inSUBSTANTIA Exploring Ideas - Challenging Assumptions.

Gabor Farkas

inSUBSTANTIA is produced in Geneva, Switzerland, and invites leading thinkers, practitioners, and curious minds to explore ideas that shape our world. It offers something most experts crave but rarely get: the space to think out loud, to connect their knowledge to deeper philosophical and ethical issues, and to challenge assumptions beyond the headlines. Each episode invites reflection without requiring specialised background knowledge, making complex issues accessible and thought-provoking.

  1. Health Care as a Cultural System

    2D AGO

    Health Care as a Cultural System

    What happens when healthcare technology is not designed for people, but with them? InSubstantia welcomes Anam Hijab, the founder of AtPulse, a health technology company tackling one of the largest and least understood diabetes crises in the world. Pakistan is home to 55 million people living with or on the verge of diabetes. Anam is building technology to address this crisis.  Following a career in pharmaceutical engineering in Denmark, Anam came back to Pakistan to apply that expertise where it could matter most. In this episode, she shares her experience of building systems on the ground in Pakistan, working with one of the largest cardiovascular hospital networks in the world. This conversation moves beyond product features and into first principles: how culture shapes care, why Western health models fail at scale in high-density populations, and what it means to design technology for communities rather than individuals.  00:00 – Introduction: Anam Hijab’s background and the scale of Pakistan’s diabetes crisis 02:24 – Pakistan as a “melting pot” shaping identity and worldview 04:00 – Why Denmark? Education, equality, and the Nordic model 07:53 – Returning to Pakistan and identifying a market opportunity 10:15 – Understanding the real diabetes crisis 13:58 – When diabetes compounds into systemic failure 16:03 – Why patients disappear after treatment (70–90% dropout) 20:32 – Inside NICVD: what 1,000+ patients per day teaches about systems 25:52 – Designing the product and breaking assumptions about how people use technology 29:16 – Why the app is offline, visual, and audio-first 33:35 – The responsible implementation of AI in healthcare  40:06 – Who owns the value of healthcare data? 42:15 – Predictive care and risk profiling 45:01 – How to balance revenue with community impact 50:12 – Being a woman founder in Pakistan 55:04 – What Pakistan revealed that Europe didn’t 01:00:08 –  Cultural gaps in European healthcare models 01:03:09 – Climate change and chronic disease  01:18:37 – Towards a localized, intuitive healthcare for everyday life 01:10:15 – Medical language vs patient understanding  Resources:  Learn more about AtPulse https://atpulse.org/  Chapters:Connect with Anam Hijab https://www.linkedin.com/in/anam-h-73b945122/

    1h 13m
  2. What Is Mediation Really? Process, Culture, and Cross Border Conflict

    FEB 24

    What Is Mediation Really? Process, Culture, and Cross Border Conflict

    What does mediation actually mean? In this episode of Insubstantia, I speak with mediator and author Manon Schonewille about why mediation is not a single, uniform practice. Even within the same country, the mediator’s role, level of intervention, and ethical boundaries can differ significantly. Once mediation crosses borders, those differences become unavoidable. Drawing on comparative work across jurisdictions, Manon explains how legal culture shapes expectations about neutrality, authority, fairness, and process. We explore facilitative and evaluative styles, the challenges of cross-border disputes, and why mediators must “mediate the process first, particularly in cross-border situations.” If parties do not share the same understanding of what mediation is supposed to be, what exactly are we doing when we say we are mediating? What we discuss: • What mediation is, and what people consistently misunderstand about it • The difference between negotiation and mediation • Why cross border disputes often fail before substance is addressed • Facilitative versus evaluative mediation styles • Neutrality, authority, and power imbalances in different legal cultures • Face saving and cultural expectations in international disputes • How fairness is interpreted differently across jurisdictions • The importance of process design before substance • Real case examples from commercial and cross cultural mediation • When mediation benefits from regulation, and when regulation undermines it Links & Resources Mentioned:  Check out Manon Schonewille’s books and publications: https://www.manonschonewille.nl/author  Excerpt from “The Variegated Landscape of Mediation” https://www.manonschonewille.nl/_files/ugd/682f8c_420aff0f964b4ba7b59bbc3b70759961.pdf Jump to Content:  09:05-11:43 On Manon’s first case about furniture and dogs 18:36 - 19:30 It’s not about you in mediation  31:45 - 32:35 I define cross-border mediation  38:47 - 39:20 Is free mediation beneficial (Gabor) 39:50 - 40:10 Always mediate the process first 50:53 - 52:07 If you go to US or UK - cultural differences in mediation 55:19 - 56:54 Korean CEO and Dutch manager 1:07:39 - 1:08:29 Time in mediation 1:15:46 - 1:16:30 Innovations and good practices in mediation 1:29:15 - 1:30:38 Against too much regulation in mediation

