An evening at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin: hundreds of people have come together to discuss. About society, about democracy and, on this day, above all about the refugee movement. A schoolgirl takes the floor:
"I don't understand why everyone is so upset and worried. This is just a new phase."
It is a simple and yet so wise sentence that shakes up the plenum. And it is moments like this that make the Open Society initiative so special.
Society needs real conversations
Founded in September 2016, "Die Offenen Gesellschaft" pursues the following goal: to defend democracy against its enemies and to further develop our society. And how is this to be achieved? Through public debates. Up to 700 people make the pilgrimage to the events, which are curated by the initiators but are otherwise not influenced in any way. More than 4,000 "friends" from the most diverse areas of society support the movement. Partners include the Open Society Foundation, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Bertelsmann Foundation, the FUTURZWEI Foundation, Diakonie, the think tank adelphi research, deutsch plus and the Deutsches Theater, among many others.
The basic idea behind the initiative was to create analog spaces where people can exchange ideas.
"Digitalization is leading to increasing atomization in society. And we believe that we need public situations for discussion so that people can find their bearings," explains sociologist Harald Welzer, one of the co-initiators.
The debates create a moment in which the speakers have to stand by their statements directly. These are also the strengths of public discourse: People become more vulnerable and at the same time more courageous. They have to show themselves and cannot hide behind anonymity online. And that brings with it a different quality of exchange.
The "permanently excited" are in the minority
It is also impressive how calm and civilized the events have been so far. No scandals, no break-ups. "Although Pegida people were also there and we once had the Identitarians there, there were never any riots," says Welzer. "That was the big, positive surprise. That people are more reasonable than we are told every day. The 'permanently agitated' are a minority."
June 17, 2017 was a special day - the first "Open Society Day". This was a bold attempt to invent something like a new public holiday. An opportunity to be open and demonstrate what kind of society and culture we actually want to be. In concrete terms, it looked like this: All over Germany, people invited each other to dinner. "A nationwide dinner", as Harald Welzer calls it. In the end, it was an extremely successful affair. Over 500 events took place. "Some with thousands of participants," enthuses the sociologist. "We were a bit proud of that."
An idea for the whole of Europe
"Die Offene Gesellschaft" is not limited to Germany. There have already been meetings in its name throughout the German-speaking world. In Austria, by the way, in Steyr and Vienna.
"From our point of view, it makes sense for the whole thing to grow across Europe. After all, we work as curators," concludes Welzer. "It doesn't take much to set up an event. There are enough spaces. Theaters, churches, leisure clubs, sports halls, you name it. We provide the organizers with support and materials such as posters on request. Anyone who wants to do something can do it."
"The open society"
Which country do we want to be? This is the question that "Die Offene Gesellschaft" is trying to answer through public discussions and debates. The initiative offers interested parties a platform via the website and social media channels, a circle of friends as well as advice and support in the implementation of projects. There are also regular events in Austria. All interested parties are welcome. You can find more information here: The Open Society.
