The Happy Pod: Atomic bomb survivors campaigning for peace

Summary

Global News Podcast – The Happy Pod: Atomic Bomb Survivors Campaigning for Peace

Published: November 8, 2025
Host: Holly Gibbs (BBC World Service), with Harry Bly and Jacob Evans
Recording location: One Young World 2025, Munich

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Episode Overview

In this special edition of the Happy Pod, Holly Gibbs reports from the One Young World summit in Munich, sharing stories of hope and change driven by young innovators, activists, and survivors. The central theme is resilience in the face of tragedy—highlighted by atomic bomb survivors from Nagasaki—and the ripple effect as new generations continue to push for peace, justice, community revival, and equality. The episode features moving testimonies and practical examples of forging positive change worldwide, spanning anti-nuclear activism, police reform, wildfire prevention, political leadership, and women’s football.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Legacy and Peace Campaign

Segment: [02:49]–[09:09]

Survivors' Testimonies

• Shigemitsu Tanaka (Nagasaki bombing survivor):

  • Powerful denouncement of nuclear weapons:

    "The only aim of nuclear weapons is extinction, and they are evil. That's why they cannot coexist with humans. We shouldn't use them at all. And all the world has to raise their voices to abolish them." ([02:49])

  • Emphasizes collective responsibility as Nobel Peace Prize recipients and honors earlier generations of Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors).
  • Describes deep commitment to kataribe—intergenerational storytelling to ensure the horrors of nuclear war are never forgotten.

• Toru Yamaguchi (Second-generation survivor):

  • Shares personal family history of radiation exposure and the randomness of survival based on circumstances:

    "My mother's house was 700 meters from ground zero. My father's house was 500 meters from ground zero. Neither of them were in their houses at the time. That's the reason I exist now." ([03:24])

  • Stresses the importance of ongoing communication across cultures:

    "It's really important to talk to each other without giving up. Even though there are differences of ethnicity, religion, country and language, that is not a problem." ([03:59])

Young Activists Continue the Work

• Suzuka Nakamura (Third-generation Hibakusha, 25-years-old):
  • Shares her journey from high school peace studies to full-time peace activism and social enterprise.
  • Motivated by hearing survivors’ stories and concern over renewed nuclear rhetoric among world leaders:

    "When I see those leaders talking about using nuclear weapons so easily, I always remember Hibakusha who suffered a lot from nuclear weapons." ([07:39])

  • Stresses the simplicity of her appeal:

    "We do not want to make no more hibakusha. No more wars, no more Hiroshima and no more Nagasaki." ([06:10])

Message to Young People

• Advocacy doesn’t require a rigid definition of peace:

  "If we are all alone, the pressure is so huge and... we cannot do anything. But with friends around you, we can share our thoughts or ideas. Innovation doesn't happen only in one person." ([06:31])

• The trauma of atomic bombings is not just history but a "Continuing Story" ([08:53]).

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2. Healing After Violence: Leon Ford’s Story

Segment: [09:09]–[14:20]

• Leon Ford:
  • Paralyzed after being shot by police; now collaborates with law enforcement to build safer communities.
  • Describes the journey from anger to healing, inspired by his grandfather:

    “My grandfather… said, 'Leon, do you want to make a point or do you want to make a difference?'” ([09:53])

  • Developed the “Bridging the Badge” program to build mutual understanding and reconciliation.
  • Shares the importance of direct engagement—meeting the officer who shot him:

    "It was so interesting. He wasn’t who I thought he was and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t who he thought I was." ([11:58])

  • On forgiveness:

    "I forgave him even before we met... For me to be happy, for me to continue to live a life of purpose and joy, I had to forgive." ([12:41])

  • On legacy:

    "I’m grateful… whatever room I roll into, wherever in the world, people could feel the joy." ([13:58])

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3. AI and Wildfire Prevention: Franco Rodriguez Vial

Segment: [14:20]–[17:49]

