Logo Goethe-Institut

Max Mueller Bhavan | India New Delhi

|

6:30 PM

Radical Diversity

Discussion|Max Czollek in conversation with Suryakant Waghmore

  • Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi, New Delhi

  • English

Radical Diversity - Max Czollek in conversation with Suryakant Waghmore © Goethe-Institut

How is diversity approached in Germany and India? In his essay “De-Integrate Yourself”, Max Czollek argues for the concept of a “radical diversity” as an alternative to the traditional politics of assimilation. Drawing on his critiques of post-World War II German cultural policies, Czollek argues for a future where diversity is embraced not as an exception but as a fundamental principle, examining how radical diversity reshapes the way we view citizenship, culture, and politics. Czollek also brings a critical lens to the ongoing discourse on immigration in Germany as an opportunity to rethink national identity and the social integration of displaced communities, advocating for peace through mutual recognition.
 

Register here



About the speakers

Max Czollek is a writer, lyric-poet, stage performer, curator, and political scientist. A member of the G-13 authors’ collective, he is particularly well known for his theatrical and essayistic work surrounding memory culture, integration, and Jewish identity in post-war Germany. He was awarded a doctorate at the Center for Research on Antisemitism at Technische Universität Berlin (2016). In 2024, he was DAAD Distinguished Chairin Contemporary Poetics at New York University. Max’s latest book is De-Integrate! A Jewish Survival Guide for the 21st Century.

Suryakant Waghmore is a Public Sociologist, Academic and Writer. Currently a Professor of Sociology at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT-Bombay. He is author ofCivility against Caste(2013) and Co-editor ofCivility in Crisis(2020) andCivil Sphere in India(2025).His scholarship offers a nuanced understanding of caste and its implications for Indian society. His research highlights the complexities of caste and religion in a democratic and rapidly changing India, emphasizing the need for structural, cultural, and political transformations to achieve genuine civility in India.