    1h 33m
  3. The Quiet Architecture of Violence - part 2

    FEB 9

    The Quiet Architecture of Violence - part 2

    Economies, Power, and Systems That Make Harm Profitable This is part 2 of my conversation with Guillaume. If violence is not a distortion of economic life but one of its foundations, what does that mean for markets, governance, and political power? In the second part of the conversation with Guillaume Soto-Mayor, we sharpen our focus on the arguments and case studies explored in his book, The Economies of Violence. We examine how violence creates value, sustains competitiveness, and infiltrates systems often considered legitimate, from labor markets and financial systems to development aid and democratic institutions. Along the way, we confront a difficult but necessary question: how can societies reclaim power and authority without reproducing the very violence they seek to overcome? In this episode, we explore: 00:00:00 — Violence as a foundation of economic life00:04:45 — Legal vs illegal economies: a false separation00:11:25 — How GDP calculations absorb illicit economies00:17:55 — Prison labor and undocumented labor as competitiveness drivers00:26:35 — Organized crime in waste management, construction, and finance00:35:25 — Coercive supply chains in the fast fashion industry00:42:45 — Corruption as a central mechanism of structural violence00:50:25 — Algorithmic “prisons” and violence in the digital realm00:58:35 — Why mass social movements demanding justice so often fail01:06:55 — Reclaiming power and authority as contracts of responsibility01:14:45 — Building shared spaces for non-violent authority Links and resources: The Economies of Violence: The Forgotten Variable — Guillaume Soto-Mayorhttps://brill.com/display/title/70924 Le Capitalisme de l’apocalypse (and other works) — Quinn Slobodianhttps://www.seuil.com/ouvrage/le-capitalisme-de-l-apocalypse-quinn-slobodian/9782021451405 Sand Talk — Tyson Yunkaportahttps://birchbarkbooks.com/products/sand-talk

    1h 26m
  4. The Quiet Architecture of Violence:

    FEB 1

    The Quiet Architecture of Violence:

    Part I: Memory Identity and What We Learn Not to See We often think of violence as something visible: a war, a riot, a gun. Yet much of the violence shaping our world is quieter—folded into the ways we trade, govern, build institutions, and even convince ourselves we are doing good. My guest today, Guillaume Soto-Mayor, examines how violence becomes part of economic and social life, how it hides behind legality and necessity, and how it continues to shape societies long after the shooting stops. His book, The Economies of Violence, explores how power and harm intertwine across very different contexts, from human trafficking and forced labour to digital systems and political institutions. In the first part of our conversation, we identify and unpack different forms of violence in global society. We draw on examples ranging from hidden family histories and colonial legacies, to child abuse, public health, film industries, and political systems. Together, we lay the foundations for understanding how violence and economic life become deeply entangled. In this episode, we explore: 00:00:00 — Intro: Visible vs. invisible violence  00:04:55 — How violence operates on both macro and micro levels 00:10:30 — “Quiet” forms of legal and institutional violence  00:18:15 — How violence becomes tied to identity, self-worth, and belonging  00:44:20 — Why “just transition” and climate policies often fail to account for violent actors  00:27:40 — The normalization of gendered, social, and environmental violence  00:36:35 — What connects protest movements across very different societies  00:52:10 — Violence as a hidden variable shaping global markets  01:00:30 — How The Economies of Violence came about  Links and resources: The Economies of Violence: The Forgotten Variable — Guillaume Soto-Mayor https://brill.com/display/title/70924  Egregor — a non-profit catalyst for social and environmental justice https://www.egregor.net/ Connect with Guillaume Soto-Mayor https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillaume-soto-mayor-60416769/  Freakonomics — Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner https://freakonomics.com/books/  The Tyranny of Merit — Michael J. Sandel https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/313112/the-tyranny-of-merit-by-sandel-michael-j/9780141991177  Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil — Hannah Arendt https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/62456/eichmann-in-jerusalem-by-arendt-hannah/9780241552292

    1h 6m
  5. 🎙 Arthur Keller - The Future We Must Build - part 2

    12/10/2025

    🎙 Arthur Keller - The Future We Must Build - part 2

    If Part 1 names the crisis, Part 2 confronts the consequences of continuing as we are. This second part of my conversation with Arthur Keller moves from diagnosis to responsibility, and from observation to choice. We explore what collapses first when systems fail, not just infrastructures, but trust, meaning, and social cohesion. 🧠 Psychological denial 🔥 Escalating systemic shocks 🏙 Fragile urban concentration ⚖ Growing inequality and exposure 🗳 Democratic systems under strain Collapse is rarely sudden. It is cumulative, uneven, and deeply political. Some populations are protected longer than others, but no one is outside the system. Arthur challenges the idea that adaptation will happen naturally or smoothly. Without conscious choices, adaptation becomes brutal selection. The question is no longer whether change is coming. It is whether we prepare together, or fragment under pressure. In this episode we explore ✨ why resilience is not a technical problem ✨ how fear shapes political responses ✨ the risk of authoritarian reflexes ✨ the limits of individual solutions ✨ what collective lucidity actually demands Part 2 closes the conversation by asking what it would mean to act without illusion, without panic, and without false comfort.