• Franco Rodriguez Vial (Founder, Argentina):
  • Developed a satellite-AI system for real-time wildfire detection spanning 19 countries.
  • Inspired by seeing friends lose homes to wildfires, began building tech solutions at age 16 during the pandemic.
  • Notable achievement:

    “We alerted the fire departments of a fire at 1:40am and NASA didn’t until 9am…” ([16:11])

  • Encourages fellow young change-makers:

    “Life is just one… ask more questions from curiosity and from humility… It’s much easier now with AI and everything to start testing problems, prototypes…” ([17:12])

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4. Youth Political Leadership and Representation

Zainab Mohammed (Youngest MN State Senator, USA)

Segment: [19:02]–[22:34]

• Broke ground as the youngest, first Black woman, first immigrant, and first Muslim in the Minnesota Senate at age 25:

  “Everyone said we think you should wait and run for city council… but being a hard headed African woman, I said absolutely not and ran.” ([19:28])

• Confronted skepticism due to age, race, and faith but passed key legislation early:

  “My colleague… said, ‘never speak on the Senate floor for the first year...’ I passed my first bill off the floor my third month into session.” ([20:07])

• On Gen Z’s global activism:

  “They’re also interconnected… social media is inspiring young people globally to do better, to do more.” ([21:19])

• To disillusioned young people:

  “We have an opportunity to step up and lead.” ([22:11])

Enrique Collada Sanchez (Young Mayor of El Recuenco, Spain)

Segment: [23:04]–[26:59]

• Revitalized his village, reversed rural decline, and developed projects around natural resources.
• Uses his TikTok following (18,500+ followers) to spotlight rural issues and empower youth:

  “Politics is for everybody, and you just need the passion and the love for your community…” ([24:26])

• Social media’s power:

  “When you are relevant in social media, you kind of are also relevant for politicians.” ([25:24])

• Residents' reactions:

  “…they rediscovered their abilities and the beautiful things we have.” ([26:09])

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5. Women’s Football and Fighting for Equality: Georgia Stanway

Segment: [26:59]–[31:09]

• Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich, England Lionesses):
  • Shares the growth and growing pains of women’s professional football.
  • Emphasizes progress in access, body image consideration, and facilities:

    “Men, potentially it’s two different sports. We just have to find the balance of what’s right for a female body… making sure that everything is going in the same direction at the same time…” ([27:30])

  • Urges girls to seek community support and not be afraid to ask for help:

    “Don’t be afraid to ask for things… there’s a really respectful way to be able to ask for help.” ([28:49])

  • On men’s role:

    “Not being afraid to support women’s football. Watch us.” ([29:21])

  • Surreal impact of team victories:

    "When you do win things, it kind of gives you that platform to be able to make change ... we don't need to win to make change, but winning makes it a lot easier." ([29:43])

  • Happiest career moment:

    “Playing on home soil, winning at Wembley in front of 98,000 England fans. That feeling will never leave.” ([30:46])

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Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Shigemitsu Tanaka:

  “The only aim of nuclear weapons is extinction, and they are evil.” ([02:49])

• Toru Yamaguchi:

  “It's really important to talk to each other without giving up. Even though there are differences ... that is not a problem.” ([03:59])

• Suzuka Nakamura:

  "We do not want to make no more hibakusha. No more wars, no more Hiroshima and no more Nagasaki." ([06:10])
  “Make friends. Because when we want to start making action, if we are all alone, the pressure is so huge ... But with friends around you, we can share our thoughts or ideas.” ([06:31])

• Leon Ford:

  “Do you want to make a point or do you want to make a difference?” ([09:53])
  “If we hold on to grudges, if we let things from our past dictate our future, we’ll never really fulfill our purpose here on this earth.” ([12:41])

• Franco Rodriguez Vial:

  “We alerted the fire departments of a fire at 1:40am and NASA didn’t until 9am…” ([16:11])
  “Life is just one… ask more questions from curiosity and from humility...” ([17:12])

• Zainab Mohammed:

  “We have an opportunity to step up and lead.” ([22:11])

• Enrique Collada Sanchez:

  “Politics is for everybody, and you just need the passion and the love for your community...” ([24:26])

