RTL Today - The Lisa Burke Show

Problems with traceability of the EU's Covid Recovery Fund is one of the issues Tony Murphy discusses, with concern, on this show. Irishman Tony Murphy is at the helm of the EU financial watchdog, as President of the European Court of Auditors. The European Court of Auditors is one of the seven EU institutions and it’s based in Luxembourg. With nearly 1000 staff members, their role is to scrutinise the way in which EU money is spent; make it transparent, traceable and accountable. Plus, does the use of the money ultimately serve the EU citizen? And so, one part of the job is to follow the money trail, the other is to ensure the performance or use aligns with the EU’s broader strategic priorities. 2024 has been a year of major reports, most prominently the Draghi report on EU competitiveness and the Letta report focussed more on the single market. Letta also emphasises the need for much stricter control on state aid for those most in need. Both highlight the challenges facing the EU in terms of being a global player, competitiveness, the internal market and industrial policy. ‘Sustainable’ Debt versus ‘necessary investment’ is something that auditors have to consider and advise on, when thinking about the future of the EU and kicking the problem down the line, for future generations to pay for. Tony Murphy talks passionately on the EU’s COVID recovery funds which are a huge problem in terms of following the money - it is not transparent and not easy for  the auditors to see whether the money is or was actually used in the right manner as designed https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/news/NEWS2024_04_NEWSLETTER_03?mtm_campaign=NewsletterAnalytics&mtm_kwd=RelatedNews&mtm_source=Newsletter-2024-4-2&mtm_content=https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/news/NEWS2024_04_NEWSLETTER_03 They ECA examine revenue and spending in every area of the EU’s work from growth and jobs to environmental policy and climate action. https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/what-we-do They undertake ‘performance audit’ reports which digs into whether EU action and funding is efficient and effective - does it deliver results for citizens. Naturally there are also the ‘compliance’ and financial audits to see if rules are being complied with.   https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/search-publications#k=#l=1033 ECA governance and structure https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/governance   ECA’s activity report for 2023 (2024) – this gives a good brief overview of our role and work https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/news/NEWS-AAR-2023   Just published (yesterday): ECA plan of audits for next year and afterwards: https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/news/NEWS-WP-2025 

Today we discuss the whole energy life cycle of a home and how, perhaps in the future, we should consider a ‘carbon-wallet’ for our lives, which includes where we live and its own carbon costs. "Build nothing, build less, build efficiently, build with less impact" Architects have to think of many things. Resource-efficient designs will help reduce the need for new construction and demolition. In a world facing resource scarcity, the way in which materials are sourced and buildings are constructed must change. My guests are architects Carine Oberweis and Philippe Nathan, civil engineer Lee Frank and Paul Baustert, policy maker and Attaché at the Ministry of the Economy in Luxembourg. Carine is passionate about creating healthy living spaces with low-energy design. Having spent many years working in Ghana (and being the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Ghana in Luxembourg), Carine also works on developing new building products made from waste material. This is an industry with huge future potential. Lee Franck works with the construction industry, currently responsible for about 40% of carbon emissions, to devise low carbon designs. Architect Philippe Nathan has worked on The ‘Grande Porte des Alpes’ in Lyon, developing a vision of a decarbonised and resilient region by 2050.  As Attaché at the Ministry of the Economy in Luxembourg, Paul Baustert works on preparing legislation related to the whole life carbon of buildings. Where does carbon reside in our homes? This is not as obvious as it may seem. Every bit of material that makes our home has an energy cost to it, which is why it is not always the most energy efficient decision to demolish and build again. We are all very aware of energy consumption when it comes to heating, ventilation and electricity, not least because this is an on-going (and likely increasing) cost.  However, we are less conscious of the ‘stuff’ that our buildings are made of. This is grey energy. For so long the conversation on reducing energy consumption has circled around insulation, energy efficient windows, machines to vent the house mechanically, but not the overall carbon dioxide savings. We are now moving to a ‘whole-life’ carbon approach, and new legislation is on its way to take into account the impact of the materials that go into construction. From 2028 onwards, for a new building to be permitted, it needs to have its carbon footprint calculated over its life-time, energy consumption and carbon in the materials to build it. From 2030, limits on how much carbon can go into a building will come into place. An average size house in Luxembourg has a carbon footprint of roughly 200t CO2 in the materials. That’s about 100 return flights to the United States. If we reduce the carbon footprint of our house by 20%, we save the equivalent of about 20 return flights or the offset of an average person in Luxembourg’s carbon footprint over 2 years (an average person’s carbon footprint in Luxembourg is 18t/annum)! And if we scale this up to a global scale – we could build one city like Paris each week in energy savings. How can we change this situation fast? Lee Franck has a few suggestions here: - Build Nothing: do we need to build more? Could we convert existing buildings? Stop demolishing! “Demolishing and building something new which claims to be “green” is greenwashing.” - Build Less: what is enough? - Reuse materials: start the mindset of urban mining. All existing buildings are material banks. We need better data management systems to log this however. - La frugalité heureuse: what are our fundamental needs to be happy? For example, cellars are highly carbon intensive to build. Can we use one space in multiple ways. - Logistics: how to transfer one component from an old to a new building. - Leave things ‘unfinished’  (exposed ceilings and floors etc.) - Build efficiently: use fewer resources for the same needs - Carbon footprint calculation and set goals on how much carbon should be used - Build with timber. There is a common misconception that building in timber has a negative carbon impact. Global demand for timber is predicted to quadruple by 2050 and although at least in Europe forests are growing, this demand cannot be met and these monoculture plantations come with a loss in health of the forests and biodiversity and illegal sourcing. - Innovation for better materials and products. What is the role of an architect in our society? Architects play a unique role in society, enhancing lives by thoughtfully considering how people live, work, and shape their environments. In today’s fast-paced world, homes should offer a sense of calm and grounding. Carine believes in creating a home which has a soothing effect on the human senses, through careful consideration of volume, colour, touch, acoustics, and even scent. Architects and engineers also have to design for communities, to encourage human interaction whilst ensuring privacy and reducing isolation. Carine’s work in Ghana develops her passion for empowering local communities and promoting social equity. “In response to global challenges such as the climate crisis, demographic changes, economic instability, and disrupted supply chains, the focus is on finding innovative, sustainable solutions - local solutions to local problems.” Collaborative efforts in West Africa have led to the development of new building materials from waste, with plans to apply this knowledge to projects in Luxembourg. Carine’s vision aligns with the philosophy of "build nothing, build less, build more clever, build with less impact." She encourages us to value what already exists, appreciating imperfections both in life and in the built environment. “It's about embracing nature-based materials, minimising transformations, and reducing both embodied and operational energy. For example the Gulf of Guinea may seem distant, the ripple effects of its developments will touch us all. Global well-being is a shared responsibility, shaped by the daily decisions we make. Every choice has global consequences, underscoring the interconnectedness of our world and the urgent need for sustainable, responsible practices.” Paul has the unenviable task of thinking about the whole building ecosystem with associated environmental challenges in order to put together a framework of policy decisions that will help the country for generations to come. Carbon Budget As a final thought, Carine Oberweis has a suggestion for us to consider as we move towards the New Year - what is your carbon budget? “To grasp the importance of global well-being, we must recognise it as a shared responsibility - one shaped by our everyday decisions. Each choice we make has a compounding effect on the world, emphasising our global interdependence and the urgent need for sustainable, mindful practices. Imagine it like a monthly budget, with a limited "carbon wallet" for spending. With each choice, your carbon budget gets smaller, and by the month’s end, we hope you've managed to keep enough for future flexibility. Let's start thinking of each decision as an investment in the world of tomorrow, striving to make each choice one that preserves our collective resources for the long term. What’s your carbon budget for 2025 ?” Tune in to The Lisa Burke Show on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon, and Tuesdays at 11am on Today Radio. Watch on RTL Play. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Coping with blindness, then paralysis, to showing us that we can achieve more than we thought possible. Blindness Mark Pollock started losing his sight from childhood, culminating in blindness just before his finals at Trinity College Dublin in 1998. Mark’s blindness is tied to the date of the Good Friday Agreement being signed on 10 April 1998 in Northern Ireland. He speaks of the uncertain years of autopilot after this diagnosis, the five stages of grief and the sense of being left behind as his friends went off to start their adult lives. Mark had to navigate the loss of what he had assumed was his identity; one very much tied to being a sportsman, defined by things he did. He speaks of being a spectator on the sidelines of his life. Slowly, as he emerged from this state of shock and grief, he moved from being a spectator to competitor, designing a life with clarity, confidence and commitment. Small goals built up confidence. Always a lover of endurance sports, he went on to attempt many such feats, both ‘successfully’ and other times needing to be helicoptered off mountainsides. Mark went on to become a global adventure athlete, competing in ultra-endurance races across deserts and the first blind person to race to the South Pole in 2009. Paralysis Perhaps a worse tragedy occurred in 2010, when a fall from a second story window nearly killed him, leaving Mark with a broken back, fractured skull and many internal injuries. He survived, just, but paralysed. Since then, Mark has redirected his attention to the intersection of humans and technology to cure paralysis in our lifetime. Off-air he spoke to me about a particular teenager he shared a ward with, whose life’s potential was wiped away at the time he was paralysed from the neck down. Mark Pollock works to inspire us all, optimise performance and build collaborations and communication channels that can ultimately effect change. He is Chairman of Collaborative Cures. Mark now works a lot with neuroscientists, to understand how to best achieve a state of flow. He also believes in collaboration with an element of competition to get the best results. This also requires great communication, and that relies on trust. Run in the Dark Mark is the founder of the global running series Run in the Dark and here Luxembourg plays an important role! This event will be held on 13 November at 8pm in 50 cities around the world, with 25,000 people running 5km and 10km. You can choose to race, walk or be a Marshall or volunteer on the night. If you want to support Mark’s work you can contact him here: https://www.markpollock.com/ runinthedark.org/volunteer

