On November 24th, 2017, Dr. Johannes Bohnen participated as a moderator in the BMW Foundation's Berlin Global Forum. This year's topic was how to strengthen trust in political elites and state institutions.
Bohnen led a panel discussion titled "A Revitalized Public Discourse" with around 40 participants on how to break through our filter bubbles and overcome polarization. With panelists Ankhi Das (Public Policy Director India, South & Central Asia, Facebook Inc., India), Tarik Nesh-Nash (Founder and Chief Executive Director, GovRight, Tangier, Morocco), and Sam Rasoul (Representative Virginia House of Delegates, Roanoke, USA), the economy, civil society, and political perspectives were represented.
The special feature: The debate took place in a so-called "fishbowl." In this interactive format, participants were grouped in circles of chairs around the inner circle of panelists (the fishbowl). In quick succession, they entered the fishbowl and drove the discussion with their questions and comments forward. The lively exchange focused on two guiding themes:
What role can and should companies play in rebuilding public trust, especially in fragilestates?
How do we counteract the fragmentation of society and build new bridges of trust, e.g. through art and culture or innovative public discourse?
Bohnen then condensed the numerous ideas for the following session, which focused on concrete solutions to the problems raised.
For more information, see also: https://twitter.com/bmwfoundation/status/933982785940918272 and
https://www.facebook.com/BMWFoundation/
(Photos: Claudia Leisinger)
