Eutopya Podcasts

In this episode, we are sharing an interview with an anonymous young Afghan woman that was recorded in November 2021. Now a student in the US, our guest spent time working within Afghanistan's political civil society and public sector prior to the August 2021 Taliban takeover. She tells us about her experience under the US occupation, her assessment of the rapid fall of Kabul, and the implications of Taliban rule. When compared to the state of affairs today, the discussion offers a prescient look at what went wrong—and what could go wrong in the future if the international community fails to draw a harder line. This episode was produced by Anya Bégué. 

In this episode, Eutopya sits down with the anonymous Burmese filmmakers behind the new documentary project called Myanmar Diaries. The film is a collection of short movies that depict everyday life and resistance under junta violence. The conversation covers contemporary civil disobedience movements, the role of film in resisting authoritarianism, and more. This episode was produced—across 4 countries and 2 continents—by Manju von Rospatt, Anya Bégué, Sarah Lewis, and Mario Simmaco.

In this episode, Caio Guatelli—a Brazilian journalist and photographer—shares his exclusive testimony with Eutopya surrounding the environmental crisis occurring in Brazil. Caio explains how the country’s political class has historically decided to be blind to the destruction of its environment. Today, the government is actively facilitating this devastation. In this way, Caio explains the notion of "Environmental Blindness” that he used for one of his photographic series (available in his online portfolio). Caio explains how geography, social issues, and economic interests complicate journalism in the Brazilian Amazon and hinder environmental justice. This episode was produced—across 4 countries and 3 continents—by Lidia Varda, Manju von Rospatt and Anya Bégué.

In this episode, Anya sits down with Dr. Federica Fasanotti of the Brookings Institution and the Italian Institute for International Political Studies to discuss Russian private military companies. These underground groups act as informal—and brutal—strategic players who covertly carry out Russia’s foreign policy aims. Despite their relative lack of mainstream media coverage, the geopolitical implications of PMC involvement worldwide are immensely consequential. This episode was produced—across 2 countries and 2 continents—by Anya Bégué.

In this episode, Lidia and Manju sit down with photographer and journalist Fábio Nascimento for the first instalment of our brand new Environmental Crimes series. Fábio has worked with groups like National Geographic, Greenpeace, The New York Times, and BBC. He recently finished directing and shooting MATA, a documentary that examines the impact of illegal land grabbing on indigenous Brazilians. In this piece, we discuss the nature of environmental crime in Brazil, the problems and processes of activist filmmaking, and the broader challenges (and potential solutions) we face as a society. This episode was produced—across 4 countries and 3 continents—by Lidia Varda, Manju von Rospatt, and Anya Bégué.

In this episode, Eutopya sits down with Jiye Seong-Yu of the Human Rights Foundation. She is the Program Manager of Flash Drives for Freedom, which is a program that smuggles flash drives full of information into North Korea—with the aim of giving citizens a taste of the outside world. We talk about what this initiative means, what it’s like to defect from North Korea and the country’s prospects for change. Today’s episode was produced—across four countries and three continents—by Manju von Rospatt, Anya Bégué, Paula Medina Agromayor, and Mario Simmaco. Visit Flash Drive for Freedom’s website at https://flashdrivesforfreedom.org/

In this episode, the team sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Manuel Mogato to discuss Filipino president Duterte’s domestic, and shockingly deadly, war on drugs. This episode was produced—across four countries and three continents—by Anya Bégué, Paula Medina Agromayor, Mario Simmaco, and Manju von Rospatt

The team recently sat down with Caroline Mendoza, the Student Director of STAND—a youth-led organization combatting genocide—for a conversation about the group’s operations and the state of atrocity prevention today. Since the early 2000s, STAND has become one of the most prominent human rights organizations in the United States. You can check out STAND’s website at . This episode was developed across four countries by producers Paula Medina Agromayor, Anya Bégué, Mario Simmaco, and Manju von Rospatt.

After a brief hiatus, we’re back with a new season of Eutopya Podcasts. Our first piece offers listeners a sneak peek of the 2021 Santo Stefano Summit, which Eutopya co-sponsored this past July. A group of summit participants get together to discuss the efficacy and relevance of SDGs. Stay tuned for our brand new content, coming soon!

Anya sits down with Manju von Rospatt to discuss the upcoming Santo Stefano Summit. Applications to the conference can be found at www.santostefanosummit.org.

