Party policy: Trust Will Win the Future böll.column The crises of our time demand serious solutions from the parties instead of a return to the past. Those who do not dare to say so demonstrate the opposite of state-political responsibility. By Jan Philipp Albrecht
Slovak terror: A nation hijacked by homophobia and transphobia Analysis The first terrorist attack in modern Slovak history was committed on the evening of 12 October 2022 when a young neo-Nazi shot and killed two people, non-binary Juraj Vankulič and bisexual Matúš Horváth. Rather than serving as a catalyst for eliminating LGBT+ inequality, that attack marked yet another step toward worsening the situation in Slovakia for LGBT+ people. By Daniel Javoran
“Nationalism is obsessed with power and masculinity” Interview The Syrian historian and journalist Karam Nachar is a co-founder of the Al-Jumhuriya newspaper. He writes about women’s and LGBT rights, among other socio-political debates. Interviewed by Hannah El-Hitami, he talks about the specific challenges for minorities in Syria, and the state of Syrian civil society after more than 10 years of war. By Hannah El-Hitami and Karam Nachar
The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not be indifferent! Interview On April 19, 1943, Jews condemned to death in the Warsaw Ghetto rose up in an unprecedented heroic struggle against the German occupation. The commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the ghetto uprising is approaching. Joanna Maria Stolarek, director of the Warsaw office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation spoke with Zygmunt Stępiński, director of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN in Warsaw about the commemoration, the nature of remembrance, and the universal message that the uprising and its commemoration bring. By Joanna Maria Stolarek
Transatlantic Media Fellowship 2023 Call for Applications Free press and a diverse media landscape are a cornerstone in any democratic society. Traditionally, the Heinrich Böll Foundation has supported independent journalism through a variety of programs, including fellowship opportunities. The Transatlantic Media Fellowship, that supports well-researched transatlantic journalism, is one of them. After a two-year pandemic break, the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Warsaw will in 2023 again support a selected number of journalists for an independent minimum five-day transatlantic trip to research stories relevant to the Foundation’s work.
Journalism in Ukraine: When the war is not only informational Report The once lively scene of local and national Ukrainian media is threatened by the brutal Russian invasion and occupation. War has changed the work of journalists and media business models are under threat. By Inna Nelles
Annual Report 2021 Annual report As we write this in March of 2022, our review of the year 2021 is overshadowed by Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. Because of this, not only foreign policy, but also domestic politics have now entered a new era. pdf
Cascading risks to media pluralism and a European approach to tackle them Background The media systems of Europe are facing challenges from multiple directions. Elda Brogi explains the European approach to tackle them. By Elda Brogi
“Be careful out there, in that Gypsy district” – anti-gypsyism in a war situation According to the European Agency for Fundamental Rights data, Roma are the most persecuted minority in Europe. During the 49th session of the Human Rights Council, the international organization Minority Rights Group (MRG), operating in Ukraine, alarmed that human rights violations against Roma and Roma women have significantly increased since the beginning of Russian aggression. By Elżbieta Mirga-Wójtowicz and Kamila Fiałkowska
International Summer School for Young Researchers Call for Applications The University of Rzeszów, Universität Leipzig and the Warsaw Office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation are pleased to invite young researchers interested in the broadly understood issue of citizenship to participate in this year's edition of the Young Researchers Summer School, which will take place on July 3-9, 2022 in Rzeszów. Applications will be accepted until May 30, 2022.