• Georgia Stanway:

  “We just have to stop comparing between men’s sport and women’s sport… find the balance of what’s right for a female body in order for it to be in the best position to perform…” ([27:30])
  “When you do win things, it kind of gives you that platform to be able to make change ... but winning makes it a lot easier.” ([29:43])

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Useful Timestamps for Important Segments

• Nagasaki Survivors: [02:49]–[09:09]
• Leon Ford on Forgiveness: [09:09]–[14:20]
• AI for Wildfires: [14:20]–[17:49]
• Zainab Mohammed (Youngest State Senator): [19:02]–[22:34]
• Enrique Collada Sanchez (TikTok Mayor): [23:04]–[26:59]
• Georgia Stanway (Women's Football): [26:59]–[31:09]

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Tone and Style

The episode blends emotional depth and optimism, focusing on intergenerational dialogue, personal courage, mutual support, and cross-cultural collaboration. Voices of trauma and hope intermingle with those of innovation and persistence, demonstrating how individuals and communities can rewrite the story after devastating events and persistent inequalities.

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This episode is a testament to human resilience, reminding listeners that real change is possible—whether abolishing nuclear weapons, transforming policing, fighting fires with AI, revitalizing rural towns, or leveling the playing field for women in sport. Each story shows the power of taking initiative, building supportive communities, and never giving up—even when the odds seem impossible.

Transcript

[BBC Announcer]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Suzuka Nakamura]

This is the story of the One. As a custodial supervisor at a high school, he knows that during cold and flu season, germs spread fast. It's why he partners with Grainger to stay fully stocked on the products and supplies he needs, from tissues to disinfectants to floor scrubbers. All so that he can help students, staff and teachers stay healthy and focused. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[BBC Announcer]

At the BBC. We go further so you see clearer. With a subscription to BBC.com you get unlimited articles and videos ad free podcasts. The BBC News channel streaming live 24. 7 plus hundreds of acclaimed documentaries from less than a dollar a week for your first year. Read, watch and listen to trusted independent journalism and stories storytelling. It all starts with a subscription to BBC.com find out more at BBC.com unlimited.

[Holly Gibbs]

Guten tag from Munich. I'm Holly Gibbs and we are bringing you a slightly different happy pod this week. We're here at One Young World and we have spoken to innovators, politicians and peacemakers whose ambition is to inspire change around the world.

[Suzuka Nakamura]

Coming up, I also have hope because there is many people willing for peace and moving so well.

[Holly Gibbs]

The Nagasaki survivors who are encouraging peace.

[Leon Ford]

I wanted to take my life back. If we hold on to grudges, if we let things from our past dictate our future, we'll never really fulfill our purpose.

[Holly Gibbs]

How a man who was shot and paralyzed by an officer worked with the police and communities to bring positive change.

[Franco Rodriguez Vial]

Plus, we monitor 200 million hectares across 19 countries. And in the last three months we have alerted more than 400 wildfires.

[Holly Gibbs]

How AI is being used to tackle wildfires. One Young World brings together more than 2,000 young people from 190 countries. Here, they swap ideas about how to change the world and how to get the leaders of today to listen. We start with a story that isn't happy in its origins, but does bring with it a message of hope.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

The only aim of nuclear weapons is extinction, and they are evil. That's why they cannot coexist with humans. We shouldn't use them at all. And all the world has to raise their voices to abolish them.

[Holly Gibbs]

That's Shigemitsu Tanaka. He was a child when the United States dropped an atomic bomb over Nagasaki in August of 1945. I spoke to him and Toru Yamaguchi, whose father experienced the bombing. Their words have been translated.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

When I was Four years old, I was exposed to radiation in Togetsu village, which was 6 km from ground zero. I have been doing kataribe, the storytelling activity and telling people what happened under the mushroom cloud. I am the second generation that's been exposed to radiation. As I was born in 1964. My mother's house was 700 meters from ground zero. My father's house was 500 meters from ground zero. Neither of them were in their houses at the time. That's the reason I exist now. I think the differences in thought are inevitable. It's really important to talk to each other without giving up. Even though there are differences of ethnicity, religion, country and language, that is not a problem. It's my hope for the younger generation and for me as well to continue with the many activities that a bomb survivors group has done and add our own activities. That's very important. That is what I always think.

[Holly Gibbs]

Shigemitsu was part of the group who received the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

We received a Nobel Prize in our time, but this is for our bomb survivors who formed the Japan Atomic bomb survivors group 68 years ago to spread their message to the world. All bomb survivors received the Nobel Prize, and for all those who died, we went to their graves and told them about it. We feel true joy and also responsibility, and we must carry on more actions to abolish nuclear weapons.

[Holly Gibbs]

Suzuka Nakamura is third generation Hibokusha, a term that refers to the people affected by the atomic bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. At the age of 25, she's determined to encourage peace in the world and wants nuclear weapons to be abolished.

[Suzuka Nakamura]

I guess it's very simple. Listening a lot of stories of hibakusha, I started to think why people made nuclear weapons and how can we abolish them. And to figure out those questions answered. I started my career as a peace activist and I met more hipak shop working hard for this issue. And I was very moved by them.

[Holly Gibbs]

Yeah, how would you encourage other young people to do the same? Because there might be a lot of young people listening that think that they won't make a difference.

[Suzuka Nakamura]

I met a lot of young people who, when they think about start making an action, they tend to think about the definition of peace. What is the peace going to be like? But I guess our dimension is very simple that we can. We do not want to make no more hibakusha. No more wars, no more Hiroshima and no more Nagasaki. I guess that's the only messages I want to give.

[Holly Gibbs]

And what do you think the first.

[Suzuka Nakamura]

Step towards peace would be make friends. Because when we want to start making action, if we are all alone, the pressure is so huge and I guess we cannot do anything. But with friends around you, we can share our thoughts or ideas. Innovation doesn't happen only in one person. I guess there should be a lot of people around there. So yeah, make friends.

[Holly Gibbs]

And on a personal level, how does it feel to dedicate your time to peace and something that matters so much to your family?

[Suzuka Nakamura]

I started my peace activism when I was a high school student. There was peace studies club in my high school, so that was my very first step to join the peace activism. But after that I wanted to make peace activism as my job. So I decided to learn about how to make a firm or how to start a business. And so I decided to join a community of startups. And now I'm doing these activities as my own job. When I do these kind of activities, I always have anger because looking around the world, maybe Donald Trump said that he would start again testing nuclear bombs. And in other countries like Putin, he always have an option to use nuclear weapons. And when I see those leaders talking about using nuclear weapons so easily, I always remember about the Hibakusha who suffered a lot from nuclear weapons and I can't imagine how scary they are. Like maybe the nuclear weapons might be used again and now we are sharing the same fear. But at the same time I also have hope because there is many people willing for peace and moving so well. I also do not have the clear definition of peace, but I can say that the peaceful world shouldn't have nuclear weapons, I guess.

[Holly Gibbs]

What's the one message that you think people should take away when they hear about the Hiroshima and the Nagasaki atomic bombings and when they visit the sites.

[Suzuka Nakamura]

Please remember it for whole time. It might be seen as one page of history, but it's not. It's like Continuing Story Suzuka Nakamura, Shigemitsu.

[Holly Gibbs]

Tanaka and Toru Yamaguchi. Our next story is about the power of forgiveness and turning personal trauma into positive change. In 2012, Leon Ford was shot five times by a police officer during a traffic stop, leaving him paralyzed and in a wheelchair. But 10 years later, he's worked with a former Pittsburgh police chief to set up a foundation that brings residents, community leaders and law enforcement together to tackle the use of excessive force and make communities safer for everyone. Leon told Harry Bly more about it.

[Leon Ford]

That came from years of frustration, of anger, but also years of healing. So I went to therapy for the first time and I'm still in Therapy. I remember having a conversation with my grandfather who challenged me. He said, leon, do you want to make a point or do you want to make a difference? And so I had to think more intentionally about what making a difference could actually look like. And I was able to have more of a unified vision where, you know, I would train police officers, I would meet the officer who shot me and really become a model for healing and reconciliation.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

Tell me about some of the outreach that you do that the training of police officers.