Colleagues Vanessa Phelan and Sarah Tapp join Lisa to discuss a bookshop book and more besides. The first shocking fact about this month‘s Book Club is that we found a communal date after one try. For three working women, with children and other jobs, this is rather remarkable.  We start our discussions by talking about Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum. And, as always, there is a conversation full of books to follow.  Tune in to The Lisa Burke Show on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon, and Tuesdays at 11am.

Lisa discusses the significance of the "minority vote," swing states, and other topics that will impact the U.S. elections coming up in November. Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, Retired Ambassador Dr. Carlo Krieger, and U.S. Diplomat Meghan Dean share their thoughts on this week's show. Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins observed the importance of having the right to vote in childhood, watching her Grandmother pick cotton in the morning and teach school in the afternoon so that people could learn how to write their names and therefore vote, once that law eventually came into place. Dr. Jefferson-Jenkins took up the baton to become a life-long advocate and activist for civil rights and social justice. She is a voice for under-represented populations and served two terms as the President of the League of Women Voters of the United States and Chair of the League of Women Voters Education Fund, the only woman of colour to have ever done so. Retired Ambassador Carlo Krieger served around the world: Brazil, China, Russia; and as Deputy in the Embassies of Washington D.C. and Vienna. His academic passion is social anthropology, and in this conversation we learn about Carlo’s knowledge of how Native Americans are discriminated against when it comes to their right to vote. Meghan Dean is the U.S Embassy Luxembourg’s spokesperson. She served as a Deputy Spokesperson for European Affairs and at the State Department Operations Center, the Secretary of State’s 24-hour crisis management and communications centre in Washington, D.C. Meghan served at the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, North Macedonia and on the State Department’s Ukraine Desk. Meghan is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Albania and Georgia. She talks about the Electoral College, the complexity of the American elections and that it’s not one Federal election but 50 state elections. On the evening of Tuesday 8 October 2024, Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, was in Luxembourg at the behest of Miami University Luxembourg Foundation’s inaugural event, supported by the US Embassy in Luxembourg.

Joining Lisa and Sasha in the Today Radio studios are the planners of Differdange's Fashion Week Luxembourg, sneaker savvy Today Radio presenter Steven Miller, and Laura da Silva – a fashion-forward nurse, tattoo artist and advocate for breast cancer support and awareness. Starting with a review of the week’s global news with Sasha Kehoe, we discuss:  US Election Just one month away and Melania Trump has declared her support for a woman’s right to control her own body, including abortion. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/02/melania-trump-memoir-defends-abortion-rights JD Vance, Donald Trump’s pick for vice-president, has indicated he would support a national abortion ban https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/17/politics/kfile-jd-vance-abortion-comments/index.html Pelicot Trial Rape Case in France The horrific mass rape trial of 71 year old Gisèle Pelicot continues, creating debate about the culture of male domination in France and across borders https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240927-french-rape-trial-sparks-timid-debate-about-masculinity Teleworking no longer Amazon now requires all employees to return to the office, sparking debate amongst many companies to rethink their working from home / office balance for maximum productivity  / employee satisfaction, especially when long commutes are a feature of working in Luxembourg for many. Grand Duke Abdication Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume will officially assume the role of Lieutenant Representative on 8 October, as appointed by his father the Grand Duke.  In September Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa moved to their Fischbach residency allowing their son, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and his family to take over Berg Castle in Colmar-Berg. https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/2207770.html Real Art vs Posters Scientists in the Netherlands using eye-tracking and MRI scans found an enormous difference between genuine works and posters. A neurological study revealed that real works of art in a museum stimulate the brain in a way that is 10 times stronger than looking at a poster. Commissioned by the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague, home to Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, the independent study used eye-tracking technology and MRI scans to record the brain activity of volunteers looking at genuine artworks and reproductions. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/03/real-art-in-museums-stimulates-brain-much-more-than-reprints-study-finds Fashion Week Luxembourg  Livia Smith, Communication Strategist for Luxembourg Fashion Week talks about its growth from the starting point six years ago,  with Fabiola Puga still at the helm. This year there will be twelve national and international designers. Luxembourg Fashion Week hopes to become part of the cultural fabric of the hospitality and economy of Luxembourg. Livia also talks about her own use of fashion to help create confidence for someone who is naturally shy. Max Felten,  Chief Economist and City Manager of Differdange returns to talks about why Differdange will, once again, host Luxembourg Fashion Week. Natalia Wrona, in charge of the promotion for Differdange City Management, explains the three different locations this year, including one at the International School in Differdange, celebrating all children, with two autistic children taking to the catwalk. AquaSud Differdange is another of the three locations for the Fashion Week, and Céline Moreira, their Communication Manager, explains the difficulty in using an aquatic setting for a fashion show! Céline also talks about the link to Pink October and how emphasising the beauty in diversity. A theme throughout today’s discussion is the power of self-acceptance,  and promotion of a positive body image regardless of challenges. Laura da Silva overcame breast cancer ten years ago. Now, she spends her time between nursing at CHL and running her own business as an image consultant and tattoo artist, helping other women who have gone through breast cancer. She travels around with a pink chair, which is a reminder to those who have dealt with cancer that there is a lot of waiting and sitting, for both the patient, but also for their friends and family. https://www.instagram.com/luxembourgfashionweek My colleague, Steven Miller, a presenter at Today Radio is renowned in the office for his sneaker collector. Steven started his collection at the age of 15, peaking at 550 in 2017. He talks about sneaker collecting as an alternative investment, where ‘sneakerheads’ of this world are happy to spend thousands on one pair. Steven also loves Japanese streetwear designers, specialising in  minimalist but thoughtful creations. Collector of sneakers since age 15 (peaking at 550 pairs in 2017) Completed a course in ‘Sneaker Essentials’ with the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 2020; covering everything from history and design to  manufacturing and retail Favoured fashion subject is Japanese designers and streetwear Advocate for pre-loved/owned clothing and the Japanese art of ‘Sa-shiko’ (mending/repair) Please do subscribe via Apple and / or Spotify. It would be great if you could rate and review too — as it helps others find the podcast. Tune in to The Lisa Burke Show on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon, and Tuesdays at 11am.

