MENA Talks
The “The MENA Talks” is a podcast series by the BIC. Once a month, our hosts will engage with international, regional, and local experts to explore many underlying historical, economic, social, and political drivers behind today’s multidimensional challenges in the wider Middle East and Africa regions.
Episodes
27 episodes
Ep. 15 MENA Talks S02 - How the EU's Double Standards are Impacting its Credibility in Africa
In this episode of the MENA Talks Podcast, host Shada Islam and guest Prof. Carlos Lopes dissect Africa's future, emphasizing the challenge of conveying its manufacturing potential to Europe. They probe EU-Africa relations, questioning the effe...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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41:19
S02E14 Towards COP28: What to Expect in the UAE and how Europe Can Work With It
As COP28 rapidly approaches, the United Arab Emirates, as the conference's presiding nation, is gearing up to host a pivotal global conversation about our shared future. Dubai Abulhoul, an accomplished Author, Rhodes Scholar, and founder of the...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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36:50
S02E13 Lutte Contre le Racisme, Où en est l'Europe?
La question du racisme en Europe a gagné en visibilité ces dernières années, notamment depuis l'assassinat de George Floyd aux États-Unis et l'internationalisation du mouvement Black Lives Matter. Elle-même victime d'une altercat...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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49:49
S02 Ep.12 :The EU’s Strategic Partnership with the Gulf: One Year On
In this new MENA Talks podcast episode, Dr. Cinzia Bianco, BIC Senior Expert on EU-Gulf Relations, engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Tobias Borck, Senior Research Fellow at RUSI. Both experts provide a comprehensive status ch...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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51:30
S02 Ep.11 : Behind the Frontlines in Ukraine: Unpacking the EU's Role
Wilson Fache is travelling to Ukraine to capture the ground realities of the conflict-ridden country. He records the destruction caused in and around the city of Bakhmut. Back in Brussels, Wilson meets Lisa Musiol, the International Crisis Grou...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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21:43
S02 Ep.10 : Journée Internationale des Droits de « la Femme », de Quoi Parle-t-On?
C'est quoi être féministe aujourd'hui? Pourquoi tant de femmes sont-elles réticentes à le devenir, surtout dans le Sud global? C'est quoi le féminisme « mainstream »? Et pourquoi pose-t-il problème? À l'occasion de la journée internationale des...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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59:39
S02 Ep. 09 : Exploring the EU-NATO Relationship: Building Resilience and Opportunity for Continental Security
In this episode, BIC's Political Analyst, Ben Lowings is joined by Alessandro Mattiato, Coordinator for EU-NATO Relations at the European Commission to get an EU perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing the EU-NATO partnership, es...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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33:05
S02 Ep. 08 - Irak : Quel Avenir Pour les Familles Affiliées à Daech ?
Cinq ans après la fin de la guerre contre le groupe Etat islamique, plus d’un million d’Irakiens qui avaient été déplacés par le conflit n’ont pas encore pu rentrer chez eux. Parmi eux, des milliers de familles dites « affiliées » à l’organisat...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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21:43
S02 Ep. 07 - Evaluating European Foreign Policy: Strategic Autonomy, Preparedness, and a Worrying Threat Assessment for the Union
The BIC's Political Analyst, Ben Lowings, is joined by Dr. Daniel Fiott, Head of the Defence and Statecraft Programme at the Brussels School of Governance and Non-Resident Fellow at the Real Elcano Institute, to discuss the current state of Eur...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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30:36
S02 Ep. 06 - Policing Women’s Bodies: Iran, the West, and the Danger of Single Narratives.
With Shada Islam and Rafia ZakariaOn this very special episode of the MENA Talks, the BIC’s Senior Commentator on Geopolitics, Shada Islam, is joined by best seller author Rafia Zakaria to have a frank conversation about current developm...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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49:31
S02 Ep. 05 - Energy-efficiency: The Solution to Europe’s Energy Crisis?
