Gerhard Seiler

Can kindness be violent? Last week I was invited to give an opening lecture for the program Alternative Futures and Critical Ecologies at the ZHdK Zürcher Hochschule der Künste. I was talking about how different #worldviews (Mira Weinrich) and value systems determine how we act and behave, whether we see ourselves of part of this planetary ecology or separate from it. I questioned our culture's concept of #impact (Robert Chia) and pointed out the role of #relationships (Nora Bateson), tending to them and the meaning of #kindness. Bam! Especially the part about kindness sparked resistance and interesting questions from the students. Some of them already had quite a lot of experiences in various forms of activism and they did not agree with me. Be kind? If the other person isn't kind, how would that work? Should you be demure instead of pushing back? How can you be kind in an oppressive system? Haven't we been told to be kind and abide for long enough? Isn't it time to fight back? Fight climate change? Fight the system? Fight for justice? Fight for equality? Be loud and push back? I love those questions, I feel they go right to the core of our conundrum of trying to fix our problems in the exact same paradigm that got us into this mess in the first place. And I realized that there was a confusion between kindness and niceness. But those to me two are very different concepts - I can be nice without being kind and I can be kind without being nice. Kindness can be fierce. So, can kindness be violent then? Another great question from one of the students. I would say no, it can't, because violence means being ready to cause pain. Niceness can be violent. Niceness is putting on armor and lowering the visor. Kindness is opening a space without judgement but with a lot of clarity, it's an invitation into Rumi's garden beyond right and wrong. I'm curious, how do you feel about that Pontus Holmgren Maria Grazia Testa Johann L Botha Sebastian Baumann Rubén Granados Hughes Miriam Wolf • Alpensalon •Lena Tünkers Andrea Klepsch Thomas Poddey Mona Calvet Natasha Sell Pooja R Bhale Nadene C. Tuuli Utriainen Anna Katharina Schaffner, PhD kaa Faensen Lisa Jaspers ?

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#BestResearchEnvironmentAward Are you part of a research environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, and support? Then this is for you and your team: Die Junge Akademie, in partnership with the VolkswagenStiftung, announces the Best Research Environment Award! 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 A thriving research environment is crucial for scientific success. It nurtures individual strengths and fosters a collaborative spirit that benefits everyone involved. This award emphasizes the importance of such environments in enhancing scientific performance and supporting researchers at the early stages of their careers. 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 ☑ €10,000 to be invested in team-building and development activities. ☑ Open to research environments primarily based on the German science system. ☑ Applications must be submitted by at least two members who are in the early to middle stages of their careers (e.g., master's students, doctoral candidates, postdocs). ☑ Applications are due by 18 November 2024. ☑ The Award Presentation is scheduled for 7 June 2025. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 Applications are exclusively online. For more details and to submit your application, visit https://lnkd.in/d3NX5qZ2 This is a fantastic opportunity to gain recognition, invest in the growth and development of your research community, highlight the exceptional qualities of your research setting, and recognize your team's efforts! photo credit: Viacheslav Iakobchuk - stock.adobe.com

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Find a very up-to-date summary "Das Deeptech Manifest" on the State of #DeepTech in #Germany - PLUS solid proposals to use this momentum for additional fostering - and necessary - activities. Thanks to MÜNCHNER KREIS e.V. for this work that highlights needs not only for #Deeptech but also for the overall #Startup and #Innovation Ecosystem - and for public administration and #procurement... https://lnkd.in/dhS8jXcn #Berlin #CityOfDeeptech #CityOfCooperation

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Great meeting of the Corporate Innovation Workgroup in the SBB CFF FFS offices in Zürich. Insights from organizing innovations at SBB shared by Stefan Guggisberg. The main point being that too much centralization can kill innovation. Decentralization works for SBB. Success story at Helion shared by Lukas Karrer. The insight: Show it. Don't waste time explaining or doing PowerPoints for board members. An anonymous contribution that made my day: Process and Responsibility Amnesia. After a major change in an organization, people look like they have forgotten everything (who is doing what, who is responsible, how things are done). We discussed the neuroscience of this type of amnesia -- perhaps the fear and uncertainty are at the root of it as a result of poorly managed changes. Of course that people still know the process and who does what. But if they are uncertain, they may prefer waiting for clear instructions or written process and not act. A bonus: The terrasse with a view of busy tracks leading to the Zürich HB. I could spend hours watching the trains. Thanks everyone for a fantastic day! #innovation #amnesia #strategy