    1h 16m
  6. Arthur Keller - The Future We Must Build - Part 1

    12/04/2025

    Arthur Keller - The Future We Must Build - Part 1

    🎙 The Future We Must Build - Part 1 The world is entering a period of deep instability and no society will be spared. In this first part of my conversation with Arthur Keller, we explore the forces already reshaping the conditions of life on this planet. 🌡 Climate overshoot 🌿 Biodiversity collapse ⛽ Resource depletion 📉 Economic fragility 🏛 Institutions unable to think systemically These are not separate problems. They form a single planetary crisis that will affect everyone, rich or poor, north or south. Arthur explains why our societies remain unprepared, why institutions cannot think at the scale required, and why information alone rarely leads to meaningful change. His formulation is stark. Almost no one changes after understanding the issues. Information does not move people. So what does move people And what does it really mean to face a systemic crisis with clarity instead of denial In this episode we explore ✨ the limits of institutional thinking ✨ why warnings are ignored ✨ how stories shape action ✨ the collapse of political imagination ✨ the need to rebuild meaning before rebuilding systems Part 1 lays the groundwork for the ethical and cultural questions taken up in Part 2.

    1h 1m
  7. AI and Blockchain Convergence with Mariana de la Roche Wills

    11/01/2025

    AI and Blockchain Convergence with Mariana de la Roche Wills

    Artificial intelligence now influences decisions in health, justice, and finance. In this episode of inSUBSTANTIA, Gabor Farkas speaks with Mariana de la Roche Wills, Co Chair of INATBA’s AI and Blockchain Convergences Task Force and leader at BlackVogel. They explore how blockchain can enhance trust, transparency, and accountability in AI, the limits of decentralisation, and why human oversight remains essential. 🎙️ Blockchain and AI. Trust, fairness, and accountability with Mariana de la Roche Wills Artificial intelligence now shapes decisions that affect real lives, from healthcare to criminal justice. How do we make sure these systems remain transparent, fair, and accountable. Can blockchain, often described as a trust machine, help us achieve that, or does it create new risks of its own. In this episode of inSUBSTANTIA, Gabor Farkas speaks with Mariana de la Roche Wills, Co Chair of INATBA’s AI and Blockchain Convergences Task Force and leader at BlackVogel. Drawing from her background in law, human rights, and digital governance, Mariana explores how these two transformative technologies converge in practice, and what it takes to align them with human values. 💡 In this conversation • How blockchain could enhance transparency and accountability in high stakes AI • The paradox of privacy and traceability under GDPR • Governance in decentralised systems and the limits of democracy in code • Environmental impact and tokenisation beyond greenwashing • Equity, inclusion, and the risk of digital colonialism • Why human oversight must remain central in automated systems ⚙️ Editorial note A technical issue affected the start of the recording. The introduction and Mariana’s first response were re recorded, so you may notice a small difference in tone at the beginning. 🎧 inSUBSTANTIA. Exploring ideas, challenging assumptions.

    1h 31m
  8. Karen Hitschke – Building Bridges (Part 2)

    09/30/2025

    Karen Hitschke – Building Bridges (Part 2)

    Platforms, Power, and Purpose In Part 2 of this two-part conversation, we shift our focus to Building Bridges as a platform: its role within Geneva’s global landscape, the challenges of multistakeholder governance, and the ethical tensions that arise when finance, diplomacy, and development intersect. Karen Hitschke reflects on what it means to hold space for collaboration across sectors and worldviews, and how that work is being reshaped by shifting geopolitics, decentralised technologies, and rising global inequality. We discuss: • The evolving role of Switzerland and Geneva in sustainable finance • The structure and long-term vision of Building Bridges • The fine line between convening and influencing • The power dynamics that shape development conversations • The importance of staying anchored in values when working across asymmetries This episode is about institutions, but also about intentionality, what it takes to build credibility in a world where trust is increasingly fragile.

    46 min
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inSUBSTANTIA is produced in Geneva, Switzerland, and invites leading thinkers, practitioners, and curious minds to explore ideas that shape our world. It offers something most experts crave but rarely get: the space to think out loud, to connect their knowledge to deeper philosophical and ethical issues, and to challenge assumptions beyond the headlines. Each episode invites reflection without requiring specialised background knowledge, making complex issues accessible and thought-provoking.

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