Minister Meisch outlines his plan, alongside Professor Lindsay Flynn discussing house-driven inequality and Martin Stoz highlighting his estate agency’s community initiatives.

Housing is one of the most emotionally charged, personally impactful, and politically complex issues in Luxembourg today. 

In today's show, my guests are:

- Minister Claude Meisch, who holds the portfolios for Housing and Spatial Planning; and Education, Children and Youth, talks about the way in which he sees the picture to be tackeld and his ideas for doing so.

- Professor Lindsay Flynn, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Luxembourg, examines the causes and consequences of housing-driven inequality in Europe and North America.

- Martin Stoz, a real estate and social entrepreneur, whose estate agency gives away one third of its commission to a charity of the seller's choice. 

Minister Meisch: Build Faster, Smarter, Fairer

Minister Meisch outlines a housing landscape shaped by rapid economic growth, population expansion, and a growing disconnect between incomes and housing prices. “We want to be a country where every family finds an affordable home,” he says, but current waiting lists have over 5,500 families are on the public housing waiting list, and many more have simply given up trying.

To tackle this, the government is pushing through 40 new measures to simplify building procedures, accelerate planning, and prioritise affordable housing, particularly near transport hubs and employment zones. Spatial planning also must include schooling, healthcare, green spaces, and de-centralisation, away from just Luxembourg city and Esch, to include projects such as the Nordstad, to develop Ettelbrück and Diekirch as northern urban centres.

Define Affordable: A Moving Target

Prof. Lindsay Flynn draws a sharp distinction between policy definitions of affordable housing and people’s lived realities.

“When people say ‘affordable’, they mean affordable for them – not a statistical bracket,” she notes.

Her research, funded by the FNR’s PROPEL project, focuses on the ripple effects of housing inequality – particularly among young people and renters.

Unlike many EU countries, Luxembourg offers both rental and ownership options under the affordable label. However, whether these are truly accessible depends on income, mortgage access, and policy eligibility – highlighting the mismatch between public definitions and private experience.

Renting Realities: What Tenants Are Up Against

Prof. Flynn’s team recently led a landmark study for Mieterschutz Luxembourg, delving into tenant experiences in the private rental market. The findings included mould and landlords commonly ignoring repair requests. Even when tenants have legal rights, many lack the time, money, or confidence, especially in a foreign language, to enforce them.

One practical solution she proposes is to download a letter template to support tenants in communicating formally with landlords. But “many fear retaliation. They don’t want to make a fuss.”

Youth Extended: The Hidden Costs of Inaccessibility

Young people are increasingly stuck at home longer, delaying not only homeownership but life itself: settling down with a partner, starting families, building a financial base. Flynn warns that the housing crisis is “not just about shelter. It’s shaping our demographics, our birth rates, and our economic futures.”

Her transatlantic studies show striking similarities between Europe and North America: housing costs directly correlate with smaller families and fewer life milestones. “It’s not always delay,” she says. “Sometimes, it’s trade-off. Life choices are being forgone because of rent.”

Immigration, Inclusion & Infrastructure

Luxembourg can’t cap immigration under EU law. So instead, it must anticipate growth. That means not only more homes, but more schools, including three new international public schools planned by 2028, and better integration. “Only one-third of children in Luxembourg speak Luxembourgish or German at home,”  notes Minister Meisch. Flexibility in education, housing, and planning is essential for cohesion.

Can Design Save the City?

What about the aesthetics of housing? Minister Meisch admits not all new developments are beautiful, and that’s a problem. While individual communes control architectural regulations, the Ministry of the Interior is working on harmonising rules. Public developers like the Fonds du Logement are increasingly showcasing that affordability and design don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

A Human-Centred Real Estate Model

Finally, Martin Stoz of Together Immo offers a fresh take: a for-profit real estate agency that donates a third of every commission to a charity of the seller’s choice. “I wanted my work to have meaning,” he explains. Stoz hopes to build a model of conscious capitalism in a sector often criticised for its contribution to inequality.