Thoughts of a massage with four hands (two people) and 8–9 litres of oil sounds like utter bliss to me. And more, from Ayurveda Parkschlösschen. Our roundup of the week’s news, with Sasha Kehoe, covers: - Pope Francis’s visit to Luxembourg on such a wet Thursday and the much-noted coffee-shop visit - Upcoming Austrian elections with a potential real far-right win - Former Prime Minister and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker addressing the ongoing rumours of his alleged alcoholism - Pirate Party Defections - Euthanasia in Switzerland - death in a Sarco capsule, which fills with nitrogen and causes death by hypoxia. - A bit of light relief with Pesto the Penguin at an Australian aquarium home Ayurveda Parkschlösschen and Nestwärme Ayurveda Parkschlösschen is not too far away at the Mosel river in Traben-Trarbach and is an oasis for the over-worked. Kathleen Landbeck is a naturopath and psychotherapist, who leads the Resilienz Retreat at Ayurveda Parkschlösschen. Maria Hebel is an Ayurvedic Practicioner at the centre. Dirk Hense represents Nestwärme - a family relief network across Germany, Luxembourg and Austria for families with physically or mentally handicapped children; families that need to become resilient to cope with the realities of their day-to-day existence. Ayurveda is an ancient holistic medical system which focusses on the human being as an individual, with individual problems and needs. Each person is viewed in terms of their ‘dosha’ (body and personality type) to help us understand our personality type and traps. Whatever one’s background or wealth, we face different challenges in life: burdens of work, relationships and health. We also face the burden of ourselves and the weight we put on ourselves through upbringing and culture around us. We’ve certainly come to realise that physical health impacts mental health and our microbiome. At Parkschlösschen they try to reset the digestive tract and calm the nervous system with a series of many of the things we know ourselves: good food habits, sleep, meditation, yoga, and a digital detox. We fall in to habits and traps, and in relationships: “Partners are our gurus, especially when it's difficult” Kathleen and Maria plus the team meet people as they arrive high on stress hormones. We are not always conscious of what’s hurting us, or our unrealistic expectations. Why is it that we are so driven? Or can’t meet the standards set by ourselves or others? Kathleen tries to develop the self love muscle. We learn about the Four Stages of Life: - Learning stage - when we are students or apprentices - Establishing stage through work and family; wealth creation - Doing to being - mentoring and giving back - Returning to our spiritual selves - retreating from the doing and rest in the being - We also learn about the importance of boundaries to maintain our emotional and physical health, and also learn about the five different levels of being: - Physical - Vital force - Mind - thoughts and emotions - Intellect - more subtle and stable than the mind - Bliss body - deep sleep, like in a meditation (or great sex!) Nestwärme Nestwärme helps families in a holistic way, fostering the feeling of community and diversity. It’s so easy to feel alone with not much ‘extra’ energy when faced with an on-going stressful family situation. And this is not an insignificant number - about 2-5% of families are touched by this in western European countries. The work is focused on health and wellbeing where the body follows the mind, plus the intrinsic need for belonging. The motto is ‘me, then you, then we’. We cannot sacrifice too much of ourselves or we burnout. Nestwärme have added 7 elements of building resilience: - Self awareness - Self regulation - realistic optimism - solution orientated - orientation to future - orientation to network - Ability of acceptance And they added the importance of humour Resilience is a muscle that must be trained. They have built and e-learning platform which is available in English, German and French. If you wish to contact any of these organisations you can fine Ayurveda Parkschloesschen here, https://www.ayurveda-parkschloesschen.de/en/homepage-english/ with a blog here https://gb.parkschloesschenblog.de/ They are also available on instagram. https://www.instagram.com/ayurvedaparkschloesschen/ Kathleen is about to become a digital nomad, travelling the world with her work and has a website here. https://www.kathleenlandbeck.de/de Nestwärme is available here https://www.nestwaerme.org/lu/ with their CareYoo programme here http://www.careyoo.org The news stories can be found here: https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/a/2234922.html https://apnews.com/article/austria-election-far-right-kickl-nehammer-9db1d6bebfd67d3225be787e34e0b13d https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/2233867.html https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/2232874.html https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/a/2234508.html https://today.rtl.lu/news/science-and-environment/a/2234566.html

Career planning, as a student or an adult; plus the upcoming Science Slam in Luxembourg. Arnit Dey has two more years of High School left before he and his cohort  of global students have to decide what to study, where to go and what to do with the first part of the rest of their adult lives. Arnit himself was born in the UAE to an Indian family and now lives in Luxembourg. He feels that the upcoming decisions need to be spoken about more at this important juncture in life, which conflates education, peer and parental pressure and the simple heaviness of figuring out what to do in the future. Anneke Hudson is the in-house careers advisor at St. George’s International School. Anneke is half-English, half-Dutch, born in Kenya, raised there, in Zambia, South Africa, Oman, North America and England and is raising her own family here in Luxembourg.  And so, she knows what it feels like to be a ‘3rd culture kid’, a married mother abroad and an expat parent. Anneke first studied law and became an in-house banking solicitor in a City of London international corporate law firm. Quite quickly she realised this was not a career she enjoyed. After a gap to raise her children, Anneke took a Masters degree in Career Development and Coaching from the University of Warwick in the UK and became a registered Career Development Professional with the Career Development Institute in the UK. At St. George’s International School she helps students think about the word ‘career’ to encompass the lifelong journey through life, learning and work. “Your 'career' is the paid and unpaid roles which you undertake throughout a lifetime, including life roles, leisure activities, learning and work.” There are six core career development skills, relevant for any age: - Trying new things - Understanding yourself - Being open - Reflecting - Learning how to research - Networking These complement the six learning areas from the Career Development Institute Framework: - Grow throughout life - Explore possibilities - Manage career - Create opportunities - Balance life and work - See the big picture Dr Ann Kiefer is a mathematician by training, working as a STEM Expert at the Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing (LUCET) at the University of Luxembourg. She leads a project called PITT (Programme for innovative teaching and training), where she develops science and maths lessons for secondary schools tailored to Luxembourg. Ann is also highly involved with science communication, from designing a maths costume for the Manneken Pis in Brussels https://www.lalibre.be/dernieres-depeches/belga/2020/07/20/des-chercheurs-de-la-vub-concoivent-un-costume-pour-manneken-pis-HJCWWYVOUNHLBIPMU6A2XDVM7Q/ to winning a number of science slams herself in Germany and Luxembourg. She also participates in Science Stand-Up Comedy https ://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=HpcEsVI8ccc Juan Aguilar is a digital archaeologist doing his PhD on the virtual recovery of a destroyed millennia-old cultural heritage site in Mosul, Iraq. Juan also won the Science Slam here in Luxembourg by explaining how he 3D-scanned and 3D reconstructed the presumed tomb of the Prophet Jonah which, until 2014, sat on an Assyrian palace (IG: #nebiyunusdigitalarchaeologicalproject ). He communicates his archaeological project work with short films. https://vimeo.com/829695470?share=copy https://history.uni.lu/team-juan-aguilar/ Ann and Jan are part of the Luxembourg Science Slam organisation team which is open to all on Friday, 4th October at 7pm in Cercle Cité. You can find the tickets here and videos of previous science slams here.  https://scienceslam.uni.lu/ Tickets : https://www.echo.lu/en/experiences/luxembourg-s-science-slam-5fQsxu Videos of previous slams : https://www.youtube.com/@luxdoc472/videos

Lisa, Sarah, and Vanessa gather in the Today Radio studio for Book Club's third instalment, sharing their very favourite summer reads - and they'd love to know yours! This week's show is a deep chat on the books we've loved this summer. I'm joined by my colleagues Sarah Tapp and Vanessa Phelan.  Here are some of the books we talk about: When the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Ann Patchett - all of her books! It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover Do let us know what books you enjoy and if there are any in particular from this list that stand out to you.

