#1 - Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

#1 - Mohamed Mbougar Sarr

Author: Brussels Institute for Geopolitics February 18, 2025 Duration: 41:38

Welcome to the first edition Handing Over the Mic, a new podcast series launching today (19 February) where influential voices from the Global South share their perspectives on Europe—its past, present and future.

What does Europe look like from the outside? What narratives do people from regions of the Global South attribute to Europe?

Hosts Elisa Diaz Gras, Margaux Cassan and Christine Mhundwa speak with political leaders, writers, artists, diplomats and intellectuals engaged in current geopolitical debate to explore Europe’s historical legacy, global image and evolving role in the world.

In this first episode, we hand over the mic to Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, the acclaimed Senegalese writer and 2021 Prix Goncourt winner. In a wide-ranging conversation, he reflects on Europe's literature, politics and historical legacy through the lens of Senegal and Africa, offering new insights on identity, colonial memory and the power of storytelling.


Hosts

Margaux Cassan : Author of Vivre Nu (2023) and Paul Ricoeur: le courage du compromis (2021), Margaux explores the intersection of activism and philosophy. A philosophy graduate from the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, she is currently working with BIG on a project about the year 1989.


Elisa Díaz Gras : A political theorist with twenty years of experience in diplomacy and international affairs, Elisa has represented Mexico at various multilateral and regional organizations. She is Head of the Global South Programme at BIG.


Christine Mhundwa : Host of Deutsche Welle’s daily Africa news show and general news programmes, Christine’s reporting for CNBC Africa earned her the ‘Best Newcomer’ prize at the Vodacom Journalism Awards. As a correspondent, she has covered key political developments in southern Africa.


Production and Distribution

Episodes will be available on major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify and also featured on the homepages of BIG and our partner the European Cultural Foundation.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


There's a particular conversation about Europe that often happens within its own borders, filled with familiar debates and internal critiques. Handing over the Mic, from the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, deliberately steps away from that echo chamber. Instead, hosts Elisa Diaz Gras, Margaux Cassan, and Christine Mhundwa create a space where the microphone is passed to influential thinkers, artists, diplomats, and political voices from the Global South. The core question is simple yet profoundly revealing: how is Europe seen from the outside? This podcast explores the narratives, historical legacies, and contemporary perceptions that shape these external viewpoints, moving beyond a simple analysis of policy to understand the deeper cultural and philosophical impressions. Each episode is a dialogue that challenges assumptions, examining not just Europe's present political role but also the stories told about its past and the possibilities imagined for its future. By centering these often-overlooked perspectives, the series constructs a more complex, global portrait of a continent in constant negotiation with the world it has engaged with for centuries. You'll hear nuanced conversations that weave together strands of society, culture, and science, all through a geopolitical lens that prioritizes listening over telling. This is a necessary series for anyone interested in the true weight of Europe's place in the world, as reflected in the eyes of those observing it from other shores.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 9

Handing over the Mic
Podcast Episodes
#8 Alejandra Ancheita [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:45
In this episode, we hand over the mic to Alejandra Ancheita, a Mexican human rights lawyer and Executive Director of ProDESC, an organization supporting workers, Indigenous and rural communities in their struggles agains…
#7 Gabriela Cabezón Cámara [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:13
In this episode we hand over to Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, Argentine writer and journalist, and recent winner of the American National Book Award for Translated Literature. One of the most powerful literary voices in Latin…
#6 - Irene Khan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:48
In this episode, we hand over the mic to Dr Irene Khan, an internationally recognized leading voice in the defence of human rights, gender equality, and social justice. She is currently the UN Special Rapporteur on the p…
#5 - Vera Songwe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:04
Welcome to this new episode of Handing Over the Mic, a podcast series where influential voices from the Global South share their perspectives on Europe—its past, present and future. In this episode, we hand over the mic…
#4 - Tarek Atoui [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:22
Welcome to this new episode of Handing Over the Mic, a podcast series where influential voices from the Global South share their perspectives on Europe its past, present and future.What does Europe look like from the out…
#3 - Louma Salamé [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:05
Welcome to this new episode of Handing Over the Mic, a podcast series where influential voices from the Global South share their perspectives on Europe—its past, present and future.What does Europe look like from the out…
#2 - Dipo Fayolin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:14
Welcome to the second edition of Handing Over the Mic !In this episode, hosts Christine Mhundwa and Elisa Díaz Gras are joined by Dipo Faloyin, author of Africa Is Not A Country. Dipo’s insightful writing has been featur…
Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55
Tune in to Handing Over the Mic, a new podcast series where influential voicesfrom the Global South share their perspectives on Europe—its past, present andfuture.What does Europe look like from the outside? What narrati…