News from Social Science Works

Prof. Dr. Simon W. Kolbe reviewed Migrationspolitik auf der Flucht. Erfahrungen von Neuankömmlingen mit Untätigkeit, Trägheit und Gleichgültigkeit on Socialnet.  Kolbe is professor in Social Work at the Wilhelm Löhe Hochschule. Among other things he...

Talking Politics and Society Again: Reengaging with Fellow Citizens is the title of the new book of Hans Blokland. It will be published by Transcript Verlag in Bielefeld and will be available from March 27...

Ali Ghaznawi was born in 1988 in Kabul. He studied computer science and is a graphic designer and web developer. In 2007, Ali was introduced to the world of computers and became fascinated with graphic...

From February to November 2025, we implement a new project in a refugee home in Brandenburg, supported by the IKEA Foundation. This initiative is aimed at children aged 6 to 12, providing them with hands-on...

Everything comes to an end and so does the stay of our interns Muriel Akkerman, Evelyn Callapino Guarachi and Akram Yahiaoui. With the support of the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (IfA), they have been working at...

At a conference of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Bonn on November 4, Hans Blokland delivered a pulse lecture on populism: what is it, what causes it, what can we do about it? A...

With the support of the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (IfA), Akram Yahiaoui will intern at Social Science Works until the end of the year. Akram is a passionate multidisciplinary professional from Constantine, Algeria, with master’s degrees...

Since 2022 we have been publishing interviews with refugees on our website. We wanted to get to know and make available for the wider public their stories: where do the people come from, why did...

Muriel Akkerman, Evelyn Callapino Guarachi, Noëlle Wendling and Eline Sap joined our team. The stays of Muriel and Evelyn have been made possible by the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen, IfA). Muriel...

Exposing and deconstructing discrimination in all its diversity: Deliberative training for volunteers. As in previous years, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is once again supporting our two-day training courses on discrimination and...

In order to strengthen democracy, we need a new discussion culture. To this end, we are creating public spaces where citizens can meet regularly to discuss social issues over coffee and cake and get to...

    With the support of the Partnership for Democracy Westhavelland & Nauen, we are implementing a series of workshops with refugees in the refugee home in Nauen, Brandenburg, in 2024. The topics will include...

Migration Policy on the Run: New arrivals’ experiences of idleness, inertia and indifference In recent years, Social Science Works has conducted extensive research on the living conditions and perspectives of refugees in Germany. In this...

Arjun Joshi holds a Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and is a UK Government funded Chevening Scholar. He lives in Berlin and conducts research as...

Dr. Nargiza Nizamedinkhodjayeva is a seasoned researcher with over a decade of experience in international development projects and programs. Her professional journey includes postdoctoral work with international research organizations, most notably the Global Green Growth...

Yasmine is a Gender and Diversity student from Tunisia, currently studying at the University of Applied Sciences Rhine-Waal in Kleve. Before finding her true passion, she finished a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in her...

Genevieve is a predoctoral graduate student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, studying Cultural and Medical Anthropology. She obtained a B.S. in Medical Anthropology from the Ohio State University, where her senior thesis was...

The number and diversity of podcasts available is growing by the day. More and more people are listening to these as well. In this development, Social Science Works cannot be left behind, of course. Earlier...

The Equality University, one week of learning, understanding, and growth, just ended. The Equality University was a ERASMUS+ youth training organized by Instytut Przeciwdziałania Wykluczeniom (Poland) in collaboration with Social Science Works (Germany) and Social...

Social Science Works was invited to present some of our experiences with deliberation at the conference “Deliberative Democracy Days: Moving deliberative democracy and participatory tools forward”. We talked  in particular about our projects with young...

In the last days of March 2023, after two years of intensive cooperation, Agora Aveiro (Portugal) PIN – Psychosocial Innovation Network (Serbia), Mentor Split (Croatia) and Social Science Works (Germany, sort of) came together in...

The German Postcode Lottery supports Social Science Works in the coaching of four groups of children and adolescents with a refugee background in Brandenburg. Experiences of flight and trauma, language deficits, living conditions in homes...

Milad began his academic journey in sociology at an “underground” and “illegal” university called BIHE, aimed at those deprived of higher education. Later, as an artist, he obtained his B.F.A in Photography and Film from...

Building Inclusive Societies _ Erasmus+ Training in Portugal This February, Social Science Works participated in an Erasmus+ training on the themes of migration and inclusion, in Aveiro, Portugal, as part of a joint project “Building...

Our children’s group in Rangsdorf took a field trip to the local fire department. The 15 children, who had been looking forward to this for weeks, were given an extensive tour by the firemen.  Much...

Nadia Lejaille is a German-French lawyer, specialized in German tax law, and project management. She worked for 4 years as a project manager and tax compliance officer for a German cooperative bank. She is interested...

Girls or women are repeatedly exposed to discrimination and disadvantage in the prevailing patriarchal structures. Especially girls with refugee experiences are affected due to intersectionality. Through a girls’ meeting place, a shelter is created that...

In the fall of 2022, Social Science Works conducted a project with children in Rangsdorf who live with their parents in the two refugee homes located in the community. These are often children who often...

