In the winter semester 2018/2019, the Chair of International Politics and the Chair of Didactics of Political Education at the TU Dresden, the Staatsschauspielhaus Dresden and Weiterdenken - Heinrich Böll Foundation Saxony are organising the lecture series Was zu tun ist. Demokratie geht jetzt erst los!

Below is the abstract of the series (source: Weiterdenken – Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Sachsen):

Democracy in the 21st century faces fundamental challenges. It is confronted with increased social inequalities, dangerous effects of climate change and an unleashed economy that is difficult to steer. These uncertainties have favoured the rise of populist simplistic strategies, loss of trust in politics and the media, and the approval of authoritarian systems. The return to nationalist solutions and the dismantling of historical achievements are worrying developments, especially in view of the upcoming European Parliament elections and climate change. Under these conditions, our democratic culture must prove itself and reinvent itself, and perhaps now - 30 years after the end of the Cold War - democracy is starting anew.

What do we need to do differently? What needs to be done now?

We are looking for bold, radical and real proposals for action on what to do now. This is not primarily about fending off right-wing populist tendencies, but about practical steps for a democratic, open and socially fair society.

The first question that certainly arises is that of social visions. What kind of society do we aspire to? What is our utopian image of democracy, social justice, Europe, equality, migration, digitalisation and climate justice?

Our guests will bring concrete proposals for action on the individual topics, which we want to discuss with the audience. At the end of the series, we want to work out the urgency of certain tasks and steps for action from the previous events, fill in missing areas for action, measure our real possibilities for action against them and set personal priorities. In the best case, a joint manifesto of the most urgent tasks for action for us and from our point of view will emerge.

The Staatsschauspiel Dresden continues the discussions in its plays, gives additional impulses, shows emotions and historical references. Below, for each discussion date, we give references to plays that are suitable in terms of content and date.

The events take place in the Kleines Haus of the Staatsschauspiel (Glacisstraße 28). The room is barrier-free.

Students can have the event credited for the Aqua module with a certificate of attendance and an exam.