British Ambassador Thomas opens up about her life - describing an unusual path towards a successful career in diplomacy, from early struggles with sexual harassment to her recent battle with thyroid cancer. Fleur Thomas was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 21 April 2021. Fleur Thomas's journey is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of diversity. Starting her career as a chartered surveyor, she faced sexual harassment from senior colleagues, forcing her to leave that path. This early experience, though traumatic, shaped her character and fueled her resolve. Instead of being defeated, Ambassador Thomas redirected her energy into academia, earning two master’s degrees while working as British Airways cabin crew. The drive to succeed, rooted in a sense of not quite measuring up due to her less privileged background, propelled Fleur forward. This determination is a trait she shares with her grandmother, who, after being widowed with five children, fought for her family’s survival by securing a council house after she lost the family tied house upon her husband’s untimely death. “I think Diversity of thought is super important." Fleur's career in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) saw her rise to the role of Head of Exports, a position that underscored her ability to thrive in challenging, male-dominated environments. Her dedication to promoting gender balance and social mobility within the MoD, as well as her recognition of the importance of intersectional diversity, highlights her commitment to creating inclusive spaces. “The modern UK is very diverse and we represent the modern UK” Her role as Ambassador in Luxembourg brought unexpected challenges, including a cancer diagnosis. Ambassador Thomas experienced unusual fatigue for an extended period of time. After several rounds of tests, she was finally diagnosed with T2N0M0 papillary thyroid cancer. Despite the diagnosis, her diary was incredibly full in the weeks surrounding the biopsy, diagnosis and first surgery. Fleur organised and attended His Majesty the King’s Coronation Event and His Majesty The Kings’ official birthday party, hosted a ministerial visit from the UK and attended several receptions before her second surgery in mid-July and eventual return to work in August. Aside from such a heavy and constant workload, which Fleur seems to thrive on, she also finds time for many creative pursuits. Ambassador Thomas arrived in Luxembourg with about 200 cookbooks, enjoys foraging for recipes and also has needlepoint skills passed down by her mother. Alongside this, the residence contains models of fighter jets and a meteor air to air missile. Fleur Thomas’s life example shows how a diverse background, one of thought and experience, can help create new communities within a changing face of civil servants.

From one News Director to another – after 32 years of news journalism, Guy Weber hands over to Luc Marteling, the new News Director of RTL. Guy Weber started his career in radio. After a brief stint in PR for the steel works, he returned to RTL Television in June 1994 as a journalist. In 2017, he became Editor-In-Chief of the television division and then News Director. He retired in June of this year. Luc Marteling has returned to RTL where he worked from 2008 to 2019. He left to become Director of the Center for the Luxembourgish Language and has now returned to RTL as its News Director. Guy Weber talks about his many years as a ‘lone wolf’ and cautions the need to keep a distance from the deciders. He believes that journalists can have a positive impact on society. He has worked across 20 elections and notable interviews include those with Yasser Arafat, Václav Havel and Lech Wałęsa. Guy talks about the journalist as an observer who must check their facts and always be a trusted source. They both talk about the way in which RTL needs to use different languages to connect with the population of Luxembourg. Naturally, with the changing nature of how news media is consumed, we talk about the various platforms that need to be fed in an every quicker manner. Guy will continue his journalism privately with a passion for cold case crime. This plus cycling and his beloved Liverpool football team. Luc starts his role with a clear view to working on all that Guy has built and adapting to change in our media landscape using the variety of languages that Luxembourg lives and breathes.

The ‘Harmony Across Borders’ international choral competition is now open for entry, a tremendous opportunity for amateur choirs to perform female composers’ work in Cambridge and Ely in July 2026. Anyone who knows me knows that I love music, and that I’ve been singing in choirs most of my life. When I move country, one of the first things I research are choirs. They’re an instant ‘in’ to a community, who share a universal passion for music making and making of music as a shared experience beyond oneself. Music, singing, deep breathing and the social context of a choir makes choral music a great healer. Harmony Across Borders is an international choral competition and the first in the world to celebrate the works of female composers and arrangers. Its founder, Hilary Nicholls, is a life-long chorister, who has sung under the directorships of Sir David Willcocks, John Scott and Neil Ferris. In this conversation, I’m also joined by Joanna Gill, who is an award-winning composer of choral, film, and TV music. Her music has been performed by a variety of prestigious ensembles including the BBC Singers, the London Symphony Chorus and the London Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, Gill was awarded the Cappella Nova Award for her piece commemorating 100 years since women received the vote. Recently, Joanna was commissioned by His Royal Highness, King Charles III, to write a Scottish folksong for Queen Camilla which was sung at the Honours of Scotland Service in July 2023 following the King’s Coronation. Harmony Across Borders  This competition welcomes amateur choirs of all ages and nationalities. Choir size: 16 to 40 people. Age categories: Under 18; 18 - 25 years; 25 years plus.  The event will take place in Cambridge University with a variety of workshops, talks and concert performances over the first weekend in July 2026. The final gala concert taking place in Ely Cathedral on Sunday 5 July 2026. Celebrating the works of female composers Due to known historic social constraints, a dominantly male voice permeated the cultural sphere. Currently about 7% of repertoire selected is written by female composers and yet there's a wealth of music out there, both historic and contemporary, which is worthy of attention and revival. Cambridge and Ely - the location  Cambridge will provide both a prestigious location and one with a strong choral tradition, giving a lifetime’s experience to choirs who wouldn’t ordinarily have that opportunity. Fundraising If you would like to donate to this event please get in touch with Hilary. https://www.harmonyacrossborders.com/ Instagram @harmony_across_borders FB @harmnyacrossborders X @hab2026 https://www.joannagill.com/

Facing the end of life, often away from family if we are ex-pats, means we lean on others for support. Omega 90 is one such place, and through this conversation we discuss end of life preparation for ourselves and our loved ones. My guests this week are:  - Claire Jordan, who cared for a friend to the end, with the support of Omega house - Nancy Burg, a volunteer at Omega 90 - Maurizio Cortesi, psychologist and volunteer - Fabian Weiser, Finance and Administrative Director at Omega 90 Palliative care is often considered a taboo topic, typically only discussed when these life events hit us. Preparing for the end of life is not something we commonly talk about with family or friends, although the very need for preparation can, in fact, help hugely at a time when people are emotionally drained. This stigma can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, whether due to a lack of awareness about options or an unwillingness of others to face death with us. Claire Jordan intimately shares her journey with Omega 90, recounting her friend Denise Clark’s battle with cancer. Through Denise's diagnosis and eventual transition, Omega 90 provided not just medical care but a sanctuary of peace and dignity. Claire reflects on the transformative experience of moving from the clinical setting of a hospital to the warm, supportive environment of Omega 90, likening it to “walking into a 5-star hotel”. Nancy Burg and Maurizio Cortesi speak about the importance of confronting mortality openly and early, both when working within palliative care and for one's own well-being. Maurizio, drawing from his experience in grief counselling, discusses the unpredictable nature of grief, emphasising the need for environments where individuals can mourn without judgement.   Fabian highlights the importance of a will, not simply about where one's possessions but also about how we would like to pass in case we are unable to consciously make and/or communicate decisions. Examples of this range from euthanasia to power of attorney.  Death inevitably affects everyone on this planet. The stigma surrounding this stage of life does not have to be so burdensome. By starting a larger conversation about it, the aim is to raise awareness of its importance and normalise the discussion.  Palliative care is a very important last step of life for many.  Find the link to the will from the omega website here and to donations and fundraising here. https://www.omega90.lu/db/2/1432585784850/1

