Diversity of ideas and constructive dialogue are the foundation of our civil society. Yet the polls show that fewer and fewer people are willing to become friends, talk to, or sometimes even be in the room with a person who has opposite political views. Our guest on this episode is Manu Meel, CEO of BridgeUSA, a student-led organization that works towards dialogue, ideological diversity, and solution-oriented politics. Under his leadership, BridgeUSA has grown into a global movement with more than 40 chapters in universities all across the United States and Bridge organizations in Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Russia, Brazil, and Argentina. Through his hard work trying to bridge the gap between political perspectives in American society, Manu made it onto the Forbes 30 under 30 list this year. In this episode, we are talking about the story and the future of BridgeUSA, the reasons for and possible actions against the polarization in democratic societies, and the power and opportunities for young people. 

HOLIDAYS SPECIAL: This episode is coming out in the middle of the winter holidays season, so we've asked different Bridge members from across the globe about how they deal with the political discussions at Christmas or any other family dinner. They have also shared with us their plans for their Bridge chapters in 2022. 

More tips for a respectful and fruitful discussion at a holiday dinner here: https://www.bridgeeurope.org/blog/all-i-want-for-christmas

BridgeEurope on Instagram: www.instagram.com/bridgeeuropeofficial

BridgeEurope on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bridgeeurope

BridgeEurope website: www.bridgeeurope.org

BridgeEurope does not endorse any politicians, political movements, or political parties.

Audio used in podcast:

Niklas Drude - Ode To Joy (Remix) © CC BY 3.0

Press freedom and independent journalism are a foundation of liberal democracy and end up more and more under attack in recent years. In this episode, we've talked to Anastasia Lapatina, a former staff reporter for KyivPost, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, which was effectively closed on November 8th, 2021 in a culmination of longstanding tensions between the staff and the ownership as a result of KyivPost's critical coverage of the country's political news. Among other topics, Anastasia covers human rights issues in Crimea and the fates of the Ukrainian women trapped in conflict zones in the Middle East. We've talked about the career chances for young journalists, the importance of the independent press, and the role of KyivPost as a bridge between Ukraine and the global West. 

BridgeEurope on Instagram: www.instagram.com/bridgeeuropeofficial

BridgeEurope on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bridgeeurope

BridgeEurope website: www.bridgeeurope.org

BridgeEurope does not endorse any politicians, political movements, or political parties.

Audio used in podcast:

Niklas Drude - Ode To Joy (Remix) © CC BY 3.0

Universal basic income (UBI) has been a widely discussed topic for a while. In this episode, we've talked to Prof. Olavi Kangas of the University of Turku, Finland, the leader of the research group evaluating the Finnish basic income experiment. We've discussed what basic income is, which factors and indicators are usually considered in UBI experiments and what the results of the Finnish experiment say about the future of the UBI. 

BridgeEurope on Instagram: www.instagram.com/bridgeeuropeofficial

BridgeEurope on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bridgeeurope

BridgeEurope website: www.bridgeeurope.org

BridgeEurope does not endorse any politicians, political movements and political parties. 

Audio used in podcast: 

Niklas Drude - Ode To Joy (Remix) © CC BY 3.0

In the first part of this episode, we will talk to David, founder and CEO of BridgeEurope. In the second part, we will hear an interview with Jonathan Reichental, author of Smart Cities for Dummies.