society

In the 5th year of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, how is the civil society in Ukraine currently faring? Is the Ukrainian identity under pressure? What is the impact of the war on the mental health of people, particularly children? And what should we know about paganism?

In nature, it is common for organisms to adapt to their environment through evolutionary processes. Giraffes in the savannah have long necks, and camels in the desert have humps with fat. However, humans are the only species that have gradually adapted their environment to their needs. We have built cities and developed sanitary and energy infrastructure. We have created our own niche.

The use of participatory budgeting (PB) has appeared in more and more democratically governed municipalities in recent years. According to the 2021 book “World Atlas of Participatory Budgeting,” this method is widespread primarily in Europe and secondarily in South America, in which the residents of the city can propose the use of a certain amount from the municipality’s budget.”

By virtue of the fact that I chair the Children and Youth Affairs Committee in the Polish Sejm, the most acute problem for me is the living conditions and development of the youngest social group. Children and young people are an integral part of society.

Why has the Portuguese politics become volatile and fragmented? What should we know about the Portuguese politicians and their conflicts of interest? How to address the problem of the Chega party and the rise of populism in Portugal? And what is the current status of the relations between Portugal and the EU? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Ricardo Silvestre, an author and a political scientist who is an Associate Fellow at the European Liberal Forum (ELF).

What are the main Iranian actors and their options in the conflict with Israel? Are negotiations possible? What is the legitimacy of the regime and the potential for change from within the Iranian society? And can Eastern Europe serve as an inspiration for the Iranian reformists? Leszek Jazdzewski talks with Dr. Walter Posch, a trained orientalist who works as a Middle East expert at the Institute for Peacekeeping and Conflict Management at the National Defense Academy in Vienna.

Can societies function without systems of punishment? What is the alternative to prisons? How does the system treat criminals? And is there any room for compassion in the criminal justice system?

The Hungarian government is pandering to its elderly voters through nostalgia. However, unlike other populists who promise to bring back a glorious and nonexistent past, the Hungarian leadership is putting hammer and sickle to work on bringing back communism - an era when their pensioner voter base was young and when absolutely nothing functioned properly.

In this episode, we talk about activism, the French society, social changes in Europe, and public participation.

Who should be taxed, how should they be taxed and what purpose should it serve? These questions are as old as the world. To help answer them, in his 1776 work \"The Wealth of Nations\" the Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith formulated four principles of taxation. According to him, taxes should be proportional to the benefits that a person derives from belonging to society.