PODCAST · news
Common Ground Berlin
by Common Ground Berlin
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson brings together prominent voices from all walks of life to tackle questions on vital and fascinating topics to increase public awareness and understanding.
Episodes
-
A Federal Republic of Chaos -- Is the far-right reshaping Germany's future? Part Three.
It used to be older Germans who flocked to Alternative for Germany. But nowadays, it’s actually younger Germans – especially men – who are casting their ballots for the far-right faction and helped the historic surge of AfD in the recent German federal election. What's happening in Germany is...
-
A Federal Republic of Chaos -- Is the far-right reshaping Germany's future? Part Two.
In the second of three episodes, host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson explores how and why Alternative for Germany is embracing voters and leaders with immigrant backgrounds and what that means for the far-right party and the federal republic. Featuring Hesse MP Anna Nguyen, (AfD), Robert Benson…
more -
A Federal Republic of Chaos -- Is the far-right reshaping Germany's future? Part One.
In the first of three episodes, host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson explores the real impact Alternative for Germany has on Germany institutions and laws as well as mainstream parties and government leaders. Featuring insights from Robert Benson, associate director at the Center for American Progress in...
-
The future of Common Ground Berlin
Happy New Year and what's next for Common Ground Berlin!
-
The elusive “Führerschein” – Why drivers from abroad have a hard time getting a license in Germany.
Jen Palacios of Simple Germany in Dusseldorf and Matthias Roth of Asphalt-Profis in Berlin join host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson in an informative and humorous conversation about the woes of getting a driver’s license in the land of Autobahns. Produced by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Eden Brockman
-
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? And should you, if you live and work in Germany?
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson explores whether people who move to Germany actually need to learn German with Steffen Sottung, managing director of international affairs at the Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg; Britta Schneider, professor of language use and migration at Europa-Universität...
-
What happens to us now? Part II: How the outcome of the U.S. election affects transatlantic relations and the German government crisis.
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks with Berlin Chapter President Constance Chucholowski of Democrats Abroad and Research Director Jeremy Shapiro of the European Council on Foreign relations about the aftermath of one of the most tumultuous elections in U.S. history, including in Germany, the EU…
more -
What happens to us now? How the outcome of the U.S. election will affect women and democracy.
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks with Senior Fellow Rachel Tausendfreund of the German Council on Foreign Relations and Berlin Chapter President Constance Chucholowski of Democrats Abroad about the aftermath of one of the most tumultuous elections in U.S. history. This episode was recorded live…
more -
Germany’s Culture of Remembrance – Is it enough?
Since World War II, Germans have struggled with how best to deal with their history. But even with a formal government policy of “Never Again,” anti-Semitism is on the rise in Germany and other atrocities aren’t always acknowledged. Guest host Eden Brockman speaks with historian and City College…
more -
Leaving the nest? The challenges of Berlin’s housing crisis for young people.
Berlin was recently declared by the Mercer Cost of Living Survey to be the most expensive city to live in Germany. Berlin also has a chronic housing shortage. So how are young people starting out navigating the crisis in the German capital? Join host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her guests:...
-
United or Divided? An “East-West” conversation with a best-selling author and award-winning producer about Germany, 34 years after reunification.
Germany became one country again in 1990. But just how unified is it really? And who is fanning the lingering divisions between eastern and western Germans? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks again with Katja Hoyer, a journalist and historian who is the author of the bestseller, “Beyond the Wall,”...
-
Missed opportunity or an opportunity not to be missed? Germany’s new visa or "Chancenkarte" and how to make the most of it.
Germany’s new Chancenkarte, or Opportunity Card, is supposed to make it easier for skilled foreign workers to find a foothold in the German job market. But how does it work and are there pitfalls? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks to employment-related immigration lawyer Csilla Rostas; Yvonne...
-
From Currywurst to Seitan Schnitzel: Is Germany Going Vegan?