In March, the team sat down with Dr. Seinenu Thein-Lemelson of UCLA and the Foundation for Psychocultural Research for a deep dive into the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar following the recent coup. She tracks for us the development of the conflict over decades, assessing the military’s relationship with Burmese civilians and the recent escalation of violence. This episode was developed across 3 countries and two continents, and it was produced by Anya Bégué, Paula Medina Agromayor, and Mario Edoardo Simmaco. Special thanks to Sophia Gaffney.

After protests erupted across Senegal last month, the team sat down with Thiat—rapper, activist, and co-founder of Y’en a Marre, an organization that has been leading Senegalese social movements for years. Senegal has a roaring civil society, a big part of which is its hip hop culture. Our conversation quickly turned from the demonstrations to neocolonialism and Thiat’s broader aspirations for a new Pan-African unity. This episode was developed across 4 countries and 3 continents and produced by Anya Bégué, Paula Medina Agromayor, and Mario Simmaco. You can find Thiat’s hip hop group and music by searching Keurgui Crew on any streaming platform.

After yesterday’s dramatic events, the team developed a special episode to talk with Carlo Ferrari, President of the Association of the Italy-Burma Friendship to discuss the ongoing coup in Myanmar. We cover the reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi, the nature of the Myanmar-China relationship, the military’s involvement in the Rohingya genocide, and everything in between. This episode was produced by Anya Bégué and Mario Simmaco.

From age 17 to 20, Omar Alshogre was detained as a political prisoner by the Assad regime—simply for attending opposition demonstrations. Syria is known for its brutal torture prisons; Omar spent time in the nation’s most notorious detention center, Saydnaya, where Syrian people are systematically executed. Listen to our conversation with Omar as he describes his three years of incarceration and his inspiring resilience after being released. This episode was developed across 4 countries and 2 continents and produced by Paula Medina Agromayor, Anya Bégué, and Mario Edoardo Simmaco.

Anya sits down with Professor David Vine of American University of Washington D. C., author of Island of Shame, to discuss the history of the Chagos Islands. In 1965, the UK and the US conspired to set up a military base on one of the archipelago’s islands, Diego Garcia. It’s a story of imperialism, deportation, and immense suffering. This episode was produced—across 4 countries and 2 continents—by Paula Medina Agromayor, Anya Bégué, and Mario Edoardo Simmaco.

In this episode, Anya talks with two students from southern Cyprus, Velislava Vasileva and Ioannis Sterckx, about their thoughts on Turkey, Cyprus, and the international community. This installment was produced—across 6 countries and 3 continents—by Paula Medina Agromayor, Anya Bégué, Adam Kiela, and Mario Simmaco. You can contact us at info@eutopya.org or through our social media (@eutopya.worldwide).

A three-decades-old ceasefire has been broken. Now, a frozen conflict might be erupting.  What will happen to Western Sahara?  Special thanks to our host and editor, Paula Medina Agromayor

This is the first installment of our new miniseries, Erased, wherein we profile unheard voices of the world. In this episode, we talk to Hazal Say Otun, who tells us what it’s like to live in a country that doesn’t legally exist. Please note that our conversation was recorded before the recent Cypriot elections. This episode was produced—across 5 countries and 3 continents—by Paula Medina Agromayor, Anya Bégué, and Mario Edoardo Simmaco. Special thanks to Oliver Cutts. For more information, check out our social media @eutopya.worldwide - and be sure to follow our podcast! 

We sit down with a group of students from the UK to talk about school, Covid-19, and everything in between. This episode was produced across four countries. For more information, check out our social media @eutopya.worldwide. See you soon!

In this episode, we hear from student Paula Medina Agromeyor, who discusses how the coronavirus outbreak has demonstrated the failings of a GDP-centric global system.  This episode was produced—across two continents and three countries—by Paula Medina Agromeyor, Anya Bégué, and Mario Edoardo Simmaco. For more information, visit our website at eutopyapodcast.org or tweet us @EutopyaPodcast. See you next time!

Our first Bump is here!  1,000 tons of oil spilled in the Indian Ocean. A wetland zone of international importance at high risk. Thousands of livelihoods pending. How can the ocean be global by definition but not respond to any global rules?

This episode is a conversation with "icanyoucantoo" founder and financial professional Nilesh Dosa, who tells us how his personal life and career have intertwined, his experience navigating a nonprofit through the age of Covid-19, and his own advice for all of us in the post-pandemic world. Special thanks to editor Mario Simmaco and developer Paula Medina Agromayor.