#3 - Louma Salamé

#3 - Louma Salamé

Author: Brussels Institute for Geopolitics June 13, 2025 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 outside? What narratives do people from regions of the Global South attribute to Europe?Through this series, hosts Elisa Díaz Gras, Margaux Cassan and Christine Mhundwa invite writers, diplomats, artists and intellectuals to offer new, often unexpected, perspectives on how Europe is imagined beyond its borders.


In this episode, we hand over the mic to Louma Salamé, cultural leader and director of the Boghossian Foundation. Born in Beirut and raised in Paris, Louma draws on a life between cultures to offer a deeply personal, nuanced reflection on Europe. From the Villa Empain in Brussels to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, she shares stories of métissage, migration, and the transformative power of art. With clarity and conviction, she reflects on how cultural institutions—museums, foundations, residencies—can serve as agents of dialogue, empathy, and soft power in today’s polarized world.


Handing Over the Mic is a podcast by the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, produced with the support of the European Cultural Foundation.


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
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Duration: 1:55
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