Do write to tell us about your housing experiences in Luxembourg.

https://www.uni.lu/fhse-en/people/lindsay-flynn/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordstad

https://together-immo.lu/

https://snhbm.lu/

https://fondsdulogement.lu/fr

Clara Moraru and Ivan Leal Martins are actively involved in creating political dialogue for all and remind us that democracy grows stronger when more people participate.

Real democracy starts with us: our concerns, our friends and family, and more globally our concerns for the world we are in and will leave behind.

Politics and law-making creates the scaffold of our society. Whether you’re a long-time Luxembourg resident, a recent arrival, a young voter, or simply someone who wants to make a difference, this episode should help guide to becoming politically empowered.

Clara Moraru, founder of Politics for All, and Ivan Leal Martins from Wecitizens join me in studio to share how we can all help shape society by participating, speaking up, and even running for office.

Why Local Politics Matter — Even If You Can’t Vote

“You pay taxes. Your children go to school here. You contribute to society — so why wouldn’t you be involved in politics?” Clara asks passionately. Her organisation, Politics for All, is demystifying the political system in Luxembourg for residents who may feel excluded, especially foreign nationals.

“We have to make people aware that not voting doesn’t mean you don’t have a voice. You can participate in public consultations. You can go to communal council meetings. You can be present and active in the local debate.”

Youth Participation

Ivan Leal Martins, European Project Manager at Wecitizens, is leading efforts to connect youth with democratic action. “Sometimes people say young people are not interested in politics. That’s not true. They are political, they just express it differently.” He adds: “They protest. They care about the environment. What we’re trying to do is help them connect that energy with the political structures that can amplify their voice.”

With projects like MEP4aDay and EU Talks & Bites, Ivan is facilitating moments where students meet policymakers, simulate legislative roles, and realise the European Parliament is not a distant monolith but a platform they can influence.

“We want young people to feel like they belong to Europe,” Ivan says. “That they are part of something bigger and that their voice matters not only in the classroom but in the European Union.”

Politics Without Borders: Luxembourg & Wallonia 

This summer marks the start of a 16-month cross-border project: Demystifying Local Politics, connecting communities in Luxembourg and Wallonia. With support from the EU, the initiative will feature civic education workshops, local government engagement, and the production of Voices of Diversity, a media project giving the spotlight to foreign residents who have stepped into public life.

More Accessible Politics

Throughout the episode, both guests highlighted the need for simpler, more transparent civic education and to bring opportunities that are freely available into school life.

The goal of both Clara and Ivan is clear - remove psychological and linguistic barriers that discourage participation and create a more inclusive political culture, especially for minorities, youth, and foreign nationals.

How you can get involved:

Sign up for events, workshops, and Parliament visits

Run as a local candidate — even if you weren’t born in Luxembourg

Use your platforms to highlight underrepresented voices

Subscribe to newsletters at Politics for All or Wecitizens

Explore EU opportunities via the European Youth Portal

https://www.politicsforall.lu/

https://youth.europa.eu/home_en

https://www.wecitizens-lu.org/

From planting forests to refugee kitchens, Vicki Hansen reveals the stories of awardees from the 13th Luxembourg Peace Prize.

Vicki Hansen is President of the Schengen Peace Foundation, a Luxembourg-based nonprofit dedicated to global peace-building through its two main initiatives: the World Peace Forum and the Luxembourg Peace. Today heralds the 13th Luxembourg Peace Prize, and the awardees come from all over the world.

This is a story of hope and people with tremendous purpose and passion, despite so much our our world feeling fractured today.

“Peace isn’t just the absence of war—it’s a culture, a choice, a way of life.”

The foundation’s origin rests with two men who realised they were the first generation not to pass on war stories. What if peace could become the new inheritance? The sad thought is that this might not be the case for our children today, which is why, I think, this conversation matters even more.

Outstanding Award for Peace

Tony Rinaudo is an Australian agronomist regenerating deserts through his concept of farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR). Tony lived in Niger Republic in the 1980s when he worked on this technique, and now it flourishes across 26 countries.

Outstanding Peace Journalism

Gloria Laker is a fearless journalist from Uganda. She’s trained over 700 others to report in highly sensitive conflict zones. “Peace journalism is the art of choosing healing over harm,” she says.

