Dare to be Grey is incredibly excited to have partnered with Are We Europe on their latest issue Online Lies, Offline Lives. Storytellers take on the theme of Disinformation by exploring the offline consequences of online lies. Disinformation feeds into our personal experiences and deepest-seated emotions. QAnon, Incels or the anti-vaxx movement - one way or another, many of us are driven into these parallel realities by the feeling of isolation and a need for community, purpose, or meaning.
At the heart of this issue are the personal stories of people across Europe who have had their lives profoundly changed by online disinformation, as it has the power to divide communities, families, and relationships.
During the the pandemic we set out (digitally, from the safe confines of our home office) to look at a number of methods used around Europe to combat disinformation, hate speech, and polarisation. We talked extensively with five inspiring individuals who, each in their own way, managed to think outside the box. Either by going out of their way to change the system, or by leaving their digital reality behind them to go out and meet people in real life.
These are the Home Office Sessions.
As the Island of Ireland is dominated by one of the world’s most infamous borders, we are challenged to ask how divided the people on the island really are.
We went to Northern Ireland to see where people have been able to come together, learn their lessons from the past, and overcome renewed challenges of polarisation.
"To the Greek, Filotimo is like breathing. A Greek is not a Greek without it. He might as well not be alive."
The ancient virtue of ‘Filotimo’ is deeply rooted in the Greek language and almost untranslatable.
It is personal and emotional and describes the heroism of hospitality, altruism, and mutual respect.
As Greece has been plagued by polarisation, the notion of ‘Filotimo’ is under serious threat. At the same time, it might be the same notion that holds the key to overcoming this polarisation.
In ‘Maastricht: Portrait of a European City’ we discover how a small town like Maastricht manages to unite its European ambitions with its local traditions.
In three distinct languages, we ask various ‘Maastrichtenaren’ what the city means to them, how a grand concept such as ‘Europe’ materialises in their surroundings, and how people — despite their initial differences — are still able to build new bridges.
