Dies when not enough democrats are actively involved in it foozie im guessing a. Modern german democracy is vibrant here indecl dorf teenagers have come together at a poetry slam to debate democracy. Whats important to them what bothers them what does freedom mean to them. To mean freedom means getting involved in voicing your criticism. You must must soon going in came up under the time that im to question if thats the way it you must know english to my him on loud. And then listen then doesnt. Follow placed lies but i. Feed. Us the same summary of what matters most in contemporary germany. Thanks for most of those speaking today its their 1st time on stage but they enjoy it here anyone can state their views and then must defend them finally a fun way to talk politics is to me all night hell sit here because i can live here in germany and freedom. Democracy is starting to shake does mom drones on his job coal mine off and on style of a steel cutting nish to. Germany 1st enjoy democracy and constitutionally guaranteed rights for all citizens in the era after the 1st world war the Weimar Republic saw the country undergo a brief blossoming of economic and cultural activity. But then the global Great Depression brought about mass unemployment in the early 1930 s. The foundations of democracy were shook to their core. Society became divided. And radicalized nazis fought against communists while the democrats in the Political Center proved too weak to intervene they had too little backing from society. The nazis on the other hand did find support when hitler seized power nobody stood in his way as dictator he robbed 1st germany then europe of its freedom with devastating consequences. After germany was defeated the victorious allied powers divided the country into 4 occupation zones the french american and british zones to the west and soviet russia in the east. In 1994 occupied zones became 2 german states based on 2 different notions of democracy and freedom. The federal republic in the west was founded on the basis of the basic law a constitution designed to protect Civil Liberties and to prevent a return of despotism and oppression. The opening articles of the constitution guarantee the inalienable rights of every individual. Stock to a significant degree the basic law was a response to the Weimar Republic it provided far greater protection of fundamental rights it ensured far more checks and balances and equilibrium between the executive legislative and judicial branches of government and above all its a safeguard of democracy he did. Even before the new federal republic emerged the western powers had valued freedom of the press highly after all to form a free political will the people required free information. Article 5 of the basic law guarantees freedom of expression as well as freedom of the press all citizen. Have the right to disseminate their opinions as well as the right to inform themselves without hindrance the paragraph and with there shall be no censorship. But a free press can be bothersome to those in power. In 1962 the federal government became embroiled in a high profile showdown with a major news magazine on october 26th Police Forces raided the offices of dashed legal. Tails on a witness this assault on the freedom of press 1st hand back then he was just beginning his career and had recently been made an editor at deep site weekly. Today the journalist still has his office in the same building at the time many other papers share the same rooms. As a villa up in shannon pavo americas a couple of weeks earlier we had already noticed our phones were being tapped on and if you could hear a crackle in the line. One editor complained to whoever it was listening in and they had the cheek to answer back. So we knew something was going on but most of the person from. The authorities charged the spiegel with treason 2 weeks prior the magazine had published a controversial expose uncovering inadequacies within the west German Armed Forces and using allegedly classified material defense minister of khans fields of styles used this as an excuse to clamp down on critical News Coverage the spiegel offices were sealed off the magazines publisher stein and several journalists arrested him from incest does the use of a we were horrified to see the government driven by the defense minister violate freedom of the press so grossly. Of course we thought and if the government manages to get away with this then we are next as is anybody else who publishes Critical Coverage of the government to be it will be. You we are a little t. V. s on all of us in the building to shut down the morgan possible and. Both from a social democratic corner back then decide we all rallied behind. Every afternoon for the following days and weeks the tide Editorial Team vacated their desks for their spiegel colleagues other news outlets in the building also pitched in. To us when leaving switched to the speaker needed that to survive. And later said that missing 2 or 3 or 4 issues would have meant financial ruin books of the early cubism and the same solidarity extended beyond the press itself across west germany people organized street protests the spiegel affair as it came to be known evolved from an attack on one man the publisher ouch time to a full blown state crisis for conrad out in hours government and above all his defense minister growing pressure of intially led to the resignation of franz yosef strauss years later the federal court qua to charges against the magazine and its editors. Or a new president for i had come as kind of the most good without a free press there can be no democracy it would be my freedom of the press and freedom of expression in general including