What is it like to live democratically in two of Europe’s most vibrant metropolises? What can Berlin and London learn from each other, and what are the challenges? In our new podcast
Fabienne Sand: What does the concept of the “good life” in a democratic society mean to you personally, and how do you want to highlight this connection between political participation and individual well-being in the podcast?
Sabine Pusch: In a world where populism is on the rise and more and more people feel alienated from their governments, Rob and I are interested in exploring London’s and Berlin’s approaches to promoting civic engagement. A “good life” means so many different things to different people, and we want to learn more about how these approaches vary in two of Europe’s greatest capitals.
Berlin and London are also the focus of the podcast as starting points for your work. What commonalities and differences have you noticed so far in terms of societal challenges and solutions, and why are these cities particularly exciting for comparison?
We decided to compare Berlin and London because they are cities that we both know well – Rob better than Sabine, as he lived there for several months with his family. Sabine’s connection is more indirect: Although I am German, I have spent my whole life in the UK. However, my grandfather comes from Berlin. In fact, my great-great-grandfather – with the unfortunate name Heinrich Adolf Pusch – was a hatter for the Emperor in the 19th century! Rob and I decided that our first interview should be with people who run citizens’ assemblies in Berlin and London. These actors are actively working to promote civic engagement in Germany and the UK. The approaches in the two cities were interesting both in their commonalities and in their differences: In Berlin, the process seems to be more top-down, as politicians direct the questions to the citizens’ assembly. In London, on the other hand, the approach is more “bottom-up”, with the public’s concerns and problems being brought to the politicians. Both approaches have their strengths, but we agreed that the biggest challenge remains how to reach people on the margins of society.
What journalistic principles guide you in creating a podcast that deals with complex issues such as democracy, climate change and social justice? How do you find the balance between information, entertainment and depth?
A podcast is a very intimate medium, as it is almost always listened to by individuals with headphones. That’s why I think podcasts work best when they have a conversational style. It is important that the listeners feel like they are part of the conversation, rather than being lectured. This does not mean that we cannot deal with in-depth ideas, but I always try to get contributors to explain their concepts in a way that is understandable to everyone. I remember my professor at university saying, “If you can’t explain something to an intelligent 16-year-old, then you don’t really understand it yourself.” That’s why I always work according to the BBC’s motto: inform, educate and entertain.
🎧 Listen now – and join the discussion! Together for a democratic, liveable Europe.