Outstanding Peace Process

Dror Rubin and Ghardir Hani are an Israeli-Palestinian duo using interfaith dialogue to heal generations of division. Dror says “Trust will be built upon introduction, we were not forced to live next to each other, we were chosen to be neighbours in the holy land- not one on top of the other but next to one another.”

Outstanding Peace Support

Chiche! is a restaurant chain in Luxembourg run entirely by refugees, proving that inclusion can dignified. Food, says Vicki, is a universal language for peace. Their motto is ‘inclusion is delicious’!

Outstanding Peace Activism

Jennifer Teege, a German New York Times bestselling author was adopted but discovered that her grandfather was a Nazi commandant. She turned personal shock and trauma into a life of reconciliation. Her mantra is that “Peace starts in our heads.”

Outstanding Peace Activism

The World Central Kitchen is another story led to the connection through food and the grace a good meal bestows on all sides. This phenomenon, the WCF, is led by Michelin starred chef José Andrés. His team serve 500 million meals across war zones and disasters. “Everyone deserves a hot meal served with dignity,”

Through it all, Vicki’s voice is steady, hopeful, fierce. “We can’t outsource peace, we must be that fourth leg at the table.” This is a reference to the prize’s sculpture—three legs of a chair with the invitation to join the conversation and be part of the solution.

Peace isn’t a dream—it’s a decision. And it’s ours to make.

Geoff Thompson’s documentary, Luxembourg in America, shows the continued and important connections between American ancestors from the wave of Luxembourg immigrants to the U.S. Midwest

After a round-up of the ever evolving and heavy news of our times, with Sasha Kehoe, my guest this week is Geoff Thompson. Geoff is known for many things in Luxembourg, but most recently has turned his hands and brain to documentary making.

Mid-19th century exodus

In the mid-19th century, due to Napoleonic law here in Luxembourg which meant equal sharing of inheritance, once sustainable farms became unsustainable when divided between large numbers of children. And so, some shares were sold to siblings and that money was used to pay for the voyage to the ‘free world’.

Geoff Thompson’s documentary Luxembourg in America visits their descendants in places like Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa, and sees the heritage that is both celebrated and remaining.

A Personal Exploration of Heritage

Geoff Thompson, who is also President of the British & Irish Film Festival Luxembourg, shared his motivation:

“It started with a simple curiosity – how had these Luxembourg communities preserved so much of their identity? What I found was an entire parallel Luxembourg, alive and well in small towns across the Midwest.”

From townships like Dacada and Belgium in Wisconsin to the Luxembourg American Cultural Society (LACS) housed in a traditional stone home, the film uncovers an "island of Luxembourgish culture" preserved across oceans and generations. Thompson brings the audience along to the annual “Luxembourg under the Stars” summer festival, where Bofferding beer flows, Träipen (blood sausage) contests are held, and Moselle wine is imported and enjoyed.

Midwestern Roots, European Branches

The importance of maintaining and exploring one’s heritage is deeply evident in this documentary, underscoring our internal need to know where we come from. By deepening our roots on this earth, we seem to feel more connected to our time and place in history.

This documentary shows the shared journeys of these Luxembourg-Americans back to Luxembourg for visits, and vice versa, where Luxembourg officials visit the American diaspora. Notably, it is when some of the American Luxembourgers find family connections still alive here in Luxembourg that the magic deepens. The roots grow stronger and that ancestral bond over time is secured today.

For Luxembourg nationals and many of us who live in Luxembourg, coming from other countries, this film highlights our own movements and distance from our own roots. It provokes conversation and reflection on multiculturalism, belonging, and identity. Half of Luxembourg’s current population is of foreign background. Yet, just like the Luxembourg-Americans abroad, the modern Grand Duchy is also navigating what it means to preserve culture in a globally connected society.

We often think of emigration as loss, and indeed one third of the population of Luxembourg was lost at the time, but it grew in another part of the world, maintaining what culture there was. This cultural identity is most evident in food, the passing down of recipes, the religion and of course the language.

You can watch the documentary here:

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt33996768/

On the latest episode of The Lisa Burke Show, four remarkable women – scientists, divers, and educators – join Lisa to share how landlocked Luxembourg is making waves in ocean conservation ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.

