How Storytelling Can Redefine The Way We Connect
Since 1989, Frank Schwalba-Hoth, co-founder of the German Green Party and former Member of the European Parliament (1984-1987), has been hosting an event called Soirée Internationale about once a month in different restaurants in Brussels. Laura Mantilla Vargas, who first attended the Soirée Internationale on 20 March 2025 at the Tourane restaurant at 62-64 Rue du Luxembourg in Brussels, not far from the European Parliament building, describes her impressions of this networking event, which, as she points out, stands out in a positive way from the large number of other events of this kind in Brussels. By Laura Mantilla Vargas, Brussels, 20 March 2025 I’ve always found networking nerve-wracking. Despite being an extrovert in some ways, the first step—meeting [...]
Brussels Forum: Women leaders promoting peace, human dignity and interfaith dialogue in the workplace
By Manel Msalmi, Brussels Following women's history month, a big forum on female leadership and interfaith dialogue was organised on March 19th in Brussels at the European Parliament by Empower Women Media and Abraham Women Alliance in collaboration with the European Association for The Defense of Minorities. It was [...]
Sarakhov prize nominees meet civil society organizations at the European Parliament in Strasbourg
By Manel Msalmi On December 19th, I had the privilege of attending the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought ceremony at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. It was a humbling moment to witness the recognition of those who dedicate their lives to defending human rights and democracy-values at the [...]
Dubai Forum to empower Female leaders promoting peace
By Manel Msalmi On November 15th-16th a big forum was organised in Dubai on the eve of the international Day of Tolerance in UAE, a country which was one of the architects of the peace agreements and the Abraham Accords and the one which launched the initiative of The [...]
Lions Club charity run: from Warsaw to Brussels
Lions Clubs from Poland and Germany run for war victims in Ukraine By Reinhard Boest There is truly no shortage of charitable initiatives in Belgium. There is not only the Red Cross, Unicef or the Scouts, but also CAP48, 11.11.11, 12-12, Télévie or ‘De Warmste Week’. Every year, non-governmental [...]
MEP Bernd Lange: ‘Now time for in-depth scrutiny – approval by the EP will not be a foregone conclusion’
The European elections took place on 9 June 2024. The term of office of the EU Commission also ends at the end of the legislative period of the Parliament. After the election of the European Parliament, a new Commission has to be formed. After each EU Member State has [...]
Brussels gets a Palace of the Silk Roads
By Jürgen Klute and Zhou Yi The Chinese Pavilion in the Royal Palace Gardens in the Laeken district of the Belgium und European capital Brussels is awakening from a deep slumber For over ten years, the Chinese Pavilion in the Royal Palace Gardens in Laeken has been lying empty [...]