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The Great Disorder

Certainly since the re-election of Donald Trump it has become clear that a violent, multipolar world order is evolving. Autocratic tendencies that are now also manifesting themselves in former liberal democracies are converging with returning fantasies of great imperial power. Meanwhile East-West and North-South axes are gradually becoming less significant in charting political relations in a radically changing world.

As a result, the legacy of liberal institutions and international co-operation is being questioned. A postcolonial perspective, fed by criticism of Western policy, is also insufficient to describe current geopolitical conflicts. At the same time, major global conflicts impact Germany’s postmigrant society and threaten social harmony.

The third edition of Reflexes & Reflections, again curated by the political scientist Saba-Nur Cheema and the historian Saba-Nur Cheema, also marks the 75th anniversary of the Berliner Festspiele.

As a cultural institution that is linked to Berlin’s eventful history, in their anniversary year the Berliner Festspiele will examine the consequences of the current geopolitical upheaval for open societies.

Where should socially and culturally engaged individuals and institutions now turn? Which new co-ordinates offer a degree of orientation? In considering these problems, among the prominent speakers from the fields of politics, academia and culture, the voices of Berlin schoolchildren will also be heard for the first time.

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Dates
August 2026
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