REPCO

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) is adopting a new measure, Gross Inclusive Income (GII), to redefine economic growth beyond GDP. Unlike GDP, which measures only monetary transactions and often misrepresents harmful activities as economic progress, GII includes non-monetary factors like renewable energy benefits and voluntary care. GDP, originally a wartime tool, fails to account for wellbeing, sustainability, and social value, ignoring crucial aspects of life such as peace, environmental health, and relationships. Alternative metrics like the Human Development Index, Better Life Index, Positive Peace Index, and Genuine Progress Indicator offer broader views of societal progress by emphasizing health, education, environmental costs, and community wellbeing. Advocates suggest combining such measures for a comprehensive understanding of progress. The ONS is integrating these ideas, using data from 2005 to develop GII. During the COVID-19 pandemic, GII grew faster than GDP, driven by renewable energy’s positive impact on emissions and pollution. Economist Diane Coyle lauds this as "pioneering work," hoping other nations follow suit.

De Gudde Wëllen is turning 10 in style with a weekend of club nights and concerts! For 10 years the venue, located in Rue du Saint Esprit, has been a venue for alternative culture and clubbing. Which is why the birthday celebrations are in this vain. Starting with a club night on the 6th December with local and international DJs and then following with a night of live music on Saturday the 7th. The mini festival boasts artists such as Napoleon Gold, Ice In My Eyes and Miki. Nicole from Gudde Wëllen joined Erin on the Breakfast Show and tells stories of her 8 years working at the venue. She says over that time her role has greatly changed, and that is reflective of how much the venue has grown and now includes so much in addition to the club nights and concerts, like board game and quiz nights. You can find out more here: https://deguddewellen.lu/

CELL- Reconnecting People and Nature for a Better Tomorrow by

IMS- Leading the Sustainability Movement in Luxembourg by

Not our most usual take indeed, but an important one – Luxemburger Wörterbuch is a dictionary of the Luxembourgish language that has its own history of 5 editions and a character of a tornado. If you thought rules ever applied here – think again! The language lives with the heart on its sleeve and adapts to the way people use it. Thread carefully!

Last week my recommendation of the week was Bandit and it at Kulturfabrik and they put on an amazing show, I even had my photo taken with them! Who is playing in the Grand Ducky this week and who is my recommendation of the week? Have a listen to find out!

Norway’s parliament has apologized to the Sami for decades of forced assimilation, marking a historic step. Alongside the apology, new measures will protect Sami culture, language, and land rights. While welcomed by the Sami, critics question economic impacts, and implementation remains under scrutiny.