Rotary Hearts fundraise for childhood cancer and youth mental health issues.  Rotary Hearts fundraise for childhood cancer and youth mental health issues. My guests this week are: Anne Goeres, Director Luxembourg Foundation for Children with cancer, Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner Vinciane Grevesse – Governor-Elect of Rotary Club's District 2160 for 2024-2025 Anastasia Vanden Berghe - President of Rotary Club Luxembourg Hearts for 2024-2025 Pol Bertems - Project Manager at Arcus asbl. Rotary Club Ambitions The vision of the Rotary Club was born in 1905 with Paul Harris, an attorney in Chicago, to bring together professionals from diverse backgrounds in order to exchange ideas and form lifelong friendships. Over time, Rotary expanded its scope to engage in humanitarian service, locally and globally. Rotary members volunteer their time and skills across various focus areas, and with a global network of 1.4 million, the leverage potential to undertake impactful projects is substantial. For instance, Rotary is a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a public-private partnership led by national governments and consisting of six core partners: the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Rotary Clubs in Luxembourg Vinciane Grevesse has been a member of a Rotary Club since 2012 and is now Governor-Elect of Rotary Club's District 2160 for 2024-2025. Rotary District 2160, covers both Belgium and Luxembourg, comprising 68 Rotary Clubs and 5 Rotaract clubs (for young adults aged 18 to 30). Luxembourg has 14 Rotary Clubs and 1 Rotaract Club. Vinciane tells us about the Zesummen Ennerwee (travelling together) project which takes place on the last Sunday of September. The idea is to offer people with disabilities a day filled with joyful experiences of movement. From boat and horseback rides to journeys in vintage cars, tractors, and even airplanes, the day is dedicated to sharing moments across land, air and sea. English Speaking Rotary Hearts Club Anastasia Vanden Berghe is President of Rotary Club Luxembourg-Hearts 2024-2025. Luxembourg-Hearts is the only English-speaking club in Luxembourg. With the priority this year on children’s well-being and mental health related to children, Rotary Hearts are working with Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner for their Masquerade Charity Gala, on October 19th at Hotel Le Royale. Website: https://luxembourg-hearts.rotary2160.org/en/ Event Website : https://rotary-hearts-2160.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/98062402/admin/feed/posts/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rotaryhearts Anne GOERES, Managing Director at the Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner, talks about their three core missions: To help improve the physical and psychological condition of the child and their family Raise awareness of childhood cancer and defend the children’s rights Support actively onco-paediatric research by funding specific projects with one main goal: cure more children and cure them better. One of Anne’s significant achievements is developing FIGHT KIDS CANCER, an annual European call for projects dedicated to accelerating paediatric oncology research. In 4 years, Fight Kids Cancer funded 30 research projects for more than 18 million euros and in 11 different childhood cancer types. Childhood cancer is an umbrella term for more than 60 types of cancer that affect children and adolescents. Unlike adult cancers, which are often linked to lifestyle or environmental factors, the causes of childhood cancers are largely unknown. The most common types of childhood cancer include leukemia, brain tumours, and lymphomas. Children with cancer face unique challenges due to their developing bodies and minds. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can significantly impact their growth and development. Additionally, the psychological and emotional toll on both the children and their families can be profound. The Foundation supports the daily life of families in need : every child with cancer living in Luxembourg or of which at least one parent works in Luxembourg can benefit from their services, from the very first day of diagnosis on. This includes information and help for financial and social matters, therapeutic support and also educational and recreational programmes. Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner is fully financed by donations. You can help by participating in the charity run Letz Go Gold at the end of September and / or join the Rotary Club Luxembourg Hearts 10th Anniversary Masquerade Gala This year, all funds raised from the gala will be dedicated to selected research programs on children's brain tumours. www.fondatioun.lu www.letzgogold.lu Rotary Hearts Club also works with Arcus, as one of their aims is to help children’s mental health. Pol Bertems, Arcus Project Manager, tells us more about the association. Arcus is a non-profit organisation in social, educational, and therapeutic work, primarily focusing on children, youth and their families. The "Kannerhaiser," operated by Arcus, are Children's Reception Centres that offer care and support to children and youth from challenging family backgrounds, often needing temporary separation from their parents. These centres create a safe, nurturing environment that focuses on health, academic growth, social and family bonds, autonomy, and structured daily routines. They also support children recovering from traumatic events and involve biological parents actively to strengthen family ties and provide educational guidance. Arcus also provides specialized accommodation for children and youth with psychological and physical issues stemming from abuse or neglect, collaborating with child psychiatry experts for personalised therapies. A primary objective is to foster independence, particularly for youth aged 12 and older. The centres, spread across 18 living groups with over 136 spots, are located in various areas like Grevenmacher, Olingen, and Echternach, catering to children and teenagers aged 3 to 20 years. The Animal Assisted Pedagogy and Therapy project at Kannerhaiser allows children to be surrounded by a range of animals, including horses, donkeys, sheep, alpacas, dogs, cats, chickens, and rabbits. These animals do not judge or hold prejudices, offering a unique, unbiased interaction for the youngsters, who often face judgment and bias in human interactions. Working with animals can significantly boost children's self-confidence and trust in themselves and others. It also aids in their integration into group settings. www.fondatioun.lu www.letzgogold.lu https://www.facebook.com/Arcus.asbl https://www.instagram.com/Arcus_asbl/ https://www.Arcus.lu/ Website: https://luxembourg-hearts.rotary2160.org/en/ Event Website : https://rotary-hearts-2160.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/98062402/admin/feed/posts/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rotaryhearts

Tom Weber was diagnosed as an adult with autism. We discuss his story, the resources available for people with autism in Luxembourg — along with information for the caregivers who support loved ones with autism. My guests this week are:  - Tom Weber, English - German translator, and published author - Sabine Angelsen, Director CTSA, Centre pour enfants et jeunes présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme - Anne Wagner, CTSA - psychologist - Nathalie Oberweis, Head of Learning & Development - Autism Luxembourg - Aleks Panzone, co-founder of T'ees Iced Tea Tom Weber, a colleague at RTL Today, catalysed the topic of autism for this show by writing about it himself when diagnosed as an adult aged 27. Through Tom’s awareness-raising of neurodiversity we explore what autism is, how it can present, and what help is available to caregivers and autistic people themselves in Luxembourg. Tom eloquently describes his own personal story, the constant effort of masking, the dark periods and the changes to one’s self-perception when diagnosed late. Tom Weber is an English-German translator and this lifestyle fits his requirements for a professional life very well, whilst also giving him time to pursue his own writing of prose and poetry. Tom is a published author and won first prize at the National Literary Competition in 2020. Autism is a very broad spectrum of neurodiverse traits and is more common than we may think, says Anne Wagner, CTSA - psychologist. And yet, over diagnosis can be an issue since there are frequent co-morbidities that accompany autistic people (aggression, ADHD, anxiety, depression, psychosis, for instance). There is a heightened rate of suicide amongst autistic people and a higher rate of divorce for the care-givers. Tom describes the pain of not being able to connect with people and how that can lead to deep depression, which could result in suicide if one doesn’t have a strong support network. Sabine Angelsen and Anne Wagner work with children and their families at the Centre pour enfants et jeunes présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme (CTSA).  They see children at the point at which some form of issue has presented, but many children find ways to mask their difficulties in social settings. Nathalie Oberweis, Head of Learning & Development at Autism Luxembourg, helps people to develop skills in a safe environment through their various workshops. They provide vocational training, education, and even a day-centre in Sandweiler. They also have some home-help services and a limited number of accommodation facilities. The workplace can be quite traumatic for an autistic person. We discuss what measures an employer could put in place to help this type of mind.  It is often hard to ‘see’ neurodiverse issues; they can be thought of as ‘invisible handicaps’. Aleks Panzone is just 23 years old and is the co-founder of T'ees Iced Tea. This (delicious) iced tea is produced by people with Autism in Luxembourg, aiming to raise awareness and supporting them by offering a safe working environment and decent wage. It is only made with local and natural ingredients; no added sugar and no artificial flavours. Aleks is helping people with autism live as fully integrated members of society. https://just-thoughts.net/about/#:~:text=Tom%20Weber%20was%20born%20in,publishes%20books%2C%20mostly%20poetry%20collections. www.autisme.lu https://cc-ctsa.lu/ https://plantatea.com/ https://just-thoughts.net/2023/12/07/the-stranger-behind-my-eyes-27-years-undiagnosed-autistic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teesicetea/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/t-ees/?viewAsMember=true

