humanity prevails.
A Luxembourg Community in Brazil through ARBED
Dr. Dominique Satana is a Luxembourg-Brazilian historian, screenwriter, director and trans-media storyteller. By chance, on a visit to Brazil, she came across the historical link between the city of João Monlevade, a city in Minas Gerais, and Luxembourg, due to its 'red earth'.
As part of her Ph.D. research, Dominique dug into the personal histories of many families based both in João Monlevade and Esch-sur-Alzette, the steel-mining region of Luxembourg. You can watch her findings on her documentary project “A Colônia Luxemburguesa”.
Through this work Dominique met many João Monlevade residents, including Nadja Lírio, a musician, producer and President-director of the Casa de Cultura Foundation.
Nadja was part of a João Monlevade delegation visiting Luxembourg last week, one of a number of visits since the two towns have been twinned. Dominique's work has empowered local communities to revisit and reframe the importance of their own history and to help heritage education work. Dominique has also been made an honorary citizen of João Monlevade.
Riding the Rainbow
Emanuele Santi launched Riding the Rainbow, in Luxembourg, from his Covid sickbed. Since then the idea, which started as a bike-swap with refugees from his garage, has become a free app over dozens of countries.
The idea is for everyone to be able to help refugees globally.
The original idea was created to help distribute sport items for Ukrainian war refugees in Luxembourg. From this Emanuele met Alena Antyouk. She has a background in child development and was overjoyed to see her own childrens' reactions on receiving the bikes. It was a note of freedom after so much fear plus losing all ties to everything they owned.
Riding the Rainbow promotes the circular economy and solidarity, connecting refugees and locals by redistributing pre-loved items.
Make sure to download and use the app!
Subscribe to the Podcast and get in touch!
Subscribe to my podcast on Apple and Spotify.
Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am. -
Baroness Hale of Richmond is a pioneering female legal mind who became President of the Supreme Court in the U.K.
Baroness Hale of Richmond was invited to give the Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Lecture by the British Luxembourg Society this week; only the second woman in its history to have done so, the first being Margaret Thatcher.
Her talk was entitled “The Independence of the Judiciary and some of its Enemies”.
Baroness Hale is, in the words of criminal barrister Gareth Weetman, ‘legal royalty’. Her fame grew beyond the world of legal minds when, as President of the Supreme Court, she had to deliver the verdict that Boris Johnson’s prorogation of parliament was “void and of no effect”. She did so whilst wearing a demure black dress adorned with a striking spider brooch.
In this interview at RTL she wore her favourite brooch - two mating dragonflies.
Lady Hale’s life story is now available in her book, Spider Woman. I highly suggest you listen to it in audible format, with Lady Hale herself as narrator. This highlights the sparkle and keen sense of intelligence in her voice.
During this interview, we start with the ‘Spider’ story and move onto whether Lady Hale believes British Parliament is in favour of an independent judiciary, or whether she feels the Supreme Court justices are influenced by Government.
We also mention Suella Braverman, as the Supreme Court very recently ruled her idea of sending refugees coming to the UK to Rwanda as unlawful.
In Lady Hale's lifetime as an academic, Law Commissioner, High Court Judge, Lord Justice of Appeal, Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, and finally President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Lady Hale has effected great change in the legal rights of women, children and those with mental health issues, amongst much else.
In this long discussion we have a glimpse into the life of an extremely agile mind that has developed British law for the benefit of a greater proportion of society.
Lady Hale believes we need more basic education of the judiciary processes in school in order to understand how law is there for the benefit of society; how things link together.
Her only daughter, Julia Hoggett, is CEO at the London Stock Exchange, and is another trailblazer in her own right.
Lady Hale's late second-husband, Julian Farrand, had the wonderful piece of advice: "All I want is more than enough".
Lady Hale is the middle of three daughters who all became Head Girl of their school in Yorkshire and the only ladies to marry 30 miles beyond their home village. Her parents were accomplished teachers and her father's sudden death aged just 49, when she was 13, developed a core of resilience and non-dependence on a man for income.
Baroness Hale was accompanied by Sir Nicholas Forwood KC. - Visa fler
