A vibrant civil society strengthens democracy – from protests to constructive participation and civic resilience. At the same time, spaces for social engagement and political activism are increasingly under threat from polarization, a loss of trust, and constant digital agitation. How can we rethink civil society? And what does it take to strengthen democratic institutions – rather than erode trust?
At re:publica 2026, Maja Göpel discusses these questions with her conversation partners Siri Hummel and Astrid Deilmann in a live recording of the video podcast “NEU DENKEN”. Starting with the question “How can we do better?”, the three combine academic perspectives with practical experiences from civil society work in their conversation at re:publica. Together, they challenge prevailing narratives and open up new perspectives for constructive democratic practice.
Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel has been working for over 25 years as a political economist, transformation expert, sustainability researcher, and policy advisor. Dr. Siri Hummel, a political scientist and communication scholar, is the director of the Maecenata Institute for Philanthropy and Civil Society. Dr. Astrid Deilmann is the executive director of the campaign organization Campact, an associate at HateAid, and a member of the supervisory board of the taz.