[Leon Ford]

A lot of officers are trained from like a fear based perspective. You have to make it home at the end of your shift. You have to make it home. You have to make it home. You know, listening to our police officers helped me understand that a lot of the communities that the police serve and activists wanted the same things that the police officers wanted, right? To live a peaceful life, to decrease violence within the community, to prevent drugs from coming in. And so we have more of a collaborative approach, but we're also getting them in front of our students. There's this stigma that if I take a career as a police officer, then I'm turning my back on the community and the community will turn their back on me. And so through this Bridging the Badge program, we're developing a pipeline where our students will take up careers in public safety. So law enforcement, fire, and also ems.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

Let's go back to your lived experience.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

And you mentioned their reconciliation. You met the police officer that shot you.

[Leon Ford]

The reason I decided to meet with the officer who shot me is because I was interested, right? I was very curious. You know, in my mind I was thinking about, okay, what is the solution to police shootings? Right. Specifically traffic stops where officers may feel afraid and, you know, the victim may feel afraid. It's safety. But what makes a 19 year old black kid on the side of the road feel safe is completely different than what would make a 35, 40 year old white police officer with a badge and a gun feel safe. Right. The only person who could tell me what would have made him feel safe is the person who shot me. And it was so interesting. He wasn't who I thought he was and I'm pretty sure I wasn't who he thought I was. But I think sometimes when I share that story, people forget how much time and inner work that it took to get me to that point.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

Have you been able to forgive him?

[Leon Ford]

Oh, yeah, yeah, I forgave him even before we met. That's what helped the meeting be so productive. One of the things that made me forgive was That I wanted to take my life back, right? I remember when my son first began to walk. And I was so angry, right? Because the only thing I could think about was the fact that this officer took away my ability to walk. That was devastating to me. So for me to be happy, for me to continue to live a life of purpose and joy, I had to forgive. If we hold on to grudges, if we let things from our past dictate our future, we'll never really fulfill our purpose here on this earth. And, you know, each individual is responsible for their happiness.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

And tell me about your life now.

[Leon Ford]

My life is one of impact, of presence, of creativity and innovation. I love my life, man. And I think everything happens for a reason. And the impact that I have on the world, you know, whether it's, you know, micro or macro, I just appreciate that although I've experienced such tragedy in my life, I did not let that define me. I'm grateful to be one of those people who actually did the inner work so that whatever room I roll into, wherever in the world, people could feel the joy.

[Holly Gibbs]

Leon Ford talking to Harry Bly. When wildfires get out of control, they can be devastating. That's why it's important to spot them. Early human activities and climate change are making them more frequent and intense, leaving ecosystems struggling to recover and threatening the lives of humans and animals. Here in Munich, we met Franco Rodriguez Viao from Argentina, who uses artificial intelligence to do just that. Jacob Evans has been chatting to him.

[Franco Rodriguez Vial]

Wildfires in Argentina were a huge problem, and I started speaking with hundreds of people who work on a daily basis for with wildfires to get to know the problem more deeply in remote areas where no one gets to know about them. And we developed an AI for the satellites so we can detect faster than NASA, which is the most used system in Latin America. We process more than eight satellites coming from NASA, NOAA and the European Space Agency. We have an AI to detect wildfires on them. And when we detect them, we send WhatsApp alerts to the fire departments that we work with so they can go and act in time and reduce the losses of lives and biodiversity. And in the same WhatsApp message, we send a video on how the fire will evolve in the next hours.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

What inspired you at just 21, to make this? Why is this so important to you?

[Franco Rodriguez Vial]

I started when I was 16 years old, mid pandemic, because I had family, friends who lost their houses to wildfires, and I felt I had to do something. So that's when I started researching for Months and speaking with hundreds of people who work on a daily basis with wildfires to get to know why these wildfires were getting so catastrophic. And then I learned that there are no prevention systems in Latin America, no real time alerts. And that inspired me to create this project.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

And can you give me an example where your systems come into play and really help those local firefighters on the ground?

