Category: Opinion Corner
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Berlin’s Silent 25 Percent
“We are in a very tense situation with a record number of non-voters and a great distrust in society towards institutions, so it was the right time to convene this citizens’ assembly.” This quote does not come from Berlin — although the record number of non-voters is also the case here. It was said by the elected representative of Paris’ 15th…
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From Hate Brands to Love Brands: A Different Vision for Democracy
“We need impactful love brands… that blend purpose, impact, innovation, and emotion.”This challenge was launched by the GICA Impact Network, founded and led by our amazing friend Alexander Sascha Wolf. Sure, Sascha is right — but using the term love brand made me think. What are the love brands of our democratic and political life? The ones that make you feel…
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Stay: The New Migration Challenge Germany Can’t Ignore
If nothing changes demographically, Germany will have 16 million fewer workers by 2060 than today. According to most projections, the country needs around 400,000 new workers every year from abroad. We often hear this fact in the news, but what we hear much less about is how many international people leave Germany again—and this seems to be becoming a growing problem.…
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Neustart Berlin: A Fresh Start Without Everyone in the Room
Berliner Morgenpost — together with Tagesspiegel, EUREF Campus, and radioeins — launched a strong new initiative: Neustart Berlin. Everyone was invited to submit an ongoing project that could revitalize Berlin and give the city a fresh start for the 21st century and beyond. More than 70 initiatives applied; a jury selected eight of them to present their ideas on stage at…
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The Berlin Lesson: Trust People, Not Bureaucracies
I was reading Walter’s article about volunteering, and made me think deeply. I come from a society where volunteering was never a tradition. The imperative was: everyone takes care of themselves. If someone works unpaid, they are considered a loser or being taken advantage of. Applying to university never required any kind of volunteer experience, so it was never part of…
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How Audrey Tang Is Rebooting Democracy — and What Berlin Can Learn from Taiwan
“The engine behind reshaping democracy has been young people and immigrants,” Audrey Tang – Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador and first Digital Minister – told me. I was fortunate enough to meet Audrey at the Berlin Freedom Conference on 10 November. To tell you the truth: Audrey was the main reason I went. Ever since I read the book Plurality last year, I…
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