A Syrian, a Dutch and a Ukrainian. These three characters are part of the debut novel that my guest has recently published. For her research for this book, she has spoken to many people from Syria to understand their situation. But only a few weeks ago, this has changed. Now her friends from Syria are asking my guest whether her family and friends are okay. Because on the 24th of February, the Russian president Vladimir Putin has declared war on her home country.

**trigger warning**: In this episode, you will be confronted with content about war and refugees. In case you do not feel safe with this topic, please skip this episode and listen to it with a person that can emotionally support you.

Anna Bilenka Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna.bilenka/

Website with information where to donate, where to volunteer, how to help: https://how-to-help-ukraine-now.super.site/

In case you want to support Ukrainian journalists: https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-ukraines-media-going

If you wish to financially support people in Anna's home region which is currently isolated from the rest of Ukraine, please contact her directly and she will provide you with a bank account to make a donation.

AmsterDames Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamespodcast/

If you could send one thing to the moon, what would it be? In case you are now thinking that the question is pointless because something like that is never going to happen anyway, think again. At this very moment, preparations are made to send a very important box into space. And the preparations are not made in some high-tech NASA underground headquarter, they are made in our very own city of Amsterdam. 

Elizaveta Glukhova and Anna Sitnikova are the curators of Moon Gallery and in this episode, they will explain why we need art in space, why the universe has always inspired people and why aliens are not their target group. 

Launch Party 5th March Amsterdam - https://felixmeritis.nl/programma/moon-gallery-iss-pre-launch-party/

AmsterDames Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamespodcast/

Art is a very unique way for a person to express their feelings and their experiences but also to represent their region and their cultural background. However, it seems like that in the art world some regions are more looked at than others, unfortunately. My guest for today wants to change that. She has founded Victory art, that strongly focuses on central and eastern european contemporary art. In this episode, Viktória Pikovská talks about the impact the Sowjet Union had on eastern european art, female artists being objectified and an inspriring project called Majak. 

AmsterDames Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamespodcast/

Victory Art Website: https://www.victoryart.eu/

If you think of the sweaters you usually wear – what are they made of? Wool probably. For centuries, human beings have been wearing animal hair to keep themselves warm. But have you ever considered wearing a sweater made of human hair? My guest for today is Designer Zsofia Kollar and she has founded Human Material Loop in Amsterdam that produces clothes made of human hair.

AmsterDames Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamespodcast/

Website Human Material Loop: www.humanmaterialloop.com

As a photojournalist, Sanne Derks travels the world and observes it through her lens. Her work has already been published in New York Times, El País, Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera. Still, she knows, photojournalism is strongly male-dominated and female photographers need to prove themselves five times as often to be taken seriously. In this episode, we talk about the sexism she has experienced, frustration, rejection and a real passion for your job. 

AmsterDames Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamespodcast/

Website Sanne Derks: www.sannederks.com

Are you in a relationship but your sex life is pretty much nonexistent? Or are you single but you are struggling to understand your own needs and your own sexuality? Sex and intimacy coach Irene Fehr has experienced a sexless marriage herself and has completely lost her libido which is why she now wants to help single (women) and couples to achieve a healthy sexless and wants to break common myths that still exist among society around sex, passion and (female) sexuality.   

Website: www.irenefehr.com

AmsterDames Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamespodcast/

During the summer of 2020, Belarus, its president Lukashenka and police brutality against peaceful protestors were all over the world’s news. Since then, the country has disappeared from the media. The world is looking in another direction now. But that doesn’t mean that the situation in Belarus has changed. Human rights defenders are in detention, members of the opposition are sentenced to multiple years in prison and free media has pretty much disappeared. Tasha Arlova is a filmmaker from Belarus, currently living in the Netherlands and she uses her art to remind us about what is still happening in her country.

AmsterDames Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/podcastamsterdames

One character is parting the Netherlands and its society. His name is Zwarte Piet. Is he just the amusing, friendly helper of Sinterklaas or is he a slave and a caricature of a Black person? For years, Anti Zwarte Piet activists call for either a removal of the character or at least an alteration to make him less hurtful to Black people. Pro Zwarte Piet Activists fear the destruction of Dutch culture and the end of festive moments for children. Stacey Lamptey grew up in Belgium before her family moved to Ghana and she knows that Zwarte Piet can be traumatizing for Black children, for example when they are told that they look like Zwarte Piet. In this episode, she talks about her own experience, her activism and her organization Black Ladies of Groningen.

AmsterDames Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/podcastamsterdames

It is a situation most women have experienced more than once in their life. A man they do not know makes a comment on their looks, their body or their clothes on the street. In English, this is called catcalling, the Dutch term however refers to intimidation on the street. The organization Catcalls of Amsterdam wants to make this intimidation visible and has found a special way to do so. In this episode, Paula Folino and Leonoor van Vliet from Catcalls of Amsterdam will explain how they do this and why catcalling and making a compliment is not the same thing. 

AmsterDames Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/podcastamsterdames

Instagram Catcalls of Amsterdam: https://www.instagram.com/catcallsofams/

Too white? Too dark? Too thin, too fat? Too curvy, not curvy enough? Even though there has been some more diversity within the beauty and fashion industry lately, women are still confronted with unrealistic beauty standards. Sonam Raj Verma is a plus-size model and a body positivity influencer. In this episode, she talks about self-confidence, acceptance and a potential change of mindset in the beauty industry.

AmsterDames Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amsterdamespodcast/

Sonam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybeyondsizeofficial/