The idea of guaranteeing everyone an unconditional basic income seems tempting to many people. But laypeople and experts alike have been arguing for many years about whether – and, above all, how – it might work. A pilot project in Berlin is now looking for new answers to these and related questions, which could rekindle the debate in Germany.
The people in Sudan are fighting the fifth year in a row after the revolution in 2018 for their freedom. Wini Omer spoke with revolutionaries in Khartoum about their hopes and reasons to keep fighting.
An interview with Leipzig feminist and publicist Kim Posster about masculine ideals and the suffering they inflict. He is convinced that feminist critique is indispensable in helping men come to terms with themselves and models of masculinity.
On the Polish border to Belarus, Belarusian artists exhibit art which they would no longer be able to show in their homeland. Around the corner is the war in Ukraine. The “taz”- journalist Julia Hubernagel went there for first-hand impressions.
The Leipzig Book Fair – after the Frankfurt fair the most important annual convention in the sector – was cancelled at short notice in 2022 because of the pandemic. The discussion that flared up as a result is only the beginning of a fundamental debate on the future of book fairs.
In his debut novel, the writer Lukas Rietzschel describes the lack of perspective and the radicalisation of two brothers who grow up in East Germany. In the interview he talks about populism and the brutalisation of language.
Translating literature is an art, as it is about much more than literally transferring a text into another language. Find out what makes literary translations so complex and why artificial intelligence cannot do the job.
The ideal of freedom is reflected in hundreds of Brazilian songs and it was a central theme of Brazilian popular music in the first half of the 20th century. Especially because samba originated in the 1910s in the country’s Black communities, for whom freedom was doubtless the most treasured ideal of all.
South African writer Lindokuhle Nkosi visits the Kronendal Music Academy in Hout Bay, a suburb of Cape Town, which provides musical education for children. In a personal exchange with founder Dwyn Griesel they speak about the hardships of the corona pandemic and the consequences for the children, but also about the healing power of music.
International, emotional, immediate: the Berlinale “Panorama” section tracks down some outstanding works on the international cinema scene. In this context, the focus is on bold and unconventional feature films and documentaries that occupy a space close to the social and political zeitgeist. Michael Stütz, head of the Panorama section, talks about the most important themes and trends – and tells us what’s so special about his work.
The films of the GDR’s state film production company, DEFA, always bore the stigma of being permeated by propaganda. That, however, is only part of the truth. When it comes to feature and animation films, fairy tales and documentaries there is a valuable artistic film legacy to be found. The DEFA Foundation wants to make them more easily available digitally.
Photographer Tobias Zielony is known for his photographs of young people from disadvantaged urban regions. An interview about his work and the boundaries between realism and reporting.
What is the state of freedom in Japanese society today? What does the term “freedom” mean to her personally? Answers from Japanese activist Momoko Nojo, who is campaigning for greater political participation, especially among younger people in her home country. She is considered the voice of her generation and is active in many areas, such as gender justice and refugees, poverty and the effects of climate change.
At a time when freedom in the world is on the verge of collapse due to restrictions by authoritarian systems and the Corona pandemic, it is becoming clear how public space is rapidly shrinking. What role do artists play in the defence of freedom?
Across time, wars have occurred around the world. But as writer and filmmaker Ruchir Joshi points out, the recent war in Ukraine has alarmed countries and elicited action globally, something not seen since the Second World War. We are the species that ceaselessly terror-bombs itself.
Author Chika Unigwe likes her routine. She likes to know what happens next. But suddenly, everything changed and who knows if the world will ever be the same after the Russian invasion in Ukraine on 24th February 2022.
What is the war in Ukraine doing to us helpless onlookers? Croatian writer Marko Pogačar gives a deeply personal account of how he experienced the day Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
Suddenly, nothing is the way it used to be - this is what people in and from Ukraine have been experiencing since 24th February 2022. All Russians must now stand up and speak out, urges the Russian writer Alisa Genieva, for nothing will be the way it was anymore.
Who receives sympathy in times of war? How can skin colour shape the experiences of refugees? In this diary entry, Joshua Muyiwa reflects on the way Black people were treated when the Russia-Ukraine war began.
The day Russia launched its attack on Ukraine marks a turning point in Europe and in the world as a whole. Belgian writer Els Moors describes her reaction to the first day of the invasion.
Tatiana, Lina, Arina and Dani fled Kyiv. Their journey ended in Düsseldorf for the time being. There, the author Vera Vorneweg. Vorneweg took them in – and recounts their first day together.
Under fire: From a basement in Kharkiv, Ruslan Niyazov is keeping a diary, writing to keep the constant danger and fear at bay. In his posts from underground, he describes everyday scenes, hopes and worries. Excerpts from a digital war diary.
Why do we attach so much importance to gender? What would society look like without it? In this opinion piece, sociologist Alice Rombach dreams of a more diverse world.
In 1990, Latvia regained its freedom after several decades behind the Iron Curtain. Russian-born Deniss Hanovs, who has been a Latvian citizen for twenty years now, asks, “Who am I to my Latvian compatriots who survived the Soviet occupation? What do I have to do to be accepted here and become part of Latvia?” He believes a shared future in freedom is possible – provided that people are alive to one another’s pain.
Hannah Arendt dedicated her life to understanding the most pressing political questions of the 20th century. Author Samantha Rose Hill explores the life and work of one of the world's most important thinkers of her time.
The limit of my freedom is the freedom of others – what does that mean, especially today, for our modern, complex society? Armin Nassehi talks about the concept of freedom in a world that is being rocked by one disaster after another.
Fridays for Future, BLM, MeToo, #Leavenoonebhind: the fact that young people feel compelled to protest in the streets is first and foremost the expression of a fundamental dissatisfaction with politics. But it’s also a signal that they haven’t yet given up their belief in change. Another way this can be seen currently is through demonstrations of solidarity with Ukraine.
The hope of an editor-in-chief that journalists in Russia may die of old age points out the risks facing the profession there. Journalist and media scholar Ksenia Luchenko writes about the gruelling business of reorting and free expression in her home country and the crisis of traditional journalism.
How might one consider the concept of freedom? Where do neo-liberalists differ from fundamentalists? How are both ideologies shaping our freedom today? In an interview with Ekkehard Knörer, Professor Juliane Rebentisch addresses the question of the dual movement of freedom, of selfie culture, love and art.
Am I disabled? Will I become disabled? Is “disabled” the right word at all? Journalist Henning Schmidt has been living with some restrictions since he was born. He feels that in order to help people feel integrated into society, the focus should not be on language and terminology.
Due to her involvement in accessible art projects in China, author Chen Si’an was able to ask people with disabilities on how inclusion could be reached. In an interview, Peng Linqian, Tian Yunfan and Guo Wancheng tell her how to achieve real communication and equality.
What does a child feel who sees no children like itself in the cinema, in books or on television? Who is far too often busy trying to overcome distances? Only in the big city does Lara Shaker see herself represented and taken care of – and she is happy that diversity has become a little more “normal” in the meantime.
As of 2021, the Earth is home to 7.9 billion people. 7.9 billion people mean different cultures, numerous faith and religions, ethnicities, genders, beliefs and sexual orientations. The society that we live in is often labelled as “diverse”. But what exactly does a diverse society consist of?
When we talk about diversity in our society, we often look outwards or at what seems “foreign” and “different” to us personally. But it is worth changing our perspective from the outside to the inside and discovering that the diversity within ourselves gives us a better understanding of the diversity of the world.
The art form of the caricature has never been more visible than it is today. It was the classic drawing that dominated the scene for a long time, but this has now been joined by cartoons, memes and TV formats. This is a short history of caricature culture in Germany.