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https://lnkd.in/dsd3qdxz #digitalurbanism Active Mobility is good for cities, and good for your health. Period. (German)

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Rolf Fliß, Kai Gehring, Matthias Ecke, Franziska Giffey, Roderich Kiesewetter, Hans-Jürgen Zickler, Heinrich Koch, Steffen Much. These names of politicians of the German parties Bündnis 90 Die Grünen, SPD, CDU, AfD and Die Linke stand as examples for the most recent hike in violent attacks on politicians. In addition there have been attacks on campaign teams when mounting campaign posters and on election workers. Internationally, we have witnessed the head of the Slovak government Robert Fico being gunned down brutally and a few days ago Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen was attacked in the Copenhagen city center. When I grew up the phrase "violence will never be the solution" was something your parents told you and that you carried with you every day. Now the question is: Is that not a modern virtue anymore or do some just generally think they can be their very own police? We as a society have to do better in communicating, debating politics and setting aside differences so that violence once again becomes the absurdity it was when I was young. Europe is coined by DEMOCRACY. Meaning people have a vote if they want things to change, in elections like yesterday for instance. Being unhappy or frustrated is no justification to attack politicians or quite frankly anyone, who do not/does not represent one's own views. And to the point I am trying to make: The more attacks there are on politicians, the less attractive that job becomes, the lower the chances bright ambitious young people want to do it, the higher the chance people are disappointed by global and local politics. So be active in talking to people, even if it's exhausting. And also actively speak against any form of violence. #politicallymotivatedattacks

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something to think about: what and how you measure matters! we may think things are 'looking good' in some areas, but they aren't. at least, not everywhere and not in all respects. read (and think!) more carefully about institutional discrimination and racism in public institutions

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Digital social innovations in rural areas – what critical junctures tell us about the process behind them? Happy to share a new publication together with Tobias Chilla, Lisa Birnbaum and Stephan Kröner. Based on a qualitative comparative approach to process tracing, we made the following findings. ✅ Participatory processes are crucial for digital innovation in rural communities. ✅ ‘Hybridisation’ is an intermediate step that helps to reduce the digital divide. ✅ Collaborative learning in rural communities benefits successful institutionalisation ✅ Endogenous and exogenous impulses trigger different path dependencies for rural innovation. Check our findings here: https://lnkd.in/ex4npHQc Please find more on our project (2020-2023, BMEL) and the case studies: www.heidi-toolbox.de

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Practice, practice, practice until it becomes your practice. ;-)

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Facing up to demographic change with technology 🌏 Aging societies are a growing concern in many countries around the world. Gerhard Müller is Community Manager at Caritas-Netzwerk IT e. V. IT e.V., which is the IT-sector of the German social welfare organisation Caritas. Such organisations provide care for a growing number of elderly people. In the newest episode of the Human Firewall Podcast with Niklas Hellemann, Gerhard outlines how technology could play a crucial role in providing care – as demonstrated by “virtual nursing homes”. 🤖 The idea of AI and robots taking care of the elderly sounds dystopian to many of us. But as birth rates decline and the working force shrinks, it might become the only option. As Gerhard explains, the use of new technologies could help allocate the remaining human resources in the most efficient way. 💡 In China, where the one-child policy has sped up demographic change, “virtual nursing homes” are already a reality. Gerhard and Niklas agree that when countries worldwide face population decline, even those that are sceptical about technology might have to become more open-minded. #HumanFirewallPodcast #HuFiPod #SecurityPodcast

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Culture is #Berlin's key economic asset! 40% tourists visit for cultural purposes, every 10th job is in the creative industries which have massive spillover effects into the software industry and other sectors. At the same time, culture/creative industries are still wrongly dismissed as "nice to have" and "feel good" factor .... Excellent interview (in German) with Christoph Backes of Kompetenzzentrum Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft des Bundes on the proposal of massive cuts in the culture budget of #Berlin. Thank you Jacob Sylvester Bilabel for sharing.

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𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 – 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲. Understanding the needs of young people and stopping the brain drain in rural regions is crucial. And let’s not forget: In this post-industrial era, there are plenty of good reasons to live (and work, even temporarily) in rural areas. Young people are the driving force behind the future of their regions. But if there’s only one option – leaving the region after finishing school – the future of these regions becomes bleak. That’s why we host workshops with pupils and kids and organize free coworking afternoons in our Bay locations at least once a quarter. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? Stephan Kunkel Martin French Karen Hoppenrath Claudia Geist uvm.