Guest hosts Eden Brockman and Nour Trabelsi talk about Germany’s not-so-easy shift to veganism with Lia Carlucci from Food Campus Berlin and Jens Tuider from ProVeg. Join us to find out what’s cooking in German kitchens! Produced by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Eden Brockman
-
Live At PodFest 2024: “Stammtisch: A Scintillating Look At The News.” Vol. 4
Is it time for immigrants to leave Germany? Or should they instead go out for a non-alcoholic beer? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson joins The Local Germany’s Rachel Loxton, Comedian Josh Telson, and POLITICO Berlin Playbook's Rixa Fürsen, for a deep and humorous dive into German regional elections…
more -
Berlin Techno brought down the Wall – Can its renewed recognition boost Berlin’s clubs?
The heartbeat of the German capital city’s nightlife and a symbol of its post-reunification identity after a decade-long campaign is now officially recognized by the German National Registry of Intangible Cultural Heritage. But what does this recognition for Berlin Techno really mean? Guest host...
-
Fading Hopes of the Forgotten
Women’s and girls’ freedoms and opportunities have eroded at an alarming rate in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power there three years ago. But there is little agreement internationally or even among Afghans on how to reverse that trend. Intense ethnic and ideological divisions between...
-
Beyond the Briefing with DW's Rina Goldenberg
Will Germany’s federal budget end up in court? Can Germany deliver on its global military commitments? And what's happening with German beer? It may be summer, but the news is hopping with Common Ground Berlin host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Berlin Briefing’s Rina Goldenberg bringing you the…
more -
What's the sexual health of Germany?
Eighty years after the sexual liberation movement began, many people are still uncomfortable talking about sexually transmitted diseases and infections. But in our explicit and provocative episode commemorating the late Dr. Ruth, you will learn what’s going on with STDs and STIs in Berlin and...
-
Will Germany’s new Self-Determination Act deliver?
It’s Pride Month in Germany and we are discussing the new Self-Determination Act, or “Selbstbestimmungsgesetz,” which will soon make it easier for transgender, intersex and non-binary teens and adults to legally change their names and gender. The new act, which takes effect in part on Aug. 1 and…
more -
Moving to Germany? Here’s what you need to know.
You’ve decided to become an “expat” and live in Germany. But how do you navigate the bureaucracy and German culture? Can an English-speaker even make it here? What are some ways to ease the transition? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson gets the answers to those key questions and more from fellow...
-
Finding the Way Part III: Keep on dancing!
The funny and emotional conclusion as host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her journalist husband Erik Nelson walk from Portugal to Spain on their first-ever Camino. Hear about the “arrow” debacle, spiders and singing nuns! And whether they actually make it to Santiago de Compostela. Featuring Casa...
-
Finding The Way, Part II: The thrill of the Camino and the agony of the feet.
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her journalist husband, Erik, begin their Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, Spain and quickly learn the meaning of “The Camino provides!” Join them on their challenging, rewarding and even funny adventure, and hear from the experts: Author and...
-
Finding The Way, Part I: The Camino de Santiago and why it’s hard to resist.
Have you ever done a Camino? Or wanted to do a Camino? Or wonder what a Camino even is? Learn from the experts, including authors Brian John Skillen and Anne Pedersen (pen name Lele Beutel) who started the popular Facebook group “Senior Travelers on the Camino,” political scientist and...
-
Bye-bye, Berlin – Are artists and others in creative fields that gave the city its post-Cold War identity leaving?
Berlin has been referred to as a “creative utopia,” where the arts and cultural scene exploded after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Nowadays, the city’s draw as an artist hub is fading and its spaces are being displaced, thanks to skyrocketing real estate prices and limited space, among other…
more -
Berlin Blues - Navigating mental health care in the German capital and beyond.
