Cindy Ansong stars in this final episode of Rebels With A Cause

A sense of worthiness that starts with education. With Cindy Ansong

You'll be top of our class...

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... if you listen to this final episode of this series. Agogics student Cindy Ansong talks about the importance of getting chances in education, peer pressure, and expectations. Simultaneously, VUB professor Inge Placklé researches powerful learning environments, the secondary school waterfall system, and the role of parents within their child’s success story.

Remy Ndow stars in this seventh episode of Rebels With A Cause

Diversity vs. equality. Remy Ndow about the aftermath of our colonial past

Representation matters ✋🏼✋🏿✋🏻

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With a difficult colonial past as that of Belgium, it’s not easy to explain where things go wrong or where there is room for improvement. In this episode of Rebels With A Cause, we speak with visual artist Remy Ndow about adjustment and why representation matters. We also hear UCOS project officer Latifah Abdou, who explains how colonization is still present in our daily lives.

Creative guru Mohamed stars in this sixth episode of Rebels With A Cause

How film creates social impact for Brussels youth. With Mohamed El Hajjouti

3, 2, 1, … Action! 🎬

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Mix a place like Noordwijk and a medium like film and boom: you have an example of cultural diplomacy. Movie maker Mohamed chats about his passion and why this neighborhood in Brussels fascinates him. Hans de Wolf from VUB explains how this combination brings people together: “art is the only universal activity that is understood everywhere.”

Powerhouse Sarah Dimani appears in this fifth episode of Rebels With A Cause

Yes, I'm a feminist. No, I don't hate men: with Sarah Dimani

“I am a woman, I am fearless, I am sexy, I’m divine…” 🎵

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Sounds familiar, right? Actually, it should be every woman's motto! Unfortunately, women all over the world still deal with inequality and misconceptions on a daily basis. But women are versatile creatures, a statement Sarah Dimani proves with The Narcist, a platform where it’s not taboo to talk about topics like menstruation, body hair and mental well-being. A society where everyone gets an equal say? That’s what “democratic designer” Karen Celis strives for with her research.

Silvia and Nanouk in this fourth episode of Rebels With A Cause

Paint murals, make friends! The city is our playground

Creativity connects!

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That’s what Silvia and Nanouk are proving with their project “The City is our Playground”. 💚These two creative ladies spice up murals with communities all over Brussels.The best part? Creating sustainable, long-term connections. 😌Dimokritos Kavadias - Dimo for friends - knows Brussels’ youth like no other. Today, our capital city is a bustling fusion of all kinds of young people. How do they shape Brussels and even more important: how are they shaped by it? You get to hear this and more in this newest episode of Rebels With A Cause.

Abdullah Sediqi appears as the guest of the third podcast episode

Sports against poverty: how refugee Abdullah Sediqi became an Olympic athlete

How can sports contribute to fighting poverty?

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Rosie invited Olympic athlete Abdullah Sediqi and professor Marc Theeboom as guests to investigate that. To chase his ultimate dream, Abdullah traveled all the way from Afghanistan to Belgium as a refugee. Now he’s part of the Olympic refugee team Taekwondo, but his next goal is to make it to the Belgian team. 🏆 Marc Theeboom from the VUB researches the positive effects of sports on our society. He says the collaboration between social workers and sports coaches could mean a lot in the battle against poverty. Sports opens up a world of opportunities: just look at what Abdullah has achieved! 🔥

Laura From The Desert appears in this second podcast episode

To consume or not to consume? Laura From The Desert on sustainability

Biodegradable plastic?

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It exists! And boy, how many fish it could save… Professor Eveline Peeters tells us about how we can make materials more sustainable. Rosie had a conversation with Laura From The Desert and professor Eveline Peeters in this second pocast episode, zooming in on how we can take care of our planet. Laura lives for everything and anything sustainable. Her journey toward a more sustainable life wasn’t an easy one, but her story shows why every small effort matters. She’s a mermaid on a mission to save the world.💪

Kriticos appearing as the first guest in Rebels With A Cause

Breathe in, breathe out: Kriticos on mental health

“Man up!”

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No doubt you’ve heard this sentence before. In this first episode of Rebels With A Cause Rosie, Kriticos and scientist Imke Baetens explore why mental health is so important in our society. Discussing relevant topics, exchanging opinions and debating? Kriticos is your guy 😉- he has founded multiple book clubs, where everyone is welcome to tell their story. Rosie spoke with him about the taboo that still surrounds mental well-being, which he has noticed still prevails among men especially. Why are mental health and self-injury such prevalent topics among young people? Listen to this interesting conversation between Rosie and professor Imke Baetens. Don’t forget to try out the breathing exercise at the start of the episode. A calming walk in nature can do wonders too - while listening to the podcast, obviously!

Your host: Rosie

Rebels With A Cause is hosted by Rosanne Coutsier aka Rosie:

"Wehoo my name is Rosie. I’m a digital creative and photographer, live in Molenbeek, Brussels and I foster a great curiosity for people and stories around me. I’m your host for this podcast series ‘Rebels With a Cause’. In every episode I speak with a young person who’s personally engaged in societal topics. For example, we’ll be talking about poverty, gender equality, health, etc. You’ll always hear a young person’s point of view and you’ll get to know how VUB takes initiatives to engage in this every day.

Urban & engaged

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is an urban engaged university in the heart of Europe. We take up our social responsibility with love and decisiveness: with our education and scientific research we contribute to the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

Missed our previous podcasts series? Listen now to Scientists With A Cause and discover how VUB scientists and professors contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.