Looking Back at Inspiration Forum 2025: Europe, Love, Money, and Radicalization

The fifteenth edition of the Inspiration Forum opened up four themes that shape our well-being – in the realms of love, freedom and security, our place in society, or financial literacy. The themes of Europe, heart and love, money, and radicalization gave rise to a wide range of debates, lectures, and workshops featuring more than one hundred guests. The four main thematic days were complemented by performative workshops, interactive walks, an Inspiration Mixer series as well as Inspirational Yoga. Each evening, the Inspiration Forum programme was concluded with live recordings of popular Czech podcasts.

On Europe: An old continent facing new questions

Saturday, 25 October was devoted to the theme of Europe and its future. The day began with the talk entitled My European Story Made in Taiwan by Taiwanese writer Kevin Chen, who lives in Berlin, about the idea that Europe is not made up only of those who were born here. A major draw for the audience was also the lecture and debate by Ukrainian lawyer and former Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov on Europe’s defence capabilities. Visitors had the opportunity to participate in a participatory workshop connected with exploring borders through the story of Emil the Moose. In the afternoon, a debate was held on the prospects for European cooperation, featuring figures such as philosopher Andreas Weber or thinker and new technology expert Jonathan Ledgard.

The Heart and Love: Caring for relationships, the body and the world

On Sunday, 26 October, we asked ourselves how we should care for relationships and matters of the heart in our lives and communities. The day opened with the slam poetry programme Love Between Us. We then explored intergenerational understanding and the broader issue of mental health among children and adolescents with educator and Government Commissioner for Human Rights Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková. Two workshops took place — one focused on first aid and the other on getting to know not only others but also ourselves. The debate Love, Sex and Swiping about dating in the era of apps was also popular with audiences. A wave of emotions was triggered by Palestinian physician and peace activist Izzeldin Abuelaish with his lecture I Shall Not Hate, in which he spoke about his decision to respond to the tragic death of his three daughters in an attack on their home with a heart full of love rather than hatred.

Money: Driving the world – but where and why?

We devoted the last day of October to money, its influence on our everyday lives, and the much larger waves it creates in society. The highlight of the day was the debate on Vulture Capitalism, in which economist and author Grace Blakeley addressed the issue of economic insecurity faced by ordinary people and examined which solutions place the burden on individuals and which shift it onto corporations and government institutions. This was followed by a debate entitled The Blind Spot of Freedom, featuring a keynote speech by political scientist and elite researcher Jeffrey Winters, in which guests discussed the problem of democracy existing side by side with oligarchy. The New Rules debate focused on the impacts of unequal capital distribution in society, the possibilities of mitigating it, and the specific problems associated with it.

We Are Radicalising: Rediscovering understanding in the digital world

Saturday, 1 November was devoted to the issue of radicalisation—in both its visible and less apparent forms—and to all the pitfalls we may face if it isn’t openly discussed. Political strategist Paul Hilder followed with his talk At the End of Reason, about what radicalisation actually means and where its true, deeper roots lie. In the Radicalization, Violence and Extremism debate, guests discussed the topic of radical identities and how they are understood in society across groups with differing viewpoints. A large audience was drawn to the panel by online content researcher Eviane Leidig titled Womanosphere, which dealt with the issue of lifestyle influencers who help legitimize the rhetoric of the far right. This was followed by a debate on hybrid threats and disinformation wars, which are openly or covertly taking place around us today.

Inspiration Mixer

The Inspiration Mixer offered space for collective reflection. Every festival visitor who wished to experience and learn something new could take part in a safe environment led by experienced facilitators from the NaZemi organisation. This year, the Inspiration Mixer took place three times. In informal groups, participants jointly proposed specific topics they wanted to discuss and then elaborated upon them in a shared discussion.
At this year’s gatherings, participants discussed and reflected on how to build strong relationships in fragile times, what kind of Europe we would like to have, and how to talk to one another, even when we disagree.

Live Podcasts at the Inspiration Forum and Additional Programme of the Inspiration Forum

Traditionally, each day was concluded by a live podcast recording with an audience. As part of the Inspiration Forum, a total of 13 live podcast recordings took place, including popular Czech podcasts like 5:59, Vyhonit ďábla, Škrty, Sirény, and Filtr.
In the afternoon of 27 October, the premiere screening of Dan Svátek’s film I Am Taiwanese was held, followed by a panel discussion with the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Miloš Vystrčil and others.
From 25 October to 1 November—almost every festival morning—Inspirational Yoga took place, reflecting the themes of each day.
Tuesday evening, 27 October, culminated in an Inspiration Forum pub quiz celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, hosted by Jan Špaček, followed by an unforgettable afterparty with DJ Šatysvlečkou.

We have selected fifteen programmes from this year’s Inspiration Forum that can be found in the Video section, along with dozens of debates, interviews, and lectures from previous years:

“For fifteen years, the Inspiration Forum has believed that understanding should not emerge only in conference halls, but also at the kitchen table at home, at work, at school, or on a train. That is why we open our content to anyone who wants to think in depth, without cynicism and without the need to arrive at ready-made solutions. I hope the online recordings will help rekindle debates that go beyond the festival’s final day. We all returned from this year’s Inspiration Forum full of new inspiration for discussion, and we’re now inviting everyone who couldn’t join us in person this year to take part as well,” concludes Inspiration Forum director Tereza Swadoschová.

Resilience Training: From the Battlefield to Europe (Czech, English)
How to Glue Europe Back Together: Four Experiments (Czech, English)
My European Story Made in Taiwan (English)
Plan Wanted: What To Do With an EU in Perpetual Crisis (Czech, English)
Love Between Us: Living Poetry (Czech)
Love, Sex, And Swiping: Relationships in the App Era (Czech)
I Shall Not Hate: A Message from the Scorched Earth (English with a Czech introduction)
The Bank of Memories (Czech)
Vulture Capitalism: How to Tame a Predator (Czech, English)
Freedom’s Blind Spot: Democracy or the Dictate of the Super-Rich? (Czech, English)
The Womanosphere: Lessons in Hate (Czech, English)
Hybrid War: How It’s Unfolding in Your Home (Czech)
Radicalization, Violence and Extremism (Czech)
New Rules: How Can We Finally Reach Justice? (Czech)
Between Us and the Kids: Why We’re Losing Contact and How We Can Regain It (Czech)

Inspiration Forum

Anthropocene? No, the World Belongs to Microorganisms. Microbiologist Monika Cahová on How Organisms Invisible to the Naked Eye Control Us

Land as Memory, River and Forest as the Right to Life. Cheryl Maloney on What Cannot Be Given Up

Jakub Trubač

Michal Kurz

Eliška Švarná

Martin Jemelka

Alžběta Mangarella

Vítězslav Sommer

Oldřich Hudeček

Daniela Stavělová

Barbora Kulawiaková

Tomáš W. Pavlíček

Looking Back at Inspiration Forum 2025: Europe, Love, Money, and Radicalization