The full interview with Swiss drummer @jojomayernerve is finally out! Watch it now on our YouTube channel! 🥁🤖
He is one of the most influential drummers of recent decades, known both as a skilled technician and a visionary. We talked to him about technology, tradition and the future of music.
#music #drums #drumming #drummer #stage #ai #technology #switzerland #us #newyork @magiclab @bierhuebeli @eventiletterarimonteverita
Inside Geneva podcast: women defending women around the world
This week on our Inside Geneva podcast, host Imogen Foulkes is kicking off a summer series of profiles: in-depth, one-on-one interviews with people who live and work in Geneva, but whose influence stretches right round the world.
We’ll be talking to doctors who work in war zones, to medical researchers looking for treatments and cures for the illnesses which affect the world’s poorest, to people extending a welcoming hand to refugees in Geneva, and many more.
We start with a woman who helps other women, worldwide, to defend themselves from exploitation and violence. Antonia Mulvey, an international human rights lawyer, runs Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), a Geneva based not-for-profit organisation that provides legal assistance, very often in conflict zones, to women.
Listen to the full interview wherever you get your podcasts:
🎧Apple podcasts: https://buff.ly/4cAbgf9
🎧Spotify: https://buff.ly/45E81kx
CO2 storage in concrete waste - 9to16 IG_en_GB (1).mp4
A staggering 30 billion tonnes of concrete are used every year worldwide – and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions are equally colossal: more than those of international aviation and buildings combined. A Swiss company believes it has a solution to help the concrete industry decarbonise and permanently remove one million tonnes of CO2 by 2030. This may be a fraction of what is needed, but it’s an important step.
The Swiss firm Neustark has developed a method to turn concrete waste from demolished buildings and roads into a carbon sink to permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Their process uses CO2 captured from biogas plants which is liquefied and transported to nearby demolition sites.
Together with partners, Neustark now has 17 carbon removal and storage plants in operation in Switzerland and Germany with a capacity to remove over 5,000 tonnes of CO2 a year. More than 30 additional plants are under construction across Europe.
👉 https://buff.ly/3Vtlrex
Pioneering research using dioxin-eating bacteria could help clean up Swiss city:
Switzerland has a reputation for cleanliness and natural beauty. But it too has a serious toxic legacy. The city of Lausanne in western Switzerland has been massively contaminated with dioxin, a potentially highly toxic pollutant found around the world.
This historical dioxin contamination is said to be caused by an old incinerator and was discovered by chance in 2021. Affected residents are anxious about the long-term health concerns and damage to their property. Local authorities are still getting to grips with the vast and costly clean-up.
Pioneering research using lab-grown bacteria offers hope for the huge clean-up ahead.
Read more about the results of the promising pilot project in the link in bio 🔗
Jan video overtourism.MOV
Overtourism negatively affects “must-see” sites around the world: from Machu Picchu to Venice and Paris – even Switzerland has become a victim of its beautiful landscapes. Lauterbrunnen, in the Bernese Oberland, has been especially overrun by tourists.
Lauterbrunnen, with its Alpine waterfalls, lush valley, soaring cliffs, snowy peaks and cows dotting the meadows, is one of many locations around the world that has been made famous by Instagram .
The downside is that the village of 2,400 residents now suffers from congested streets, car parks and public transport, rubbish-strewn roads and higher rents. “We feel like employees in an amusement park,” village priest Markus Tschanz told Swiss public radio, SRF, last year.
What can be done to dampen the negative effects of overtourism in Switzerland?
One measure under consideration is to charge guests CHF5 ($5.50)-CHF10 a day. Venice became the first city in the world to introduce such a payment system for tourists.
This is not the first time a location in Switzerland has taken to charging visitors as a deterrent.
The lakeside village of Iseltwald in the Bernese Oberland was brought to a standstill a couple of years ago by an unexpected influx of fans of Netflix series Crash Landing on You. The Swiss village that features in the popular South Korean series decided to impose a fee on visitors – CHF5 to take selfies by the lake – and traffic controls to avoid being overrun.
Have you encountered “overtourism”? What do you think about charging tourists at popular locations? Is there another way to manage tourism? Take part in our debate 👉 https://buff.ly/4apTnhu
security_buergenstock_en_v1.mp4
High security, rural scenery, and soggy-looking helipads: ahead of this weekend’s much-anticipated Ukraine peace conference, we checked up on the Swiss location where it’s to take place 👇
Geneva Conventions turn 75: is international law still effective?
This year marks the 75th anniversary the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which aimed to protect people affected by armed conflict and the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
We hear a lot about international law, especially in Geneva. But today, when politicians refer to it, it’s often in terms that make it sound like a bit of a nuisance, and certainly not something that should get in the way of national sovereignty.
On Inside Geneva this week, host Imogen Foulkes asks: “Is international law dead?”
We recorded the episode in front of an audience at the Geneva Graduate Institute, with expert input from international law professor Andrew Clapham, the ICRC's head of arms and conduct of hostilities Laurent Gisel, and Cristina Shah, international law student and co-President of the Human Rights, Conflict, and Peace Initiative.
Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcast:
🎧Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/3VzUPKe
🎧Spotify: https://buff.ly/4aYtbuE
Or watch the video podcast on our YouTube channel: https://buff.ly/3x4xbfA
Ukraine peace summit: a look at the five-star Swiss hotel that will host the conference
Switzerland has recently announced that 90 countries and organisations will attend the Ukraine peace summit at the Bürgenstock resort, near Lake Lucerne.
Here's a look at the five-star hotel that will host the conference. What do you think about this location? Is it the perfect place to host this event? Let us know in the comments below 👇
The Bürgenstock hotel complex has a long history of high-level political meetings. Its location guarantees security and discretion and was also a long-time favourite of film stars and other celebrities. 👉 https://buff.ly/4e72tmo
Swiss reject health insurance initiative: the reactions
As we wrap up today's vote coverage, we look at the reactions from both supporters and opponents of the "Premium Relief Initiative" in Switzerland. 💊
This initiative aimed to cap health insurance premiums at 10% of a household's income, yet it was rejected by the majority of Swiss voters.
However, experts suggest that a solution will have to be found. What might that entail? 👉 https://buff.ly/3z3NucT
euregulationIA_en_GB.mp4
Disinformation has not yet caused any major problems in Switzerland. But what is happening in the rest of Europe?
Watch this video to find out more about the European Union's Digital Services Act, which aims to regulate major internet platforms and counteract disinformation.
Have you come across AI-generated disinformation online? How do you spot it? Let us know in the comments below. 👇
And join our debate about disinformation and fake news. 👉 https://buff.ly/3RdmRsx
Does social media drive disinformation in Switzerland?
This week, we've been delving into the topic of democracy on our social media platforms. One of the major challenges democracy faces globally is the spread of disinformation.
Disinformation hasn't caused any major problems in Switzerland (at least not yet). But according to researchers at the University of Zurich, "recent developments suggest that this could change at any time."
They think that social media platforms and messenger services are key players in spreading disinformation, so they should be at the heart of tackling it.
Where have you come across disinformation? And how do you spot it? Let us know in the comments below. 👇
Learning democracy through games in Taiwanese schools
This week, we're focusing on democracy and we're presenting our brand new series exploring democracy in Taiwan.
We start with the fundamental role of education in shaping individuals' understanding of democracy.
Taiwan’s secondary schools come top of global rankings in civic education, leaving Swiss schools in the dust. What makes Taiwan different?
Read this to find out 👉 https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/democracy/learning-democracy-through-games-in-taiwanese-schools/78421885
Extradition requests made to Switzerland increased by over 25%, 🐌 snail farming in Switzerland and Jura’s flag travels the world 🌏🌍🌎 here are three curious news stories from Switzerland this past week.
The discourse surrounding the ICC's arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders has reached a fever pitch.
The political discourse especially has framed the ICC as a campaign tool rather than an upholder of international law. Now audiences are confronted with misinformation, disinformation, and politicisation – this is the danger of a pick and mix approach to international law. So, is international law dead? The conventions discussed in this week’s Inside Geneva podcast episode would suggest not.
But for international law to survive, we need to have respect for it. Is it respect that has died?
👉 Listen to the full discussion with a former Human Rights Watch director, International Red Cross humanitarian workers, a nurse working with landmine victims and fellow journalists.
Welcome to "dialogue"!
This is “dialogue,” the new debate platform from the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), the parent company of SWI swissinfo.ch. 💬
Sign up now to receive exclusive weekly selections of articles and audiovisual content from the five company units of the SBC and share your opinions with Swiss residents and Swiss Abroad. 👉 https://buff.ly/4aArlQw
Share your thoughts on topics such as racism, gender equality, pensions, and much more, and compare your views with those of other users.
Everything is translated into the four national languages and English.
What is at stake in the two initiatives on healthcare costs?
Health insurance premiums are a growing burden for Swiss households.
On June 9, the Swiss will vote on two initiatives aimed at capping health costs. While the Social Democrats want to limit health insurance premiums to 10% of a household’s income, the Centre Party wants to introduce a mechanism to force the state to curb the rising costs.
Our Swiss parliamentary correspondent explains what's at stake.
Do these two initiatives convince you? Let us know what you think in the comments. 👇
Have you seen the Swiss venue for the upcoming Ukraine peace summit?
There news stories from Switzerland this week:
1. LGBTQ+ helpline records an increase in calls reporting verbal abuse or attacks against individuals identifying as LGBTQ+.
2. Watches belonging to Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher sold for CHF4 million ($4.41 million) at auction.
3. Researchers in Zurich develop a gel that can neutralise the effects of alcohol.
Switzerland will host a high-level Ukraine peace conference. What do you think about this summit?
#switzerland #swiss #ukraine #russia #ukrainewar #peace #peacesummit
Is the world brave enough to agree on a pandemic treaty?
As countries convene in Geneva for the upcoming World Health Assembly to negotiate a global pact to help fight future pandemics, our Inside Geneva podcast asks whether the world is united enough to seal this treaty.
Do the countries have the vision? And the courage? What about the vaccine manufacturers? Are they ready to share?
Listen to the latest episode of our Inside Geneva podcast to find out 👇
🎧Apple Podcasts: https://buff.ly/4beP7D2
🎧Spotify: https://buff.ly/4be22oP
🎧YouTube: https://buff.ly/44DK3FL
