Let's keep the Europe Matters podcast going!

Hi all,

 

My name is Paolo Destilo, a 25-year-old Dutch Italian who grew up in the magical town of Narni(a) in Italy and this is Europe Matters.

A European podcast series that explores important and thought-provoking topics involving the European continent.

You, the listener, will receive the necessary tools to look at (inter)national issues from a glocal perspective, enabling you to grasp both local and global changes.

Before we delve into it, let me tell you a bit of how the idea for this project started in February 2021:

 

Amid another lockdown there I was, completing my Bachelor of Science Open at The Open University and thinking to myself about the global reaction to the pandemic. Chaos was king and I found it very difficult to voice my concerns in this new-normal world.

 

So due to the impossibility to meet people, I got into audio-based social media (Clubhouse) and started hosting weekly talks about the Future of Europe. These discussions brought more people together than I expected and gave me the idea to dip into my savings to start my next big project:

 

 

Europe Matters – The Podcast Made in Europe

 

Europe matters is a podcast series that explores various subjects with guests from all walks of life. We discuss important and thought-provoking topics like colonialism, female reproduction rights, participatory democracy, mass tourism, and many more that involve Europe and its continent.

 

(European Bubbles by Federica Cecotti )

 

Why Europe you may ask?

 

Europe is such a vague concept; it is not only a geographical location that hosts around 750 million people, but it is also a place where various ideals clash with each other. From a federally united Europe to the conflicted concept of nation-states.

 

People within Europe often identify with the flag from the country they come from, but does that exclude them from being European? Will there ever be a United States of Europe? And most importantly what does it mean to be European?

 

In this series we explore these questions with thought leaders, artists, academics, writers, comedians, actors, civil society leaders, activists and all those who care about the future of Europe. Their experiences and vested interest in European issues make their insight only more valuable.

 

The interviews are around 40 to 55 minutes long.

 

In each episode, I try my best to ask critical questions and delve deep into the various developments concerning Europe and its Continent. Depending on the subject, I then expand the topic from a European perspective to one that involves the world in a broader sense.

 

So far, most of the interviews have been recorded digitally. Hopefully, we will raise enough funds to set up the next series of episodes of Europe matters face-to-face with our guests.

 

Alright, that’s all nice, but do you have any previews for us?

 

Yes, here below you can see some pictures of me in action preparing for the interview with one of the bestselling Dutch authors, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, based in Genova (Italia). In this special interview, Ilja talks about a number of questions surrounding Europe, like what it means to feel European and by discussing his book "Grand Hotel Europa" we explore the phenomenon of mass tourism that "plagues" Venice.

 

 

 

 

So why should I help you?

 

Well... For several months I have been working on finding the best people with whom to talk about how Europe is changing and where it is headed. And the feedback has been overwhelming (in a good sense, of course!) and also because:

 

Europe matters is on its way --> 8 podcast interviews are ready for launch!

 

 

(From left to right: Rebecca Gomperts, Alberto Alemanno, Nini Tsiklauri, Gilberto Morishaw, Yasmine Ouirhrane, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Marta Pardavi, Dragos Comedy, Valerie Sternberg-Irvani, Reinier van Lanschot)

 

With your help I’ll be able to pay for the services that surround the uploading, sponsoring and maintenance of all the material for at least a year. This will allow our small team to start the many other plans in store for the project and I know for sure that with your support we will achieve them.

 

Cool man, but are you broke or what?

 

A bit, but I can provide for personal expenses thanks to the surf classes I teach here in the Netherlands. Which is saving me from starvation at the moment!

 

I am also broke, so how can I support you?

 

Follow this feed and once we are live, help us expand our community by sharing it with your tribe. And if you enjoy the podcast, please leave a (nice) review. That will help us make the podcast popular and widely heard. Your feedback is priceless!

 

Another way you can help is by sending me suggestions for guests or by telling me about subsidies I haven’t heard of before. Join our community and help us make the Europe matters team great!

 

I thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️

 

Grazie davvero! Dankjewel!

 

Paolo (The Dutch-Italian surfing guy)