Sowing the seeds of an equitable world The reclamation of seed as a common good has begun. Following the concept of open source, new approaches evolve that result in the cultivation of a large number of species and varieties. By Barbara Unmüßig
The German Election and Donald Trump Bundestagswahl Since the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, Germans have lost trust in the United States. Will Merkel cozy up to Trump after the election or continue to criticize his actions? Commentary in Foreign Affairs. By Dominik Tolksdorf
Mexico City Office - Mexico, the Caribbean The Heinrich Böll Foundation works in Mexico and the Caribbean on resource policy, energy and socio-ecological transformation as well as democracy, security and digital rights.
“Proof that history can be changed” Interview For decades, Russian civil rights activist, historian, and German scholar Irina Scherbakova has been working to shed light on the repressive policies of the former Soviet Union. This Monday, she was awarded the Goethe Medal. By Simone Brunner
Emily Nasrallah: The “peasant woman” who wrote about her land and won the heart of the world Homage The Goethe Medal 2017 will be given to Lebanese writer Emily Nasrallah. In her texts for adults and children, she has found a poetic language to describe everyday life in the Lebanon drawn by the civil war. By Deema Keadbey
"It became my mission to locate women's voices" Interview Urvashi Butalia is one of India’s foremost feminists. On the occasion of her receiving Germany’s Goethe Medal on August 28, 2017 in Weimar, we have talked to her about her work as a publisher, feminism, writing and politics in India. By Axel Harneit-Sievers
Hostile takeover: How Orbán is subjugating the media in Hungary Viktor Orbán and his closest allies have taken control of most of the Hungarian media. Journalists at loyal outlets are expected to closely follow instructions from the state apparatus; in exchange, they receive advertising money from government institutions. By Krisztián Simon and Tibor Rácz
Food discrimination against women in Afghanistan Backgound Afghanistan has been described as the world’s most dangerous country for women. Violence against women (VAW) takes many forms, and has complex and deep roots in the patriarchal culture of the Afghan society. One form of VAW is denying them access to food. By Weeda Mehran
The Future of Forced Migrants in ASEAN How ASEAN deals with forced migrants shows in how far it is actually people-centered and people-oriented. This vulnerable group used to be integrated in the past. However, today it appears integration efforts are not truly inclusive. By Andika Ab. Wahab
Shrinking Civic Spaces in ASEAN Despite its diversity, ASEAN member states have one common trait: state repression. This is in contrast to ASEAN´s aspiration to be people-centered. How repression looks on the ground can illustrate the example of the Bersih movement for fair elections in Malaysia. By Dr. Khoo Ying Hooi