While Europe’s energy crisis fuels fears of a harsh winter for millions of European residents, much discussions are revolving around diversifying the EU’s energy suppliers and reducing European countries’ dependency on Russian hydrocarbon...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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21:23
S02 Ep. 04 - Afghanistan : "la crise affecte les femmes de façon disproportionnée"
C’était le 15 août 2021. La chute de Kaboul aux mains des talibans et le départ précipité des forces occidentales avaient provoqué l’avènement d’un nouvel « émirat islamique » après vingt ans de guerre et d’occupation. Aujourd’hui, l’Afghanista...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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23:23
S02 Ep. 03 - Division and Violence in Ethiopia: The Role of Weaponised Ethnicity in the War in Tigray
The BIC's Political Analyst, Ben Lowings, is joined by William Davison, Senior Analyst for Ethiopia at the International Crisis Group, to discuss the role of ethnicity in Ethiopia and how historical divisions have been weaponised to contribute ...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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32:23
S02 Ep. 02 - Nouveau Pacte de Migration et d’Asile de l’UE: Pas de Sortie de Crise
Dévoilé en septembre 2020 et toujours en discussion, le nouveau pacte de Migration et d’Asile de l’Union Européenne se veut “plus solidaire, plus juste et raisonnable”, selon la présidente de la Commission. Loin d'amorcer un changement de parad...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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33:27
S02 Ep. 01 - War, Peace and the Emergence of a Multipolar World
In this first episode of the second season of the MENA Talks, our host Shada Islam is joined by Dr. Sven Biscop, Director ‘Europe in the World’ at the Egmont Institute and Professor Yeo Lay Hwee, Director at the EU-Asia Centre in Singapo...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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38:13
S01 EP.12 - Migration and Climate Change in Africa: Ways Forward after the AU EU Summit
In the framework of the 2022 AU-EU summit, the podcast explores the intersecting phenomena of migration and climate change in Africa, climate resilience avenues for African cities, and implications for the EU-AU partnership.Guest: Aimée...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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26:08
S01 Ep.11 - A Democratic Transition at Risk: Confronting the Cycle of Coups in Sudan
In this episode of The MENA Talks, Ben Lowings speaks with Dr. Asil Sidahmed, Former Strategic Advisor to Sudan’s Federal Minister of Health about the events preceding, and the fallout from the October 2021 Sudanese coup. What was the experienc...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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58:03
S01 EP.10 - "L’aide humanitaire ne suffira pas" : l’Afghanistan au Bord du Gouffre
Quatre mois après le retour au pouvoir des Talibans, l’Afghanistan serait au seuil de l'une des pires crises humanitaires au monde. Selon les Nations Unies, plus d’un Afghan sur deux pourrait bientôt se retrouver en situation d'insécurité alime...
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36:10
S01 Ep.09 - Mixed Migration in Tunisia: Worrying Trends and Peacebuilding Solutions
The podcast discusses mixed migration in Tunisia and the larger North African region, exploring its incentives, trends, and the humanitarian programs in place to assist migrants and refugees. The BIC's North Africa Research Analyst Yasmine A...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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25:27
S01 Ep.08 - Takeaways from the 76th UN General Assembly: A New Era of Multilateralism in 2021?
Following from the 76th United Nations General Assembly held in New York, USA in September, the BIC's Political Analyst Ben Lowings is joined by Professor Alanna O'Malley, Chair of United Nations Studies in Peace and Justice at Le...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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37:37
S01 Ep.07 - Special Edition – What Will Afghanistan's Future Look Like ? Tough Regional Geopolitics and How the EU Can Play a Role
"The Afghan conflict has never been totally, or even primarily rooted in domestic factors”. For this special episode of the MENA Talks Podcast, our host Shada Islam, BIC’s Senior Commentator on Geopolitics, is joined by Jawed Ludin
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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45:02
S01 Ep.06 - Confronting the Challenges of Aid Workers in Yemen
This episode of the MENA Talks podcast explores some of the security concerns that national and international aid workers in Yemen are confronted with on a daily basis. Our host Elisa Chery is joined by Jean-Nicolas Beuze, the Yemen Repre...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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36:39
S01 Ep.05 - Race et Féminisme(s) en Tunisie: Le Grand Tabou?
Y a-t-il réellement une volonté d'intersectionnaliser les lutte féministes en Tunisie? Comment expliquer l'invisibilisation des femmes noires au sein du mouvement féministe tunisien? Dans ce podcast, Yasmine Akrimi discute de la place de la que...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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32:52
S01 Ep.04 - Ethiopia's GERD: Mediation and Escalation in Contemporary Nile-Diplomacy
On the current status of Nile diplomacy, the increase in bilateral tensions, and the growing challenge of water scarcity in the face of global climate change, the BIC's Political Analyst, Ben Lowings, is joined by
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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30:48
S01 Ep.03 - Political Disruption: Elections and Regional Developments in the Middle East
Hosted by Elisa Chery, BIC Middle East Analyst - Interview with Amb. Marc Otte, BIC President.This episode of the MENA Talks will explore the upcoming elections in the Middle East, particularly within Iran and Syria. These electio...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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28:30