My guests are: 

Dr. Anna Schleimer:  Marine biologist, President & Co-founder of Odyssea

Dr. Lexi Grosbusch: Science Mediator, Luxembourg Science Center

Clarissa Ausilio: Scientific Mediator, Luxembourg Science Center

Lorieza (Lori) Neuberger-Castillo: Scientist, Scuba diver, Odyssea Committee Member, Founder of Diving Escapades

As the world prepares for the UN Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice, we welcome four incredible women who are passionate about advocating for the protection of our oceans and all of the incredible life therein. 

Dr. Anna Schleimer, President of Odyssea and a marine biologist has spent years researching wildlife in our oceans, which has taken her from the coral reefs of Guadeloupe to the icy Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

“There are still so many unanswered questions about the biggest animals on the planet,” she said. “We’re seeing shifts in whale distributions due to warming waters. Even critically endangered species like the North Atlantic right whales are suddenly appearing in new areas, and facing new threats.”

Dr. Lexi Grosbusch, a science communicator at the Luxembourg Science Center, shared how her journey began on Belgian beaches and was catalysed by a formative marine biology trip to the Seychelles led by Dr. Robert Hofrichter.

“That excursion changed everything for me,” she explained. “Diving opened my eyes to a world we’re all connected to, but often forget.”

Clarissa Ausilio, Lexi’s colleague and co-creator of Luxembourg Ocean Days, described how their event grew out of a shared passion. 

“We wanted to do something fun and meaningful,” she said. “Ocean science isn’t just for coastal nations. Luxembourg had hundreds of students eager to learn last year and we’re expanding the programme this June.”

Lorieza (Lori) Neuberger-Castillo brought a deeply personal connection. Raised in a Philippine fishing village where the sea was her playground, trained as a scientist in Australia, where the Great Barrier Reef was on her doorstep, and now a scientist and scuba diver in Luxembourg, she founded Diving Escapades to promote sustainable travel. 

“Scuba diving changed the way I saw everything—its beauty and its fragility.”

Despite being landlocked, Luxembourg is part of this story. As Anna reminded us, “Even our rivers flow to the sea. What we do here matters.”

Luxembourg Ocean Days 2025 (June 11–15) promises interactive school workshops, public exhibits, and family activities—all underpinned by science and hope, taking place at the Luxembourg Science Center

As Anna said, “The ocean has already bought us time. Now it’s our turn to act.”

https://www.odyssea.lu/en/

https://divingescapades.com/ocean-conservation/

https://www.science-center.lu/en/ocean-days-2nd-edition-june-2025

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorieza/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarissa-ausilio-032045276/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-schleimer-63224876/

From Olympic training to injury prevention, Luxembourg hosts the world’s brightest minds to prove why maths might just be sport’s secret superpower.

After a round-up of mid-week news with Sasha Kehoe, my guests this week are:

- Prof. Christophe Ley – Main organiser of MathSport International; leads the Modelling, Interdisciplinary Research, Data Science, Applied Mathematics and Statistics group at the University of Luxembourg. 

- Prof. Romain Seil – World-renowned orthopaedic knee surgeon, IOC advisor, Director of the Neurosciences and Musculoskeletal Diseases Division at Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg; co-founder of the European Society of Sports Traumatology, knee Surgery and Arthroscopy - ESSKA’s Pediatric ACL registry and previous President of ESSKA, amongst many other organisations.

- Prof. Thorben Hülsdünker – Professor in Performance Neuroscience and Sport Neurophysiology, Head of the Neurophysiology and Motor Control Research Area at LUNEX.

- Alwin de Prins – Former Olympian and Managing Director at the Luxembourg Institute for High Performance in Sports (LIHPS)

- Katarzyna Szczerba – PhD student with Prof. Ley, using machine learning with medical data to best use this data for injury prevention, and much more. 

This week on The Lisa Burke Show, we dive deep into a blend of brain and brawn as Luxembourg hosts the 11th International MathSport Conference. While it may sound niche, what’s unfolding here could revolutionise how athletes train, recover—and even avoid career-ending injuries. And not just athletes as many injuries are caused by people unprepared for activities they undertake once a year, such as skiing.

