Between the Headlines

In this episode, Mario and Anya sit down with the renowned economist and activist, Ann Pettifor. The interview is a deep dive into her illustrious career, as well as an exploration of Pettifor's insights regarding the global financial system. She sheds light on its pervasive impact on daily lives and underscores the pressing need for transformative grassroots actions. Drawing from her experience leading the influential Jubilee 2000 campaign, Pettifor shares invaluable lessons and her vision for a more equitable economic future. Join us for an enlightening discussion that bridges the gap between high-level economic theories and on-the-ground realities. This episode was produced by Anya Bégué, Manju von Rospatt, and Mario Simmaco.

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, 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, 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/

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 <https://standnow.org/>. This episode was developed across four countries by producers Paula Medina Agromayor, Anya Bégué, Mario Simmaco, and Manju von Rospatt.

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.

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.

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.