In part II of our Olympics special, we meet more of the Olympic entourage supporting Luxembourg's athletes in Paris this summer, plus more sport experts. - Raymond Conzemius - Chef de mission of Team Lëtzebuerg for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, Technical Sports Director at COSL - Christophe Ley - Associate Professor of Applied Statistics at the University of Luxembourg - Aude Aguilaniu - Physiotherapist, ex elite athlete (Ski Cross) - Max Englaro - Strength & Conditioning, & Rehab Coach U23 FC Augsburg - Frank Muller - Sport Psychologist - Nina Goedert - Physiotherapist Raymond Conzemius, Chef de Mission of Team Lëtzebuerg for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 joins me with some of the Olympic Team’s entourage including sport psychologist Frank Müller and physiotherapist Nina Goedert. Christophe Ley discusses the increasing use of statistics in sport science and many accompanied sports ventures. Strength & Conditioning, & Rehab Coach for U23 FC Augsburg, Max Englaro, uses such metrics to work with his footballers. And Aude Aguilaniu, now a physiotherapist, previously an Olympic level athlete for Ski Cross talks about the absolute need to build resilience after career-shattering injuries. Raymond is a former international athlete in high jump, and still holds the national record with 2.22m. Unfortunately he didn’t have the chance to participate in the Olympic Games or World Championships but has happily found a career supporting others to attain that dream.   Conzemius is the Founder and Former director of Sportlycée, the sport secondary school in Luxembourg, and highlights the importance of an integrated approach to sports development in Luxembourg. Max Englaro is a Strength & Conditioning, and Rehab Coach for FC Augsburg U23. Prior to this, he was Head of Performance in the Vienna Football Academy. Max observes how young children or adolescents are talent spotted and then developed into sports stars with the help of targeted training, nutrition, medication and sleep, to name but a few of the metrics. With increasing emphasis on sport sciences the measurements and data around elite performance can enhance results. Christophe Ley, Associate Professor of Applied Statistics at the University of Luxembourg, President of the Luxembourg Statistical Society, President of ECAS (European Center for Advanced Statistics Courses) and leader of the international network S-TRAINING (bridging sports science and data science) is, in fact, the catalyst of these two week’s of Olympic conversations. Christophe and Yves Dominicy (from last week’s show) have written books on statistics in sport. Through chosen measurements it is possible to use maths to predict outcomes of matches. The accuracy of such predictions naturally depends on many factors. For instance, handball will give you about 81% accuracy compared to football where, apparently, more luck is involved in scoring and there are generally fewer scores. So with football the outcome of positive prediction stands at about 65%. Sport medicine and metrics is a fast growing industry, even for non-professional athletes, with the possibility of wearables and nutrition information available to us all. However, data science and AI is also vital to help prevent injury. Christophe will be organising the international MathSport Conference next year in Luxembourg, June 2025. https://math.uni.lu/midas/events/mathsports2025/ Aude Aguilaniu is now a physiotherapist and researcher, having previously been a world-class skier. Aude actually qualified for the Sotchi Winter Olympics in 2014 but was seriously injured just a few months before and so couldn’t participate. She talks about resilience building, injury prevention and her latest research project on injury prevention: Healthy Active. Frank Müller is a former competitive basketball player and now a sport psychologist at the Sportlycée in Luxembourg. He is also an external expert for the LIHPS (Luxembourg Institute for High Performance in Sports) and the COSL (National Olympic Committee), providing psychological support to elite athletes and coaches. Frank talks about his different responsibilities and how he coaches the minds of elite athletes for all possible eventualities. He also works with the group around that athlete which includes coaches, physios and parents. As with so many things, being an elite athlete means that you sit in the centre of a team of experts. Nina Goedert, a sports physiotherapist, reiterates the absolute importance of communication in a cross-disciplinary collaboration. Nina Goedert works with athletes of all ages and levels, those dealing with injury and those working on prevention strategies. She has participated in multiple national and international sports events in her role as a sports physio, including the Tokyo Olympic Games 2021, World Games 2022, European Games 2019 & 2023, Games of the Small States of Europe 2019 & 2023, and several European Championships in Karate, etc.). Nina will be part of the team supporting the athletes in Paris this summer. We wish all of the athletes the very best of luck this summer in the Olympic Games, and the supporting entourage too! https://teamletzebuerg.lu/ https://www.fcaugsburg.de/games/?team=u23 www.sportlycee.lu https://math.uni.lu/midas/events/mathsports2025/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymond-conzemius-328a9147/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophe-ley-b71607166/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/aude-aguilaniu-24a05343/

"Working Hard is a Talent in itself" says Laurent Carol, Deputy Technical Director of the Luxembourg Olympic and Sport Committee, and former Olympic swimmer. In the first of two shows on the Olympics, my guests this week are: - Laurent Carnol - Deputy Technical Director, Luxembourg Olympic and Sport Committee; Comité Olympique et Sportif Luxembourgeois (COSL), former Olympic swimmer - Dr Yves Dominicy - Sport Statistician - Loïc Hoscheit - ALAD Director - anti-doping agency Luxembour - Marie Muller - former Olympic athlete - Judo Laurent Carnol is the Deputy Technical Director of the Luxembourg Olympic and Sport Committee; Comité Olympique et Sportif Luxembourgeois (COSL), and a former Olympian swimmer himself. Laurent took part in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016. In London, Laurent got to the semi finals in 200m breaststroke and was a finalist several times in the European Championships for the same event. Aside from his own successful career as an elite athlete, Laurent was a teacher at the Sport Lycée in Luxembourg, a lecturer at Lunex University and Dual Career Coordinator at the Luxembourg Institute for High Performance in Sport. Laurent talks to us about the selection process which decides what delegation will eventually be going to the Olympics in Paris this summer. The qualification pathways and athlete preparation requires enormous effort not just from the athlete themselves, but also from the team around that athlete.   Yves Dominicy is a sport statistician and has written two books with Christophe Ley:   Science meets Sports: when statistics are more than numbers Statistics Meets Sports: What We Can Learn from Sports Data Sport analytics collects data to try to understand patterns therein. For instance, it is used for ranking and prediction, talent identification, scheduling and injury prevention. Machine learning is now being used in tennis to profile the emotional expressions of tennis players and link that to performance. Yves also mentions that tennis rankings may become more accurate if based on serve / return etc. rather than points. During Covid-19 in 2020, the International Swimming League organised a whole month of races providing an intense, short period to analyse the effect of multiple races on the performance of different profiles. The use of data analytics is extremely valuable to prevent injury. It is now possible to run risk profiles to plan around potential injury points for a person. Loïc Hoscheit is the Director of ALAD, Agence Luxembourgeoise antidopage. Luxembourg's independent anti-doping agency tasked with supervising the country's most high-level athletes and competitions; they are tasked with ensuring Luxembourg sends out clean athletes. ALAD also offers guidance to all athletes with the potential to qualify for the Olympics and ensures a solid testing programme is carried out prior to the Games within this group. The rules are complex, and keep changing. Naturally there is often a cloud of uncertainty around medication, but also supplements. Marie Müller, a judoka (judo player), received a wild card from the IOC in 2008 where she finished 9th in the Beijing Games. Between 2009 and 2012, Marie entered the world top 16 for judo in her category and qualified for the London Games in 2012. There she lost in a dramatic fight for bronze and finished 5th.Marie’s entire career was overshadowed by injury, which ultimately made the decision to retire from judo for her in 2016. Marie and Laurent both talk about not being able to do their sport since they retired, but have turned to other sport.  Marie also talks about the pressure of weight in her sport. https://teamletzebuerg.lu/ https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-5856-4 https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-9273-5 https://www.alad.lu/