freedom of assembly are the cornerstones of democracy ornstein the democrat t. V. Or invent. To go their name and if citizens are no longer permitted to know the facts of origin night alternative interpretations of the facts maam it can that undermines the foundations of democracy fundamental democrat teves over. The spiegel affair show how west germanys basic law was able to keep state authority in check. And in east germany. East germany called itself the german democratic republic or g. D. R. In this case however democracy referred not to the freedom of the individual but the realisation of communist philosophy. Personal freedoms were subordinate to the collective good. For fossum did it here i give you up to even fight school the east german constitution also allowed for substantial freedoms they provided for freedom of expression is what freedom of the press and freedom of assembly. But this was all compromised by a constitution that asserted the supremacy of the s. C. D. Communist party and that took precedence over freedom of expression for example and justified the persecution of people with dissenting views advice not mine and that. Those limitations were exposed on june 17th 1953 when an estimated 1000000 people took to the streets of east berlin and other cities in the 1st ever mass protests against the regime. The demonstrators call for more freedom and Better Living conditions. At 1st the government was unsure of how to respond. To unless she didnt seem too new in 17th 1953 was triggered by an increase in production quotas which in practice meant more work for the same wages rise of and its a mineral. Well doesnt it that started a place then put sleeps and suddenly the issue was no longer just about production quotas and labor standards but free elections a significant political demand. In that sense you could say that june 17th 1953 was the 1st political and democratic uprising in the entire eastern bloc for literally democrats to show people in constant us. Those hopes for change would be short lived when soviet tanks moved in to crush the demonstrations killing scores of protesters a further 1400 people were sentenced in the aftermath of. B. S. E. Be head to term meant that another uprising Challenging State Authority would never again be allowed to arise. For many seeking greater freedom that meant there was only one option left leave 953. 00 saw the peak of east german migration to the west by 961. 00 a total of 2700000 people had fled the country well over a 10th of the population. The exodus was put to an abrupt end with the construction of the wall in 1961 with that the final weak point in the inner german border had been fortified east germany resembled an open air prison and entire population while them attempting to flee now meant risking your life and i was ok i would prefer whole they built a wall and imprisoned their own people for shoes they called an anti fascist protection barrier and claimed the threat i needed from the west while their guns were trained on people wanting to move from east to west from was investigated as this it was a blatant lie. But one that for a certain time actually help stabilize the east german identity nutrition a good recent site junkie did you. Know its got to use your touch. And that physical confinement was felt in all areas of everyday life for pay to call its father was a communist and had voluntarily decided to move from west to east germany but that made state authorities there suspicious and the family was placed under surveillance mother wanted to leave east germany the family had frequent. Political discussions at home which happens at a house for last the moment that whenever i went out i was told if you mention what we talk about as homes leaving the country criticizing the government who will all be arrested we could get in trouble we could all end up in jail its my mind i hope so i grew up with 2 opinions on certain things could be discussed in private but as soon as i was outside they were taboo it was i had to put on my propaganda face and repeat what they preached at school over time that became increasingly difficult. In 1974 the family applied to be relocated back to west germany peter was branded a traitor and forced to leave school before he could complete a degree his sisters dance club offered an alternative perspective and there he went on to win medals at national championships. But he remained an outsider. He decided to escape his plan was to cross through czechoslovakia and hungary then swim across the danube river to enter west germany from austria but on the train to prague he was arrested for not having a return ticket. He soon found himself in a shop as the prisoner transport van where he spent almost 4 hours in complete darkness. His cell one of 6 in the van was barely 50 by 50 centimeters. He had no idea where they were taking him. This was the element and i dont think ive ever been so scared in my entire life and i havent been that afraid since then either or ive never felt so utterly powerless and unable to determine my own fate and. His freedoms already so restricted in his life in east germany were now completely robbed at the stasi jail in dresden interrogators tried to break him with endless interrogations arbitrary harassment and total isolation even when he was allowed out to the courtyard. Could mean you forced into many a wacom device you know i was always down there. But i could never imagine what it was like from up here. Now looking down its almost as if the guards were standing up. To show separated from the scum below. Flutes to. Pay to call it was sentenced to 10 months in jail for attempting to escape the republic and sent to a prison and capos but then his fate took a happier turn the socalled halflings fikile for prisoners ransom saw west germany buying the freedom of east german prisoners in exchange for cash or goods. By 989. 