WIIS Brussels Voices

WIIS Brussels has been hosting special events under the title Consultation on Women & Security – and for the second time, we bring part of this powerful conversation to the podcast. Throughout this unique process, we explore personal definitions of 'security,' how the concept is evolving, and the vital role communities play in shaping safer environments. In December, WIIS Brussels members and...

WIIS Brussels has been hosting special events under the title Consultation on Women & Security – focusing on migrant, refugee, and exile activists – and for the first time, we bring part of this powerful conversation to the podcast. Throughout this unique process, we explore personal definitions of 'security,' how the concept is evolving, and the vital role communities play in shaping safer en...

As the world grapples with the ructions of recent global disorder, focus has often turned to the global south and its reactions. Notably, the African continent has become of great interest, not least because of its varied positions on events in Ukraine and the Middle East, alongside the manifest attempts of China, Russia, the US and the EU to garner support and attention. Africa is a continent of...

Exactly one month after the Hamas attack on Israel, global disorder continues apace. To gain a broad perspective on the cascade of news and events, Ilana Bet El is joined by Oksana Antonenko , Visiting Fellow at the Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies in Florence and long-standing expert and advisor on geopolitics, crisis and risk. This is a lively discussion covering the latest moves of the US, t...

The third week after the Hamas attack on Israel, the third week of ongoing war in Israel and Gaza not just on the battlefield, but also on social media, the third week of Europe not dealing with war in the Middle East and Ukraine — the third week of spiralling disorder. Olga Oliker , Program Director, Europe and Central Asia at International Crisis Group joins Ilana Bet-El to analyse developments,...

Historians of the future will spend much time deciding whether we entered the world of disorder in the Covid pandemic or because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 or because of worsening US-China relations or because of the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October — or because of many other reasons. However, when they come to analyse the events, they will find the voice of Latin America was re...

As the world grapples with ever-shifting news, join us for an exploration of key events from the second week of world disorder following horrendous events in Israel and Gaza — and escalating tensions throughout the Middle East. Nathalie Tocci , Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali, shares her insights on the rapidly shifting sands in the region and far beyond in a discussion with Ilana B...

As news unfolded dramatically and horrifically on Saturday, October 7, 2023 in Israel and throughout the week in both Israel and Gaza, it became clear we were witnessing something potentially bigger: yet another escalation in global instability and dysfunction. This called for a short sharp burst of explanation and assessment with a Woman Leader. Anna Sauerbrey , Foreign Editor at Germany's presti...

At 23:59 on August 30 2021 the last US soldier left Kabul, and Afghanistan — and 20 years of international intervention came to an abrupt, final and appalling end. Abrupt, because despite the departure date being known at least since the start of the year, the speed with which the Taliban captured territory vacated by international forces, and the speed with which the internationally trained...

In a rapidly evolving landscape of media and journalism, spokespersons hold a crucial position, acting as a bridge between politicians, decision-makers, administrations and the public. They are the lynchpin. Ever wondered why international organisations need spokespersons? Curious about the intricacies of navigating complex institutions like NATO, the European Union, and the United Nations while e...

In this miniseries, WIIS Brussels invites women to share their experience and expertise on the multi-dimension of climate security. For this bonus episode, recorded a year after the miniseries publication, Sabrine Dao, Sofiia Shevchuk and Mona Koehler-Schindler look back at what we've learned through the miniseries and share their expertises. Mona and Sofiia with their diverse rich professional an...

Join us for a special episode as we delve into the Women in CT report , a project implemented by WIIS Brussels with the support of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Foreign Policy Instrument. (FPI). Hosted by Ilana, this episode welcomes Jessica White, Senior Research Fellow in RUSI’s Terrorism and Conflict group who brings her expertise as a former intelligence and language analys...

What do agreements, sanctions, trade, business, crises and negotiations have in common? Diplomats. If money makes the world go around, diplomats pave its way: they enable the connections between states, multilateral institutions, leaders and the unfolding realities of the world. And they are especially crucial now, with the world in turmoil. The war in Ukraine and its fallout, the growing US-China...