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Call for Papers: International conference on "20 years of the BAMF Research Centre" on "analyse. evaluate. inform" For 20 years, the Research Centre at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF-FZ) has been conducting research on a wide range of migration and integration issues in accordance with its statutory mandate, thus making an important contribution to scientific advice on migration and integration policy. To mark this anniversary, the BAMF-FZ is organising an international conference in Nuremberg on 21 and 22 May 2025. We welcome contributions from various disciplines, such as sociology, political science, economics, history or psychology, which deal empirically with the following topics from different methodological perspectives: - Immigration of skilled labour to Germany - Living situation of refugees in Germany - Challenges and (innovative) approaches in migration and integration research Submissions based on data made available via the BAMF Research Data Centre (BAMF-RDC) are particularly welcome. However, contributions based on other data sources will of course be considered, too. Deadline: 30 November 2024

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As a nonprofit, philanthropic support is our lifeblood for Dresden Digital Equity (#DDE). Here is our proposed strategy - we would appreciate suggestions: 1️⃣ Develop a Compelling Case for Support ⚜️ Mission & Vision: Clearly articulate our mission & vision. Explain the impact of internet connectivity on education, employment & quality of life ⚜️ Storytelling: Share real-life stories from those benefiting from affordable high-speed internet 2️⃣ Identify Potential Donors ⚜️ Local Businesses: Engage local businesses that benefit from improved #internet infrastructure or are vested in community development ⚜️ Community Institutions: Reach out to community institutions focused on regional development, #technology, & poverty alleviation ⚜️ Tech Companies & Internet Providers: Seek partnerships with tech companies & internet service providers w/ CSR (corporate social responsibility) programs focused on digital equity 3️⃣ Grant Writing ⚜️ Research Grants: Identify & apply for grants from foundations & government programs supporting digital inclusion & infrastructure projects ⚜️ Tailor Applications: Customize each grant application to align with the funder’s interests & priorities 4️⃣ Crowdfunding & Online Campaigns ⚜️ Launch a Crowdfunding Campaign: Use platforms like GoFundMe or Kickstarter to raise awareness & funds, highlighting community benefits & personal stories ⚜️ Social Media: Utilize social media to spread the word, engage with supporters, & share updates on progress/milestones 5️⃣ Events & Fundraisers ⚜️ Host Fundraising Events: Organize events (e.g., benefit dinners, charity auctions, fairs) that serve as networking opportunities to attract donors ⚜️ Virtual Events: Consider virtual events like webinars, online concerts, & virtual town tours 6️⃣ Corporate Sponsorships ⚜️ Partnership Opportunities: Offer sponsorship opportunities to local businesses, highlighting the visibility & community goodwill gained by supporting DDE 7️⃣ Engage the Community ⚜️ Volunteer Programs: Develop volunteer programs that allow the community to contribute time & skills, fostering ownership & Involvement ⚜️ Community Meetings: Hold public meetings to discuss progress, gather input, demonstrate transparency & accountability 8️⃣ Recognition & Stewardship ⚜️ Acknowledge Donors: Recognize & thank donors through newsletters, social media shout-outs, & more ⚜️ Regular Updates: Keep donors informed about the impact of contributions & project progress 9️⃣ Leverage Data & Research ⚜️ Impact Reports: Create reports showing the correlation between internet access & economic, educational, & social benefits ⚜️ Benchmarking: Compare our situation to communities with similar initiatives ✨We believe this approach builds strong relationships - securing philanthropic support to achieve our #DigitalEquity goals. 🌟Please review & suggest anything we’re missing! #DigitalDivide #digitalinclusion #DGCpartners Dresden Digital Equity

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What are engaging formats to discuss #trends, #scenarios, #future and eventually develop #foresight? In the project "AnticipaTech" we are exploring this question 🚀 . In this project the Bavarian Foresight-Institute, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt is partnering with Quentin Ladetto from the foresight program of the Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse. Last week we conducted a workshop in Ingolstadt to test our first prototype "The Scenario Game". Over 40 foresight experts joined us for a workshop to explore #technology trends and #megatrends in a scenario framework. Many thanks 🙏 for the engaging discussion, feedback and insights! 💡While we will share later more details on this project, one insight was very dominant: the interest in foresight is further on the rise and the exchange between sectors and industries is very valuable! #strategy #innovation #leadership #futurism