Held from June 4–6 in the Coque and LUNEX University, the conference unites elite athletes, data scientists, surgeons and policymakers to explore how mathematics, data science and AI are transforming global sport.

A Surgeon's Warning

Professor Romain Seil, Luxembourg’s globally celebrated knee specialist, put it bluntly:

"If I could ban two sports for injury prevention, it would be football and alpine skiing."

His data from years in the operating room is compelling. ACL injuries are devastating, often leading to early joint replacements. Professor Seil hopes we can increasingly pool real data to reform training, and embed prevention strategies from grass-roots to Olympic levels.

“Coaches often don’t realise the long-term damage until multiple players are injured. Data is how we change that.”

Brains Behind the Brawn

Professor Thorben Hülsdünker of LUNEX added another dimension with a focus on the connection of our body with our brain. He studies the neurophysiology of elite performance, from how athletes see and react, and how training can rewire the brain.

“The brain is the next frontier of sports training,” he said. “Understanding it will define the next generation of champions.”

Prof Hülsdünker knows that the best training targets both muscles and minds, combining sport science with neuroscience.

AI Gets Personal

PhD student AI-enhanced Cox Model blends machine learning with statistical models to predict runner injuries, and other medical issues, before they happen.

“We’re building tools that doctors and coaches can understand: simple, interpretable, but powerful enough to prevent injury.”

Her AI-enhanced Cox Model is one of the standout presentations at MathSport 2025.

From Pool to Policy

Alwin de Prins, a three-time Olympic swimmer and now Director of LIHPS, reflects on what’s changed since his competitive days:

“I never had this level of support as an athlete. Now, our goal is to optimise not just performance, but well-being and life after sport.”

His mission includes dual career planning, athlete health, and placing Luxembourg firmly on the map as a sporting—and scientific—nation.

Why Luxembourg? Why Now?

Professor Christophe Ley, the heart of this year’s conference, pulled it all together:

“Sport is full of data. We want to extract meaning from it—not just for medals, but for health, safety, and strategy.”

With keynote talks ranging from sports analytics to injury prevention and economics, MathSport 2025 puts Luxembourg at the centre of a growing global movement: data-driven sport.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alwindeprins/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophe-ley-b71607166/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/romain-seil-9952172a/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thorbenhuelsduenker/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarzyna-szczerba-4402b9192/

Get in touch 

Tune in to The Lisa Burke Show on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon, and Tuesdays at 11am. Watch on RTL Play.

Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on Apple or Spotify!

This week on The Lisa Burke Show, a powerhouse panel of experts explored Europe's precarious position in the new space race, urging urgent action to reclaim leadership through innovation, unity, and sovereign ambition.

We began this week’s episode of The Lisa Burke Show with Sasha Kehoe’s round-up of global news. From the diplomatic unease surrounding Donald Trump’s controversial allegations against South Africa, to critical updates on humanitarian aid delays in Gaza and Luxembourg’s shifting pension policies. The segment also touched on CargoLux’s heartwarming mission rescuing two brown bears, and the growing geopolitical stature of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni internationally. 

Europe’s place in the Space Economy

François Leproux has just published his second book on space: 'La nouvelle conquête spatiale: quelle place pour l’Europe face au NewSpace?', and he brought a passionate perspective on why Europe must reclaim ambition in crewed spaceflight.

A space engineer and author, François is building on his first book about the Hermes shuttle. He believes that Europe has the technical foundation, through Ariane rockets, industrial expertise, and past collaborations on the ISS, to lead independently. Yet without a sovereign crewed space program, François warns that Europe risks becoming irrelevant in the geopolitical narrative of space exploration. His call is urgent: invest in autonomy, unify internally, and inspire a new generation with human-led missions.

