Archive - Page 2 of 5 - Accidental European Staging

The New European Bauhaus: Beauty & Privilege Win Again?

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative invites us to rediscover our relationship with natural environments and sustainable living. With residential and non-residential buildings responsible for about 40% of the European Union’s (EU) total energy consumption and one-third of its greenhouse gas emissions, the project aims to build green housing that is affordable and accessible to all. That is what the European Commission has expressed in its official mission statement: however, in practice, how inclusive is the NEB? Will less-privileged citizens benefit? Does the project consider the social aspects of sustainability?

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

“I’d Blush if I Could” Is What Artificial Intelligence Said to Gender Equality

AI systems might put gender equality, a fundamental right and value of the European Union, at risk. Any discrimination based on gender (or any other basis, such as age or race) is prohibited by EU anti-discriminatory laws. Nevertheless, gender-based discrimination still manages to work its way into the algorithms running our day-to-day lives. How can we eradicate gender bias in our AI systems? I attempt to explore the question.

EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY

Innovating Democracy by Turning the Rubik’s Cube

Recently, I was invited to talk about innovation in public policy for a podcast launched by Pathfinder. Myself and the Founder, Miguel de Fontenay, ended up having a really fruitful discussion about innovation and the future of our democracies – particularly in Europe – and my connection to those topics, including my vision for Accidental European. In this article, I hope to lay my thoughts bare about this experience.

EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY

European Parties: A Cinderella Story?

Regulation 1141/2014 (on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations) might not sound particularly interesting, but it’s pretty important. It represents a chance for the European Parliament to present reform proposals for European parties, and it’s currently under review. Oft-forgotten and underutilised, European Parties could be very influential in shaping the future of European democracy, if treated right by policymakers. In this article, I explain what European parties are, what they should be doing, and how we can work towards more forward-thinking, influential European parties.

CAPITAL MARKETS

Is the European Green Deal Capable Of Flying Everyone to the Moon?

Filippo Addarii, co-founder and managing partner of PlusValue specialises in impact, innovation and sustainable investment strategies. He comes with 20 years’ of experience in designing, fundraising for and managing multi-stakeholder initiatives for systemic innovation and socio-economic development. His work has been funded by the European Commission, British Foreign Office, and the UN Fund for Democracy, and more. Recently, Fatemeh Jailani (Founder of Accidental European) sat down with Filippo (virtually) to discuss the European Green Deal (EGD), and what it means for the future of Europe.

AGRICULTURE

Apples and Oranges – The Need for a New EU Food Policy

Food plays an integral role in our everyday lives. Often, though, we find it easy to overlook how it affects millions of people worldwide as an industry. The EU has historically overlooked this too. In this article, I explain why food is so important, and how we can move forward to more inclusive, nuanced, and ecological food policy.

DATA PROTECTION

Saving Our Digital Selves: Personalisation, Habermas & the GDPR

With our lives becoming more digital by the day, data has never been such an important commodity. The GDPR was a significant step towards securing the safety of our digital selves, but did it do enough? In this article, I use the works of Jurgen Habermas to analyse and explain personalisation, data privacy, the GDPR, and their implications for European citizens.

DIVERSITY

The Invisible Plantation

Racism continues to pervade our supposedly progressive society. I’d like to explore the remnants of our past that continue to impact the experiences of many people today; while also considering how policies, legislation and accountability put together can help us overcome our unconscious biases.

HOUSING CRISIS

Homing in on Housing Desegregation

Across Europe, segregated housing ostracises communities and entrenches inequalities. Ultimately, disadvantaged citizens suffer. How can we move forward to housing policies which prioritise desegregation while upholding human rights?

DATA PROTECTION

Sword, Shield and Social Media: Europe’s Digital Dilemma

How do you fix something which is broken, possibly beyond repair? Something which is widely used, but seldom fully understood? You can see the situation deteriorating on a daily basis, and you realise that even your best repair efforts might be futile – they may even backfire. Welcome to Europe’s digital dilemma.