Tune in to Handing Over the Mic, a new podcast series where influential voices
from the Global South share their perspectives on Europe—its past, present and
future.
What does Europe look like from the outside? What narratives do people from
regions of the Global South attribute to Europe?
Hosts Elisa Diaz Gras, Margaux Cassan and Christine Mhundwa speak with political
leaders, writers, artists, diplomats and intellectuals engaged in current geopolitical
debate to explore Europe’s historical legacy, global image and evolving role in the
world.
Listen to the podcast below, subscribe and share!
This podcast is produced by the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics in collaboration
with the European Cultural Foundation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tune in to Handing Over the Mic, a new podcast series where influential voices
from the Global South share their perspectives on Europe—its past, present and
future.
What does Europe look like from the outside? What narratives do people from
regions of the Global South attribute to Europe?
Hosts Elisa Diaz Gras, Margaux Cassan and Christine Mhundwa speak with political
leaders, writers, artists, diplomats and intellectuals engaged in current geopolitical
debate to explore Europe’s historical legacy, global image and evolving role in the
world.
Listen to the podcast below, subscribe and share!
This podcast is produced by the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics in collaboration
with the European Cultural Foundation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to this new episode of Handing Over the Mic, a podcast series where influential voices from the Global South share their perspectives on Europe—its past, present and future.
What does Europe look like from the outside? What narratives do people from regions of the Global South attribute to Europe? Through this series, hosts Elisa Díaz Gras, Margaux Cassan and Christine Mhundwa invite writers, diplomats, artists and intellectuals to offer new, often unexpected, perspectives on how Europe is imagined beyond its borders.
In this episode, we hand over the mic to Dr. Vera Songwe, a renowned economist and global leader in development, finance and policy. With clarity and precision, she challenges the catch-all label “Global South,” arguing for more rigorous language—emerging economies, low- and middle-income countries, aspiring nations—that recognizes diversity and progress rather than relegation.
Vera_Songwe.mp3
She calls for partnerships that level the playing field, from agricultural market access to fairer trade, and for reforms of the multilateral system—governance, voice, and debt resolution—so countries can design and own their development paths.
Vera_Songwe.mp3
Taking a resolutely pragmatic view of geopolitics, Songwe insists Africa is on Africa’s side, navigating great-power rivalry by pursuing technology, finance and industry wherever they best serve citizens—while accelerating regional integration through the AfCFTA and bolder value-addition strategies, from cocoa pricing to local processing.
Vera_Songwe.mp3
She lays out a compelling climate agenda: make climate an all-of-government mission, recognize that the climate economy can be more prosperous, and scale innovative instruments—loss-and-damage, climate-resilient debt clauses, and creative swaps—to unlock adaptation and mitigation at speed.
Vera_Songwe.mp3
And she closes with a call to invest in specialty training for Africa’s youth—from mining engineering to advanced manufacturing—so human capital rises with industrial ambition.
Vera_Songwe.mp3
Handing Over the Mic is a podcast by the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, produced with the support of the European Cultural Foundation.
Episodes are available on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and are also featured on the homepages of BIG and our partner, the European Cultural Foundation.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.