[Enrique Collada Sanchez]

Yeah.

[Franco Rodriguez Vial]

So in Concarrant Argentina last year, we alerted the fire departments of a fire at 1:40am and NASA didn't until 9am and this allowed them to take action in time. And also there was another case in Cordoba where we alerted disaster management team of a fire in a campsite and the response was so fast that campers were never aware of that fire.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

And how many hectares do you cover or how many clients do you have?

[Franco Rodriguez Vial]

We work with 75 fire department in Argentina. We have a freemium model with 50,000 users. We are in 19 countries. We monitor 200 million hectares across 19 countries. And in the last three months we have alerted more than 400 wildfires.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

And for anyone listening who, just like you, has spotted a problem in their local community or something in their country and they want to make a change, but they're a bit too scared perhaps, well, what's your message to them?

[Franco Rodriguez Vial]

Life is just one. Yeah, I think the way to work on this is being aware of the problems or needs that you have or the ones that are around you have and try to ask more questions from curiosity and from humility to don't understand the problem and get deep on that problem and with that try to provide solutions. It's much easier now with AI and everything to start testing problems, prototypes and things and testing because a startup is basically a successful startup, is one that solves a real problem and just that.

[Holly Gibbs]

Franco Rodriguez Vial speaking to Jacob Evans. Coming up on this podcast, it's kind.

[Georgia Stanway]

Of all just happened. I think when you do win things, it kind of gives you that platform to be able to make change. And I think you have to use it. We don't need to win to make change, but winning makes it a lot easier.

[Holly Gibbs]

The inspiring tale from playing football in the garden to the international stage.

[BBC Announcer]

At the BBC, we go further so you see clearer. With a subscription to BBC.com you get unlimited articles and videos ad free podcasts. The BBC News channel streaming live 24. 7 plus hundreds of acclaimed documentaries from less than a dollar a week for your first year. Read, watch and listen to trusted independent journalism and storytelling. It all starts with a subscription to BBC.com find out more at BBC.com unlimited.

[Holly Gibbs]

Born in Somalia, Zainab Mohammed moved to Minnesota in the US as a child. Then in 2022, she became the youngest person ever elected to the state senate at just 25 years old. Her focus has been on protecting renters, securing an equal minimum wage and access to universal health care. Work that was recognized here at One Young World. Jacob Evans has been speaking to her.

[Zainab Mohammed]

When I was first running, everyone said we think you should wait and run for city council, maybe park board, like start small. You're only 24 years old, but being a hard headed African woman, I said absolutely not and ran. And when I won, I won with the highest number of votes across any district. I was the youngest person. I was the first black woman elected to the Senate. I was also the first immigrant and Muslim woman. And it's been three years. That have certainly been a journey for me both personally and professionally. I've been able to do a lot of work in the community and politically and I think I've been able to make a really good impact.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

So alongside all of these things, how do you find being young, has that held you back? Do people look at you differently?

[Zainab Mohammed]

Yeah, the average age in The Senate is 73 years old. So a lot of people who could be my grandparents, maybe even my great grandparents, I would say like being young, people often want you to sit down and learn. When I first got elected, my colleague in the Senate said, I'm just gonna give you advice. And I said, amazing. I'm ears are open. And he said, what I want you to do is to never speak on the Senate floor for the first year. Learn, see how it works. Because one, you're young, two, you're Muslim, three, you're a black woman in America. So just relax and take it slow. You don't want to be on the other side of members of the opposition party coming after you. And you know, I passed my first bill off the floor my third month into session and he had never had a bill in the eight years he's been there on the Senate floor. So I think often one, we have to be confident in ourselves as individuals and know what we're capable of versus what we're not. We also have to be willing to take risks and to show some of these older people, just because things have been done a certain way for so long doesn't mean it's working.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

Looking a bit more globally, we've seen in Kenya, Madagascar, Nepal, all these youth led movements. What do you think is different about young people now and people like you just going for it and trying to make change.

