Episode 58: Economic Transformation and Social Divisions in Germany’s Ruhrgebiet

On this episode of the Podcast, AICGS President Jeff Rathke talks with participants in the AICGS project on social divisions in Germany and the United States, which recently visited the German city of Dortmund. Yasmin Al-Douri, MS candidate in politics & technology at the Technical University Munich and founder of Diverse Young Leaders, Venessa Simpson, linguist at Lidl U.S. and former Community Outreach Director for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in Fairfax, Virginia, and Susanne Dieper, AICGS Director of Programs and Grants, shared their impressions and findings of their visit to Germany’s Ruhrgebiet, which was once the heart of the country’s coal mining and steel industries. In Dortmund, participants from Germany and the United States met with local government representatives and civil society organizations to discuss common challenges of diverse communities, including questions of identity and polarization of societies. In what ways have economic opportunities shaped political participation and attitudes toward immigration in the Ruhrgebiet? How do traditional and social media create or bridge social divisions in the region? Host Jeff Rathke, President, AICGS Guests Susanne Dieper, Director of Programs and Grants, AICGS Yasmin Al-Douri, Technical University Munich Vanessa Simpson, Linguist, Lidl U.S.