Democracy in danger? Kiersper Bündnis sets a sign of diversity!

Democracy in danger? Kiersper Bündnis sets a sign of diversity!

On January 25, 2025, a vigil from the Kiersper Alliance for Democracy and Diversity took place. This event was organized to advocate the basic democratic values ​​and to promote positive values ​​in society. The alliance formed in the summer of 2024 with regard to the upcoming European elections, and the occasion achieved a remarkable response in the community.

The vigil lasted about half an hour and started and ended with the European anthem. "Ode to the joy" was chosen to symbolize unity, freedom, diversity and cohesion. Instead of speeches or greetings, the campaign offered space for personal conversations and discussions. A central topic was the widespread false information and hatred of social media, which are a significant challenge for democracy these days.

false information and their effects

The event also addressed the power of the United States and the possible consequences for international election systems. In particular, the difficulties were discussed to refute false information from the AfD, which are distributed on platforms such as TikKok. In a networked world, disinformation campaigns to influence elections are nothing new. Lena Frischlich, a media and communication psychologist, emphasizes that such false reports can occur in different forms, from fake image to the wrong statement.

In addition, US Justice Minister Merrick Garland reported a “Russian secret campaign” to influence the elections in the United States. The federal election management has already correct false reports on the European elections in June 2024 on the Internet. Such disinformation strategies aim to undermine people's trust in the media and state institutions. These challenges were also discussed in the vigil, which wanted to raise awareness of the urgency of the protection of democracy.

ongoing discussions and future meetings

The Kiersper Bündnis has announced that it will keep further meetings on the next four Saturdays until the Bundestag election on February 23. These take place at “five to twelve” to emphasize the urgency of the topic. The events are open to everyone, regardless of party political positions, and the organizers hope that the invitation will also reach visitors from neighboring municipalities.

Especially at a time when social media play an increasing role in political communication, it is important to face the challenges of disinformation. Social media that became popular at the turn of the millennium enable the quick parts of content and networking between people, but can also serve to spread hate speech and false information.

The use of social media in Germany shows that half of all Germans from the age of 14 are active on these platforms a week, and the 14 to 29 year olds are even 88%. In such a climate, it is becoming increasingly important to question messages and sources in order to successfully counter disinformation campaigns. Experts recommend using your own mind and checking the plausibility of information to make well -founded decisions.

The vigil in Kierspe has not only set a sign of democracy, but also pointed out the need to actively act against disinformation and its effects. It made it clear that the protection of democratic values ​​and the fight against false information will continue to remain significant issues in the future.