00 over 33000. 00 Political Prisoners were bought free by west germany paid a corpse freedom cost at least 40000. 00 to mars in some east germany arent an additional 3400000000 dollars your marks by selling prisoners. It was essentially informal inner german Human Trafficking in which the western concession to freedom helped prop up the eastern government. To do what is east germany participated in this welcome Human Trafficking enterprise because it needed money it was sheer economic desperation would the small d. For a socialist go to its top priority was to earn money giving in to pressures of humanity was only secondary now sukey. Kind of like taking the lid off to let out some air. To us not want to us a lesson. In west germany peoples desire for greater freedom was expressed differently the Younger Generations openly challenge authority. They didnt want to be told how to fit in and question everything from haircuts to dress codes to etiquette an attitude on sex. Table quiz dog was actively involved in the movement to her generation actions were motivated by political issues and inspired by recent german history. I found even stick to it was a general attitude to life we wanted to disassociate ourselves from the nazi regime. Around the world we had the grace and the opportunity to be a young postwar generation so we were so full of hope was full of. The new youth wanted to be heard in a new way they took to the streets to protest against the war in vietnam and against authoritarian regimes supported by the west. Societys eagerness to consume was dismissed as consumed to or for the terror of commercialism. Then came june 2nd 1967 a turning point for freedom in west germany. During the official visit of the shah of iran and his wife in west berlin students gathered to protest against his dictatorial Regime Police attempts to stifle the demonstration were violent i sat evening one student benno on his dog was shot dead by a Police Officer under dubious circumstances i. Am for kristoff was there at the time a theology student she knew on his dog from university. After the fatal shot she recognised him as he lay on the ground. Took me long in this guitar out at 1st i was too scared to look at his face so. I was afraid i would recognize him. But we were shocked to see so much police brutality. And to see such a sensitive and well meaning student gunned down a. Few different ones in a lot of us were beaten up that day and had a 1st encounter with tear gas that night changed my life line to. The death of ben owners or set off further protests and further clashes with the police. West germany witnessed a fresh wave of radicalization and faced a new test for its Democratic Values as the Younger Generation call for completely new freedoms. Granted to use it used to do i believe it wasnt until the generation of the 1968 in the germany actually incorporated the values of the west this time so if you. Do have to do this conflict was necessary. To ensure broad support for the formal anchoring of democracy in the basic law. Act of tense. Times were also changing in the west German Bundesliga in 1989 social democrat village bryant became chancellor for the 1st time in the young countrys history the conservative christian democrats were no longer in power and beyond who had fled germany and the nazis in his youth brought with him a new concept of freedom and democracy. Charge of the mccarthy era noam. But also i didnt think you could point and shoot him. Also only get one string on the gigs i think traversed the. Fear fallen yes democrats 5. To dare more democracy a goal that would reverberate forget kates to come beyond wanted everyone to be granted responsibility and to feel responsible soon grassroots initiatives began to emerge such as the environmental movement. Valmeyer lives in hamburg as a young man he became politically active being able to vote every 4 years was simply not enough to him freedom meant taking action to bring about change. Because all i knew back then was the Student Movement to me it was an abstract ideological concept then suddenly things became very concrete they revolved around the here and now our environment and we want to change here and now. He was going to be taught the river elbe on the docks here just stank every few 100 meters you could see a pipe discharging sludge into the river sometimes it was yellow sometimes purple and sometimes you could see it steaming it was unbelievable. Today the waters of hamburg stocks are much cleaner thanks in part to get bought by my and his fellow campaigners. In 1980 he was one of the cofounders of the German Branch of greenpeace the young activists carried out a spectacular protest on the high seas tying their rafts to a freighter dumping Chemical Waste into the north sea. The issue of dumping diluted acid was legal at the time despite the toxic damage it did to fish and humans alike. To hear there was an aggressive response they threatened legal action and huge claims for damages and what happened they called us eco terrorists and job destroyers. We had to put ourselves in the public eye with a stance that was radical in those days so of course we had to expect backlash. Their campaigns were geared towards publicity on t. V. They could persuade themselves as brave young people taking on the all powerful corporations david versus goliath. This helped promote their cause among their captive audience. How hudson there was an electrical engineer at the time like get to follow my arc he spent a lot of time by hamburg the