United Citizens of Europe Podcast

In this episode, we delve into the inspiring journey of Sonia, a digital nomad who has embraced a life of constant change and exploration. Sonia, a wellness and communication facilitator, shares her experiences with changing jobs and countries while always seeking to connect with the local communities she encounters. From Madeira to Lecce, and beyond, Sonia discusses the challenges and rewards of...

In this episode, we chat with Daniele, a digital nomad who decided to go for a life of perpetual summer. Inspired by a yearning for warmer climates and a desire for greater freedom, Daniele shares his journey of embracing the digital nomad lifestyle. We talk about his decision to relocate to Australia, the allure of "chasing summers" across Southeast Asia, and the challenges and rewards of buildin...

In this episode, we sat down with Alise Vitola to discuss the Erasmus+ funded project called "FarmHub" . The project is a unique initiative that tries to connect digital nomads and remote workers with welcoming rural communities across Europe. Discover how FarmHub is fostering sustainable tourism, revitalizing rural economies, and offering unique work-life experiences for those seeking a change of...

In this special holiday episode,André Wyss takes us on a captivating journey through the diverse Christmas traditions of Europe. From the enchanting Christmas markets of Germany (and its replicas across Europe) to the vibrant nativity scenes of Italy, we'll explore the unique customs and religious significance of this beloved season across the continent. Drawing upon André's theological background...

In this episode of the United Citizens of Europe podcast, Luca sits down with Fairuzah to discuss the intricate world of global fashion. Fairuzah, a brilliant PhD researcher at the University of Amsterdam, will help us explore the hidden layers of neo-colonialism embedded within the fashion industry. Fairuzah sheds light on the global sizing systems, the impact of colonialism on contemporary fashi...

In this episode, we'll explore how the STARS project is revolutionizing the fashion industry by fostering innovation and collaboration between industry experts. The STARS project is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at creating a network of sustainable fashion professionals. Tune in to learn more about the exciting work being done to create a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Host...

In this episode of the United Citizens of Europe podcast, host Luca sits down with Daniela, a key figure in the innovative "Mend the Gap" project. Funded by the European Union's Erasmus+ program, "Mend the Gap" aims to empower women across Europe by equipping them with the skills and resources to start their own eco-businesses. Discover how “Mend the Gap” is breaking down barriers and creating opp...

Join us on a journey to discover the power of youth activism with “YouthNet”. In this episode, we sit down with Paola Maciariello and Stefano Stortone to explore this groundbreaking project's goals, achievements, and challenges. Learn how YouthNet connects young activists across Europe, fosters collaboration, and empowers the next generation of leaders. Discover inspiring stories of young people m...

In this week's episode, Sarah Durieux tells us a bit about her time at Change.org and the lessons she learned during her years there, starting as campaign manager until she became Executive Director. She is now co-director at Multitudes and still working on helping out people in campaign organizing. Many people are precluded from the possibility of running an effective political campaign because o...

What will a Lula-led Brazil look like and what will it mean for Europe? What will happen to the EU-Mercosur agreement? In this episode, Caterina Bruno and Bianca Cunha help us understand what is going on in Brazil, what happened to Lula and we try to foresee Brazil's role on the international stage. Host of the episode: Luca De Cristofaro Guests: Caterina Bruno, Bianca Cunha Follow United Citizens...

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Maria Mayrhofer, founder and executive director of Aufstehn. Aufstehn means "Stand up" in English, and the main goal of the organization is to help people manifest their dissent on various issues to their local, national and European elected officials.  The digital-fist organization takes the best of both worlds, and Maria explains why th...

In this episode, we discussed the results of the elections recently held in Italy. We focused on the reception of the news by international media and how most of the international press describes as the winning coalition as an extreme right coalition, whereas the Italian press is describing it as center-right. On the International field, we commented the possible European coalitions moving forward...

This week's episode is dedicated to understanding what is going on in Ukraine and Putin's decision to invade the country. The invasion of Ukraine by Putin's led forces takes Western countries' diplomatic ties with Russia back to 1945 according to diplomat and former ambassador of Italy to Moscow, Guido Lenzi. The diplomat also added that Russia refused to take EU leaders seriously, their only inte...

