RFI

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the disinformation campaign around the European Union’s “Green Deal” campaign. There’s “On This Day”, “The Listener’s Corner”, and plenty of good music. All that and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click on the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected]  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!Responding to this week’s bonus question “Whom do you consider more important – family, or friends?”, RFI Listeners Club member Helmut Matt from Herbolzheim, Germany sent a poem. Helmut wrote: “I have written a poem about what friendship and friends really are. It's in German and I can't translate the verses - but I can translate the meaning: FriendsPeople come, people go.People's actions move being.Nothing that exists can exist forever,Big worries become small. We hope for the new year.That everything will be better.Secret wishes will come true.Peace is coming to earth. Faith in the power of love.It alone will be eternal.How it creates hope in the heart.Only its power will set us free. Friendship will only be revealed,When the world leaves you alone.It holds in distress and in danger,And is firm in all times. Life in the world is short.So let the false friends go.Only what keeps the strength in us,Will last for all time. Existence lacks eternity,When everything fades, everything goes.But our hearts grow wide,When friendship lasts until death. Thank you, Helmut! The ePOP video competition is open! The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment, and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people. You are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution - told by the people it affects.You do not need expensive video equipment to enter the competition. Your phone ...

This week, we are addressing the issue of reparations for historical injustices, including slavery, colonial violence, and war crimes. Calls for compensation are gaining momentum, particularly in the Global South, with a strong focus on the Caribbean and Africa. These reparations could take various forms, primarily financial compensation.Activists argue that former colonisers should compensate former colonies and that different perpetrators should provide reparations to various victims. This includes compensation for slavery and addressing losses and damages related to climate injustice.In light of the recent European elections and the upcoming parliamentary elections in France and the UK, these questions could soon be reframed and gain prominence in public debate and international negotiations. Additionally, the African Union has designated reparations as a key issue for 2025.To learn more about the feasibility and types of reparations being demanded, I spoke with Nasim Salad, a senior associate at The Advocacy Team, a public affairs consultancy.The group has collaborated with think tanks like The One Campaign and Development Reimagined, and it has recently produced a report to suggest how to come up with concrete financial plans for potential reparations. Nasim Salad has insight into the different forms of financial plans for reparations.  Episode mixed by Nicolas Doreau.Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale. 

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the last-minute film added to the Cannes Film Festival line-up.  There’s “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers, the latest from the Roland Garros French Open, and plenty of good music. All that and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click on the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected]  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!The ePOP video competition is open! The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment, and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people. You are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution - told by the people it affects.You do not need fancy video equipment to enter the competition. Your phone is fine.  And you do not need to be a member of the RFI Clubs to enter – everyone is welcome. And by the way – the prizes are incredibly generous!Go to the ePOP page to read about past competitions, watch past videos, and read the regulations for your entry.  You can also write to us at [email protected], and we’ll forward your mail to Planète Radio.The competition closes on 12 September, but you know how "time flies”, so get to work now! We expect to be bombarded with entries from the English speakers!Facebook: Be sure to send your photos for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner to [email protected] tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write RFI English in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!Our website “Le Français facile avec ...

The United States played a key role in the Allied effort to liberate Western Europe from the Nazis, but not everyone sees it in the same light. As France marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, an American veteran reflects on the differing ways the US and France remember the war. Meanwhile, historians recall the large number of civilians killed during the Allied invasion and explain why US soldiers were not always welcomed as heroes. As French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes world leaders, the real stars of the commemorations are the surviving veterans themselves – the men who landed on the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944 and started liberating France from Nazi occupation. The youngest of the remaining D-Day veterans are now in their late 90s. Alan Shapiro, 99, was too young to take part in the landings, but joined the European Allied forces in the autumn of 1944 and flew transport carriers in the US air corps. He's struck by the love and recognition he's received in France, where war was a lived experience rather than a distant newsreel. He came to France through the association Retour des veterans en Normandie (Veterans Back to Normandy), based in the village of Créances. Its founder, Valerie Gautier, talks about the lasting need to show gratitude for D-Day and WWII veterans. (Listen @4'20)The story of D-Day and its aftermath is told differently depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on. American historian Mary Louise Roberts discusses how France has been erased from the US perspective on the landings. Meanwhile French historian Emmanuel Thiébot, who directs a museum in Normandy dedicated to civilians during WWII, explains why Allied soldiers didn't always get a hero's welcome in towns that had been bombed in preparation for the invasion. And local survivor Henri, whose fiancée and uncle were killed by Allied bombs, recalls the mixed feelings he had about the troops sent to liberate France. (Listen @15'55)Episode mixed by Cecile Pompéani. Spotlight on France is a podcast from Radio France International. Find us on rfienglish.com, Apple podcasts (link here), Spotify (link here) or your favourite podcast app (pod.link/1573769878).