docks he too is a Founding Member of greenpeace germany recalling those early days they remembered that the support they received was at times unexpected. If he had to put it there were a lot of times when the police essentially helped us surely often got into trouble with them but there were other situations when. They were very careful and i dont mean that in a negative sense is it so often i remember the police would give us all not the middle finger but a thumbs up. They were telling us to keep it up 9. Or 10 learn and their fellow activists put their Political Liberties to good use. In the process they launched a movement that would surprise everyone with its success. The eco warriors embark on a series of sensational protest operations. That took on the whaling industry in generated huge publicity while at times also risking their lives. They scaled an occupy the dome of a Nuclear Power plant near the city of play man and they demonstrated against the planned sinking of the brands bar oil platform they never shied away from a fight with the industry because could. Theres always been groups that push aside to forward their need to be thats the way its always been and the way it always will be. Theyre called trouble makers of course. But its they who make the dough that for men some society and helps it evolve it means the most important thing to me has always been the parties must be fair when they disagree. And if they can do that then their disputes can be productive. In the 1980 s. There was a wide range of actors fighting for Environmental Protection peace and equal opportunities. And the culture of protest spread across west germany and enjoyed growing sympathy among the public regardless of any setbacks or police oppression. And some activists wanted to make the Development Part of the establishment in 1980 a new Grassroots Movement emerged initially the greens were more a potpourri of various groups and philosophies than an established Political Party if anything they were an anti parties party. I know thats ok. You know. Its nice to see. You know indians i mean get wonders but. Soon i. Was. I. Was. To go in terms if you go in the greens front of their party because extra parliamentary opposition alone was not enough to change society they could protest support but that wasnt going to change things that they were drawing the consequences for not feeling represented by the existing parties so they took matters into their own hands and this was that also meant they were willing to enter into government with all the problems that involves blame doesnt it but. The 1983 west german elections saw the greens in our parliament for the 1st time thanks primarily to younger voters. A new type of politics was blossoming in west germany with new freedoms even in the boom to stock. In east germany critical voices had a harder time open protest was largely impossible as was the notion of free elections and grassroots politics. The one Party Communist state was quick to subdue any Free Expression in public. The ministry for state security. That set up a Surveillance System that prevented all areas of life. The freedom to privacy was rendered void by officers and agents in uniform and a huge Undercover Network of informers and yet many still managed to carve out new spaces of freedom for themselves. So my point is so with nothing nisha and you could find your own niche thats who caucasian. Believes the church became a safe place to feel at home. In soon as it was there people werent looking to overthrow the powers that be they focused on building a life that was worth living. We have seen. How the bag in saxony on hot home to christophe high. Growing up as the son of a pastor an atheist east germany he was an outsider from the beginning. He decided to become a writer despite the prevailing restriction on artistic freedoms. Hine defied the state censors creating sober and realistic depictions of life and over time his plays and prose earned him a respected status critical writers like him faced a dilemma all publications 1st had to be approved by the strict state censors hine and others wanted to be published but were reluctant to make compromises in their works yet hein managed to pull off the delicate balancing act. I wouldnt let the fear of censorship interfere with my work life at home i was alone and i could write without any censorship but the censors would only come in after id submitted a manuscript so i tried not to waste any thoughts on what they would say about that in id say it worked out pretty well isnt it of your life you must go in 1983 christophe hines work reached west germany and prove popular there too despite dealing primarily with life in the east. He had assurance 1st had to be approved by the strict state censors hine and others wanted to be published but were reluctant to make compromises in their works yet hine managed to pull off the delicate balancing act. And i wouldnt let the fear of censorship interfere with my work at home i was alone and i could write without any censorship but the censors would only come in after id submitted a manuscript so i tried not to waste any thoughts on what they would say in id say it worked out pretty well isnt it of your life you must go in 1983 christophe hines work reached west germany and prove popular there too despite dealing primarily with life in the east. He had a sure hand for selecting his manuscripts and had certain works published in west germany as well. Christophe was among a group of east german writers and artists whose success across the border afforded them a certain degree of protection in november 1907 he was invited to make a speech at the state sponsored. Congress there he saw