In this episode, we talked with Beatrice Chioccioli about her life working in the humanitarian field and how easy this sector can lead to burnout. We also discussed how and why she founded her Paris-based NGO that helps migrants and asylum seekers in the French capital (and now in Europe). Lastly, we briefly talked about who are the LinkedIn job fairies.  Listen to the podcast to know more. H...

Trigger Warning : This episode of the podcast discusses r4pe used as a war weapon. This topic might be triggering for some people. In this episode, we discussed with Loredana Speranza this topic which is often overlooked and minimized. Loredana decided to focus her MA thesis research on this issue as she found it was not talked about enough. Her case study was the Syrian conflict. One of the...

In this episode, we have a lovely chat with Laura Degiovanni, CEO and founder of TiiQu. Laura is an Italian national with an international mindset who founded her start-up in the post-Brexit UK.   TiiQu's mission is to "provide every individual with the tools to test and prove who they are, crystallize their knowledge and professional evolution into blockchain-based proofs, and benefit from a...

This week we gathered some testimonies on the access to the COVID-19 vaccines of non-Europeans living in the EU and EU nationals living outside EU borders.  Emil Aaji told us about his experience in Sweden. Qingya Wei, a Chinese student living in Groningen, shared with us her experience about booking the vaccine in the Netherlands. Our Graphic Designer, Anton Meshkov, also shared his issues w...

This week we had a conversation with Remy Bonny, activist and executive director of Forbidden Colours. We talked about being an LGBTQI foundation and funding projects for the queer community in Europe, diversity, and the state of LGBTQI rights in the Union. Host of the episode: Luca De Cristofaro Guest: Remy Bonny, Forbidden Colours Follow United Citizens of Europe: IG: @unitedcitizensofeurope Twi...

We are back with season 3 of the podcast! We are dedicating the first episode of the season to Pride! We had a conversation with Kristine Garina, president of the European Pride Organizers Organization about what it means to celebrate pride, how a pride parade is organized in Europe, and we briefly discussed how to get the "Europride" license. Don't forget to join Copenhagen 2021, where WorldPride...

This week, we talk about what is going on in Myanmar and the sanctions on Myanmar by the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union with Sabrina Moles, editor of the Italian database "China Files". On March 22nd, 2021, the European Union sanctioned 11 individuals and 4 entities. But what does it mean to be sanctioned by the European Union? Luca De Cristofaro and Hannah Bludau, co-founders of th...

On March 22nd, 2021, the European Union sanctioned the People's Republic of China over the alleged human rights violations of the Uyghur population in the region of Xinjiang. Fabrizia Candido briefly overviews the history of the relations between the EU and China. We talk about the "Lianghui" (Chinese National Assembly)'s key takeaways, and we discuss the mask and vaccine diplomacy. After this int...

This week, we're interviewing Dorottya Kósa about working with European projects. Dorottya has a unique experience of both participating in grassroots European projects and working with European institutions. Here's our talk on how to work with Europe.  Host of the episode: Anton Meshkov Guest: Dorottya Kósa Follow United Citizens of Europe: IG: @unitedcitizensofeurope Twitter: @ucofeurope Fa...

In today's episode, we interviewed Lawin Ileto, creator of the podcast called " Pop your Cultural Cherry ". Lawin is a young Filipino who went to the Netherlands to continue his studies, doing a master's degree in business at the University of Maastricht. After his graduation, he continued his stay in Europe, working in Germany. We talked about different issues, from cultural shock to racially mot...

In this episode, Anton Meshkov interviews Joseph El Hayek. Joseph is a founder of the RestART Beirut project which aims to restore the Sursock Palace after the explosion in Beirut in summer 2020. In this podcast, Joseph talks about the historical and personal significance of the palace and plans for its future. Multiple cultural locations have been damaged by the explosion in Beirut. Thanks to EU...

This week, we interviewed Gianluca Cesaro from PICUM, the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants. This week's topics cover the access of undocumented to COVID-19 vaccines (and their access to public healthcare), why we say undocumented and not illegal, and how to change the narrative surrounding undocumented individuals. We found this interview very interesting and eye-ope...