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What is fake news? Fake news or information disorder is false or misleading information (misinformation, including disinformation, propaganda, and hoaxes) presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue. Everything, especially in the media, is framing, labeling and a matter of the perspective. Only energies and mindsets are real! There is no absolute truth; you can only approach it by changing your perspective. This applies to the individual work-life flow, but also to collective and global events. Artificial intelligence is finally giving the power to people. We are no longer dependent on the favor and grace of certain people or groups of people. This global energy shift will be gigantic and you need a strong identity in order to be able to confidently face all the challenges of the next decades! ➡️ Expand your consciousness. ➡️ Change your perspective. ➡️ Raise your vibration. ➡️ Be grateful. #keepitnevilla Basic Mindset: Victim or Creator? Power over Force! #startwithbismillah #keepitnevilla #endwithalhamdulillah www.deborafleischmann.de

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Empowering Entrepreneurship for a Better Future - What a mega topic at this year's #ICSB conference in Berlin, hosted by #FOM together with #Hochschule Magdeburg Stendal and #Akademie für den Mittelstand Hans-Josef Helf. Thanks to Burghard Hermeier Dr. Hartmut Heinrich Meyer Thomas Heupel for the organisation! I had the great pleasure and honour of organising and moderating the session for #Womenpreneurship. And what can I say: a wonderful lineup of speakers on my panel who inspired both me and the audience. I was able to open the session with an impulse on role models as a way to empower women. Then Vicki Stylianou gave a great impulse on Capacity Building in the Pacific. María Fernanda Andrés showed us what needs to change for more investments in female startups. Nkem Okeke, MD, MPH, MBA, MSPM talked about the role of entrepreneurial mindsets and the difference between mentorships and sponsorships. Analia Pastran, Prof. and Katia Passerini gave their insights on women leadership, gender inequality and addressed gender washing. At the end we discussed about: What needs to be changed in Germany, Europe and globally to make entrepreneurship feasible for women and to empower more women to become entrepreneurs? Our top 5 need for action are: 1.     We need more women in decision-making (e.g. in investing) 2.     Women need to sell themselves better 3.     Women need to communicate more 4.     Women need more visible role models 5.     Women need opportunities to show their strength Or as Katia Passerini put it: “Women are like teabags, you do not know how strong they are until you put them in hot water”   Looking forward to our ongoing discussion. Let’s keep empowering women!

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We are concerned about the course that meta has taken! With his statement, Marc Zuckerberg has reinterpreted the term fact-checking as "institutionalized censorship" in a way that is probably unmatched in its impact. Not only is he abandoning the principle that there are secure and thus verifiable facts, he is also denying that facts are also the basis for freedom of opinion and therefore for democracy, and at the same time he is delegitimizing journalistic products with this statement. What Zuckerberg calls "censorship" in the MAGA style is in reality external fact-checking and the deletion of discriminatory content. Language constructs reality: reinterpreting fact-checking as a means of censorship is a line that we must mark. Facts are facts and not censorship! We research to say as best as possible what is factually true. What does science say, what do statistics say, what do experts in a field say? Beyond facts, only opinion counts and all current algorithms still favor the most extreme opinions. This reinterpretation is an attack on our model of democracy. That is why it is so extremely dangerous and that is why I want to name it clearly here and object to it very clearly! I also think it would be important for as many people as possible to help prevent this from reversing.

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Very interesting glimpse behind the scenes. Virtual Culture talks to Sorin Marti about the hardly visible but essential work of data stewards in digital projects that promote cultural heritage and make it more visible, accessible, and reusable. Sorin reminds us that ➡ in the context of cultural heritage all data is messy, even more so if you collaborate with more than one GLAM institution. ➡ it is key to (possibly) define workflows before you start to collect and organize data that is expected to be shown in a frontend. ➡ it is important to promote standard formats and free ware instead of commercial solutions; it's the best guarantee (you can get) to keep data reusable. Thanks very much to Vera Chiquet from Virtual Culture and Jane Haller for organizing this talk. Very much looking forward to get more insight about ongoing projects on this channel #DigitalesSchaudepot #Curiositas5.0 #DataSteward #DigitalWorkflows

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