We spoke to two to find out more about the hurdles they face in acclimating to their new home. Habibe from afghanistan has a secret. I cant write my first or last name. Paiman also barely knows how to read and write. I went to school for two years. Then i worked as a hairdresser, and then i was a housewife. Habibe and paiman are among the female refugees who have an especially hard time integrating into life in germany. Paiman is a 23yearold iraqi kurd. She married at 14. Now she, her husband, and their three schoolage children are living in a refugee hostel in cologne. They mainly keep to themselves. I dont have any german friends. I only know one person, from spain. Id like to make german friends, but ive never had the chance. Habibe also has little contact with germans. Shes only got to know one german woman at the refugee hostel. Weveeen iendwith her r a ar. When we haverobls or get letterfromhe authorities, she helps us. Then we make an appointment, my daughter meets her and brings the letters along. And when we have to go to the job centre, she goes with us. She helps us a lot, and were very grateful to her. Here in germany, habibe and her children still feel like theyre outsiders looking in. The 44yearold widow lives in her own cultural bubble and has little contact with german society. One of the ways germany is trying to reach out to women like habibe is by offering what it calls lowthreshold literacy courses. We want to help these women get out of their homes and get to know the area they live in. To learn german, meet other women, to have contact with others, and move around freely. The courses are being offered by the federal office for migration and refugees. Its a first step, but experts say more needs to be done. Its not enough. To integrate these newcomers into german society, you have to focus on the children and for that you need the mothers, too. Many of the immigrants who are coming to us now, or have in the past, are muslims. The fathers are like the ancient roman paterfamilias the head of the family who calls the shots and often keeps his wife in the background. Were reaching out to these women through the lowthreshold literacy courses and itd be very helpful if these thought patterns changed, too. But lets not kid ourselves thats not going to change overnight. Its a lengthy process and these courses contribute to that. Yesterday we practiced a dialogue. Over a million refugees have come to germany since 2015. Last year, the government tripled funding for lowthreshold literacy courses to more than 2 Million Euros a year. But thats just enough to give women a basic introduction to their new country. Many women never get beyond that. That was long the case with kostan rida, a kurd who came to germany 17 years ago with her husband and two sons. Her husband didnt want her to attend an integration course. But kostan was determined to end her isolation. She learned german, and now helps other women immigrants. She says many are feel selfconsicous and overwhelmed. Some women dont want to because theyre busy with their kids or have no desire to learn. Many women whove been here a long time can understand german and even speak a little theyre just afraid to. It took a lot of courage for questan to integrate into german society. She sought help from caritas, a social service organisation. But experts say that for more women to follow her lead, germany must actively promote policies that combat patriarchal views. That will lead to conflicts with the family values practiced at home. But the state should stand firm, and be willing to make demands on parents and even on on children. The goal has to be acheiving a reasonable level of assimilation into our civil society. Helping women could be key to achieving this goal, because paiman, habibe, and others like them want to make a life for themselves and their children in germany. Naples is known for its wood fired pizza, stunning seafront, and for the camorra, one of the oldest and largest criminal networks in italy. In places like the suburb of caivano, where many young people are unable to find jobs, they seek them out. Around 2,000 people recently protested in naples against a spate of Violent Attacks by gangs of youths led by socalled baby bosses, who rule the streets with extreme brutality. Our reporter met with a former gang member who is helping local youths make better choices by using Something Else naples is known for football. This football pitch is bruno mazzas pride and joy. Hes been coaching local children here for years and instilling in them values like teamwork and respect. The city of caivano is part of the naples metropolitan area. Its long been struggling with high unemployment, violence, and drugs. The children see a lot of this at home. They see their fathers packaging up drugs on the living room table for sale on the streets. Bruno wants to provide young people in the area with hope for a better alternative. This little container serves as his office. Bruno used to sell drugs himself. He was convicted, and spent 11 years behind bars. His brother died of an overdose. Hed like to spare the children here the same fate. Its a challenge at night, local junkies hang out on the football pitch. Every morning i have to go around collecting used syringes so that we can practice here. Theres no one else here to clean up. These syringes could be infected, so i have to get them away from the children. But brunos Football Club isnt enough to ensure these kids will have a better future. Much more is needed to counter the mafias hold on the area. We need a master plan for this district. Above all, we need proper jobs for young people. Its the only way to keep them away from organized crime. The root of our problems is lack of work. These problems have sparked massive protests in the area. Violence has become commonplace. At this metro station, a 15yearold was badly beaten by a group of teenagers who wanted his mobile phone and pocket money. Youth unemployment is over 50 in naples and the surrounding area. Prospects are bleak for young people here, making them easy prey for the camorra, the local mafiastyle crime syndicate. The baby gangs and baby bosses are getting younger and younger, and ever more brutal. Father Alex Zanotelli works in a troubled district of central naples. Hes shocked by the ruthless violence of many young poeple here. These young peple are responsible for a new crime wave. They arrive on motorbikes and shoot around wildly, even during the daytime. Theyre terrorizing people. Theres a small memorial outside his church for a local boy. Genny was just 17 when he was shot dead on his way home from school by a baby boss. That was over two years ago. Bruno remembers the outrage that followed the public demonstrations and the promises made by politicians. But nothing has changed. In the poor neighborhoods of caivano, drug dealing continues as before. The police avoid setting foot in the area. Mobsters rule the streets. Drug addicts are everywhere. They come here from all over the region to make their purchases. The children of caivano gather at brunos Football Club. No matter how difficult life may be at home, here the children find a sense of belonging. 