a critical opportunity to publicly criticize state censorship. Censoring publishing houses and Books Publishers and writers as antiquated and useless paradoxical inhumane contrary to the people on lawful and criminal. And the name big of a statement and unprecedented in east germany but was he afraid. Not i thought no i wasnt afraid it no doubt this was the late 1980 s. In the late fortys or fiftys you could have gone to jail for that kind of thing is good. But by the end of the eightys things had changed for a number of people by this time the regime was already weakened this gradually allowed for a greater scope of artistic freedom. Space for freedom of expression that could also be found in churches. Because of all time and even churches were a place where people were free to gather because they were not subject to state domination thats what that was why people went to church back. I saw several 1000 people gathering in the whole kenosha especially during the october protests in 1909 shes tours and these people had no interest in religion but they went to church anyway because they felt these people could be trusted good and useful to them it was a place where they could finally come together and get politically involved. Counseling hocking how it was among those who took advantage of this new freedom the church provided in 1988 she moved to leipsic to study theology and became active in a local dissident group. But they had to work in secret the right to Assembly Might have been officially guaranteed in the east german constitution but the stasi had its eyes and ears everywhere. That im surprised given just looking group justins was a sound. That was not open to the public. By a secret. I had already realized that otherwise the stasi might always have a way of finding out what we were doing and try just dont us decisive and so if we wanted to challenge this authoritarian regime wed have to find a new approach that comes on the middle. In the summer of 1987 like they hosted the National Gymnastics and Sports Festival the official message was that of happy young people honoring the east german fatherland under the benevolent watch of the state. It was essentially propaganda sorely divorced from reality. Like many other cities in the country life was in a rundown state in Early September 989 cuts being hawked and howard and her group organized a daring public campaign. The timing was no coincidence it was the 1st peace prize off to the summer break and also the 1st monday of the International Law to mention in fact in other words it was the only monday when western camera crews were officially allowed into the city and ill talk to. The church of st nicholas hosted weekly peace prayers from their opposition groups took to the streets of downtown leipsic and this time they had prepared banners made out of bed sheets. Just coming in now as are relying on cant say for sure just how long nap and i was not maybe 3040 seconds at best but it was long enough for a lot of people to see it then it was violent it torn out of our hands this important. Shortly after cut in half and how was arrested but the banner had fulfilled its purpose west german cameras had recorded everything including the chanting crowd the footage went around the world unwillingly. Agents had triggered an avalanche. Despondent tradition it was a stroke of luck not because the world could see it but because our own people didnt and that same evening on west german t. V. And they said to them sounds while revolution has becomes in your life. Soon because. Touching hot and how it was released from custody and months later at the demonstration the following monday she joined 130000 people marching for freedom and democracy by early november their numbers had swelled to half a 1000000 it was now the biggest Civil Rights Movement in the history of east germany and it had become a peaceful revolution that proved unstoppable. By november 9th 1989 the berlin wall was no more. Big. Democratic years from michelin to me democracy is not freedom from something highest want it freedom to do something life goes by the freedom to participate and have a sane shape in society. And thats nice today as much as it did in 1981. In 1990 east and west germany were reunified from then on the basic law drafted in west germany apply to all german citizens. But although the east had simply adopted the basic law the people from what was now former east germany had fought the battle for freedom themselves in the course of their struggle they risked everything and they prevailed. Since then germans rights to freedom have faced a number of challenges most ominously terrorism in december 26th a Christmas Market in berlin was the target of a deadly attack freedom and security a step simply enjoy equal protection but absolute security can never be completely guaranteed thats the price of freedom is he not to he. Has the juneteenth to ensure internal security. You know. Can move lethal one day that includes solving crimes and preventing terrorist attacks and organized crime wherever possible and minimizing home to individuals. Ok and what in these final fight is frightening this precarious balance between freedom and security means there is a considerable danger of the skies tipping towards security by. The hike in nyc. More security also means more surveillance as germanys federal commissioner for Data Protection paper shock closely observed this development for years he believes the wave of Technological Advancements poses serious threats to Civil Liberties the big ones the outside of the photo standing were moving towards a comprehensive surveillance of every aspect of our daily lives. And that should concern us all so its