• The Participation Paradox: Why Political Trust Doesn’t Always Translate Into Votes

    The Participation Paradox: Why Political Trust Doesn’t Always Translate Into Votes

    Research published earlier this year by researchers at the University of St Andrews as part of the European We-ID project found a striking pattern: across Europe, immigrants tend to have greater trust in political institutions and higher levels of satisfaction with democracy than native-born populations. But the longer they and their families live in their new countries, the smaller that difference…

  • We talk a lot. But what do we actually do?

    We talk a lot. But what do we actually do?

    “When people co-create, we outperform any master plan.”Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first Digital Minister described this as one of the lessons of Berlin in 1989. How are we performing today? What is the master plan? And what about co-creation? To answer this, let me start with my three lessons from Taiwan’s democratic process. It took decades for Taiwan to move from Chiang…

  • Democracy at the Späti: What Berlin’s Symbolic Election Revealed

    Democracy at the Späti: What Berlin’s Symbolic Election Revealed

    Ahead of Berlin’s September elections, Migrationsrat Berlin e.V. brought the ballot box to an unusual setting: the city’s Spätis. At 11 locations across Berlin, people were invited to take part in a symbolic election and discuss a question that affects a significant part of the city’s population: who gets to have a say in the political decisions that shape their everyday…

  • From Kyiv to Berlin: War Changed His Path, but Not His Dream

    From Kyiv to Berlin: War Changed His Path, but Not His Dream

    “The war is here – those were the words my mom woke me up with that morning,” Oleks recalls. On February 24th, 2022, the life of 15-year-old Oleksandr (Oleks) Drevytskyi was changed forever. Leading up to the devastating Russian attack, expectations about the future of the ongoing conflict varied across Ukraine. While many had established escape plans and were mentally preparing…

  • The Berlin Election Is Over – The Work Begins

    The Berlin Election Is Over – The Work Begins

    What do the Berlin election results tell us? Our TOP 3 takeaways 1. Housing won Housing is clearly the central issue in Berlin, as StimmlosTrend also showed. Die Linke won by putting housing at the top of its agenda. Many citizens now hope they can deliver. 2. Voting with gloves Many people vote against a party or candidate rather than for…

  • Strangers by the Spree: Inside Berlin’s Outdoor Latin Dance Community

    Strangers by the Spree: Inside Berlin’s Outdoor Latin Dance Community

    Feierabend! A busy weekday is coming to an end, and Hauptbahnhof is becoming crowded with tired Berliners: businessmen with briefcases heading home after a long day at work, groups of schoolgirls huddled up on benches apathetically scrolling on TikTok, and exhausted travelers searching for the S-Bahn that will finally take them to their accommodation.  The night is just about to begin…

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