Was ist die Webseite?

WahlheYmat Post, Berlin (2026)

27/05/2026

“Who Are We? Germany in Search of Its Identity” — this was the title of a panel discussion with Joschka Fischer, former Minister of Foreign Affairs. One and a half hours, one thousand people in the audience, one central topic: German identity.

There were many words about the N**i past and its consequences. Then about reunification and the relationship between East and West Germans. Many questions from the moderator and the audience. And then it ended. The words “diversity,” “international,” or “migration” were not mentioned once. This shocked me.

Because today, roughly as many first generation immigrants live in Germany as the entire population of East Germany at the time of reunification (around 16 million). And still, this reality was barely part of the German identity debate that evening. N**ism and reunification. Both deeply shaped the country. But there is now a third transformation happening: Germany becoming an international society. The real question is whether the country is ready to adapt to this change. Mentally. Socially. Institutionally.

Can Germany move beyond the old idea of a homogeneous nation-state? Can it create a society where participation is not defined by origin, but by contribution and shared responsibility? Where inclusion becomes a natural part of society, without judgment?

Perhaps Germany’s chance is to become, in some ways, a little less German.
Less afraid. Less rigid. Less obsessed with perfection and overcontrol.
And more open to collaboration, participation, new perspectives and risk-taking. Different experiences and perspectives solve complex problems better. That is what diversity is about. Renewing German society — and accepting that it is already international — could help ease old social tensions rooted in the N**i past and the East-West divide. A modern, inclusive, collaborative society could become the foundation for a new economic and social boom, helping move the country forward.

This text was written by Iván Gábor as a preamble to the current issue of WahlheYmatPost ➡️ Follow link in bio.

20/05/2026

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

This famous summary of Darwin’s idea of evolution raises a bigger question: does adaptability also determine the success of human societies, civilizations, countries?

Many great thinkers came to the same conclusion: yes. As Joseph Schumpeter wrote, societies renew themselves through innovation — or move towards destruction. Systems that resist renewal stagnate and eventually decline. History offers many examples, from the Roman Empire to the Ottoman Empire. So think for a moment about the headlines coming out of Germany.

Do you feel we are moving towards innovation — reinventing institutions, creating new solutions, imagining new stories? Or towards rigidity and decline?

Organizational theory points in the same direction. Peter Senge and others showed that adaptable organizations outperform rigid ones. Diverse groups solve complex problems better. Adaptation is the central challenge of this country. But adaptation today does not simply mean reforming pensions, taxes, healthcare, or democracy. Because systems alone rarely renew themselves. Real innovation means changing who participates in shaping these systems.
This is the real transformation ahead:

to move beyond the mindset of the 19th-century nation-state,
to build institutions that are inclusive, collaborative, and open,
to adapt society to the 21st century,
and to place human beings — not only national citizens — at the center.
And the alternative?

Germany knows that direction too. Especially now, as more and more people discover their own family histories through the newly accessible Bundesarchiv files. Still, I remain hopeful. There is enormous civic energy in this country. Amazing initiatives. Countless people already building new realities. Our chance is to bring this energy together, reshape outdated structures, and ignite the change we need.

People of progress, unite.

This text was written by for the latest issue of WahlheYmatPost.

Get your free subscription today ➡️ Follow link in bio.

19/05/2026

Our latest WahlheymatTalks focused on discussing how we can improve our democracy – and what local governments have to do with it. Here are our top 5 takeaways from the evening.

ENERGY — There is a real difference between politicians and civil society leaders: energy, clarity, and consistent action. The energy that comes from civic engagement has the power to build a stronger democracy.

STRATEGY — Grassroots organisations work on the foundations of society. Their work is essential. But greater coordination and stronger connections between very different organisations could multiply their impact.

POWER — Power is like steam in the industrial age: it can be misused, but it is also what drives change. We need to understand power, learn how to use it responsibly, and use it consistently and effectively.

LONG RUN — It is not enough to organise people around issues that matter, develop solutions, build alliances, identify who is responsible for change, and launch a campaign. Real change requires persistence. You have to stay with it until the needed result is achieved.

PARTICIPATION — Participation begins with influence. People engage when they feel they can shape outcomes. Without real impact, participation remains only a symbolic gesture.

19/05/2026

Our latest WahlheymatTalks focused on discussing how we can improve our democracy – and what local governments have to do with it. Here are our top 5 takeaways from the evening.

ENERGY — There is a real difference between politicians and civil society leaders: energy, clarity, and consistent action. The energy that comes from civic engagement has the power to build a stronger democracy.

STRATEGY — Grassroots organisations work on the foundations of society. Their work is essential. But greater coordination and stronger connections between very different organisations could multiply their impact.

POWER — Power is like steam in the industrial age: it can be misused, but it is also what drives change. We need to understand power, learn how to use it responsibly, and use it consistently and effectively.

LONG RUN — It is not enough to organise people around issues that matter, develop solutions, build alliances, identify who is responsible for change, and launch a campaign. Real change requires persistence. You have to stay with it until the needed result is achieved.

PARTICIPATION — Participation begins with influence. People engage when they feel they can shape outcomes. Without real impact, participation remains only a symbolic gesture.

Thank you .atris & Max Bohm for joining us and for your fruitful insights.

08/05/2026

Dear Berliners,

“Will you move back to Hungary now?” — a Polish friend asked me this a few days after the elections. “No. Where to? Why would I?” I replied. But the question stayed with me.

There are countless books, films, and personal stories about emigration. About what it means to leave, and what it does to you. The last one I read was Nation of Strangers by Ece Temelkuran. Millions of people move to other countries — for work, for family, for a future. And still, I feel that those who have never experienced it do not fully understand what it means.