Steve Killelea, founder of the Institute of Economics and Peace, talks about this year's Global Peace Index. On this week’s episode is the Australian entrepreneur Steve Killelea, founder of the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP), and the first recipient of Luxembourg’s Outstanding Technology for Peace award in 2016. Steve gave the keynote speech on this year's Global Peace Index at the Luxembourg Peace Prize in MUDAM in June. Steve created the software company IR in 1988 which went on to be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2000. He also set up a Venture Capital fund. After making a substantial amount of money, his family moved into philanthropy, setting up The Charitable Foundation in 2000, the Global Peace Index in 2007, and the Institute for Economics and Peace in 2013. The Charitable Foundation helps vulnerable people with Developmental Aid, with over 280 successful projects directly benefiting 3.7m people. Steve’s wife, Deborah, runs this and has expanded the charity to focus on working with thousands of traumatised children through play therapy. The Institute for Economics and Peace came about through Steve’s observations of War related poverty, and a lack of research behind a ranking for the world’s most peaceful nations. “What I realised as a businessman, when I think ‘What are the most peaceful nations in the world?’ and it hasn’t been done, [was] then how much do we know about peace? If you can’t measure something, can you truly understand it? If you can’t measure it, how do you know if your actions are helping you, or hindering you?” Steve’s keynote at MUDAM presented the most recent Global Peace Index (GPI), which is the most comprehensive data analysis on peace, economic value, and trends. This work covers 99.7% of the world’s population and is supported by 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources. The most peaceful country in the world is currently Iceland, followed by Ireland, Austria, New Zealand and Singapore, with the bottom half composed of Israel, Mali, Syria, Russia, the Congo, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and South Sudan. When looking at the most and least peaceful nations, Steve mentions a widening gap known as ‘the global inequality of peace’, with the higher and lower ranking nations respectively continuing to improve or worsen. The most improved countries are El Salvador, the UAE, Greece, Myanmar, and Nicaragua, while the most deteriorated are Ukraine, Israel, and Palestine. How is peace itself measured? Through ‘the absence of violence’ or ‘fear of violence’. Steve explains how the three domains of internal safety and security, levels of ongoing conflict, and levels of militarisation, join together to create the GPI, itself holding 23 different measures of peace. Conflicts are also classified, with a conflict being a dispute involving more than 25 deaths but under 1000, as that then becomes a war. Terrorism occurs within conflicts, with 92% of terrorism based deaths occurring in that manner last year, but as an attack on civilians unengaged in the dispute and with the aim to send a greater message outside of those involved. Although the current European climate feels unsettled, it still sits on top as the most peaceful continent, although two-thirds of the countries have fallen in terms of their own sense of peace, partly due to the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war including neighbouring tensions and increased military expenditures. With a global economy, local conflicts can have ripple effects worldwide, with refugees, industry, shipping and travel delays as just some of the reasons. Moving to his entrepreneurial background, Steve advises companies to assess the risk factors for establishing expansions in foreign countries, such as GPI ranking or underlying peace factors to combat the instability of the global economy. This year’s report is described as “the most sobering report we’ve put out”, with a peak since WWII of 56 conflicts, 92 countries engaged in beyond-border conflicts and the most since the GPI’s inception, with the majority of these remaining unsolved. In the 1970s, 49% of all conflicts ended in a victory from either the Government or a rebel group, dropping to 9% in the 2010s. Peace agreements were a result of 23% of conflicts in the 1970s, dropping to 4% in the 2010s. The trends of ending conflicts are typically through the lack of resolution or becoming a ‘frozen conflict’, which accounts for 87% of modern conflicts. The most peaceful resolution may not always maintain the greatest longevity. Looking at the economic effects on counties with a lack of resolution or remaining in the frozen state, Steve recalls his own experience working in Laos, and the difficulty transporting goods or farmers being unsafe to plant crops due to militarisation. The manufacturing sector is placed on hold due to the transition to a war economy. “The defence industry is not in itself bad, because obviously we do not live in a peaceful world.” The defence industry creates peace in protecting from outside aggressors, as do alliances, but spending an extra $10bn in Steve’s example of a battleship, is useful if used, while remaining unused creates extra spending in labour and additional maintenance where the money could be diverted to business stimulus, education, and health, which would be more productive economic outcomes. The question is not in the necessary defence spending, but on the right balance with other sectors. The cost of violence for the global economy in 2023 was $19.1tn and the equivalent of 13.5% of global GDP, which when reduced by 10% equals $1.9tn or the same as adding 3 new economies into the world. Another way to look at that would be the 1% or $190bn is roughly the same cost as overseas developmental spending last year, yet the most striking statistic, 0.1% of that, is the peace keeping expenditure of 2023. “The message I have” says Steve, “is how can we put more money into preventative measures, particularly in the areas of conflicts which are easy to solve, or conflicts which haven’t erupted yet but where the conditions are fragile. If we could spend more money in those areas I think that would be excellent.” Countries at risk of conflict expansion including Egypt, Israel, Iran, Jordan, and Lebanon are likely to create ripple effects of recession, refugees, and terrorism, into local and global economies. Concerning refugees, the flow based on conflicts is increasing, from 75m at the start of GPI calculations to 120m currently. As conflicts develop over time and territories, refugees are unlikely to return soon after their departure, unlike natural disaster based immigration. When assessing common patterns of violence in different areas, Steve comments on the differences between the example of Middle Eastern countries locked into war based violence compared to Latin America under cartel or gang related violence. However, it is not all negative news. Homicide is improving yearly with 112 countries scoring significantly better than previous years. The civilian perception of crime is also improving, with 96 countries noticing a positive trend last year. Steve notes that “How you fight the war shapes how it goes after that.”What is the reconstruction program? When looking at Iraq or Afghanistan the large amount of money invested into reconstruction was not done correctly, and in a high tension environment this can lead to a rehashing of conflict. The ideal way of solving conflicts is not only through the military, but also a humanitarian approach. Assessing the grievances of the civilians and other involved groups; seeing how they can be satisfied is more likely to lead to sustained peace. Another talk point was in the nature of having allies, determining where your natural allies are, specifically looking at China. China, like every country has allies with which it works well with, but its natural allies lie more with advanced Western democracies due to their similarities in terms of philosophy and approaches, rather than Authoritarian regimes. Over a lifetime of philanthropic work, Steve credits watching the transformation of people’s lives behind his hope and drive to continue carrying out his missions. A small act such as increasing water supply can massively increase the wealth of an impoverished population in a remote area and make a huge difference into people’s lives. Other highlights for him include the rehabilitation of child soldiers in Uganda or water projects in Laos dropping death rate and disease levels. When living in the West, we see the images of these conflicts, but Steve says “we don’t really understand how horrific the impact actually is.” For an average of less than $20 a head, a life can be saved, making the results “staggering”. Despite language and culture barriers, Steve describes the logistics and ground work as “pretty simple”. His foundations will partner with other groups already working on the ground in the affected areas, as well as always having a trusted translator. Throughout all his travels, Uganda and Kenya are the countries he finds most fascinating, but still sees an issue in Africa’s governance, specifically corruption. Steve says that after a certain amount of money, there isn’t much more that one needs. As his legacy, Steve says his work is “not about me, it’s a ripple effect. We do things in our lives that have ripples that carry on. Your legacy is really the result of your actions. Thinking too much about your personal legacy isn’t even smart. https://www.economicsandpeace.org/about/ https://luxembourgpeaceprize.org/ https://thecharitablefoundation.org/ https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GPI-2024-web.pdf