Berlin is ranked as one of the three unhappiest states in Germany. What role does a shortage of therapy play? And is there a way to get around that shortage if you need help? Guest host Eden Brockman explores the accessibility and quality of mental health care in Berlin and across Germany with...
-
Out of Work – What to do about rising unemployment in Berlin and Germany.
The number of people who are out of work in Germany increased by more than expected in February 2024 to more than 2.7 million as the slowdown in Europe’s largest economy bears down on the labor market. That translates to the highest jobless rate across Germany since 2021, with Berlin being one of...
-
Update on getting dual citizenship in Germany – What works and what doesn’t
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and senior producer Dina Elsayed untangle the landmark reform to Germany’s citizenship law with guests: Jan Schneider, deputy managing director of The Expert Council on Integration and Migration and head of its research unit; Gökçe Yurdakul, Georg Simmel Professor of...
-
A U.S. election the world is anxiously watching – Part One: What role do voters abroad play?
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson discusses the role of overseas voting in the 2024 U.S. primaries and why you should care, even if you aren’t a U.S. citizen, with guests: Constance Chucholowski, chairman of the Berlin chapter of Democrats Abroad; Jeremy Shapiro, research director of the European…
more -
Whither Ukraine – If Western support wanes, will Russia win? And what does this mean for Berlin and Germany?
It’s been two years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a war that is not going well for Kyiv at the moment. The war has killed and wounded a half million people and sent millions of Ukrainians fleeing to the West. Some 60,000 of them live here in Berlin. Host Soraya Sarhaddi...
-
A BER report card – Is Berlin’s airport the one to use or one to avoid?
Everyone has an opinion of BER, and many of them aren't kind: Passengers recently ranked it 19th of 20 airports in Germany, which suggests it still isn’t the airport of our dreams. In this episode, host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson spoke on Feb. 6, 2024 with urban planner Dieter Faulenbach da Costa…
more -
Being Franz Kafka, Part Two: How the iconic author who was sensitive to sound affects today’s music.
When we think of Franz Kafka, it’s usually about his books and short stories. But Kafka Band founder and Czech author Jaroslav Rudiš and world renowned Irish composer Gerald Barry say the noise-averse author influences today’s music, too. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Senior Producer Dina…
more -
Being Franz Kafka, Part One: How the unconventional author affects life today.
Join host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and senior producer Dina Elsayed who interview TV personality and Kafka sleuth Kathi Diamant, in San Diego; National Library of Israel archivist Stefan Litt in Jerusalem, and figurative abstract artist Marianne Kolb in Sacramento on how Franz Kafka changed their...
-
Our 100th Episode
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Senior Producer Dina Elsayed share key moments, personal insights and a look ahead as Common Ground Berlin kicks off its 2024 season. Featuring German Comedian Christian Schulte-Loh; Iranian-American Comedian and Actor Maz Jobrani; Renae Watchman, who is an...
-
How do young Germans view the United States? A look at the shifting attitudes and whether student exchange programs can help.
What Gen-Zers think of the United States is definitely not how their parents and grandparents view Germany’s important ally. So can student exchange programs help improve transatlantic relations? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Senior Producer Dina Elsayed talk with the German Marshall Fund’s...
-
Celebrating 100 years of radio in Germany – The Finale: Mary Louise Kelly and Kamal Nasir Hamyar
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson interviews NPR icon and All Things Considered co-host Mary Louise Kelly as well as Kamal Nasir Hamyar, an Afghan journalist who was part of an on-air project the Germans helped create to ease Afghan mistrust of the West after the Taliban were ousted from power in...
-
No Place to Call Home, Volume II – The latest on Berlin’s affordable housing crisis.
Rents in “poor, but sexy” Berlin continue to skyrocket as the inventory of apartments remains low. But buying a home may not be the answer, either. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson explores whether the German capital’s housing crisis can be solved with Wibke Werner, director of the Berlin Tenants’...
-
Israel’s war in Gaza – Could the United States and Germany have stopped it?
Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson of Common Ground Berlin and Rachel Tausenfreund of the German Marshall Fund of the United States host a powerful and international conversation about the invasion of Gaza and its consequences with guests: Menachem Klein, a political scientist in Jerusalem and former advisor...
-
Live at Podfest Berlin: "Stammtisch: A Scintillating Look at the News." Vol. 3
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her guests, AFP correspondent Deborah Cole and Comedian Josh Telson tackle a variety of topics including Berlin and U.S. political follies, climate protests and rising costs of beer. This episode was recorded live at Noisy Rooms on Oct. 14, 2023 and produced by…
more -
Why is reunified Germany still divided, 33 years later? A conversation with bestselling author Katja Hoyer and hit miniseries producer Joerg Winger.
It was a time of jubilation when East and West Germany became one country again in 1990, with Berlin as its capital. But the honeymoon quickly wore off and to this day, divisions fester. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks with journalist and historian Katja Hoyer, author of Beyond the Wall, and...
-
Celebrating 100 years of radio in Germany – Part II: Anna Winger, Rik de Lisle and Lulu Garcia-Navarro.
This is the second of three episodes by Common Ground Berlin and Goethe Institute commemorating a century of German radio by bringing you stories from influential and interesting broadcasters worldwide who have had a lasting effect on radio. Senior Producer Dina Elsayed walks down the nostalgic...
-
Germany’s “Energiewende” – A path to transformation or tribulation?
The German Bundestag passed a controversial measure in September to reduce emissions from heated buildings, which accounts for an estimated 15 percent of Germany’s carbon dioxide output. But will this and other strategies of the German government to transform energy production and consumption…
more -
Celebrating 100 years of radio in Germany – Part I: Steve Inskeep, Keri Jones and John Masuku.
The first of three episodes by Common Ground Berlin and Goethe Institute commemorating a century of German radio by bringing you stories from influential and interesting broadcasters worldwide who have had a lasting effect on radio. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson delves into the triumphs, challenges...
-
Germany’s Beer Wars: Is it time to bid “Auf Wiedersehen” to the purity law?
#Beer is a staple of German culture and in partnership with the Checkpoint Charlie Foundation, host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and senior producer Dina Elsayed explore the debate over the restrictive “#Reinheitsgebot” or purity law that beers in Germany are expected to abide by versus popular #craft...
-
Will AI end democracy? Part Two – Germany and Europe
The government of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently announced plans to protect the public from AI misuse in the foreseeable future, but critics complain the time for action is now, especially when political actors like the far-right Alternative for Germany are using artificial intelligence…
more -
Will AI end democracy? Part One – The United States.
Artificial Intelligence is proving to be a useful tool to Republican frontrunner and former president Donald Trump. But the Biden administration and Congress are struggling to regulate AI technology, a catch-up game similar to the one they’ve had with social media. Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson…
more -
Comeback or coincidence? What a resurgent Alternative for Germany means for the country.
German polls suggest that if elections were held today, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) would garner more votes than most of the country’s mainstream parties, including those in the governing coalition. That has some politicians rethinking their “firewall” against the populist faction...
-
Germany’s new national security strategy – Groundbreaking or status quo?
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his cabinet recently unveiled their country’s long-awaited national security strategy, the first since World War II. Co-hosts Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Rachel Tausendfreund explore whether this strategy is groundbreaking as its proponents claim and the impact on...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Common Ground Berlin have?
Common Ground Berlin currently has 151 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Common Ground Berlin about?
Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson brings together prominent voices from all walks of life to tackle questions on vital and fascinating topics to increase public awareness and understanding.
How often does Common Ground Berlin release new episodes?
Common Ground Berlin publishes regularly with 151 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Common Ground Berlin?
You can listen to Common Ground Berlin on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Common Ground Berlin?
Common Ground Berlin is created and hosted by Common Ground Berlin.
URL copied to clipboard!