Özgür Özvatan mit »Jede Stimme zählt« (GEGEN DEN STROM)

Reading & discussion / as part of the political series GEGEN DEN STROM

Migrant communities currently make up a significant proportion of the German population. By 2030, more than half of the population will have a migrant background. For decades, however, democratic parties have failed to effectively court the favor of migrant communities. Right-wing extremist and populist parties, on the other hand, have recognized the gap and are launching their messages specifically on social media platforms.

Özgür Özvatan's book EVERY VOICE COUNTS is a plea for a political realignment. It shows how and why migrant communities are increasingly being targeted by the AfD and the populist BSW, parts of which are classified as right-wing extremist according to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. In the digital space in particular, both parties find the ideal playing field to spread their messages with a wide reach. But why is there often no clear democratic response? Ignoring migrant communities jeopardizes the stability of our democratic system in the long term.

"Özvatan cleverly and precisely describes a problem that is far too often ignored by politicians and the media." Louis Klamroth, hart aber fair

Özgür Özvatan's book was published by CH.Links-Verlag on June 18.

Özgür Özvatan, born in 1985, is a political scientist and sociologist specializing in social research, in particular integration, extremism, environmental and democracy research. He completed his doctorate at the Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences and taught at the Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research at Humboldt University. Together with the sociologist Daniel Kubiak, he hosts the podcast "B.O.M. - Berlin. East. Migrant". His political analyses appear in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, taz, Deutschlandfunk, Zeit Online and Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, among others. He lives in Berlin.

The reading is organized by Gegen den Strom. The political series has been promoting political education for 20 years and offers a free lecture and discussion format in Hagen. Gegen den Strom - these are: Arbeit und Leben Berg Mark, DGB Region Ruhr Mark, Integrationsagentur des Caritasverbandes Hagen, Kulturzentrum Pelmke, Sozialistische Jugend Die Falken UB Hagen and VHS Hagen.

Supported by Arbeit und Leben Berg Mark.