Echoes of EuroPCom

Connecting people and place: local fabrics of trust

In this Episode:  Why do people still feel distant from regional and EU institutions - even in an age of digital participation tools? This question lies at the heart of our conversation with Sonia Bussu, Associate Professor in Public Policy at the University of Birmingham.  While digital platforms have expanded opportunities for engagement, they cannot on their own bridge the gap between institutions and communities. Trust remains rooted in local relationships, shared histories, and the everyday experiences that shape how people connect to public life. Technology can support participation, but only when it is grounded in a real understanding of places, identities, and inequalities.  Our guest Sonia Bussu takes us beyond the theory and into the real world. She explains how participation succeeds when institutions understand the stories, inequalities, and identities that define a place - and fails when communication remains distant or generic.   💬As she puts it: “Legitimacy comes from relationships rather than messaging.”    Guest:  Sonia Bussu, Associate Professor in Public Policy, University of Birmingham (UK/IT).  Her work focuses on participatory and deliberative democracy, community engagement, and inclusive methods that strengthen the voice of marginalised groups in policymaking,  with experience across Europe and the UK.    Host:   Emna Chaouch | Public speaker | Podcast host  About the podcast:  The EuroPCom podcast series on public communication is produced by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) in close cooperation with the EuroPCom partners.  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

Trust and transparency: for a social media made in Europe

In this Episode:   Have social media platforms drifted away from their original purpose of connecting people? This question is at the heart of our conversation with Christos Floros – entrepreneur, architect, and activist.   Today’s digital platforms often prioritise engagement metrics over meaningful interaction, fuelling outrage rather than dialogue. But is there a different path forward? Can technology be redesigned to serve people, communities, and democracy?   Our guest Christos Floros brings a fresh perspective, drawing on his experience with the social media platform Monnett and beyond. He explores how digital spaces can be reimagined to foster trust, transparency, and genuine connection, rather than division.   💬 As he puts it: “Social media have stopped being social… Let’s rebuild the promise of connecting us to each other.”   Guest:   Christos Floros, entrepreneur, architect and activist. Founder of Monnett, a social media platform focused on building more transparent, community-driven digital environments. His work explores how technology can strengthen public discourse and reconnect people with their local communities.   Host:   Emna Chaouch | Public speaker | Podcast host   About the podcast:   The EuroPCom podcast series on public communication is produced by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) in close cooperation with the EuroPCom partners.   Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

Rewiring democracy: the AI paradigm - a conversation with Bruce Schneier

In this episode:  🎙️ We are excited to share the newest episode of the Echoes of EuroPCom podcast, featuring Bruce Schneier, on the topic of AI and democracy, drawing on key ideas from his latest book Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government, and Citizens.  From polarization to declining trust, democracy is under pressure. AI can be one additional challenge, or it can be a force that could reshape the heavy machinery of governance. Bruce Schneier will dive into how AI can change how laws are written, regulations enforced, and citizens participate. Therefore, the main question of this episode will be: How can AI benefit democracy? As Bruce puts it: 💬 “In the hands of someone who wants more democracy, AI will help you get more democracy. In the hands of someone who wants less democracy, AI will help you get less democracy. Let’s responsibly use AI where it makes a difference.”    Guest:   Bruce Schneier is an internationally renowned security technologist, New York Times bestselling author, and Lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School.   In this episode, we explore fundamental questions of power, participation, and responsibility in the age of AI. Through examples from around the world, we discuss how AI can be used to strengthen democratic processes. At the same time, we critically reflect on the growing influence of large tech monopolies and the risks this concentration of power poses for democracy 🌍.  Host:  Emna Chaouch | Public speaker | Podcast host About the podcast: The EuroPCom podcast series on public communication is produced by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) in close cooperation with the EuroPCom partners. Follow us on:  https://cor.europa.eu/en/plenaries-events/echoes-europcom-2025 [https://cor.europa.eu/en/plenaries-events/echoes-europcom-2025] Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.

AI and storytelling - a conversation with Hashem Al-Ghaili

In this episode:  We tend to think of storytelling as an innate and profoundly human art — a way of creating, interacting, and connecting through stories. It is a powerful and timeless skill that has continuously evolved through new tools and across various forms of expression. Today, however, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, storytelling — and our understanding of it — is undergoing perhaps its most profound transformation yet. AI is not merely another creative tool; it is a technology reshaping the very structure and essence of narrative, as well as its use across the many domains that define contemporary society.  Offering seemingly limitless possibilities for creative expression and lowering barriers to imagination, these new tools are also blurring boundaries between the real and the artificial. In the public sphere, AI is transforming who can produce narratives, how they are produced, and how they influence public discourse. These developments raise urgent questions about transparency, accountability, and the need for new forms of media literacy and verification.  Whether we approach this shift with enthusiasm or skepticism, one thing is clear: AI is here to stay, and its influence on how stories are told — and how they shape our collective reality — is growing rapidly. The challenge, then, is to harness AI’s vast creative potential while safeguarding transparency, trust, and authentic human creativity.    To dive deeper into this fascinating topic, we sat down with Hashem Al-Ghaili — a Berlin-based science communicator, producer, and filmmaker whose work bridges visual storytelling, science, and emerging technologies.  Guest:   Hashem Al‑Ghaili is a science communicator and filmmaker with a unique and inspiring profile at the intersection of visual storytelling, science, and emerging technologies. He runs his own Facebook page “Science Nature Page” which has over 32 million followers and reaches around 400 million users per week. His videos on Facebook have garnered nearly 16 billion views. They cover a wide range of subjects: astronomy, physics, biology, medicine, nature, technology and innovation. Host:  Emna Chaouch | Public speaker | Podcast host About the podcast: The EuroPCom podcast series on public communication is produced by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) in close cooperation with the EuroPCom partners. Follow us on:  https://cor.europa.eu/en/plenaries-events/echoes-europcom-2025 [https://cor.europa.eu/en/plenaries-events/echoes-europcom-2025] Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy [https://ausha.co/privacy-policy] for more information.