Thoughts for the Turn of the Year
Together for a stable democracy!
Democracy thrives on dialogue - and on people who are courageous. At the end of the year, Bernhard Straub looks back at the debates of the past months and explains why it remains important to defend civil society.
Dear readers,
Courage, curiosity, active listening, changing perspectives, engaging in disagreements, being able to let other arguments stand sometimes, and making compromises – perhaps you will discover these important qualities for democratic coexistence in our Christmas image.
The focus is on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the question of what it means to be transparent and politically neutral. The vehemence of the debate has now generated such momentum that it seems as if civil society is under general suspicion. For me and us, however, it is clear: civic engagement does not take place outside the political sphere. Precisely because it concerns how we live together in our society; it is inevitable that this is also political.
Not only at Christmas do I remain an optimist: The sometimes heated debates in recent months have also had positive effects. We and many others (partly together) have made it our mission to demonstrate how important an intensive examination of the role of civil society and its contribution to a stable democracy is. It is not only a matter of training our democratic muscles – but also of repeatedly explaining what we (perhaps) took for granted.
I wish for all of us that this debate will be conducted with curiosity and thoroughness in the coming year.
Merry Christmas and heartfelt thanks for your engagement. Here's to a good new year!
Yours sincerely,
We are living in a time when trust in democratic institutions and processes is declining, and far-right parties are gaining support. That’s why we at the Robert Bosch Stiftung are placing a focus on the topic of democracy in 2025. Find out here which approaches we are pursuing and what we aim to achieve together with our partners.