Three phenomenal women in space share their stories with us this weekend, in honour of Asteroid Day — a UN-recognised initiative raising awareness about the potential impacts, and opportunities, of these marvels of astronomy. Asteroid Day takes place on 30 June, the anniversary of the Tunguska event in 1908 where a meteor destroyed a landmass of about 2,150 km2 (a little smaller than the landmass of Luxembourg) of forest in Siberia, Russia. Asteroid Day was co-founded in 2014 by physicist Stephen Hawking, B612 Foundation president Danica Remy, astronaut Rusty Schweickart, film-maker Grigorij Richters and astrophysicist (and Queen guitarist) Brian May. Now recognised by the UN, Asteroid Day is celebrated globally to raise awareness about asteroids and their potential impact on Earth. It also raises awareness of the potential to mine asteroids as we move towards a space economy. My guests this week are: - Julie Payette - a Canadian engineer, scientist and astronaut who also served as Governor General of Canada from 2017 to 2021 - Wanda Díaz-Merced - astronomer using using sonification - Hoor Abdelraman Al Maazmi - space science researcher at the UAE Space Agency - Maher Kalaji - Board Director of the Asteroid Foundation and founder of the newly to be announced Luxembourg Rocket Society. Julie Payette joined the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in 1992 as a member of the Canadian Astronaut Corps. She completed two spaceflights, logging more than 25 days in space. Dr. Payette also served as capsule communicator (CapCom) at NASA Mission Control Center in Houston and from 2000 to 2007 as CSA's chief astronaut. Julie was named COO for the Montreal Science Centre in July 2013. In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Queen Elizabeth II had approved the appointment of Payette as the next governor general of Canada which she started that October until January 2021. Wanda Díaz-Merced was born in Puerto Rico and lost her eyesight gradually through her teenage years into early adulthood. She talks about this experience and her long journey to become an astronomer who uses sonification to turn large data sets into audible sound. Currently, Wanda works at the European Gravitational Observatory Cascina, Italy, where she is the Director of the Arecibo Observatory. Dr Díaz-Merced received an internship with Robert Candey, an incredible mentor to her, at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, USA, and went on to complete a Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Glasgow. Wanda was then accepted as a post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and South African Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town. Wanda’s work has also included collaborations with the European Gravitational Observatory proposal REINFORCE and the National Astronomical Observatory Japan (NAOJ).  Dr Díaz-Merced creates sonification software to perceive space in a different sensory way. Hoor Abdelraman AlMaazmi is a space science researcher at the UAE Space Agency and a member of the Emirates Mars Mission science team since 2017. The Mars mission, named ‘Amal’ or ‘Hope,’ launched in 2020. The UAE is going to send a spaceship to explore the solar system’s main asteroid belt due to launch in 2028. For this mission, they will look at six asteroids with the target to land on the seventh- Justitia. This asteroid is thought to be one of only two known red asteroids and potentially laden with organic substances. The aim for this MBR Explorer is to deploy a landing craft to study the surface of Justitia fully developed by private UAE start-up companies. https://asteroidfoundation.org/ https://royalsociety.org/about-us/who-we-are/diversity-inclusion/case-studies/scientists-with-disabilities/wanda-diaz-merced/ https://space.gov.ae/en/initiatives-and-projects/uae-mission-to-asteroid-belt-ema https://www.instagram.com/uaespaceagency?igsh=ZXgwcnR3dTNqOHFs https://x.com/uaespaceagency?s=21

Anyone living in Luxembourg will have seen the Nation Branding ‘Let's Make it Happen’, but where did this come from, and what does it stand for? My guests this week are Béryl Koltz - Head of Luxembourg Image Brand Sarah Pitt - Luxembourg for Tourism Lena Mårtensson - Luxinnovation Hélène Jacuszin - Research Luxembourg Catherine Decker - Ministry of Culture, KulturLX & UNESCO Kamel Amroune - CEO of The Dots Cécilia Zunt Radot - Director of LËT'Z Arles - Luxembourg photography award   “LuXembourg - Let’s Make It Happen” came to life in 2013 as a cross-sectorial facilitator and to aid the global promotion of Luxembourg. The LMIH team work with many different stakeholders including LuxInnovation, Visit Luxembourg, Research Luxembourg and the Ministry of Culture / KulturLX to name but a few. Their role is to streamline the messaging of Luxembourg within the country, within industry, culture and abroad. After plenty of working groups and citizen participation, the values which they believe define Luxembourg are: dynamic, open and reliable. "Bound by Creativity, Sustained by Diversity” This motto emphasises the priorities that Luxembourg has defined in a cross-sectorial manner to invest in: Creativity, Diversity and Sustainability. These 3 priorities guid all partnerships and projects for www.LMIH.lu If you want to see if your idea or company can be supported by the LMIH team, alongside their website you can find out more details on www.luxembourg.lu Sarah Pitt talks about the work of Luxembourg for Tourism, also known as Visit Luxembourg, whose mission it is to promote Luxembourg as a tourist destination internationally. The latest collection of Visit Luxembourg publications including maps, guides and magazines can be ordered for free in four languages on https://www.visitluxembourg.com/plan-your-stay/publications More details are available on www.luxembourgtravel.lu and www.visitluxembourg.com Cather Decker, from the Ministry of Culture of Luxembourg, has extensive international experience working with the UN and in Foreign Affairs also. As Secretary General of the Luxembourg Commission for UNESCO, she develops and promotes cultural and natural heritage beyond Luxembourg’s borders. She was the founding president of the Luxembourg Arts Council, Kultur lx. Lena Mårtensson’s talks about Luxinnovation’s role in promoting Luxembourg’s economy abroad as an attractive business destination for international companies. This is also linked with the positioning of the country within its national branding initiative. Naturally they also support companies within Luxembourg and helping them move abroad if that is their wish. Hélène Jacuszin tells us about the work of Research Luxembourg and how their remit handles all of the research institutes of Luxembourg. She explains the advantages of a small ecosystem and how that can help close collaboration. Kamel Amroune, CEO of The Dots, is organising Nexus 2050 which is about to start next week, with the aim of attracting people from the international tech field to Luxembourg. This event is being supported by LMIH. Cécilia Zunt Radot is the Director of LetzArles, the Luxembourg Photography Award. She talks about taking great photographers from Luxembourg to this global photography award in Arles and placing Luxembourg on the map there. https://lmih.lu/en/home/ https://www.visitluxembourg.com/letzebuerg-dat-ass-vakanz?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIm-ionOPuhgMVk6doCR2L7Q5LEAAYASAAEgLNCfD_BwE https://www.linkedin.com/in/beryl-koltz-7b40b3b5/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-pitt/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-m%C3%A5rtensson-89200911/ https://luxinnovation.lu/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenejacuszin/ https://www.researchluxembourg.org/en/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-decker-58b89424/ https://www.unesco.org/en https://www.kulturlx.lu/en/ https://www.thedots.lu/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamelamroune/ https://www.nexus2050.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliaradot/ https://www.luxembourgtravel.lu/news-and-perspectives/visit-luxembourg-publications-2024