Are We Europe

What did the week look like in Europe? Whilst things get heated in the European Commission in the first weeks of Hungary’s leadership, the death toll in Gaza continues to grow underreported. Political assassination attempts on both sides of the Atlantic show the effects of growing polarisation, and the Paris Olympics achieve gender equality - 131 years before the rest of the world. Have a closer look: 🌐 On 18 July Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected for a second term as European Commission president, securing a large majority of votes despite opposition from the far-right and within her own party (EPP). (European Parliament & Deutsche Welle) 🌐 Following Viktor Orban’s visit to Vladimir Putin at the beginning of July, the European Commission expressed concerns over Hungary's alignment with the EU. In response, the Commission has instructed its top officials to boycott a series of informal gatherings hosted by Hungary. Orban had framed his visit to Moscow as a “peace mission”. (Deutsche Welle) 🌐 The European Correspondent (EC) published new estimates of the death toll in Gaza. According to medical magazine, the Lancet, an estimated total of 186,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October 2023. Official numbers report only 37,396 Palestinian deaths in that time period. (The European Correspondent) 🌐 The recent assassination attempts of Donald Trump in the US and the Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in Slovakia show the repercussions of divisive politics. According to political economist Soňa Muzikárová, divisive rhetorics incite political violence and legitimate the implementation of controversial policies that destabilise democracy. Muzikárová calls for the EU to actively challenge such polarising tactics and support democratic institutions and civil society. (Al Jazeera Media Network) 🌐 For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, the same share of male and female athletes will compete in Paris from 26 July. This is a significant step towards gender equality in sports - though according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023, gender parity in the world is still 131 years away. (Europe Magazine) What stood out to you this week in Europe? Let us know in the comments. 👇

📣 Let’s make migrant and refugee voices more visible in the European media space Community call-out! We are looking for experts with migration experience as well as organisations working with migrant and refugee communities to contribute to our new crossborder database, the “MigraVoice Superpower Community”. For our project MigraVoice, we are building a cross-border community of experts with migration backgrounds designed to improve and increase the representation of migrant and refugee voices in the European media space. There are many ways you can contribute: As an organisation you can 🔸 Share information and encourage individuals with migration or refugee experience within your communities to register in the “MigraVoice Superpower Community”. 🔸 Invite us to present MigraVoice and the opportunities it offers to experts who join the database. 🔸 Become a partner of the MigraVoice project by making an official commitment to the promotion of the “Superpower Community”. Our partnership will be made visible on the MigraVoice website and publicised through our promotional materials. As an individual you can 🔸 Share your knowledge and insights with journalists from across the European mainstream and local media landscape. 🔸 Receive training opportunities and materials to support your skills in communicating with journalists and responding effectively to their requests. 🔸 Promote the MigraVoice Superpower Community and project among others in your networks who might be interested in participating. Learn more on our website (https://lnkd.in/eu98bRRy) and sign up for the community by filling in this short form here: https://lnkd.in/ekm6JYdA. Our partners at Maldita.es will be in touch with you soon!

From election wins to remembrance and masking missiles to Euro cup finals, Europe has been anything but quiet the past few days. Catch up on this week's events: Alleged Russian disinformation attempts surround the aftermath of a suspected  Russian attack on a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital on 8 July. After the attack in Kyiv, social media posts claimed it was launched by Ukrainian forces. An investigation from Deutsche Welle and analysis from Bellingcat dismissed this as fake news. (Deutsche Welle) 11 July marks the annual day of remembrance for the victims of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which Serb forces killed 8000 Bosniak muslim men and boys. The massacre, described as a genocide by the UN, remains unrecognised by many in Serbia  (BBC). In a surprising turn of events, the second round of the French Parliamentary elections saw the far-right National Rally (RN) fall behind, with the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) securing most seats in the French Parliament. The NPF must now put forward a PM candidate and reveal whether it will work with Macron’s centrist alliance. What does this mean for France’s political future? (Radio France Internationale) England stands against tournament favourites Spain in the upcoming Euro cup finals on Sunday 14 July in Berlin. Who will be the European men’s football champion? Leave us a note with your guess in the comments! We’re in awe with the cool Euro cup illustrations from the Berlin-based alternative and subculture football magazine Gegenpresse. What do you think about them? ↪️ (Gegenpresse) What stood out to you this week in Europe? Let us know in the comments. 👇

Exciting Opportunity Alert! 🚀 Applications are now open for the Media Fellowships Are We Europe is running as part of FOCUS, an initiative by European civil society organisations. The programme aims to build public awareness of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and its practical value in everyday life. If you're a journalist or media professional aged 18-34, with the right to live and work in one of the 27 EU member states, this is your chance to make a meaningful impact. We're especially keen to hear from voices that are less represented in European media, including those from diverse migration backgrounds, genders, and sexual orientations. Fellowship Highlights: 🌟 Online seminars and training sessions 🌟 Participation in an online pop-up newsroom 🌟 Creation of a story on a topic central to the Charter: Equality, Work, Freedom, or Youth 🌟 A micro-grant of €1600 to support your work 🌟 Publication of your story in digital and print formats 🌟 An in-person launch event in early 2026 The fellowships run for about 4 months between September 2024 and September 2025. Each of the Media Fellowships will explore a topic that is central to the Charter: (1) Equality, (2) Work, (3) Freedom, (4) Youth. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eV5kJa82 until 2 September 2024. FOCUS is a collaborative project with Democracy Reporting International Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe (EYP), Verfassungsblog and alda* - European Association for Local Democracy.