Joining us online from Paris, Aurélie Bressollette, CEO of Latitude, offered a commercial lens on the space economy. With a formidable background at Airbus, OHB, and Redwire, Aurélie now leads a company pioneering dedicated satellite launch services. She debunked the myth of cost-per-kilo dominance by SpaceX, advocating instead for an ‘Uber-to-the-stars’ solution that prioritises mission specificity over brute launch mass. Her view: Europe’s competitive edge lies not just in technology, but in agility, customer responsiveness, and institutional backing that can support nimble NewSpace players. With strategic orbits like sun-synchronous within reach, her optimism is grounded in engineering reality.

Dr. Laetitia Cesari completed our stellar panel with her legal and policy insight into outer space governance. A practitioner and researcher with expertise in cybersecurity, in-orbit servicing, and the upcoming EU Space Act, Laetitia emphasised the complexity of coordinating Europe’s multi-layered space apparatus. ESA, the EU, and national agencies must align more efficiently, she said, if Europe is to compete with faster-moving powers. Defense, though historically out of ESA’s remit, is now tightly interwoven with space policy, as satellites become essential for secure communication and surveillance. Laetitia's insights highlighted how law and policy are not just supporting acts, but mission-critical elements.

Whether through political will, commercial innovation, or regulatory harmonisation, the message was clear: Europe has the tools and must now use them strategically. The ISS is nearing retirement, Artemis is Moon-bound, and commercial stations are on the horizon. If Europe doesn't step up, it risks becoming a subcontractor in a future it should be helping to lead.

Contact Lisa here https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-burke-4272276/?originalSubdomain=lu

http://www.linkedin.com/in/françois-leproux-63347263

https://www.deboecksuperieur.com/livre/9782807369757-la-nouvelle-conquete-spatiale

https://www.editions-jpo.com/fr/accueil/228-hermes-une-ambition-en-heritage-9782373011395.html

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aur%C3%A9lie-bressollette-06b7598/details/education/

https://www.degaullefleurance.com/annuaire/laetitia-cesari/

"The people in the audience looked at the pictures, and the people in the pictures looked back at them. They recognised each other."

Edward Steichen

Eurovision Mania & World News 

After a late night commentating, Meredith Moss comes onto my show this week to talk about the second semi-final, featuring Luxembourg’s very own Laura Thorn, who made it through to the finals, to be held on Saturday 17th May in Basel.

Sasha Kehoe keeps us abreast of the week’s news, which is unceasingly heavy. From Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul, to UN relief chief Tom Fletcher’s scathing account of Israel’s denial of life-saving supplies to be allowed entry into Gaza for over ten weeks, thereby leading to starvation. We also talk about Trump’s trip to the Middle East, where the Qatari President gave him a gift of a new Air Force One.

In Luxembourg news this week, Prime Minister Luc Frieden announced that Luxembourg will increase its defending spending from €800 million to €1.2 billion by the end of 2025, five years earlier than originally planned. He also unveiled changes to the pension retirement age.

Family of Man - Edward Steichen

The CNA, Centre National de l’audovisuel International Symposium 2025, will celebrate 70 Years of The Family of Man at Clervaux Castle on Saturday May 24 2025.

To talk about the life of Edward Steichen, and the legacy of The Family of Man exhibition, I’m joined by: 

Claire di Felice, curator and Head of the Steichen Collections at the Centre national de l’audiovisuel (CNA) in Luxembourg.

Gerd Hurm, Professor emeritus of American Literature and Culture at the University of Trier, founding director of the Trier Center for American Studies (TCAS), and advisory board member of the Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. He is co-editor of The Family of Man Revisited: Photography in a Global Age and author of a widely acclaimed 2019 biography on Steichen.

Emilia Sánchez González is a PhD researcher at the University of Luxembourg’s Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH), working on a new transmedia project - FoMLEG (The Legacy of The Family of Man), exploring its international tour during the Cold War (1955–1963) and its history in Luxembourg since 1965.

Edward Steichen - photographer curator

In 1955, a visionary Luxembourg-American photographer changed the language of photography and its audience. Edward Steichen, then director of photography at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), unveiled The Family of Man - an exhibition of 503 black-and-white photographs from 68 countries, curated to tell the story of humanity in all its raw, real, and radiant yet connected beauty. Seven decades later, this exhibition lives on at Clervaux Castle and the story it tells still resonates with global audiences of all ages.

