​WahlheYmat Talks – Democracy For All

​Voting Rights for All Who Live Here

​Around one million Berliners – roughly one quarter of the city’s population – could not vote in Berlin elections because they did not hold German citizenship.

​But democracy is more than casting a ballot. People shape their city through civic engagement, community organizing, initiatives, public debate and many other forms of participation.

​As part of Berlin Freedom Week, this edition of WahlheYmat Talks asks what democratic participation means in a city where such a large part of the population has no say at the ballot box. How can people without voting rights participate politically? And what is the key to adapting our democracy to the reality of an increasingly diverse society?

​We will explore different approaches to political participation and democratic inclusion. We will talk about StimmlosTrend, WahlheYmat’s survey giving a voice to Berliners without voting rights, and BePart!, a project supporting the political participation of EU citizens. We will also look beyond individual projects and ask what new forms of participation and democratic innovation could make our democracy more inclusive and representative.

​Our guests:

​Chantal Chisley
Project Coordinator, Polnischer Sozialrat e.V. / BePart!

​Esther Nass
Project Lead, StimmlosTrend, WahlheYmat e.V.

​Jonas Drechsler
Project Lead, D2030 – Deutschland neu denken e.V.

​Together with our guests, we want to explore:

​How can people participate politically even if they cannot vote?
What can we learn from projects such as StimmlosTrend and BePart!?
How can existing forms of participation become more accessible and effective?
What new ideas could help democracy better reflect the diversity of the people who live in our cities?
And ultimately: Can democracy thrive when so many voices remain unheard?

​As always, WahlheYmat Talks is not just a panel discussion. We want to hear from you, too. Bring your experiences, ideas and questions and join the conversation.

​The event will be held in English.

​Entry is free. Everyone interested in democracy, participation and shaping Berlin is warmly welcome.

​DIVERSE VOICES TELL THE COMPLETE TRUTH

​With the kind support of the Central and Regional Library of Berlin (ZLB).

​Gefördert aus Mitteln der Senatsverwaltung für Arbeit, Soziales, Gleichstellung, Integration, Vielfalt und Antidiskriminierung im Rahmen des Partizipations- und Integrationsprogramms.