Together with 18 high school students and citizens, Social Science Works was at the German Foreign Office to discuss the values and the future of the European Union. Several politicians and civil servants were present...

Europe for all. Citizens deliberate European values. In this project, facilitated by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, citizens discuss Europe. We aim to foster a deeper understanding of the foundations of democratic participation and...

Last week, we continued the “Equality University” Project, funded by the Erasmus Plus program of the European Union. Partners in this project are the Institute for the Prevention of Exclusions (Instytut Przeciwdziałania Wykluczeniom) from Poland...

Last week, an inclusive delegation of Social Science Works participated in a conference of the “Equality University” Project, funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union. Partners in this project are the Institute for...

Isabel is a recent graduate of the BSc International Development Studies at the Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands. Her study focused on policy implementation, grassroots innovation, and human rights philosophy. In her...

At the invitation of the respect coach, SSW conducted a one-day project with 80 tenth-graders at the Anne-Frank-Oberschule in Strausberg, Brandenburg, in which the question “Why do we think, what we think?” was at the...

Social Science Works joined forces with Instytut Przeciwdziałania Wykluczeniom (Institute for Counteracting Exclusions) in Toruń, Poland, and Social Hub in Sofia, Bulgaria. Together we implement the project “Equality University” which is made possible by the...

Zélie is studying political science in France at the Université Paris-Est-Créteil. She focuses on the education for peace, and would like to become involved in the management of humanitarian projects. Indeed, for her, being educated...

Last week, representatives from Social Science Works (our fellows Sahba, Yamen, Laila and Anjali) joined a Youth Leadership training organised by the Mentor organisation from Croatia. The event has been part of the project “Building...

The Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk e.V. supports a new project by Social Science Works in Brandenburg, which is aimed at children of refugees, some of whom have been housed for years in so-called transitional refugee homes. These...

We started our yearly row of workshops with refugees in Wünsdorf, Brandenburg. As in previous years, we will discuss themes like democracy, freedom, pluralism, civil society, identity, discrimination, racism, gender equality and homosexuality. Support we...

Annie Schwerdtfeger is an undergraduate student at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She is studying International and Public Affairs with a focus in Humanitarian Aid. She has completed coursework in International and Refugee Law...

Laila Keeling and Anjali Zyla have joined our team and will mainly participate in our research and policy project in Teltow-Fläming until summer 2022. The aim is, among others, to conduct a large number of...

Supported by the district administration of Teltow-Fläming (Brandenburg), we have started a year-long project aimed at strengthening the coordination and cooperation of stakeholders working on the integration of refugees. We already went through a similar...

Last Friday 19 November, Social Science Works concluded the project “OUR EUROPE FOR ALL – Youth discuss Europe amongst each other and with EU parliamentarians”, made possible by the Erasmus+ programme of the EU, with...

Lisa Neugebauer. Rangsdorf sucht Antworten: Wie gelingt die Integration von Geflüchteten? Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung, 29 Oktober 2021. In Rangsdorf diskutieren Engagierte darüber, wie sie die Situation für Geflüchtete verbessern können – und stoßen dabei an...

We welcome a new fellow at Social Science Works: Hacı Çevik. Hacı Çevik is currently working on his PhD at the Department of Sociology of the University of Potsdam. He explores the construction of collective...

In the past weeks we have already talked to more than 150 young people about the European Union, its future and what it means to be a European citizen. We make use of a Mentimeter-survey...

Last week SSW visited Belgrade to exchange information, experiences and knowledge regarding the integration of refugees, psychological assistance to people in distress, and social and psychological research. The event was hosted by Psychosocial Innovation Network...

Sahba Salehi is a master student of International Humanitarian Action (NOHA) at the University of Groningen. She has previously studied International Development at the University of Edinburgh and has an undergraduate degree in English Language...

Marie-Luise Arriens, born in Dresden, studied acting at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz/Austria after graduating from high school. In 2003 she came to Potsdam for her first engagement at the Hans-Otto-Theater...

In August we will start a second round of our workshop series Empowerment through Deliberation and Theater at the Oskar community center in Potsdam Drewitz. This time we would like to bring refugee women together...

Social Science Works is participating in the Erasmus+ KA2 project ”Building Inclusive Societies” (2020-3-PT02-KA205-007427). Project holder is Agora Aveiro, based in Portugal and specialized in citizens empowerment. Other partners are Psychosocial Innovation Network from Serbia...

With the support of the Partnerschaft für Demokratie in Teltow-Fläming and the German Red Cross we will again implement a dozen workshops with recently arrived refugees in Wünsdorf (Brandenburg). As in previous years, we will...

In the summer of 2020, our fellow Zak Reimer launched the podcast “Integration for everyone”. In these podcasts, also made possible by the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung, he explores the host country’s role in integration...

Social Science Works is excited to announce its upcoming youth dialogue project which just received funding from the European Union’s Erasmus + programme! The project, titled “OUR EUROPE FOR ALL – Youth discuss Europe amongst...