[Zainab Mohammed]

Well, I think Gen Z is like a very vocal, brave group of young people. I think they're coming into a world that they know they deserve better and they're also interconnected because we're in the world of technology and social media is like inspiring young people globally to do better, to do more. They can connect with anybody from across the world. And so I think if you take a look at the last, the recent years, the people who have led on some of the most transformative movements across the world have been young people. And those people have been inspired by other young people in other countries. And so I think in this generation, people are more interconnected than they have ever been. And there's a sense of community on online and social media. And I think it's a beautiful thing.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

One thing I think we've spotted recently is perhaps a disillusionment amongst young people with politics. I feel that perhaps it's futile. What's your message to those people and how do we sort of overcome that?

[Zainab Mohammed]

I would say I think people who have been in politics for so long, those people are no longer in touch with communities. And then you have young people who are growing up in this country who have seen these people hold these offices forever and come every year, run for election again, talk about the same thing over and over again. That's where that dissolution comes from. And I would say, say, you know, for young people, we have an opportunity to step up and lead.

[Holly Gibbs]

Zainab Mohammed. At the age of 26, our next guest became one of the youngest mayors in Spain. He won in a village of just 70 residents, having promised to reverse declining rural populations, improve social care, and lead projects that generate income from natural resources. He's also known as the TikTok Mayer, having built a following on the platform, inspiring other young people to go into politics. Harry Bly caught up with him here in Munich.

[Enrique Collada Sanchez]

I'm Enrique Collada Sanchez and my hometown is El Recuenco.

[Franco Rodriguez Vial]

El Recuenco?

[Enrique Collada Sanchez]

Yeah. Well, it's kind of like being a neighbor because it's a little town. But you are the one that needs to solve every problem. It doesn't matter if it's with your phone company or with some public service, everybody goes with you with the problems. But I always say it's like giving back my town what I feel it has given to me.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

And fast forward to now.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

You've won Politician of the Year. Tell me about that.

[Enrique Collada Sanchez]

Well, it's a little incredible. When I saw the other Winners they were like a senator, a parliament or I thought it was going to be impossible for someone like me, a mayor in a town that it's like 70 people. I don't know, it's like a really recognition also you feel like the responsibility to represent your town and things that you thought would never be possible. We are demonstrating that can be possible. So I think that's the greatest thing that not only me but my neighbors also they kind of recover the self esteem of who we are.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

And for those that haven't seen your TikTok you have 18,500 followers. Tell us about what kind of content you make.

[Enrique Collada Sanchez]

I usually just tell what I do in a normal day as a major. So usually most of the time I'm in the forest, I'm with the engineers seeing how we can manage so we can prevent fire, for example. But also sometimes you just need to listen to people that have has a problem, I don't know, a health problem or whatever. And you are just like the person, the friend. What I do in Tik Tok first is showing that young people can do whatever. Politics is for everybody and you just need the passion and the love for your community or from your town and you'll be able to contribute.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

How important would you say social media is for young people who want to.

[Enrique Collada Sanchez]

Enter politics right now? It's very important. It's essential because many of the challenges we have, maybe you feel that there's no one listening or with social media everybody listens to it and one, you have many like views. Then the politicians, even in higher positions, they start to listen to you. So that's why it's so important because you can influence many decisions or you can propose new policies. And when you are relevant in social media, you kind of are also relevant for politicians.

[Interviewer (Harry Bly or Jacob Evans)]

And my final question, you have put your small town El Recuenco on the map because of your TikTok following.

[Interviewer (Jacob Evans or Harry Bly)]

What's the reaction been like?

[Enrique Collada Sanchez]

Sometimes when you have something like TikTok and people says that television comes, that there are many views that people comments that they feel like El Renko is something interesting, people living there think okay, so we might have something we are not seeing. And it's normal when you're used to see these mountains, these forests, this calm life where there's really a community, we all know each other, you think that that's a normal thing, but it's not. And there's something extraordinary in that. So the first thing I would say my neighbors feel like it's incredible that El Rekuengo can be so well known now in Spain and at the same time they recovered that self esteem, they rediscovered their abilities and they rediscovered important things and the beautiful things we have.