A Living Exhibition

The Family of Man was revolutionary in 1955 as one of the world’s first immersive photo exhibitions, not just displaying images, but using scenography, the visual rhythm and space between photos.

“You become the film director of your own human experience”,  explained Professor Hurm.

The intention was to remind a post-war world that despite borders and ideologies, we have, first and foremost, a shared humanity and a shared earth. It was as much political as it was poetic.

“Steichen understood that the medium of photography could be a tool for peace,” Hurm added. “It was democratic, emotional, and immediate.”

Home in Luxembourg

For Claire di Felice it’s about stewardship. Her role is not just about preserving the work but reactivating it, making it speak again. Having initially studied law, Claire returned to her artistic roots to work alongside her father, renowned curator Paul di Felice. Together they co-founded MAI Photographie, a publishing house for limited-edition artist books. “It’s strange,” she smiled, “how you try to leave a path and still end up on it.”

The Global South’s Forgotten Story

Emilia Sánchez González is helping to complete the narrative that The Family of Man began. As part of the FNR-funded FoMLEG project (The Legacy of The Family of Man), she is tracking the exhibition’s global tour from 1955–1963, with a special focus on its journey through the Global South — Latin America, Africa, Asia — regions often omitted in Cold War history.

“We realised we were missing half the story,” said Emilia. “In Calcutta alone, 29,000 people saw the exhibition in one day. That matters. Their perspectives matter.” Her work highlights active audiences, which is what we all are when we pass through such a curated visual storytelling.

Education Through Empathy

A major part of the CNA’s 70th anniversary programming is educational. With crises of war, displacement, and division growing, The Family of Man offers a visual gateway into empathy-based learning. “We’ve launched a children’s audioguide created by children,” Claire shared, “as well as a platform of activities for schools. The aim is to let children interpret and relate to the images on their own terms.”  This is visual storytelling not just for passive viewing, but for active engagement. And it’s working.

Edward Steichen’s Legacy remains relevant 

As Professor Hurm’s student recently commented, the photos are all in black and white, but they have so much colour. The themes of our lives remain the same. We still see our faces in those who lived and walked this earth 70 years ago.

https://eurovision.tv/participant/laura-thorn-2025

https://cna.public.lu/fr.html

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=64580

The story of six entrepreneurs' bold pivot into climate action to spark a global movement investing in real decarbonising solutions.

Arthur Auboeuf: Social Stardom to Team for the Planet

Arthur Auboeuf was born in a tiny village near Geneva. Whilst a young student, in his spare time, he built an incredible social business with viral humor and music communities online, ultimately reaching over 10 million followers.

He sold these ventures young and became part of the entrepreneurial elite of Europe. But despite his monetary and social success, Auboeuf felt increasingly disillusioned as he saw his talents serve fleeting digital addiction rather than lasting impact.

Witnessing climate change devastate his childhood ski slopes and forests ignited a deeper purpose, to use his entrepreneurial toolkit not for profit, but for the planet.

Team for the Planet: A Business Model to Battle Climate Change

Founded in 2019 by Auboeuf and five fellow entrepreneurs, Team for the Planet is a mission-driven company using the power of collective intelligence and capital to detect, fund and scale the world’s most impactful decarbonizing innovations. Unlike traditional funds, TFTP is not for profit.

Anyone, from students to CEOs, can become a shareholder for just €1, helping to select innovations, assess their global potential, and bring them to market. The goal is to identify tech (or even low/no-tech) solutions that already exist but haven’t scaled—and give them the entrepreneurial engine to do so.

My guests today also include Emma Scribe, Head of Major Investors, and Geoffrey Crofte, shareholder + evaluator.

Crowd-Powered Climate Action

What makes Team for the Planet different is its radical openness. With over 128,000 shareholders worldwide, the community isn’t just a passive group of donors, it’s an army of trained evaluators, investors, and ambassadors. All over the world, from developers to designers, people contribute time, skills, and capital. Together, they’ve reviewed over 1,600 innovations, leading to investment in 13 climate-tech companies. These solutions range from wave-powered energy to CO₂-to-sand conversion, all aimed at cutting emissions on a global scale.

