55 Voices for Democracy – The Podcast

When it comes to politics, "distrust is a very healthy thing," says Dr. Christine Landfried. But Dr. Landfried warns that a complete loss of trust in democratic processes lead people to disconnect from politics entirely. In this episode, the professor of political science talks about how citizens' assemblies, a new form of participation, strengthen democracy and rebuild trust in its institutions. Landfried has observed citizens' assemblies and prominently reported about them in a variety of German-speaking media outlets. Christine Landfried is currently a Thomas Mann House fellow in Los Angeles.

In this episode, author and intellectual historian of the right, Matthew Continetti talks about the past and current strains of American Conservatism. Continetti notes that the territory on which politics is conducted has moved from the size and scope of the State to arguments over the "nature of America" itself. His most recent book "The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism" was published in 2022. Mr. Continetti is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

The fascist regime in Italy attempted early on to create a culinary nationalism by "re-writing 'la cucina povera' (the cooking of the poor) as national greatness" and to evoke a sense of pride in local produce that would ultimately support the fascist economy, argues historian Diana Garvin. Garvin is Assistant Professor of Italian at the University of Oregon, and has done extensive research on the role of food and coffee in fascism. In this episode, she talks about how food remains central to nation building to this day. Garvin is the author of Feeding Fascism: The Politics of Women's Food Work.

Civil sea rescue by organizations such as Sea-Watch saves lives, but the fundamental problem that Europe is sealed off to many who seek refuge remains, argues Ruben Neugebauer. Neugebauer is a co-founder of Sea-Watch, a non-profit organization committed to doing search and rescue missions on the Mediterranean Sea as well as advocating safe passage for refugees. In this episode, he talks with Aida Baghernejad about ways to reform European migration policies and how the situation on the Mediterranean Sea is affected by economic circumstances. Neugebauer is a photojournalist, geochemist and activist.

In this episode, Tom Zoellner and fellow journalist Aurora Almendral analyze the political situation in the Philippines: How does President Rodrigo Duterte, who many criticize for his autocratic governance, endanger democratic structures in the country? How does this affect the vibrant press and journalism culture, which is under attack by Duterte? Almendral is a Philippine-born award-winning journalist who writes for The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, and National Geographic Magazine. She covers topics such as global supply chains, women in global migration, climate economy, and politics in the Philippines.

What can Germany learn from California in terms of Equal Pay? Award-winning journalist Birte Meier explored this question during her Fellowship at the Thomas Mann House in Los Angeles. In this episode of 55 Voices for Democracy, she talks about how California's Equal Pay Act effectively protects against discrimination by, for example, allowing workers to speak openly about their salaries. Meier has worked as a ZDF editor, doing investigative business stories and in-depth political reports since 2007.