The French Parliamentary Elections and the UK General Elections are keeping Europe on its toes this week. Beyond the ballot, diverse cultural events such as Keti Koti celebrations in the Netherlands and a traditional horse race in Siena are in full swing. Last but not least, worldwide Swiftmania has arrived in the German city of Gelsenkirchen. Have a closer look: Britain woke up today with a new government. The Labour Party’s landslide victory ended the Conservative’s 14-year rule, in what was its worst election result in modern history. There were also wins for right-wing party Reform, suggesting the UK isn’t immune to the right-wing wave that is sweeping through Europe. (The Guardian) Meanwhile, the aftermath of the right-wing swing in the EU elections is unfolding in France. The results from the first voting round of the French parliamentary elections on 30 June showed a “drift away from the centre” (The Economist), and especially towards Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, National Rally (RN). Sunday 7 July will be decisive: will the RN secure an absolute majority? (The Economist)                Keti Koti celebrations commemorating the abolition of slavery in the former Dutch colony of Suriname took place this week in the Netherlands. (Iamsterdam) In the city of Siena, Italy,  the first “Palio” horse race of the year took place this week at the central Piazza del Campo. The Palio is a long-standing local tradition whereby horses from the city’s “contrade” (districts) compete against each other. (The Economist Espresso) With three upcoming Taylor Swift concerts in July , the German city of Gelsenkirchen has temporarily been renamed “Swiftkirchen”, which in English translates to “Swift church”. The city promises more swifty surprises to come. (DER SPIEGEL) What stood out to you this week in Europe? Let us know in the comments. 👇

“Projects like The Circle can play a huge role in [diversifying and innovating European media,] ultimately strengthening European democracy.” Between 2022 and 2024, The Circle developed media hubs in 8 European cities all over the continent. Its mission to build a diverse and innovative European media landscape that improves representation and resilience forms the core of all of Are We Europe’s work.  Though the project came to an end earlier this year, it proved a successful model to build on. At the intersection of journalism, design thinking and cross-border collaboration our new programme, DEMA or Designing Europe’s Media for All, aims to establish a media hub in every country in Europe by 2030. Learn more about why we believe in supporting independent media in Europe in this interview with our editorial director, Teresa O'Connell, and keep an eye out for updates on how the project evolves. 🎥 Julian Schwandner for The Circle Hubs and European Lab

“Projects like The Circle can play a huge role in [diversifying and innovating European media,] ultimately strengthening European democracy.” Between 2022 and 2024, The Circle developed media hubs in 8 European cities all over the continent. Its mission to build a diverse and innovative European media landscape that improves representation and resilience forms the core of all of Are We Europe’s work.   Though the project came to an end earlier this year, it proved a successful model to build on. At the intersection of journalism, design thinking and cross-border collaboration our new programme, DEMA or Designing Europe’s Media for All, aims to establish a media hub in every country in Europe by 2030. Learn more about why we believe in supporting independent media in Europe in this interview with our editorial director, Teresa O'Connell, and keep an eye out for updates on how the project evolves. 🎥: Julian Schwandner for The Circle Hubs & European Lab

“Media and journalism doesn’t have a passion problem, it has a process problem” Last week our managing director, @Sabrina Faramarzi, was invited on the European Journalism Centre (EJC)’s innovation podcast. Joined by Alessia Melchiorre from Marea Media, a non-profit organisation birthed from The Circle Hubs project, Sabrina and Alessia explain why local journalism always trumps parachute journalism and why there is an increasing need for new business models in the European media space. Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eU6yCYHD

Once a year, the Are We Europe and Awe Studio teams from all over Europe meet up in person and spend some days “awey”. We review past projects, ideate new ones, and – most importantly - enjoy the time together! From early yoga sessions led by Marlies Westra, delicious meals planned and coordinated by Areti Zoi Katsivelari & Alejandro Rivero, creative workshops (e.g. AI & design by Giliam Ganzevles), a team-work moment over a sudden flood in the kitchen, and evenings with karaoke and DJ-duo Mick ter Reehorst & J-town (aka Josephine Böllhoff), we had a great time. Ale’s dog, Mutso, was the newest & cuddliest addition to our team! Looking back, we can’t wait to see what the rest of 2024 has in store for us 🔥  #aweydays #awestudio #areweeurope #dreamteam (Music: Omah Lay - Soso)

Europe is made up of lots of different stories - and this week in Berlin, we started exploring some that are lesser-known. For our project MigraVoice, 15 storytellers who self-identify as journalists with a migration background joined our 3-day bootcamp at Publix. From the photos shedding light on the Filipino community in Barcelona to the cross-border journeys of Moldovan minibus drivers - these are just some of the stories we’ll be working on together, forming a collection that contributes to better representing Europe’s diversity. We end the week filled with gratitude, inspiration and excitement to see how the stories unfold. A huge thank you to our amazing partners Maldita.es, Raseef22 رصيفــ22, Media Diversity Institute, St. The London Story, and Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa and participants - more info coming soon! ✨