Das Progressive Zentrum

At the event “Measuring Tomorrow’s Work and Economy” Das Progressive Zentrum in cooperation with Policy Network presented the insights of a common study on the opportunities and challenges posed by new technology in the world of work. The study takes a comparative approach to investigate recent trends and policy approaches in the UK, France, and Germany. The following opinion piece reflects on the content and subsequent discussion of the issues at hand.

Lucie Kretschmer will support Das Progressive Zentrum in questions of religious policy as a Visiting Fellow in the programme Future of Democracy.

Cities and metropolitan areas are currently protagonists in addressing climate change, energy transitions, rising xenophobia and increases in populism. However, how well they can lead these social transformations will depend on if their own communities are inclusive and equitable.

After Super Tuesday, the Democratic Presidential Primary has narrowed down to two frontrunners. Das Progressive Zentrum team member and Chair of Democrats Abroad Berlin Diego Rivas explains the nitty-gritty of the Democratic primary, whether it is more representative than the German electoral system – and why the Super Tuesday’s results may not determine the winner.

Das Progressive Zentrum has a new Board of Directors: Michael Miebach, founder of the think tank and longtime board member was elected as Chair for the first time. Tobias Dürr is passing him the baton after resigning after 12 years of successful and groundbreaking work. The Deputy Chair is Judith Siller, who will bring new perspectives to Das Progressive Zentrum. Additionally, the Board of Directors includes the Commissioner for Integration and Migration of the State of Berlin, Katarina Niewiedzial, as well as the former Head of the Brandenburg State Chancellery, Thomas Kralinski.

New Urban Progress initiates a conversation with German and U.S.-American experts, activists, and local authorities on urban challenges and diverse innovative solutions on both sides of the Atlantic.

After innovating its governing structure, Das Progressive Zentrum is now led by an extended executive team, which is comprised of the Executive Director as well as three Heads of Programmes, the Head of Office and the Head of Communications.

Das Progressive Zentrum’s Board of Directors member Katarina Niewiedzial talks about social equality in our systems, structures, and policies and if we can learn how to rebuild society in a more inclusive manner at the second Berlin edition of ‘6 Degrees’ on Tuesday, February 18th, 2020.

Please join us for a workshop on the topic of data rights. The Open Data Institute and the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce will first present their research project on data rights in the UK, followed by a response from Adriana Groh, Director Prototype Fund at the Open Knowledge Foundation. Together we shall then look to understand the wider public debate on data rights in Germany and locate any research or engagement gaps, to then assess potential areas of collaboration.

The CEO of the Royal Society of Arts on how our hierarchical, solidaristic, and individualistic impulses align to shape how we perceive and live democracy. According to him, the intertwining of these three cultural frameworks determine societal structures and have been applied in different constellations throughout history; the era of enlightenment, the post-war period, and the era of neoliberalism, as examples. Moving forward as a society, we need not only a rethinking of those frameworks, but also a bold, reimagined social settlement.

The challenge of putting climate action and sustainability at the centre of politics is huge. Even though the need for a comprehensive transformation is unquestionable and public support enormous, there is no consensus on how to get there. Crucial for progressive climate politics is the reform of economic and social institutions as well as the collaboration of social movements with different backgrounds and objectives.

New Urban Progress is pleased to announce its Sounding Board! The team is made up of seven transatlantic and metropolitan policy professionals, who will guide the project with their expertise. New Urban Progress supports transatlantic conversations on the future of cities while rethinking transatlantic relations.

Over 250 participants attended the European Hub for Civic Engagement’s Meet-up in Berlin to discuss on how tech can empower civil society. Four prototypes showcased the potential of such tech solutions. However, the debate also uncovered three conditions of a successful implementation.

During the Meet-up 2020, Das Progressive Zentrum and the European Hub for Civic Engagement (EHCE) will present 4 prototypes for an online platform to strengthen and interconnect European civil society.

This year, our partners from the Innovation in Politics Institute came to Berlin to honour the best political projects from all over Europe. Out of over 400 nominees, 80 finalists and eight winners in eight categories were selected by a jury of more than 1,000 European citizens. The international gala took place in the Tipi at the Chancellery in Berlin under the joint patronage of the German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen.

How can new technologies work best for society? In partnership with a diverse consortium of partners from academia, civil society, the public and private sector, Das Progressive Zentrum launched the innovation series #Tech4Society. The kick-off event shed new light on value creation and technological change in modern economies. Continuing the series in 2020 with a series of workshops we will dive deep into developing concepts for economic, societal and individual progress through new tech.

Three organizations are joining forces in a transatlantic project which aims to support innovation in urban areas and to revitalise democratic engagement.

For the first time, the German national daily “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” published an own ranking of the most influential female economists. Among the top seven are Maja Göpel and Anke Hassel, two women from our network.

In their new Working Paper, Daniela Blaschke and Florian Ranft show how we, as a society, can stay capable of acting in times of technological change.

Together with members from civil society, programmers, and designers, Das Progressive Zentrum hosted a hackathon in Tallinn to draft concrete ideas for the European Hub for Civic Engagement’s (EHCE) digital platform. The result of the session were four different prototypes that seek to address the main challenges faced by European civil society today.