Tag: participation
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Berlin Wiki: Parties, Direct Mandates and the Five-Percent Threshold
What Is a Political Party? A political party is an association of citizens regulated by the German Federal Party Law. Political parties aim to influence political decision-making at federal or state level over a longer period of time and may represent voters in state parliaments or in the Bundestag. First of all, a party needs members. In addition, the party itself…
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Good Intentions Are Not Democratic Enough
“What you do for me, but without me, you do against me” — the exact origin of this quote is unclear. Nevertheless, it captures something that frequently happens in Germany when it comes to the political participation of historically excluded groups. Policies are supposedly made for migrants, yet not with them. Gender equality is debated while no women are involved in…
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“Das Volk” in 2026: Time to Redefine the People
“Do you behave as the person you truly want to be?” I ask myself this question in moments when I clearly fall short. Yes, it is hard to live up to one’s ideal self—I’m probably not the only one who feels this way. The same applies for societies. Over the past ten years, I have learned a lot about German society.…
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“Treat Every Case as Your Own”: How Zaki e.V. Supports Berlin’s Overlooked Migrants
WHP: Can you briefly introduce Zaki e.V.? What is your main mission in Berlin? Pia Bergmann: Zaki – Bildung und Kultur e.V. is a migrant-led organization, with its main office located at the Berlin Global Village in Neukölln and another office in Pankow. The organization’s focus can be summed up in one sentence: arrival and inclusion through education. Zaki (ذكي) comes…
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Germany Has an Energy Crisis — Just Not the One You Think
Energy – scarcity.We talk about energy all the time—but only in physical terms.I find myself thinking more and more about our social energy, which may matter even more. Because a society also needs energy. This energy, I would call social energy—a concept that appears in the social sciences under terms like collective intelligence or social capital. Social energy = the capacity…
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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! was conceived as a capacity-building initiative…
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