[Holly Gibbs]

Enrique Collada Sanchez, our last oneyoung world delegate is making waves in women's professional football. Georgia Stanway plays for local club Bayern Munich and helped England win back to back European Championships in 2023 and 2025. The Lioness victories have contributed to the rise in popularity of women's football in the uk but many female athletes still face challenges in their careers. I started by asking Georgia what it's like being a professional sportswoman.

[Georgia Stanway]

It's amazing. Yeah. Firstly it's amazing to be in that space. It's nice to call myself a professional footballer having just started out playing football because I love it. There's still things that we are like fighting every single day. I think we just have to stop comparing between men's sport and women's sport because men, potentially it's two different sports. Yeah. We just have to find the balance of what's right for a female body in order for it to be in the best position to perform at that sport. We can look at body image equipment that's solely made for females and yeah making sure that at the rate in which female sport grows, so does the surroundings, whether that be the coaching, the officiating, the facilities, making sure that everything is going in the same direction at the same time and we're always trying to, yeah make the next generation have it a little bit easier than what we had it. Like the people that paved the way before, like me for example, making sure that everybody has the right access, the right opportunity no matter where you are in the world. And that's why I come here and I do these sort of things and I would like to speak and use my platform to be able to make sure that opportunity is equal no matter where you are, no matter where you're brought up.

[Holly Gibbs]

And what is your message for other women, young girls who might be in a similar situation to you in know what they want to do but can't really get there.

[Georgia Stanway]

I think you have to use your community. I think don't be afraid to ask for things. For me personally, I remember writing letters at the age of 10 to see if the gym would let me use it for free or the local council could support me with funding in order to get some new boots. And I think there's a really respectful way to be able to ask for help. There's going to be bumps in the road. But it's those bumps and those little roller coasters that you. Yeah. Shape the character that you become at the end.

[Holly Gibbs]

And do you think that there is a responsibility of men in sport to help pave way for women as well?

[Georgia Stanway]

Yeah, of course. Not being afraid to talk about it, not being afraid to support women's football. Watch us. But it's also, like I said before, understanding that it is two completely different sports and we don't have to compare and we can take each sport as its own individual.

[Holly Gibbs]

On a personal level, how does it feel to you knowing that you have been such a powerful force in the rise of women's football?

[Georgia Stanway]

I think it's a little bit surreal. I was just a girl that loved playing football as a hobby and next minute I was moving to go and play professionally and it's kind of all just happened. When you do win things, it kind of gives you that platform to be able to make change and I think you have to use it. And I feel like now, especially as the lionesses, we're at a point where we don't need to win to make change, but winning makes it a lot easier. And that's kind of what we're doing is not being afraid to ask questions, not being afraid to make change because at the end of the day we're in a position and we've got the platform to be able to make change.

[Holly Gibbs]

And you were of course part of that amazing back to back winning team. How was that?

[Georgia Stanway]

Are you still riding the high? Yeah, it was a very crazy summer. If I compare both the euros, the first one felt a little bit more controlled, a little bit more in our hands, whereas going into the second one we've got a target on our back and we lose the first game and then we go into survival. And that's just a massive show of character, a show of who we are as individuals.

[Holly Gibbs]

And this is the Happy Pod. What is the happiest moment of your career?

[Georgia Stanway]

The happiest moment of my career. Good question. I would have to say the first euros. Yeah, it's incomparable. Playing on home soil, winning at Wembley in front of. Yeah, 98,000 England fans. Yeah. That feeling will never leave Georgia Stanway.

[Holly Gibbs]

And that's all from the Happy Pod for now. We'd love to hear from you. As ever, the address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk this edition was mixed and produced by Harry Bly and Jacob Evans. Our editor is Karen Martin. I'm Holly Gibbs. Until next time. Alveda Shane.

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