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about plundered art in French museums. There’s a quick trip to Switzerland, “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers, Ollia’s “Happy Moment”, and “Music from Erwan”. All that and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click on the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected]  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!ePOP News: The early bird gets the worm …RFI’s ePOP video competition will open on 5 June. There will be more information in the coming days, but you can already start to plan your video.The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment, and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people …you are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution - told by the people it affects.So put on your thinking caps and start planning your video!  Facebook News: There’s a “new and improved” Facebook page for you, the RFI English Listeners Forum. It’s for everyone who reads and listens to us and wants to connect with others, so ask to join, and I’ll sign you up!The RFI Listeners Club page and the RFI English Clubs page no longer exist. If you belonged to the RFI English Clubs page and not the RFI Listeners Club page, you’ll need to ask to join. I promise I won’t click “Decline”

In this episode of Spotlight on Africa, Melissa Chemam discusses the recent elections in South Africa and the possibility of the ruling ANC losing its overall majority, potentially forcing it into a coalition government. On  29 May, South Africans participated in parliamentary and provincial elections in the most fiercely contested vote since the end of apartheid in 1994.After 30 years in power, the African National Congress, once led by Nelson Mandela, could lose its majority.With Tchepo Moloi, a lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, Gareth Stevens, vice-chancellor of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, and William Gumede, political analyst, also at the University of Witwatersrand, we examine how the past 30 years have led to this pivotal moment and how a coalition government could transform South Africa's political landscape.We will also hear from curator Aude Leveau Mac Elhone, who has organised the exhibition Brazil and Africa, a Shared History in Gorée, Dakar, Senegal, along with the artist Aline Motta.  Episode mixed by Vincent Pora.Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale. 

Feast your ears on listener Rodrigo Hunriche’s “My Ordinary Hero” essay. All it takes is a little click on the “Play” button above! Hello everyone!This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear a “My Ordinary Hero” essay by listener Rodrigo Hunrichse from Chile. I hope you’ll be inspired to write an essay for us, too!If your essay goes on the air, you’ll find a package in the mail from The Sound Kitchen. Write in about your “ordinary” heroes – the people in your community who are doing extraordinarily good work, quietly striving to make the world a better place, in whatever way they can. As listener Pramod Maheshwari said: “Just as small drops of water can fill a pitcher, small drops of kindness can change the world.”I am still looking for your “This I Believe” essays too. Tell us about the principles that guide your life … what you have found to be true from your very own personal experience. Or write in with your most memorable moment, and/or your proudest achievement. If your essay is chosen to go on the air – read by you – you’ll win a special prize!Send in your musical requests, your secret “guilty” pleasure (mine’s chocolate!), your tricks for remembering things, your favourite quotations and proverbs, descriptions of the local festivals you participate in, your weirdest dream, the book you are reading and what you think about it, or just your general all-around thoughts to [email protected] by postal mail, to:Susan OwensbyRFI – The Sound Kitchen80, rue Camille Desmoulins92130 Issy-les-MoulineauxFranceI look forward to hearing from you soon!Here's Rodrigo Hunrichse's essay: “My friend Jorge "Tito" Vargas Rocha is my ordinary hero, because he’s been accepting me (I'm hard to handle) for counseling/ following my advice for 15 years (he's a little stubborn as well), but after my perseverance he's been delivering now as senior. We are examples and we help each other: I even took him in for nine months after a fire burnt his home. I consider him my brother. In his youth, he was a good athlete (rowing, weightlifting, skiing, etc) and student (three careers at the University), reader, and builder... and the reason I'm learning French in my middle age: he attended Alliance Française in his childhood, was referred to as a "bonne homme", was an exchange student in Michigan, USA, where he certified in High School too! My Hero!His French is better than ...

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the Sudan conference in Paris. There’s “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers – who also cooked up “Music from Paul” for us this week - and of course, the new quiz and bonus questions, so click on the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected]  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!ePOP News: The early bird gets the worm …RFI’s ePOP video competition will open on 5 June. There will be more information in the coming days, but you can already start to plan your video.The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment, and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people …you are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution - told by the people it affects.So put on your thinking caps and start planning your video!  Facebook News: There’s a “new and improved” Facebook page for you, the RFI English Listeners Forum. It’s for everyone who reads and listens to us and wants to connect with others, so ask to join, and I’ll sign you up!The RFI Listeners Club page and the RFI English Clubs page no longer exist. If you belonged to the RFI English Clubs page and not the RFI Listeners Club page, you’ll need to ask to join. I promise I won’t click “Decline”

South Africa is holding general and provincial elections on 29 May. In this episode of Spotlight on Africa, we look at young people and the elections and how  the country has changed since the end of apartheid in 1994.   First, we talked to the director of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, Ivor Ichikowitz, who outlines the impact of corruption in South Africa and why the youth vote will be important. We also talked to Mary Paccard and Vincent Jackson, two South Africans living in France, who discuss how and why they campaigned for the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, from abroad. Episode mixed by Vincent Pora.Spotlight on Africa is a podcast from Radio France Internationale. 

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about Nike and the Olympic medals. There’s “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers, Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan”, and of course, the new quiz and bonus questions, so click on the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to [email protected]  Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!ePOP News: The early bird gets the worm …RFI’s ePOP video competition will open on 5 June. There will be more information in the coming days, but you can already start to plan your video.The ePOP video competition is sponsored by the RFI department “Planète Radio”, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. ePOP focuses on the environment, and how climate change has affected “ordinary” people …you are to create a three-minute video about climate change, the environment, pollution - told by the people it affects.So put on your thinking caps and start planning your video!  Facebook News: There’s a “new and improved” Facebook page for you, the RFI English Listeners Forum. It’s for everyone who reads and listens to us and wants to connect with others, so ask to join, and I’ll sign you up!The RFI Listeners Club page and the RFI English Clubs page no longer exist. If you belonged to the RFI English Clubs page and not the RFI Listeners Club page, you’ll need to ask to join. I promise I won’t click “Decline”