The Climate Dividend: Profit in Planetary Terms

Forget financial ROI. TFTP invented the Climate Dividend—a metric that tells shareholders exactly how many tons of CO₂ their investment has avoided or captured. This indicator, developed in partnership with institutions like ADEME and recognised by the UN, enables investors to measure real climate impact rather than hypothetical financial returns. It’s become a tool used by over 100 funds to track the environmental performance of their portfolios.

Open-Source Innovation, Shared Globally

Team for the Planet doesn’t just scale green startups—it shares their tech freely. Once a company is funded and functioning, its innovation is made open source, allowing any business to adopt it. In return, those adopters must report usage (to calculate CO₂ impact) and share improvements. This bold model ensures that breakthrough solutions don’t stay locked in one market or one monopoly—they ripple out globally for maximum effect.

Luxembourg’s investment of people and business

Though still in early days, Luxembourg is an exciting frontier for TFTP. With only a few hundred shareholders, the country’s financial ecosystem, global talent mix, and green ambitions make it a strategic springboard. Local scientists like Thomas Gibon are already involved, and companies like Circu Li-ion have adopted the Climate Dividend metric. In Auboeuf’s words, “Luxembourg is a green field” waiting to be cultivated.

How You Can Join

Whether you’re a student, scientist, investor, or want to make a difference, there’s a role for you at Team for the Planet. You can invest money, time, or expertise. You can become an evaluator, reader, or ambassador. Or you can simply buy a €1 share and know you’re part of something that has already avoided 40,000 tons of CO₂—a figure equal to 40,000 Paris–New York flights.

Connect & Learn More

From World News to Crypto Frontiers, my guests this week are Sasha Kehoe and Christopher Jack, who gives us a quick history of money, how Luxembourg became a financial centre and what the country needs to do next, with digital assets.

This week I’m delighted to have Sasha Kehoe back on the show with her signature news roundup. From the passing of Pope Francis and its global significance to lighter stories about Luxembourg’s driving habits and the latest tech marvels.

Christopher Jack, Programme Manager at the Cambridge Digital Assets Programme, joins us to unravel the fascinating history of finance in Luxembourg, from its steel roots to its rise as a global financial powerhouse and its bold leap into the world of digital assets and crypto.

Sasha Kehoe’s News Roundup

Sasha Kehoe is back on the show, much to the delight of listeners who’ve missed her warmth. We discuss the passing of Pope Francis, its impact on Luxembourg and the world, and speculation that Cardinal Hollerich is a contender. The ongoing Ukraine conflict is ever-present with more difficult news this week.

For a lighter touch, Sasha dives into studies on Luxembourg’s drivers (we don’t fair well), the emotional bonds between dogs and their owners, and Kawasaki’s futuristic ride-on robot lion-proof that the future is closer than we think!

Christopher Jack: Luxembourg’s Financial Evolution and the Digital Asset Revolution

Christopher Jack takes us on a quick journey through the evolution of money. He explains the three pillars of money - means of exchange, unit of account, and store of value, and most especially how trust underpins every financial system, from ancient bartering to today’s digital currencies.

Christopher then unpacks why Luxembourg became a financial hub. In the 1970s, as the steel industry declined, Luxembourg pivoted fast, offering attractive tax laws and regulatory clarity. The listing of the first Eurobond in 1963 and the adoption of the UCITS directive in 1988 cemented Luxembourg’s status as a global financial centre, now managing over $7 trillion in assets.

Looking ahead, Christopher explores Luxembourg’s push into digital assets and crypto. With pioneering blockchain laws and the EU’s MiCA regulation, Luxembourg is positioning itself at the forefront of the digital finance revolution. Tokenization, stablecoins, and new regulatory frameworks promise to democratize investment and reshape global markets-if the country can balance innovation with robust oversight.

Luxembourg’s necessity to adapt fast, stay stable and secure

Luxembourg’s story is one of adaptation and trust. Its future as a financial leader depends on attracting top talent, fostering innovation, and staying agile in a rapidly changing world.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-jack-3953b2142/

https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/alternative-finance/the-digital-assets-programme/

https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/alternative-finance/