We welcomed two new interesting fellows at Social Science Works. Mine Gülnur Küçükyılmaz completed a bachelor degree in biological studies and one in sociology at Middle East Technical University in Turkey. At the moment, she...

The advertisement of SSW for a further education for civil volunteers (see here), social workers and others on all sorts of discrimination and a post on an integration project have created a “shit storm” among...

As in 2019, we enjoyed a long series of deliberations with refugees in the refugee home in Wünsdorf. The project was supported by the German Red Cross and the federal program “Demokratie Leben!” (Landkreis Teltow-Fläming)...

With the generous support of the municipality of Rangsdorf we started a long cycle of workshops with migrants living in the two refugee homes in this town, South of Berlin. We discuss themes like democracy...

We started a series of workshops on all sorts of discrimination in the Grace Hopper Gesamtschule in Teltow. We will be present in the school for almost a year, interacting about two times per month...

Aryaan is a Dutch student at Wageningen University and Research. She studies International Development, with a main focus on Politics and Communication in Development. During her studies she took part in the Food and Nutrition...

Our great intern Zak Reimer has launched his series of podcasts “Integration for everyone”. In these podcasts he explores the host country’s role in integration. You will hear interviews with Germans, both newcomers and long-time...

Paola Perrin de Brichambaut holds a master’s degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge. Her research examines the impact of urban policy on the human and cultural rights of minority groups. Furthermore, she...

Gender Equality was again the topic of our deliberations at Wendepunkt Berlin (26 and 27 February 2020). Our very engaged participants had a completely different background than the ones of our previous deliberations. Their insights...

We implemented a next deliberation on gender equality at the FrauenComputerZentrumBerlin. On Friday 14 and Saturday 15 February we had an animated discussion with many participants which brought us several new insights. We will analyze...

Lina Gessner studies Global Project and Change Management at Windesheim Honors College in Zwolle, The Netherlands. Since February 2020 she is working as an intern at SSW, where she is writing her Bachelor Thesis looking...

(Übersetzung unten) Social Science Works prepared deliberations in order to encourage various people to exchange on emancipation of men and women. With your financial support we would like to implement our first five workshops. We...

(Deutsche Übersetzung unten) On January 8 and 9 we met with 24 people in Haus am Maiberg (Hessen) to discuss in depth emancipation. The people were a nice sample of society: men and women, working...

Our project with two groups of children from a school in Hamburg has almost come to an end. We visited four memorials in Berlin: those for the Jews, the Roma and Sinti, the homosexuals and...

Die erste Workshopwoche unseres Projekts „Clicks for Politics“ (ermöglicht durch die Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung) hat stattgefunden. Eine Gruppe Jugendlicher aus Fürstenwalde traf sich mit vier SSW-Fellows in der Jugendbildungsstätte Hirschluch. Wir sprachen über Demokratie...

Social Science Works has adopted a school in Hamburg. Instead of one time three days, we will be present in the school for almost a whole year, interacting about two days per month with two...

Eva Singler, Jannes Jacobsen, Anne Flake, Maxime Kuhlmey, Ole Oeltjen and Mariana Zarpellon recently joined our ranks. We are proud and grateful that so many interesting and talented people become fellow of Social Science Works...

Last Monday, we started in Koblenz our Project “Deliberationsschulungen zur Stärkung der Demokratie“. The deliberations are organized by the Kreisverwaltung Mayen-Koblenz and are supported by the European Union. Some of the participants volunteered for a...

We will form four groups of 10 to 15 young people between 16 and 25 years old in the rural regions of Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt. We offer the participants training to reflect on the fundamental...

On invitation of Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (Kreisverband Börde) and Integrationsbündnis Wolmirstedt we had a great workshop on Saturday, July 6, in Wolmirstedt (Sachsen-Anhalt). The workshop (10 AM – 5 PM) was made possible by the...

The Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung has awarded Zak Reimer a Bundeskanzler-Stipendium which enables him to become a part of SSW. Starting in the Autumn of 2019, Zak will conduct research into grassroots refugee integration in...

Social Science Works has won a bidding in Rheinland-Pfalz for „Deliberation to further democracy“ (“Deliberation zur Stärkung der Demokratie“). Starting in August, we will implement 5 two-day workshops on deliberation and democracy. The participants are...

The Hertie School of Governance and Social Science Works formally agreed on a partnership. Students of Hertie can become an intern at SSW or write their Master thesis in cooperation with SSW. For this they...

Yesterday, we had the fourth meeting in our “Miteinander Reden” project (made possible by the town of Potsdam) where muslim and non-muslim citizens meet to discuss fundamental issues. This time we talked about freedom and...

Isabel Navarro is our Spanish intern for the summer of 2019. Isabel comes from a small town in Valencia and is currently studying International Studies and Law at Carlos III University of Madrid. Her studies...

Social Science Works was in beautiful Zehdenick, in the North of Brandenburg. We talked with 30 natives and migrants about democracy, the upcoming elections, the existing political parties in Germany, the functions of parties and...

We were at the FachTag “Haltung Bitte!” of the Landesjugendring Brandenburg discussing with 25 inspiring youth workers the need to teach children to think for themselves. Ironically, the conference took place in one of these...