Thomas Galli | „Overcoming the idea of punishment.“

Cultural participation is considered a human right - and yet it is not a reality for many people in Germany. In this episode, Martin talks to Max Ciolek from the Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Teilhabe about why access to culture is still heavily dependent on social factors - and why this often overlooked human right is so crucial for social participation. It is about invisible barriers, political responsibility and the question of why cultural participation is more than just a leisure activity: it is a prerequisite for belonging, expression and democratic participation. An episode about a right that many people are unaware of - and yet is fundamental to an open society.

In this episode, Martin talks to Katja Urbatsch, co-founder and managing director of ArbeiterKind.de, about education as a question of social justice. In Germany, social background still plays a major role in determining who goes to university and who does not. Urbatsch explains why many young people from non-academic families face structural barriers on their way to higher education – from a lack of information to financial uncertainties. The conversation focuses on education as a prerequisite for social participation, solidarity through peer networks, and the question of what needs to happen to ensure that the right to education truly applies to everyone.

How fair is a system that cuts the minimum subsistence level? Helena Steinhaus, founder of Sanktionsfrei, explains why sanctions in the Citizen's Income scheme push people below the minimum, which myths about "social fraud" persist - and what is behind the current reform of basic income support. She talks about power and representation, lobbying influence, the fear of the job centre and the reality of millions who are affected by poverty or narrowly avoid it every day. One sentence that remains: "In the end, it's simply class warfare."