Stories about German
German Online University Aims to Bring Higher Education to Refugees
Students can enroll in classes without proof of identity, and tuition is entirely free. The only time a student must verify their identity with the university is upon graduation.
German Company's Videos Imagine Modern Women as Passive and Dependent
Women in Germany are outraged over one insurance company's videos explaining different types of policies, in which women are described as passive and naive — a role more in line with the expectations of the 1950s than 2015. Birte Vogel writes on her blog Thea – Frauen in Sprache, Medien und Gesellschaft (Thea –...
Need a Creative Commons-Licensed Image? Germany's Saxon State and University Library Has a Million
The library in Dresden has given CC BY-SA 4.0 licences to parts of its collection, meaning images can be used for commercial purposes, as long as the source is cited.
Did Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung Newspaper Let Advertisers Dictate Its Content?
Former contributor Sebastian Heiser accused Süddeutsche Zeitung on his blog of letting advertisers influence editorial content, saying he witnessed it happening firsthand when he worked on the services supplement desk.
Are We Witnessing the Death of ‘Uh'? Um, Maybe — and Not Just in English
We humans have been using expressions of hesitation for a long time. Linguists are now noting a shift in usage across a number of Germanic languages from "um" to "uh."
The #Heimkino Project Crowdsources a Warm ‘Willkommen’ for Refugees in Germany
#Heimkino asks Germans to film themselves saying basic words and phrases as part of a short videos support a German language course at a refugee centre in Siegen.
It's Blog Action Day: Let's Talk About Inequality
Global Voices is an official partner for the event, which tackles the issue of inequality this year.
Scholars and Experts Are Urging the German Government to Rethink Its Unconditional Support of Israel
Due to several anti-Semitic outbursts from some protesters, reporting on Gaza in Germany over the past few weeks has been overshadowed by a debate on anti-Semitism.
100 Young People Are Vying for the Title of World's Best German Language Student
The Goethe-Institut's German Olympiad has attracted competitors from Afghanistan, New Zealand, Cameroon, China, Romania, Iran and many other countries this year.
Russian Government IP Address Caught Editing German Wikipedia MH17 Article
IP addresses inside the Russian government continue to be active on Wikipedia, where a computer at the Russian Secret Service, the FSO, revised the German entry for Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, changing the word “separatists” into “rebels.” The Twitter bot @RuGovEdits, which automatically logs all Wikipedia edits made from Russian government IP...
Learn How to Protect Your Email Communication in Less Than 30 Minutes
Email Self-Defense, a beginner's guide to email encryption by the Free Software Foundation (FSF), was released in six new languages [fr, de, jp, ru, pt, tr] on June 30, 2014. More languages are underway. Even if you have nothing to hide, using encryption helps protect the privacy of people you communicate with, and makes life difficult for bulk...
German Graduates Fight Back Against Woefully Paid Internships: ‘Have You No Shame?’
A letter of complaint gives rise to debates among social science students and graduates through mailing lists and Facebook. The topic: unpaid and badly paid traineeships and internships.
Germany, Already One of the World's Top Weapons Dealers, Breaks Arms Export Record
In 2013, Germany exported 43 percent more small arms than a year earlier. Net users drew attention to the the abuse of children as soldiers, and the government's hypocrisy.
Germans Counter Right-Wing Extremists With Their Own Protests on May Day
"May Day in #Rostock was a success in terms of numbers: 300 Nazis against 2,000 demonstrators."
Inspired by FC Barcelona's Dani Alves, Germans Say No to Racism With #BananaSelfies
Someone in the stands at a football match in Spain threw a banana at Dani Alves. The Brazilian footballer responded by picking up the fruit and eating it.
Germany's Migration Commissioner Throws Her Support Behind Migrant Voting Rights in Municipal Elections
In Germany, however, foreigners from the EU can take part in municipal elections; only non-EU citizens are excluded.
List of Deceased in Venezuela Protests Available in 5 Languages
In the blog Panfleto Negro [es], John Manuel Silva and Emiliana Duarte are keeping a list of confirmed deaths from the ongoing protests taking place in Venezuela. The list -originally in Spanish- has been translated into English, German, Italian and French.
“Another Face of Africa”: Call for Photos, Stories
A group of young volunteers from southern Germany, many of whom have lived in Africa, are calling for photos, essays, videos, blog posts or poems by locals of five major African cities: Lagos, Addis Ababa, Gaborone, Kigali and Kinshasa. With a forthcoming exhibition called “Sichtwechsel,” their goal is to show...
As Darkness Falls – Berlin Conference
Berlin is welcoming the digital intelligentsia to a conference this weekend (January 25-26) on “self-empowerment in the age of digital control”. Speakers at the event, As Darkness Falls, include Jacob Appelbaum, Bruce Sterling, Micah Sifry, Evgeny Morozov and from Global Voices, Asteris Masouras (@asteris). See program in English and German....
‘Abita’, Animated Short Film About Fukushima Children
“Abita”, an animated short film about Fukushima children who can't play outside because of the radiation risk, delicately illustrates their dreams and realities. The film, produced by Shoko Hara and Paul Brenner, won the award for Best Animated Film at the International Uranium Film Festival in 2013. Shoko Hara, a...
“Catalan Independence” Explained in 16 Languages
The debut video of The Catalan Project (@Catalan_Project) features Fernando de Castro, “a Catalan from Galicia and Spanish”, presenting the project and explaining why some Catalans want independence from Spain using the 16 languages he is able to speak. Subtitles are available in English, French, German, Spanish and Catalan. The Catalan Project, an...