23yearold luigi is one of brunos success stories. He spent years playing in brunos Football Club, and learned that there are alternatives to fast cash and dealing drugs. When bruno got out of jail, he approached many of the kids in our neighbourhood. Joining a team, doing something good, something right, had an impact on me. It gave me the strength to walk away from organized crime. Today, luigi works in a local supermarket. He plans to stay in caivano to show other young people that there are alternatives to crime and violence. Stories like this give bruno strength. One day, he hopes, his neighborhood will be known for more than just the camorra and crime. Brunos efforts are admirable. We wish him luck. Until only very recently, istanbul was known for its nightlife. But now, locals say, its party days are numbered after hefty taxes on alcohol were imposed by the conservative government. Even a beer or a glass of the national drink, raki, have become much more expensive. But thirsty turks are getting creative, as our correspondent in istanbul, julia hahn, reports. This kitchen might be the smallest brewery in istanbul. Once a month, Vuslat Ozdemirhan brews up a batch of beer here. He ordered the ingredients malt, sugar, yeast online. Thats where he got the recipe, too. Add water, and stir. And after a few weeks of fermentation, the beer is ready to drink. Im mainly doing this to save money. Alcohol has become so expensive in turkey. Taxes have been increased a lot over the years, and alcohol has become unaffordable. My homebrewed beer costs me a quarter of what id pay in the shops. Just a few years ago, istanbul was known for its nightlife. But the islamicconservative akp government seemingly wants to put an end to that. Shops are no longer permitted to sell alcohol after 10 00 p. M. Advertising alcohol is forbidden. And for many turks, high taxes have made it a luxury. Borak kocoglu owns a bar in istanbul. He says many other bar owners have already given up. Customers cant afford the high prices. A glass of aniseflavoured raki, a local favorite, costs about 2 to 3 times what it did just a few years ago. Its getting worse. They raise taxes twice a year. Theyve just been raised again. I think the authorities are trying to shut down bars and clubs. Or maybe its a religious thing. I have no idea. The government says its tax hikes have nothing to do with religion. But president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promoted a nonalcoholic yogurt beverage, as if to make a bigger statement. No matter what others say, our national drink is ayran, and i drink to that in istanbuls uskudar district, home to many conservative muslims, there are no complaints about the high price of alcohol. Im for a total ban. Nobody should drink. Its harmful. Ive just been to the mosque. I dont drink because islam forbids it. But everyone should decide for themselves. I think there should be more bans to protect our children. It should be totally prohibited. Borak kocoglu disagrees. He loves his bar. And hes convinced istanbul will lose much of its cosmopolitan flair if authorities keep making life hard for bar owners like himself. Vuslat ozdemirhan and his friends also dont want the government telling them what to drink. And to that, theyll raise a glass of their own home brew. From no other country have so many fighters joined the socalled Islamic State as from russia. Most came from the russian autonomous republic of chechnya in the north caucasus. Recruits from this region are said to be held in high esteem by i. S. Because they are battle hardened from decades of fighting for autonomy from russia. Many of these chechen islamists took their wives and children with them to syria. Now that the time of the i. S. Seems to be over there, relatives back home anxiously await their return. Gikalovskiy, south of grozny, a typical chechen town. Everyone knows and helps one another in spite of the high walls. But theres one thing the neighbors dont like to talk about their missing children. Petimaat salamova, too, has kept silent for four long years. But now shes broken that silence to talk about zalina, her beloved daughter. Zalina followed her husband, ruslan, who went off to syria to fight with the socalled Islamic State. He took zalina and their three children with hi i know hell never come back, because he was killed in march last year. Since then, she says, she hasnt heard anything from her daughter. Zalina is one of hundreds of chechens who left their home to join the i. S. After the war in syria broke out. Nearly all of them are listed as missing their children, too. Their mothers show us these photos in the desperate hope their children might see them and let them know that theyre alive. Here at petimaats house, her son ansor and granddaughter summaya are looking at photos of zalina. Would ansor also follow the terrorists call and go to syria the way his sister did . No, i wont let them recruit me. I have a mind of my own, and i dont listen to what the others are saying. Petimaat salamova hasnt given up hope of seeing her daughter again one day. She shows us the clothes shes bought for her three grandchildren in syria. And then she shows us this picture. I took this photo myself in syria. In december 2014, petimaat succeeded in contacting her daughter through intermediaries in turkey. Petimaat spent several weeks on the road, finally arriving in the city of manbij in northern