What country do we want to be? – "Offene Gesellschaft" returns to Berlin on 18th February

Following more than a dozen events all across Germany, the nationwide debate series "Die Offene Gesellschaft" (Open Society) is returning to Berlin on 18th February. Come to SO36 in Kreuzberg and join in the discussions.

Getting under the skin of Germany’s self-image: How open should our society be and what are we prepared to do about it? This question is the focus of an open public debate taking place on 18th February at SO36 in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Under the title "What country do we want to be?", Berliners will discuss how we as a society want to deal with the refugee situation and the dangers posed by Islamist terrorism in Germany – and which stance is most suitable for dealing with these issues. Following more than a dozen events from Flensburg to Freiburg, the debate series is making a stop in Berlin.

Thursday, 18th February 2016

8 p.m., at SO36

Oranienstraße 190, 10999 Berlin

Participating in the event are Ulrich Lilie (President of the Diakonie Deutschland), Emine Erol (Theologian & Religion Appointee of the Sehitlik Mosque in Berlin-Neukölln), Andreas Müller (Juvenile Court Judge) and Leila El-Amaire (Poetry Slammer). The discussion will be moderated by Alexander Carius, co-founder and managing director at adelphi.

More than 2500 people have taken part so far – analogue, on location, and controversial

The latest political developments in Germany and Europe have made it urgently necessary for the citizens of this country to reflect on themselves and to ask themselves: Do we want to be a society guided by ideals of freedom and human rights, or an exclusive society that seeks to defend its identity against perceived external threats?

Inspired by the example of American style town hall debates, the discussion events are taking place in the same format across the country: First, invited guests make short statements. Then, the the discussion is opened up to include everyone in attendance. "Die Offene Gesellschaft" (The Open Society) is bringing the debate out of the realm of social media: instead, the discussion takes place live, analogue, in public. More than 2500 people have taken part in the sometimes controversial debates in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, and other large German cities since the end of November 2015. Admission is free.

The debate series was initiated at the end of November 2015 by Alexander Carius (co-founder and managing director at adelphi) and Prof. Harald Welzer (founder and director of the foundation FUTURZWEI). All dates, press commentary and participants can be found at www.die-offene-gesellschaft.de