In July 2024, TU Berlin together with the Berlin Senate for Integration and Migration is going to do a New Berliners’ Assembly on climate change.
After Berlin’s registration office had provided us with a random selection of addresses, we sent letters in three languages – Arabic, Farsi and Ukrainian – to 900 people with an invitation to the assembly. Our first surprise: We received far more responses from Ukrainian, Iranian and Afghan invitees than we usually get when organising a citizens’ assembly. Although it was a little painful to have to reject so many of them, we are now looking forward to the event, which again will be done in Arabic, Farsi, Ukrainian, English and German – a first for this kind of participatory format.