syria. She had no way of knowing for sure if she would ever reach her destination or see her daughter. Eventually, the i. S. Allowed her to spend four days with her daughter. But she wasnt permitted to take zalina or her grandchildren back to chechnya. Petimaat and other local mothers have started a selfhelp group. It already has more than 800 members. One of them is sarima gadzhieva, the mother of ruslan, who took petimaats daughter to syria. My daughter was very obedient. She did everything her husband ordered her to. Is ruslans mother partly to blame for your daughters disappearance . I swear to you, no. To be honest, it all happened according to a higher will the will of allah. So this had to be. Thats what i believe. Over and over in chechnya, were told that religious faith was one of the primary factors that allowed the i. S. To recruit young people here young people who often paid with their lives. Many mothers of missing children come to the airport in grozny to wait, and to hope. Im here quite often. What do i have to do at home . I must look for my daughter. Now that russia has declared the defeat of Islamic State, groups of chechens are slowly being sent back from syria and iraq. Petimaat salamova keeps hoping that her daughter zalina is still alive, and that one day she, too, will return. Growing older can bring wisdom and feelings of contentment, but it can also mean loneliness and isolation as spouses and friends die or move away. In sweden, organizers of a speeddating club for seniors says it doesnt have to be that way. In as little as seven minutes, your luck, or at least your saturday nights staying at home alone watching tv, could all change. Hello, everybody. Hello. You may talk for seven minutes, starting now. Ill set the egg timer. These men and women have come to the Senior Center this afternoon to make some new friends. Theyve got just seven minutes to get acquainted. Speed daters have to put their best foot forward as fast as they can, and get a First Impression of the person theyre talking to. Is this person my type . Or not so much . The sevenminute limit means theres no time for shyness. You have to plunge right in. When you see people chatting away, you hope they might get together again and do something fun. Thats our goal. Thats what we want. Times up. More than a few are surprised at how much they had to say. It really was quite easy to get talking. Nothing like i thought it would be. It was wonderful. For the next round, they change partners. Speed dating keeps you on your toes. Theres a snack, too. All the conversation works up an appetite. After a certain age, its not that easy to make new friends. Its hard to break into existing social circles, where everyone already has their friends. It can be a problem. How are you supposed to find a male partner, especially one that doesnt just want you to cook for him . But most of the speed daters here arent looking for romance. Theyd be happy to find some new friends. Slowly but steadily, the pace picks up. With no time to waste, the conversations get more and more animated. Some of the seniors seem a bit out of practice. After my wife died, i lost all of our friends. There were a few who said theyd be in touch, but nothing ever happened. The speed dating gettogether is held once a month in huddinge, a municipality in southern stockholm. Birgitta winblad and her friends organize the meetings. They met each other at one. How was it, gunbrith . Very nice. Ive only been twice so far. I got these ladies as part of the deal. They meet up often these days. It helps keep their spirits up, they say. Everyone here has already lost members of their family, and the memories can weigh heavily on them. Some of my friends and acquaintances died much too early. Its very sad. Ive been feeling pretty lonely. Im pinning my hopes on these meetings. I believe in them. Shared hobbies and interests can help bridge the gap. The key to successful speed dating is quickly figuring out what you might have in common. It was very nice. We found out hes interested in electronics, and i am, too. Yes, my telephone number is 0704. The two exchange phone numbers. Their speeddating experience is off to a promising start. With any luck, it will be the beginning of a new friendship. Speed dating for seniors is a terrific idea. Who knows, maybe tinder for seniors next. Thats all for today. Thank you for watching. If you want to see any of our reports again, just go to our homepage on dw. Com or visit our facebook page, dw stories. See you next time. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] steves florence was long an economic powerhouse. Rather than its church, its the city hall, once the palace of the medici family, that towers over the main square. Michelangelos david originally stood here. This is a copy. The original david is the centerpiece of the nearby accademia gallery, which feels like a temple to humanism. At its altar, one very impressive human. The shepherd boy david sizes up the giant. Thoughtful and selfassured, he seems to be thinking, i can take him. The statue was an apt symbol, inspiring florentines to tackle their goliaths. When you look at david, youre looking at renaissance man. Artists now made their point using realism. They did this by merging art and science. For instance, michelangelo actually dissected human corpses to better understand anatomy. This humanism was not antireligion. Now people realized that the best wato glorify god was not to bow down in church all day long, but to recognize their talents and to use them. Artists like michelangelo even exaggerated realism to make their point. Notice davids large and overdeveloped right hand. This is symbolic of the hand of god. It was god that powered david to slay the giant. And florentines like to think gods favor enabled them to rise above rival neighboring citystates. The navelike hall leading to david is lined with michelangelos unfinished prisoners, struggling to brea out of the marble. Michelangelo believed these figures were divinely created within the rock. He was simply chiseling away the excess. Here we see the renaissance love of the body, as michelangelo reveals these compelling figures. While these statues are called unfinished, perhaps michelangelo was satisfied hed set them free, and he moved on to other challenges