all good not some sort of the meticulous recording of peoples everyday lives can also lead to the creeping loss of privacy and freedom not necessarily by state coercion but quite voluntarily the effect on the people that we have a script ive shown direly that using technology compromises our privacy and by you the books and for each time we log on we leave behind socalled animated data that meditator reveals where i am when i use what technology and even who im communicating with you have it. And that same technology can be used to political and governments interested in personal data are offered plenty of ways to collect it and surveillance is also already present in the public realm. The potential for abuse is obvious. But how these dangers might be contained is still unclear. If no way is found to limit data gathering then eventually the result will be total surveillance. Its good to at 1st be Something Like sleepwalking into a surveillance state is indeed possible and were already halfway there. You know and for now these digital jails by completely up and running. We need to preserve freedom oh and that also means preventing the surveillance nightmare from becoming a reality that otherwise it will render democracy obsolete. The freedom that people spent decades fighting for now faces a new threat. Citizens becoming completely transparent. That heis lets end the ultimate this means that we cannot allow peoples privacy on the most intimate aspects of their lives to be subject to investigation. There has to be a core of my life to see and personality that define you as an individual and that is nobodys business but your own not even the state. Digitalisation is the key technological phenomenon of our time at the same time its also a major challenge to individual freedom Digital Media provide scope for unregulated and anonymous comments online those pose a serious threat to freedom wheres the line between freedom of expression and criminal incitement and harassment the question remains highly contested. Berlin based repubblica is one of the biggest conferences in the world on the subject of digitalisation each year participants enjoy heated debates on its impact on democracy journalist patrick stadium on himself an avid user of social media has been examining this development for many years. Young gunslinger for a long time we believe the digitalisation it benefited freedom what were seeing now is that Surveillance Technology the predominant private companies are in danger in. The fog. And another buzzword is also encroaching. In our freedom fake news stadium on c s 2 major parties primarily responsible for the deliberate dissemination of dissent from action. Gives me some political activists have mastered the art of using social media to produce exaggerated emotionally charged news that is beneficial to them politically and there are companies that use that for financial profit they have learned that the key to social media platforms is to employ exaggeration and fictitious emotional headlines which people then share thats how they make their money on. The lecture on a data has become a vital resource in the 21st century and a multibillion dollar business for international corporations. Kristie we cannot leave the public at the mercy of a handful of corporations they dont care about democracy theyre only interested in turning over a profit on thats not how the public realm works the public realm should not be a place where people make around just profits off a political opinions and its my. Will thoughtful individuals like patrick stadium on managed to wield greater influence on future developments or will it be the Global Corporations ultimately its up to us the very survival of our freedom depends on us. Thats one also just wish to learn car what we can learn from history is that freedom can never be taken for granted if they can disappear very suddenly systems can break down even today those revolutions and authoritarian regimes can emerge seemingly out of nowhere and as such freedom is something that we must constantly fight for protect those of us with me said our constitution and laws dont completely guarantee it also its something that has to be cemented as a manifestation of democracy most. Since the end of the 2nd world war the german people have struggled for their freedom. They fought the legacy of the nazi era withstood foreign and domestic threats and stood fast for the values of democracy. Following reunification in 1990 the nation as a whole has finally come to enjoy its freedom for longer than any other time in its history. Environmentally conscious living. With maximum comfort. Her knowledge furia from tanzania is helping make it possible she started with sustainable ideas in his own home. Kitchen how hes inspiring others to innovate and his invention school eco africa in 30 minutes on d w. Going to. Keep. Your concept discovered with the box. A ledger after 100 years as the ideals of the bombs more relevant today than they were a. 100 years ago visionaries reshaped. People understood design is a way of shaping society. The powerhouse of man does cassella. With ideas that are of course future sound how a card to. Me part documentary starts november 14th d. W. Place. This is g. W. News live from berlin bolivia thanks is a rerun of last months disputed president ial election people moralists agrees to call a new election after independent monitors reported serious voting irregularities widespread protests erupted after morales claimed victory 3 weeks ago will get the latest live from our correspondent in the pots also coming up spain is voting again soon for the 4th time in 4 years the socialist party of acting Prime Minister pedro sanchez