• Multilingualism, Participation, and Power: A Berlin Case Study

    Multilingualism, Participation, and Power: A Berlin Case Study

    Local migrant organizations often play a crucial yet underrecognized role in shaping participation, representation, and social cohesion within urban districts. Based on my experience directing the migraUp! Pankow project in Berlin between 2015 and 2025, this reflection highlights how community-based initiatives can strengthen migrant organizations while simultaneously contributing to local governance and democratic participation. migraUp! […]

  • ‘Migrants’ Are The Greatest Opportunity For Germany

    ‘Migrants’ Are The Greatest Opportunity For Germany

    “Change begins with a conversation.” That’s why I was glad to be invited to the SharedTableDinner by the Oneliness Project. How do we find a sense of home in each other? How are loneliness and democracy connected? These were the questions that shaped the evening. Amazing people shared deeply personal thoughts about how they connect […]

  • “Democracy Is More Than Voting”: Sami Atris on Organising Communities in Berlin

    “Democracy Is More Than Voting”: Sami Atris on Organising Communities in Berlin

    WHP: Can you briefly introduce the Berliner Bürgerplattformen? What is its main purpose in Berlin? Sami Atris: Who actually decides what happens in our lives? How much influence do we have over how high our rent is — or whether we can even afford to stay in our neighbourhood? Who decides whether our children go […]

  • WahlheYmat Turns Two — And Invites You In

    WahlheYmat Turns Two — And Invites You In

    WahlheYmat is looking for new members.That is the message I would like to write about today. Before my life in Berlin, I was never this direct. I am learning a lot here. And I don’t just mean the famous Berliner Schnauze — like going into a bakery and saying: “Good morning, so sorry for disturbing […]

  • The Berlin Blueprint: Participation as the Ultimate Act of Self-Determination

    The Berlin Blueprint: Participation as the Ultimate Act of Self-Determination

    In the glossy catalogs of modern wellness, “self-help” is often sold as a retreat from the world: a private journey of healing through products and quiet contemplation. Berlin’s history, however, offers a more rugged, democratic alternative. In this city, wellbeing has never been found in isolation. It has been forged through participation. To be a […]

  • Monsieur Ibrahim’s Magic in Kreuzberg: From Runaway to Community Maker

    Monsieur Ibrahim’s Magic in Kreuzberg: From Runaway to Community Maker

    I set out to conduct my first-ever interview for WahlheYmatPost on a grey and rainy Friday afternoon in Charlottenburg. The founder of WahlheYmat e.V., Ivan Gabor, mentioned meeting a man named Jaybo, a Frenchman living in the heart of Kreuzberg who is positively impacting his community. I happily took the opportunity to try out being […]

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