Sanctions have become central to the Western response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with ever escalating packages being announced every few weeks, notably by the US and the EU. But sanctions did not start in 2022. Indeed, Russia was first sanctioned over Ukraine in 2014, after it annexed Crimea — and over decades states such as North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua and various others have been subject t...

International Women’s Day is on 8 March, but for women every day is Women’s Day: work and home, success and failure, families and friends, battles for equality and rights — they may come into focus once a year, but women live them every day. In this episode of Women Leaders Ilana Bet-El talks to Arancha Gonzalez Laya, who knows much about the rights of women as well as the deliberations of governm...

China is frequently in the news. In fact, it sometimes seems as if it is always in the news – from surveillance balloons over America to international supply chains, and from world governance to world trade, it is always a central issue. Yet in truth, China remains an enigma, or simply unknown, to many. At the turn of the century and for some years after, China was seen in the west as a potential...

Start the year with Ilana Bet-El welcoming her WIIS friends Florence Ferrando, co-producer of the Women Leaders podcast, and Pauline Massart, Partner at Avisa-Partners. This bonus episode was recorded following a conversation in December between the three women, focused on the eventful year that was 2022 and some ideas about 2023. Looking backwards and forwards, the conversation brings their views...

The media and journalism are nowadays commonly assumed to be interchangeable. But in truth, they are truly different: journalism is an honourable profession, dating back at least to the 19th century and devoted to reporting facts and discovering the truth; media are platforms upon which everything from journalism to pure hatred are distributed widely and profoundly. Nevertheless both remain essent...

When wars end, non-war begins. Negotiations are held and treaties signed, and with luck peace follows. But that is not always the case. On the 11th of November 1918 the First World War finally ended, with an armistice, leaving some 20 million people dead, half of them civilians, and more or less the same number wounded, mostly military. In 1919 the Paris peace Conference followed: a vast event bri...

It isn’t possible to evade or even ignore the war in Ukraine: from energy and food prices to the instability of global governance, the fallout is immense, and increasing. The people of Ukraine are suffering the harshest effects, but the surrounding states also feel the war strongly, and in a variety of ways. From waves of Ukrainian immigrants caused by Russia’s aggression to waves of Russians flee...

After a summer break, the WIIS leadership podcast is back to demystify all matters related to nuclear weapons — which is very necessary, given the escalation in threats emanating from the war in Ukraine. Ilana is joined by two women exceptionally well versed in these issues: Jessica Cox, Director for Nuclear Policy at NATO, and Polina Sinovets , Director of the Odessa Center for Non-Proliferation....

In this miniseries, WIIS Brussels invites women to share their experiences and expertise on the many dimensions of climate security.  For the last episode of the miniseries, Sabrine Dao and Sofiia Shevchuk invite Sevim Aktas, Policy Officer at the European Commission, and Elisa Seith, former Situational Awareness Officer at NATO, currently a Client Solution Architect with Jupiter Intelligence...

In this miniseries, WIIS Brussels invites women to share their experiences and expertise on the many dimensions of climate security.  For the fourth episode in the miniseries, our hosts Sabrine Dao and Sofiia Shevchuk invite Benedetta Berti, Head of Policy Planning in the Office of the Secretary General at NATO, and Katarina Kertysova, Policy Fellow at the European Leadership Networ...

In this miniseries, WIIS Brussels invites women to share their experience and expertise on the many dimensions of climate security.  In this third episode of the series, Sabrine Dao and Sofiia Shevchuk have invited Mariko Peters, Senior Peace and Conflict Adviser at the European External Action Service, Olivia Lazard, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe, and Anniek Barnhoorn, Research As...

In this miniseries, WIIS Brussels invites women to share their experience and expertise on the many dimensions of climate security.  In this second episode, Sabrine Dao and Sofiia Shevchuk have invited Dr Hanne Knaepen, Head of Green Transition and Climate Adaptation with ECDPM and Glada Lahn, Senior Research Fellow for Environment and Society Programme at Chatham House.  To wh...