I feel it when I hear discussions about Fachkräfte, or about sending refugees “back.” As if people were packages. As if lives could simply be returned.
We speak about freedom and human rights — and yet we question the freedom to choose where to live. To shape our own destiny. Perhaps anti-migration sentiment is less about migrants themselves, and more about people’s own fears and insecurities.

Leaving changes you.

You leave behind your environment, your routines, your sense of ease.
You lose your mother tongue — the ability to express yourself as freely and precisely as before. And yet, something else begins. Every day, you create something new. You meet new people. You learn new cultures. You create a new world — piece by piece. Immigrants bring innovation, openness, and resilience.
But the real question is not only what they bring. It is what we, as a society, make possible.

There is a beautiful German word: Zusammenwachsen — growing together.
Not giving. Sharing.

Access to the job market — not limited by language.
Access to education — without segregation.
Access to democracy — including voting rights.

This is what allows a society to grow. And in a society like this, the question of “going back” would lose its meaning. Because this is home for all of us.

This text was written by Iván Gábor - Founder of WahlheYmat.

04/05/2026

On September 20, 2026, Berlin will elect a new House of Representatives and its district assemblies—but what does that actually mean, who gets to vote, and how do these decisions shape the city? Together with , we are launching “Berlin Wiki,” a series that breaks down the basics of Berlin’s electoral system in a clear and accessible way.

Check the link in bio for more information.

29/04/2026

We’re excited to welcome:
👉 Lisa Klein – mission lead, ProjectTogether - Allianz der Gestalter:innen
👉Sami Atris – lead organiser, Berliner Bürgerplattformen
👉Max Bohm – Managing Director at Initiative Offene Gesellschaft and Faktor D.

🎙Moderation: Deana Mrkaja

Our guests work on projects, platforms, and organizations to make democracy more local and more inclusive.

What do they think of today’s situation? How do they work? What unites them? How do they put their ideas into practice? How can we help them? Who in the audience knows other initiatives in this field?

The event will be held in English.

Entry is free. Everyone who is interested in shaping Berlin and making the city even better is warmly welcome.

24/04/2026

“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. I admire it in many ways. I am convinced that the vast majority accepts a basic reality: Germany is no longer homogeneous—it is international, diverse, multicultural. There is a clear desire to be a modern, inclusive society.

Voting rights for non-German citizens have become a key point of contention in today’s Germany. A few weeks ago, we published a statistic showing that, within the EU, Germany is among the most restrictive countries when it comes to granting voting rights to third-country nationals. Why is that? Because it requires a change to the federal constitution, approved by a two-thirds majority in both the Bundestag and the Bundesrat. It requires political—and even more so, social—consensus.

In Berlin, 25% of residents are excluded from local elections. If you were elected mayor, would you feel legitimate when a quarter of the city could not even vote?

There are many great challenges—the economy, energy, war, climate—so why are voting rights so important? Because it is time to decide what kind of society we want to be: open-minded and innovative, a society that welcomes and attracts talent, entrepreneurs, people who want to create, work, and move things forward.

The German constitution states: “All state authority derives from the people” (Das Volk). According to the Federal Constitutional Court, this is the obstacle to voting rights reform—because “the people” means German citizens.

It is time to revisit who “the people” are. It is time to decide what kind of society Berlin and Germany want to be. Hesitating is also a decision.

What do you think? Should people who live in Berlin and pay taxes also be able to vote?

13/04/2026

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 of a society to act collectively, to innovate, and to participate.

We are experiencing an extreme scarcity of social energy.

“German society is just tired” — I heard this from someone born in Germany.
Many factors contribute to this feeling: low trust in politics, bureaucracy, exclusion, fragmentation, a sense of powerlessness.

So where could new energy come from? How do we re-energize a society?

Finding the right answer may be the most important task we face today.

The reality is that social innovation often emerges from tension, disruption, and crisis.
Even tension itself can generate energy.

That is why anti-migration narratives drain energy from society. That is why debates like “Stadtbild” or “80% Syrians” are not just communication failures—they undermine the possibility of a truly civic and democratic future.

Because migrants living in Germany are one of the greatest untapped sources of energy in this society.

Recognizing and valuing these people—their courage, their experience—would unlock enormous innovative potential for the country.

The good news is that more and more people are investing their time, energy, and commitment—often unpaid—into democratic innovation.

Our task is not to stop at words and concepts, as politics often does. Our task is to act.

To create quick wins. To create change—at all levels.

To communicate clearly: civil society stands together for an inclusive, collaborative future.

We can re-energize ourselves. And we must.

09/04/2026

We had a powerful WahlheYmat Talks on English-language media in Berlin with over 60 participants.

Our top 5 takeaways:

CHAOS – the first association with Berlin: an extremely poorly governed city, endless construction sites, a dirty environment. Chaos is not sexy—and not acceptable.

MISSION – translating Berlin’s reality and curating its vast offerings: that is the mission of English-language media. At the same time, they shape Berlin’s image in the world.

GERMAN – there is a strong willingness to open up to German-speaking audiences. With these two languages, most people can be reached. Cooperation with local media is also a desired path.

NAME – what is the best way to describe “people from other countries”? How do we move beyond the migrant–expat divide? “Immigrants” or “internationals” could be possible solutions. “Migration background”—the official term—does not sound very appealing.

COMMUNITY – there is a strong need to give internationals a voice and to organize them as a community, with political representation. Whose responsibility is it? In the room, it was assigned to WahlheYmat.

Thank you Igor Ranc & .andrew for sharing your insights with us.

WahlheYmat Post

27/05/2026

20/05/2026

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

08/05/2026

04/05/2026

29/04/2026

24/04/2026

13/04/2026

09/04/2026

Adresse

Webseite

Benachrichtigungen

Die Organisation Kontaktieren

Verknüpfungen

Teilen

Kategorie