(In)visible resistance. Trust and protest in democracy

Discussion series of the Frankfurt Citizens’ University

Democracy as an adaptive form of social coexistence thrives on criticism, objection and protest. To be more precise: justified criticism, well-founded objection, publicly argued protest. It thrives on loyal opposition. However, behind some protests lies something else: a destructive attitude that – while claiming the democratic right to freedom of expression and democratic protection rights – attacks the rule of law. On the other hand, there are certainly triggers for a loss of trust in democratic institutions that provoke justified protest or even resistance. What is wrong with democracies if this resistance is often only willing or able to express itself in secret? What does this mean for citizens’ initiatives and their forms of protest?

The series of events with panel discussions and dialogical walks asks about forms of resistance in democracy, under what conditions they arise and how they can be dealt with.

February 2, 2023, 7 p.m.

Panel participants

Dominik Herold, co-founder of the citizens’ initiative “Mehr als wählen e.V.”, Netzwerk Paulskirche, Dr. Daniel Mullis, Leibniz Institute Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Research, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Sutterlüty, Institute of Sociology/Goethe University (focus on family and youth sociology), Prof. Dr. Lisbeth Zimmermann, Institute of Political Science/Goethe University (focus on international institutions and peace processes)

Moderation

Dr. Olaf Kaltenborn, Head of PR and Communication at Goethe University